#how do you figure out what murders are socially acceptable what are not?

[sigridstumb]

Me and Tom Ripley

The Talented Mr. Ripley. The Imposters. The Grifters. Inventing Anna. Saltburn.

I love stories about con artists, sociopaths, and imposters.

I've rewatched the Netflix series Ripley about six times since it came out.

When I was about thirteen years old, I read every book in the local public library about cons and cold reading. I read about how to win people over in business, I learned how to cold read. There were all these books out there that TEACH you how to pretend to be a normal person that someone wants to be friends with! These books teach you how to get people to trust you, to believe you!

I found these to be amazing tools. I could not get people to believe me, I could not figure out why people disliked me. I could not figure out what I was doing so wrong that made bullies kick me in the halls or throw things at me from schoolbuses. I knew it was something wrong with me, I knew I was messing something up, I knew I was failing. So I studied.

I studied how to fake the things I actually felt and believed.

The thing was, I wasn't lying most of the time. Most of the time I was using the social techniques of con artists and cold readers to get people to believe that things I meant. If I said "yes I like this song" in a way that was natural and comfortable for me, the person I was talking to thought I was being sarcastic and mean and that I hated the song, that I thought poorly of them for liking it. I did not! I liked the song! But to get the other person to believe me I had to remember to do all these extra things, like turn my body to 3/4 face the other person, to smile, to make me voice sound like a smile. I would think about cuddling a puppy in order to get the right amount of warmth in my eyes. I would lean in and raise the pitch of my voice.

There are all these extra THINGS I had to learn and remember to do in order to get people to respond to what I intended to say.

So, yes, I love media about con artists and grifters. I love watching people be good at that switch, at putting on the mask. I love watching people in a panic that they will be caught, be revealed, because that's how most social interactions feel to me -- constant worry that my mask will slip and the person I am talking to will suddenly feel that I'm lying to them, that I'm faking everything. (I am faking everything but it's to make sure they believe the truth! Which they won't believe unless I fake everything! I am an imposter, but in support of the truth!!)

Part of what I love about the Netflix Ripley is that Tom is only good at lying to other people when he has successfully gotten himself to believe what he is about to say. He practices and rehearses his lies so that he can sell them to others. I used to practice my facial expression in the mirror, trying to get them to look like other people's faces and expressions. I would practice my tone of voice and how to make it sound warm and friendly. All the things Tom does -- except the murders! and the theft! -- all the SOCIAL things Tom does, I have done those things in an effort to hide my autism and be accepted by the people whose respect and friendship I wanted.

Con artists, cold readers, and comic books taught me how to pretend to be neurotypical.

[toomanythoughts4myhead]

Been thinking about modern!Coriolanus Snow (again)

How he probably goes to some old fancy university, which his whole bloodline went to. All of the other posh children he grew up with end up there too, some exceptions (fuckups) didn't manage to do it, but that is less snobby people to have to deal with in Coriolanuses mind.

Coriolanuses great great grandfather started a sort of secret society (cult) in his youth and ever since it has been thriving in secret.

With time it's ways have grown a lot more ...socially acceptable. They do weird cultists shit like 20% of the time and the other is spent getting drunk in private gatherings and parties or blowing mommy and daddies credit cards.

Coriolanus was at the core of the secret societies this century, house of the roses, there is no official name but this one gets thrown around enough that it stuck eventually. Corio enjoyed having the control over the gatherings and all the planning, God knows he was the most capable one there except for Clementia, maybe.

He was also the best actor, best student, in the University. He walked a fine line between sucking up to lectors and any sort of authority figures without loosing his own authority and self-respect.

There was a new money kid, Sejanus Plinth, who his father had pushed into joining the secret society in order to fit in with the fellow rich kids. He wasn't exactly welcomed but his fathers findings of the gatherings sure sweetened the deal.

To Sejanuses horor he had to give a blood oath in a secret passage in the school, a place secretly built in a wall just for this.

What was the blood used for?

Well he had to drink it. Not just his own, though. Part of the acceptance ritual is that everyone gives a drop of blood into a ceremonial bowl, engraved with roses and thorns. The blood would get mixed in with warmed wine and spices and each member will get a sip, starting with the new commer. Most of the people here didn't have to go on the trial because they were accepted simply for their status, only people who had something to prove had gone through with it.

They had wanted to pull Sejanuses leg a bit too, and judging by his paling face and unmoving gaze from the red liquids, they had succeeded.

What they hadn't anticipated, however, is Sejanus running out of the room screaming that they were all animals as he stomped away. Good thing that there was no one in the University right now, right?

Wrong.

Right as Sejauns was turning a corner he almost stomped on you, a journalist major in search of a new headline for the Universities newspaper. And his wide eyes, read stained lips and the blood dripping from one of his hands from a weirdly shaped scar, was defiantly a step in the right direction.

You don't get time to ask him anything as he walks off faster than you can turn around, but the commotion from down the hall catches your attention and you hurry off.

Your footsteps echo off of the marble floor and as you actually get there all you see is a blurr of red robes and golden silverware. The only thing that sticks out before the door???wall shuts closed is a person with a white suit and blond hair.

You start to dig deeper and deeper about this secret society, asking around and looking through all the history of the school. A cultists secret society that was responsible for the murder of three from almost 60 years back catches your attention. You are dealing with something bigger than you thought.

Coriolanus is livid, he hadn't put on his robes for that evening, coming to the meeting fresh off of one of his late lectures. He didn't get to see whi was the mysterious onlooker but he was going to find out and keep their mouth shut.

Your questions about a secret society and search for knowledge are not hidden and eventually reach Coriolanus, who approaches you during one of your late night searches through the University's library.

He startles you as he looked down at where you are hunched iver a very old set of newspapers. His gaze is piercing and calm, his posture doesn't give anything. His bright red burgundy suit and pants seem to contrast nicely woth his pale skin and blond hair. Blond hair!

He smells like roses and so did the place of the meeting, even after it's closing it had left a strong fragrance of white roses and vanilla.

The recognition must be evident in your face as your facial muscles move from confuses to "hallelujah". All the warning you get is a slight crease in his brow as he presses a strongly smelling handkerchief to your nose and mouth and presses it tightly.

"Such a smart girl. Should have known not to poke your nose in places it doesnt belong."

And with that it all fades to black, his piercing blue eyes are the last thing you see.

You wake up in a room, red silk cloth binds you to a chair and you seem to be alone. You try to shake off the drowsiness but your muscles feels like lead and your mind is slow, movements sluggish. This could be the same room, but it could be somewhere else entirely, you have no clue. It's all so lavish and luxurious, in its deep reds complimented by golden chandeliers and golden engravings, there were some old paintings as well, none that you recognize.

The click-clacking of heels on the wooden floor shifts your attention back to the familiar blond figure, creeping towards you like a predator. He is in the same clothes as before, which hopefully meant that you hadn't been in this drugged out state for too long.

He looked as pristine and proper as he always did, but his gaze was unnerving intense, it made your mouth dry with nerves.

"It feels like a real waste to get rid of such a smart girl, a real loss for the academy."

He says calmly as he takes a center place infront of you, looking down at your tied form. The image pleases him.

"You will either keep your mouth shut about this or i will tell all your dirt to whatever authority figure i need to, to make sure you never manage to get into any other learning establishment."

"I dont have any dirt on me."

"Doesnt really matter what you have, it matters what i present you have. So be wise about this, little mouse. Wouldnt want to get caught in a trap by your own doing."

Fuck

He says it so clamly but he can't manage to hide the rising corners of his mouth. He was enjoying this, he liked playing with you and your life. Your whole world depended on his choices, you had no way to stop him or fight him off. Interesting.

You don't much of a choice but to agree, a bit sullen that all your research had gone to hell and that a murderous cult was going around unpunished, but you couldn't risk your education, nit right now at least.

Coriolanus looks like the cat who got the cream, smiling deviously at you. Something in the way he looked at you made alarms go off in your ears. The deranged glint in your eyes meant nothing good. For you, at least.

"I cant let the other members know that an outsider found out about us like this, it would look very bad for my image, as you understand. From now on you have been my girl for a while, but our relationship has been hidden. You will act like you are mine."

He stated simply like demanding a performance like this was simply his birth right. You look at him stunned and not even sure what to say to that. You aren't exactly in a position to argue, even if your tongue is itching to give him a piece of your mind. So you agree.

You will be this cult leaders play-pletend girlfriend so you will keep your education. On paper.

Well you found the drama you were looking for. Now all you had to do was survive.

(Wrote this at 1 am yall, the brainrot was rotting away. Hope ye like it, cuz its not proof read. Sending love and good vibes. Peace.)

[gaysullengirl]

❝ i'm tired of feeling like im fucking crazy. ❞

- lana del rey, ride

    "Reid." Hotch narrowed his eyes at him, "I apologize." Hotch continued.

"I don't." Spencer mumbled, just loud enough for Isabelle to hear, she bit her lip to stop a laugh from slipping out.

"We've heard those phrases before When we interview school shooters." Isabelle explained to the oblivious counselor.

Emily rushed into the room, "Jordan was the motive for Kyle Borden, it was revenge."

"I need to speak to the boys who made this video immediately."

"I'll check their class schedules." The counselor scrambled to his computer to find out, his face dropped immediately, "What is it?"

"None of them show up at school."

୨୧

The local police station smelled of finger printing ink and old coffee, Isabelle enjoyed the smell, it reminded her of when she was a detective for the nypd.

The team heard the familiar sound of Garcia urgently typing on her computer through the phone call, "He deleted everything but the one mpeg." She sighed.

"I'm walking Morgan through retrieving what he put in the trash, but-"

"We've got three missing kids, Garcia, we need access to Owen's E-Mail." Hotch clenched his jaw.

"The kid is tech savvy, sir, but fret not, I am tech savvier!" She exclaimed, "Is that a word? That sounds like a word, if it is a word, I am it!"

"Two alienated kids, no maternal presence, dysfunctional relationships with dominating fathers who with held love, they were made for each other." Rossi said.

Emily shook her head, "Mm, as lovers, yes, but partners in crime, no."

"There's nothing in Jordan's profile that indicates she's capable of violence, and certainly not murder."

"A new mpeg just posted to the school social networking site." Garcia breathed heavily, "He- you need to see this."

A video popped up on the screen, it was of three boys, all on their knees while their hands were on their head infront on a lake.

"It was a joke, man!" One of the boys said, "We didn't mean anything by it!" Another boy shouted, "It was 3 years ago, no one even remembers it." The last boy argued.

"I do." A voice behind the camera said.

"No, owen!" "Don't! Don't!" "Please! No-" The three boys pleaded, they were cut off by gunshots ringing out.

"Garcia, is there any way to trace the mpeg to the computer that sent it?"

୨୧

"Once you've heard the profile, you'll understand." Jj told the officers that were gathered around.

Hotch, Rossi, and Spencer went to the scene where the boys were killed and figured out Owen was collecting injustices- the perfect revenge.

"We are wasting time, Owen is here, and we should be knocking on doors." An officer argued. 

"It's not a good idea." "And why is that?" "Because Owen's watching, he's monitoring the news, right now, he thinks you think he's gone, he feels safe."

"If we start knocking on doors, he's gonna know that he's not, he's gonna feel trapped."

"Why the hell should we care about this little bastard's feelings?" Another officer chimed in.

Isabelle gritted her teeth, "We're here to help you bring in Owen Savage with minimum loss of life, the profile tells us how to do that, if all you're gonna do is bitch and complain then you can leave." She scoffed.

Spencer smiled at her, "Owen Savage fits the profile of a type of school shooter known as an injustice collector, he's trying to avenge perceived wrongs."

"If he's a school shooter, why hasn't he hit the school yet?"

"Jordan. Most of these guys are so angry and hopeless, they just want to kill as many people as possible then commit suicide." Emily explained.

"But Jordan gives him a reason to live."

Isabelle glanced at Spencer 'He gives me a reason to live.' She thought.

Isabelle hated that in so twisted way she related to Owen- she almost felt bad for him in a way.

Growing up in a small town and constantly being the outsider- no matter how hard he tried to fit in and find the acceptance of his peers he never did.

"Otherwise he's a textbook case, his life was one torment after another, his teachers gave up on him, his classmates bullied him, and his father blamed him while giving him access to guns." Spencer said.

"Given these conditions, you're actually quite fortunate." He added.

"It sounds like you're saying these victims deserved this."

"We're not, nobody deserves this." Derek said.

"But you could have prevented it." Spencer lowered his eyes at the officer.

"Reid, can I talk to you?" Hotch said, it was framed as a question but was more of a statement.

The two walked into an empty conference room only a few moments later they exited, Spencer stormed to the exit of the precinct.

Isabelle walked over to Hotch, "He's going to the Savages' residence." Hotch whispered, his eyes still focused on Spencer.

"Can I go with him?" She asked, Hotch's eyes darted to her face, profiling her.

"It's just- his room was really interesting and insightful, his mirror was painted over indicating severe self hatred-" "You can go." Hotch cut her off.

Isabelle quickly ran to the parking lot, getting into the suv parked outside.

"What are you doing?" Spencer asked, "I'm going with you. Hotch said I could."

Spencer just nodded and started driving.

A few minutes into the drive he turned to Isabelle, "I know what it's like to be afraid of your own mind." He admitted.

Isabelle immediately faced him, "I'm not." She lied, she wasn't just trying to convince him but herself as well.

Isabelle hated feeling crazy, when her feeling controlled her rather than her controlling them.

"I've seen the way you've been reacting this whole case." He looked to her.

"Isa, honey, I know you."

authors note!

sorry for the short chapter, next one will be longer trust🤞also i'm finally done with my school year so more consistent updates are afoot!

[asmallcommitteeoffrogs]

The way I see it, each life series is related to a season.

Third Life- Fall

Last Life- Winter

Double Life- Spring

Limited Life- Summer

Secret Life- Fall

Real Life- Winter?

Last Life is winter. I haven't actually seen Last Life in a while so this might not be a great analysis but bear with me. Everyone sort of went into this season with an almost sense of scramble and knowing what was to come. The winter set in quick and they all made their groups hastily in an attempt for shelter (which ended up causing unstable alliances). The boogyman caused distrust as players just tried to survive and keep themselves safe. Everything feels inevitable and every player is aware of what's at the end. I have strong feelings about this one, but if anyone else who is more familiar with Last Life wants to add on, please please do.

Third Life is fall. Now, you might say, "but, Frog, what about Red Winter?" to which I point out that Red Winter was coming, but it never fully came. The Red King and Dogwarts fell before it could ever officially be winter. Third Life is also fall because of the slow decent into death of everything as well as scarcity of resources as winter approaches. It's not winter yet, but it lurks on the horizon and as things get colder, so do the players and their relationships with each other.

Double Life is spring. Third time around, everybody is sort of starting to get used to the game and how it goes. They know what'll happen, but their attitudes are lighter. The ranchers ranch, new fresh partnerships are made, and everyone is sort of out and about. New elements are introduced such as, goat horns, allays, frogs, powdered snow, and the warden (rip Rancher's Revenge). The whole energy feels kind of excited and fresh in a way. Like just coming out of hibernation.

Limited Life is summer. I feel like I don't need to explain this one too much. The amount of water and ocean themes we get tie into the warm weather aspect. Everyone is social with each other (even if that's because of murder). I've seen this season compared to little kids playing pretend on the playground which sort of ties in with the fun and lighthearted energy. And yet the ticking timer reminds them that nothing, not even summer, can last forever (play 2000's teen summer movie trailer music here)

Secret Life is fall and it's the start of the season cycle again. Lizzie's pumpkin vibes help this theory. This season also had a sense of division to it with the secret tasks forcing people to go off on their own most of the time. In sort of a call back to Third Life, this season could be seen as a omen of what's to come in the winter, and I think that with, as the biggest thing, the Canary Curse getting broken can show that these people have changed and that they are prepared for the winter ahead and that things are going to be different.

And then I guess Real Life would be winter. I haven't quite figured out where this fits into my season theory, but I feel like it could show how this winter is different than the ones that came before. I admit, this season was too short to get a great vibe, so depending on the next season it might get cut to Fall 2.0 (cause I definitely think it's been accepted as canon and I don't want to just remove it)

Anyways those are my thoughts. I'd love to hear what anybody else thinks. I definitely could have said more about some of these but I don't want to ramble too much. I also feel like this could kind of tie into some funky things with the winners too, but I'll save that for another time.

[dreamsndmadness]

Hello!! Me again, :)

I read the newest chapter(of bloodlines, which was awesome) and I was wondering about Paul. What about Feyd endears Paul? Honestly, Feyd doesn’t seem like someone Paul would be with given the choice especially considering Feyds first impression. It seems to me that at this point even tho Paul and his mother are still being the plotting little schemers we know and love and that Paul’s affections could be apart of some plan of theirs, his emotional boundaries are still somewhat being chipped away at by Feyd.

Also btw this isn’t relevant to the characters but I love how you worked your way around feyds social ineptness to give the readers hints to understanding Paul, for example in chapter 6 when they’re talking about the spice shipments and Paul says “it’s only been a few weeks since the change” and he gets a cloudy look in his eyes; I interpreted that as him also reflecting on how short it’s been since his father died and how his life has been drastically changed but Feyd doesn’t pick up on that at allllll lol.

Also do u mind if ppl draw fanart of ur fic? I’m a very slow artist but I’d love to draw some of ur scenes :3

Another wonderful question 😍.

To be quite honest about what Paul feels for Feyd, there really isn’t affection for him on Paul’s side (at this point!!). Feyd fell pretty fast and hard for obvious reasons. But there are so many more layers surrounding how Paul feels about Feyd. His kinda philosophy going into this was to basically have sex with him because he has to and remain extremely emotionally distant from this person who is part of the family that murdered his beloved father and destroyed his whole world. He very much would not have picked Feyd as a partner if situations were different. Which is part of the reason I am finding writing this story so fun, because it’s picking apart these characters' brains and figuring out a way they can fit together.

Very slight inklings of affection have been creeping up on him and will continue on to creep up on him in the coming chapters. But it is going to be a very slow burn for Paul emotionally. Where Feyd, at this point, is almost in love with him. I feel like each chapter represents another step forward in their relationship, for Feyd and Paul and oftentimes it means different things to them personally.

Paul is only just coming to acknowledge and accept that he’s physically attracted to this person, which in itself was a hard conclusion for him to come to as he was raped on his wedding night. Which was a frankly awful experience for him. Which is why we see him not physically turned on by Feyd for several encounters after that. He’s afraid and in his head and deeply uncomfortable. But Feyd has been pretty relentless about making sure Paul has an orgasm every time they fuck, so Paul was like “hold up… am I enjoying this?”. Basically, chapter 7 was him being like “okay, I enjoy having sex. But I think in order to make this better for the both of us, we need to come to some understandings about how we are going to have sex in the future”. He’s trying to figure out what he likes sexually as he was in fact a virgin before all of this went down. Basically he’s a little more comfortable around Feyd now, hence the slight playfulness in chapter 7 where he tickles him and then laughs at Feyd’s reaction. Honestly such a favorite moment of mine.

(Side note, Paul is going to have a POV chapter soon which will help to elucidate some of this).

So chapter 8 for Paul, that little interaction at the end. He's starting to see and understand that they have a common enemy and see how this could potentially open up some trust between them as they’ve both been hurt by this person. If anyone was wondering, yes I do think Paul knows about Feyd’s CSA. While I haven’t read the book yet, the movies seem to indicate that he gets flashes about people beside himself i.e. Dr Kynes when he knows that she loved and lost a Fremen warrior. In this story, Paul knows Feyd was sexually abused by his uncle. It helps give some perspective on this violent and frankly terrifying person in a way that allows him to feel sympathy and give a little more understanding and context to him as a person and their relationship as a whole. And the fact that at the end of chapter 8 Feyd seeks him out in a protective way rather than to demand sex, goes a long way in Paul having some more good will towards him.

In the next chapter, something else will happen as another step/layer to their relationship that will give Paul another “aha” moment. It’s going to help him feel even more comfortable in their marriage and kinda understand better how their dynamic is going to continue going forward (in a sexual and non sexual way).

Paul and Feyd are such different people with extremely disparate upbringings. Paul was deeply loved and protected by his parents who modeled love and affection for him and raised him to be an intelligent and empathetic person. However, he has little context for having friendships and relationships with people his own age or arguably at all. His only friends seemed to be his parents and much older mentor figures who were old enough to be his father or grandfather. Feyd is not only much younger than those people, but has absolutely no emotional maturity. So there's this very wide divide between them. To bridge that gap is going to take years. Which is why there is going to be more stories after bloodlines. It will not happen by the end of this fic. However, they are going to come to a (hopefully) satisfying emotional understanding by the last chapter. At least I’m very satisfied by it and excited to share it 😝.

If I could pinpoint what specifically endears Feyd to Paul, at this point… honestly not a lot… He is so so different from anyone he’s known before. I think he likes (sometimes), that Feyd surprises him (when it’s not a bad surprise, which honestly most of them have been). He’s much more of an instinctual and spontaneous person where Paul is thoughtful and analytical. I think he appreciates that Feyd seems to like him taking the lead in their sexual relationship. And I think he likes that Feyd seems to respect his intelligence and fighting abilities and actively seeks his council and input.

Oh my goodness this is incredibly long. Hopefully all of that makes sense 😝. Also, yes to Feyd not getting the implication behind Paul’s words in the scene about the time between the change.

ALSO YES PLEASE!!! Oh my goodness!!!!! If you made art for this story, I am not joking when I say I will print it out and frame 🥹❤️. (As long as you are okay with that, that is). Basically, I would be so honored and delighted.

[ultrone]

ultrone which yellowjacket(s) do you think would be ghostface and what would their motive be

-🎸

⨳﹙🗡️♥︎﹚—- yjs as ghostface and their motives

it could be anyone, tbh, but i like the idea of it being shauna and tai. i think they'd make a good team, and i love them as a duo ;p i don't know how well they'd do it, but i think that shauna’s strategic mind and taissa’s leadership qualities would complement each other.

tai could also be a cool ghostface if you think abt it as her 'bad' side being ghostface, without her even realizing it 🤔 now, since her 'bad' side would be in control of the attacks, i'm not sure if she'd have a motive per se. but if i had to come up with one, maybe it could be that her 'good' side craves power and control, maybe because she feels out of control in her own life, and her 'bad' side might act out to protect or satisfy the desires of her other half. kinda like what we see on the show. her targets could be ppl who challenge her authority or threaten her status.

out in the wilderness, shauna took on the role of the butcher, which right off the bat shows she can adapt and take on whatever roles are needed for survival. not only that, but it also proves that she's capable of killing people (adam) and skinning them (javi) if the situation demands it. now, teenage shauna is always wrestling with her identity and the pressures of her social life/circle, so i figure her motive could come from a deep-seated need to assert her individuality, maybe targeting those who undermine her or get in the way of her self-discovery. and by self-discovery, i mean she's trying to 'escape' the self-hatred and lack of self-esteem that always hold her back.

as for the others...

if lottie turned out to be ghostface, i guess her motive might come from wanting to make reality match up with her prophetic visions, perhaps targeting those she sees as threats to her spiritual journey or those who don't buy into her prophecies. or maybe she's trying to fulfill a destiny she thinks is preordained.

nat's got a lot of guilt weighing her down and she's been searching for a purpose in her life, not only during and after the crash, but since childhood. her ghostface motive might be about seeking forgiveness/redemption or some type of self-punishment.

for van, in the wilderness, she displayed a robust survival instinct, an open-minded and practical approach to enhance her survival chances—for instance, when she believed in lottie’s visions, or when killing javi. so, as ghostface, her motive could be all about making sure she survives, no matter the cost, maybe seeing ghostface as a means to an end.

i think we all know misty's got murder in her 😭, and her motive would probably stem from her neediness to be accepted or loved, craving attention and validation by stirring up chaos and then 'solving' it, maybe targeting those who ignore or belittle her.

jackie's too much of a princess to be ghostface, let's be real 🤣 but if she did end up being ghostface in some alternate reality, maybe her motive would be something like when her authority was challenged out in the wilderness and the social order she valued got messed up. she could target people who mess with her status quo.

[littlesparklight]

Some headcanon thoughts on the Trojan royal family in Priam's era:

-All those kids? Definitely a trauma response/coping method from Priam. Sure, his whole family didn't get wiped out (he's got three brothers right beside him in the Iliad lol and they have sons themselves!) but that doesn't mean the near obsessive need for as many children as possible still isn't one.

-Since they married up until death, Hecuba hasn't just been his official queen and primary wife, but Priam's most loved one. (Consequently, he probably has basically no actual relationship to his secondary wives and concubines, who mostly can live their lives in their own miniature families with what children they might have. Hecuba probably has more of a relationship to all those additional women than her husband does!)

-He divorced Arisbe, daughter of Merops, because she was not going to accept being bumped down to a secondary status just because he had fallen in love with and found a "better" match in a Phrygian princess. So he finds her another marriage where she'll remain the sole/most important wife.

-While it's seriously unlikely Priam and Hecuba would be capable of being full time parents to +19 children, especially in any equal sort of fashion, I do think their children are the ones who actually got to know especially Priam as a father the most. They're both good to fair hands at being actual Parents, actually, but the favouritism is probably pretty obvious (good thing all the children undoubtedly have nurses, too).

-Talking of favouritism, Priam's sons by Hecuba (plus potentially another wife or two if we follow Hittite royal marriages where there can be secondary wives that can also have children eligible for the throne, but the concubines' are not) are probably the only ones eligible for the throne. It doesn't, however, mean you have to be child of Hecuba's to be shown favour or even become a favourite. Mestor is named in the Iliad as one of Priam's (dead) favourites, and we don't know who the mother is. She would not necessarily be Hecuba. Which means all the kids are aware that they all have an equal shot in gaining their father's attention, on some level.

-All the +50 (80? 100??) children probably form sibling/relationship constellations mostly contingent on how many siblings they have with their own mother, but not necessarily. Everyone, no matter the mother, probably has at least one half-sibling they're close with that might be a complete mystery to everyone else. Hence; Hektor being close to not just, say, Deiphobos and Paris but Kebriones and Mestor, and Paris being close to Lykaon.

-Deiphobos and Paris' relationship was shot from the start. Extremely obviously so if you go with the funeral games + murder attempt version! But I figure even in a more low-key reunion, they got off on the wrong foot to start with, Deiphobos not liking this RANDOM boy suddenly shoehorning himself into not just the family at large (could probably be acceptable), but as his full brother - and, more than that, taking some (as he saw it) of Hektor's attention away from him.

-Priam is, generally, a very accepting father. He can afford to be, having so many children; what does it matter if not all of them then live up to his personal expectations or social such? Grief, however, brings out all the edges; that is when he gets mean and any acceptance basically revoked, if only temporarily. If his anger has been stirred, it's somewhat similar, but not quite as sharply (especially not before the war, and especially especially not before Hektor's death).

-Hecuba spends the years between the birth to reunion low-key grieving Paris' "death". And so his survival is latched on all the more firmly. If one goes with the funeral games + murder attempt, where at least one version as we know it (one of the Alexander plays) has her wishing death on the slave/peasant who's upstaged her sons, she'd be even more guilty and relieved afterwards. Priam is less "obviously" affected, but his indulgence of his returned son afterwards is certainly testament enough to how he felt about having the infant exposed.

[lets-try-some-writing]

I headcannon that Starscream (and probably other Decepticons) are touch starved, and deserves to be treated nicely for once. You mentioned in another post that Starscream missed his trine, and I agree whole heartedly. Now, if Starscream did join the Autobots and got to a healthier environment, how’d you think he’d adjust? Who would he open up to about his trine? (Sorry, this was long)

Hmmm, an interesting question. One which I will gladly expand on and answer to the best of my ability. (Oh and don't worry about your request being long, I don't mind!)

A Long Awaited Defection

After having finally had it with Megatron's consistent failures as a leader and his dark energon induced madness, Starscream would finally take the leap of faith he had been teetering on the edge of making for some time. After removing his Decepticon badge, Starscream would take a few precious belongings and some Decepticon data before fleeing the nemesis. He would then contact the Autobots using his stolen data as incentive.

It would be a tense discussion to say the least, that with Starscream's many crimes and whatnot. However Optimus has always been the forgiving sort and knows the darkness that lives within Megatron. He would, after some questioning, accept Starscream into their ranks under the condition that he be supervised and have his wings bound for a trail period. The rest of the team, especially Arcee, would not be fond of this choice, but Optimus knows a hurt mech when he sees one, and he would be unwilling to leave Starscream to suffer under Megatron.

Starscream would be brought back to base and have his wings bound before being handed off to the bot least likely to murder him in recharge. For his own safety, Starscream's assigned partner would be Bumblebee as the scout tends to more often than not match his Sire in mentality. Starscream would share quarters with Bumblebee and do basically everything with the scout except go on missions. On the days where Bumblebee is sent out on a mission, Starscream's guardianship would fall to either Optimus, or if he is not available, Ratchet.

Given enough time, some interesting relationships would form.

Starscream's Integration

It is not easy for Starscream to get settled with the Autobots. He has spent far too long in Decepticon society where power is key and any and all weaknesses are exploited ruthlessly. Despite the decision to join them being his choice, Starscream is downright awful to be around for the first few weeks as he figures out how the Autobots work. Bumblebee would try to be kind when possible but end up treating Starscream like a stray cat for the most part. He may not be his Sire, but he most certainly inherited the ability to sense small unattended things with a pulse that need love and protection.

Eventually Starscream would begin to leave his space and engage with others around base. It would be small at first, the seeker only ever muttering a suggestion or snarky comment before scurrying away in fear of punishment. But as he grows more comfortable, his coding would come to life again after millennia of being dormant and demand he search for family and companionship. This would lead him to express himself more and begin the natural process of integrating into what his coding recognizes as his new flock.

In light of this, despite his best efforts to be friendly in his own prideful way, his relationship with Arcee and Bulkhead would be turbulent at the best of times, even in the far future. However they have an unspoken agreement of sorts. They protect each other and work together when required, perhaps even socializing when a mutual friend is present, but other than that they have no ties. This is perfectly acceptable to both parties as neither have any desire to associate with the other.

Wheeljack would be pretty chill with Starscream's presence, although it would take a while for Starscream to warm up to the wrecker. After a while they would even develop a friendship around their shared love of science. Starscream supplying Wheeljack with the more intricate knowledge needed to create more complex things and Wheeljack doing most of the heavy lifting. Perhaps their friendship is not the most emotionally bonding, but Starscream and Wheeljack have a friendship unique to them. They are not close enough in Starscream's mind to be kin, but they have enough compatibility between them to have Starscream consider the wreaker a wing-mate, that is if the grounder could fly.

Ultra Magnus would be highly distrustful of Starscream and the seeker would steer clear of him for a long time due to how the commanders gaze reminds him of Megatron. However after Starscream is fully accepted into the Autobots and proves his worth in battle and assisting Ratchet in his scientific endeavors, Ultra Magnus's opinion of him would grow. Eventually they would bond over battle tactics and strategy, together spending long nights working out plans and dealing with as much work as they can before their workaholic Prime takes over. They would also find themselves bonding over the shared experience of trying to keep the team in order and help steer Optimus away from self sacrifice when not necessary. Their regular ritual is to drink a cube of stimulant laced energon together each morning and checking in on the other before going about their business. While also not a very emotionally invested relationship, their shared purpose binds them together in a form of brotherhood, as such Ultra Magnus is also a wing-mate in Starscream's mind.

Smokescreen would be one of the hardest for Starscream to warm up to, and vice versa. The young elite guardsman would struggle greatly trying to get used to having one of Megatron's old lieutenants hanging around. But after saving each other in a few fights and finding that they work well together, Smokescreen would begin to look up the the seeker. In return Starscream would begin to view Smokescreen as a fledgling under his supervision and take up the role of a mentor, albeit a seemingly very disinterested one. Not that he will ever admit it, but he is very proud of his grounder apprentice. The rookie does well in adapting Starscream's teachings and making them apply to his own fighting style. Not only that, but Smokescreen genuinely is interested in the stories that Starscream has to tell of Vos and flight frame culture as a whole. While there is a very low chance Starscream will ever tell his apprentice, he is very fond of him and would fight just as fiercely as Optimus to protect the youngling should the need arise.

As for Starscream and Bumblebee, their relationship started off a little rocky. Bumblebee was not fond of having to partner with Starscream and the feeling was mutual. However being the sparkling of Optimus and therefore having inherited many of his Sire's traits, Bumblebee was persistent in trying to build up a friendship with the seeker after the initial awkwardness passed. And despite Bumblebee's youth in comparison to Starscream, it did not end up taking long for them to bond. Bumblebee took the time to introduce Starscream to the Autobot lifestyle and their way of life, even going so far as to calm him whenever he woke from recharge in terror. While it did take a bit for Starscream to swallow the pride he had built to protect himself while with the Decepticons, he did eventually accept Bumblebee's kindness and even return it with some of his own.

After having lived with the Autobots for some time and having fully integrated into their team, Starscream is possessive and will gladly protect his yellow wing-mate at all costs. He regularly brings Bumblebee little things and checks up on him to make sure he is alright. He has taken up a role as a secondary caretaker for the scout when Optimus is unavailable while also simultaneously being a brotherly character. He will go above and beyond to take care of Bumblebee but will always try to remain aloof and appear uncaring. Of course Bumblebee has learned to see past this, but he kindly says nothing about it and accepts the affection when he receives it. The fact that Starscream is willing to lounge around with his wings spread while around him is proof of the seeker's trust.

Then there is Ratchet. Their relationship was strictly professional at first, but after the medic found Starscream having a bad panic attack in a storage closet things changed between them. For a time Starscream refused any and all attempts the medic made to help him deal with his mental issues. But eventually after a particularly bad nightmare Starscream broke down and spilled everything to Ratchet. Everything from his grief at the loss of his trine to the anger he feels towards the Decepticons was laid bare. And surprisingly, Ratchet understood and put aside past grievances to comfort the seeker. Since then they have been close, their relationship not needing words or being particularly public. Instead Starscream comes to Ratchet whenever he is having a bad day and they will drink some energon and do some chores around base. Sometimes they discuss Starscream's problems and other times they banter back and forth. For whatever reason Starscream feels incredibly safe around the Autobot medic and has come to see him as a protector, someone akin to a guardian. Ratchet is kind enough to not comment when Starscream cuddles up beside him or follows him around like a lost sparkling, he knows the seeker needs it.

And lastly there is Optimus, the bot who Starscream had the easiest and also the most difficult time adjusting to. The Prime's size was rather intimidating for the first few weeks, as was the knowledge that the Prime had torn mechs apart in battle before. However over time and after coming to see the kind spark and soft voice behind the stoic mask Optimus usually wears, Starscream attached himself to the Prime quickly. It was just his coding at first, it urged him to seek guidance and protection from the leader of the flock. But eventually he began seeking out the Prime for others reasons, in the beginning mainly just to feel the calming waves his field emitted. And later he sought out Optimus for true companionship, finding that they had a great deal in common and got along well bonding over dealing with the younglings and the horrors of war. Starscream couldn't explain it if he wanted to, the Prime just had an indescribable draw, one which had little difficulty pulling Starscream in. And before the seeker realized it he found himself listening to the Prime's stories and bringing him energon when he worked late at night.

Being the possessive creature that he is, Starscream lurks in the rafters and other high places to observe Optimus and to keep an optic out for potential danger toward him. No one touches his kin, especially not his flock leader and Prime. There have been several occasions where Starscream has leapt from the rafters to tackle a bot who looked a little too suspicious, even screeching at them and flaring his plating to ward them off before coming to his senses. He also hovers around Optimus and assists in his work as a cover for what he truly is doing which is taking the opportunity to be clingy. Often he hangs off Optimus's back and leans up against him when they are together as he just wants to feel the protective presence of another. In return Optimus will sometimes massage Starscream's wings, working out dents and easing tight cabling for him. It is something the former Decepticon greatly appreciates and never intends to alert Optimus to the cultural significance of. Only close kin care for each other in the way the Prime cares for him, and Starscream happily allows himself to relish in the affection from his unofficial family and flock.

Extra

Being in a healthy environment made Starscream healthier as well. His armor is bulkier and is more colorful, he is less aggressive, prideful, and arrogant. He is overall a happier bot and far more willing to express himself and speak his mind without fear.

Megatron threw a tantrum the moment he caught sight of Starscream gracefully flying through the air brandishing his bright new Autobot insignia while bombing Decepticon forces. The warlord nearly burst a wire upon receiving a well earned middle finger and a shot to the chassis from his old air commander.

Seeing their old commander so happy and doing so well on the opposing side, several Vehicon squads would also abandon ship in favor of trying their luck at becoming Autobots as well. If successful then the Autobots would then be forced to get a larger base...

[mannylikessims]

The True Story of the Villareal Family [1.2]

prev // home // next

The Von Haunt Estate is a wonderful tourist destination for families, and Jacques couldn’t be happier to finally be away from his.

With his annoying kids out of the way until their secret meeting tonight, Jacques could get back to his second-favorite hobby:

Playing chess,

-while in cosplay. And, miraculously, he wasn’t the only Sim in Windenburg with this hobby. There was a whole club devoted to it.

The suit was stifling hot, you could barely breathe in it, and it was very hard to see the chess pieces, but Jacques loved it nonetheless. And, it was more socially acceptable than his other favorite hobby, murder.

Tonight, Jacques would have to work (they say evil never sleeps, and neither do level 9 criminals in the criminal career), but for now, he had the whole afternoon to play chess in his clinkity-clankity suit of armor.

───────────────✦───────────────

Meanwhile, Luna and Lady Mimsy were getting along like peanut butter and jelly.

She was just teaching the ghost how to slide into someone’s DMs when a voice startled them.

“Ghost!” shouted the voice, muffled by the suit of armor. “Go away, ghost! You leave her alone!”

Luna burst out laughing. “Relax! Mimsy’s, like, not even a little scary. And we’re besties, actually.”

“…besties?” said Mimsy.

“It means we’re BFFLs,” explained Luna.

“…biffles?”

The figure in the suit stiffened. “Well, I uh, thought you were maybe in trouble. Do you always laugh at people trying to help you?”

“Only when they’re wearing costumes from a Halloween store,” she retorted. “But thanks for the noble gesture.”

“Hey now, this is custom-tailored plate armor.” Was it just Luna or did this knight sound cheeky?

“Okay, nerd.”

“Yo, I am not a nerd. You’re the nerd.”

“Said the person wearing a custom-made knight outfit.” Her mouth twitched with a smile. Two could be cheeky.

She searched the face of the suit for a reaction, but couldn’t see anything behind the visor. She could swear the knight wasn’t taking their eyes off her, though.

Behind her, Luna heard Mimsy suppress a giggle. “Well, I must attend to some ghostly business, bestie. Have fun with your knight in shining armor!”

“Wait, I’m not looking for like, a savior or anything,” she said, but Mimsy had already floated away. Luna placed a hand on her hip.

The knight tutted, shaking their head. “And here I thought you were just a nice, boring girl.”

Luna narrowed her eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m just saying, you’re not what I expected. I didn’t know a pretty, popular girl like you could be so savage.”

“Well, I’m full of surprises,” said Luna with another coy smile. She didn’t know who was in this knight suit, but they certainly had her attention. And it didn’t escape her notice that they had called her pretty.

───────────────✦───────────────

“Hey Mister.”

Max had found his own ghost to talk to, a translucent figure standing at an easel.

The ghost of Lord Bernard turned, tensing as he saw Max. “Yes, child?” he said.

“Is that your art?” said Max, pointing at the piece on the easel.

The ghost raised his eyebrows, but then puffed his chest up proudly. “Why yes, it’s only half-finished, but-"

“I now see why you killed yourself.”

Bernard stood frozen in shock for a brief second, then descended upon the child like a raging tempest.

“Listen here, you little ratbag,” he spat. “It was an accident.”

“Yeah, right,” said Max.

“The fire was never supposed to spread-“

“The painting you threw into the fireplace was waaay too big to fit in there and you knew it. Of course you knew the fire would spread.”

Bernard spluttered in shock.

“Ooh, burn!” said Max. “Literally! Haha!”

And the more Bernard quivered with rage, the more Max grinned.

───────────────✦───────────────

Just past the seething ghost, over the railing and below the walkway, lay a vast collection of hedges, and within those hedges, a certain teenager was lost.

Hugo checked his Voidcritter Go! app on his phone.

“Let’s see, this is where I found the Dicoatl, which means I want to turn right to get out of here – wait, there’s no right-"

The sky was darkening, Hugo’s stomach was growling, and he was pretty sure he’d passed this spot of hedges before. And he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched.

“Oh plum,” he said to himself, getting worried. “I gotta get to Dad’s Family Fun Day, but I’m all mixed up now…”

───────────────✦───────────────

Luna was still with the knight who had “saved” her from Mimsy’s ghost. Somehow, the entire afternoon had slipped away while they were talking.

“So, why were you so aggressive towards Mimsy? Are you afraid of ghosts or something?”

“No!” said the knight quickly. “And I’m not aggressive. I’m tough. I don’t want anybody messing with people I care about.”

“So you saw me and decided you cared about me? That’s why you were acting tough?”

“No,” said the knight, a little too quickly again. “You know, just because you act like a princess doesn’t mean every knight is fawning over you.”

Luna paused, frowning for a brief moment, before slyly raising a finger to the knight’s helmet.

“So, who is my tough knight in shining armor who doesn’t care about me?” she said, slowly lifting their visor,

but the knight stepped back before she could reveal their face. “H-hey! Hands off the suit, princess,” they stammered.

Luna doubled over giggling. “You said you didn’t care about me, but suddenly you’re too shy to show me your face?” She straightened back up, still giggling, and handed the knight something.

“Here,” she said. “Because I like you even though you’re shy.”

“Uh, what?” The knight stood there, flustered, holding Luna’s phone.

“I’m asking for your number, genius. It’s almost nightfall and I have to go.”

“Oh!” If the knight was blushing, Luna couldn’t tell. They struggled to enter their number on her phone with their clunky metal fingers, finally handing it back after several painstaking minutes.

“There you go. Don’t text me anything too savage, princess. Or do.”

Luna wondered if the knight was smiling.

She giggled. “Goodbye, my knight in shining armor.” Luna blew them a kiss, betting it would send them weak in the knees,

and she was right.

“Bye, princess…”

Luna sauntered away, butterflies tingling in her stomach.

As she walked off into the sunset, she could barely concentrate on her Family Fun Day obligations. All she could think about was her mysterious knight in shining armor.

───────────────✦───────────────

While Luna was making friends, Max was making enemies.

It was official now: The ghost of Lord Bernard Escargot Shallot IV was afraid of a 10-year-old.

When the sun started to set, Max finally walked away from his new enemy, triumphant.

It was Max: 1, Bernard: 0.

───────────────✦───────────────

But the day wasn’t over yet, and Jacques was waiting for his children. The real work of Family Fun Day was just about to begin.

───────────────✦───────────────

prev // home // next

[starry-blue-echoes]

okay so I went on a walk and my brain started rotating the Merstars AU SO hard so I'm just going to yeet a bunch of random bullet point thoughts that I came up with and see what comes out of it-

the "world" the AU takes place isn't really like "real" life and is instead a super huge archipelago with hundreds of thousands of islands of varying sizes and kinds

Mers and other various Sea Magics are pretty well known as A Thing That Exists. Is it accepted? Depends on the location and the people, and Mer Hunters are unfortunately a pretty common thing, but it's slowly started dying out. This is actually thanks to Speedwagon since after Jonathan's death he started trying to use his influence as a Very Important Wealthy Merchant to change public opinion, and it's actually been working

Jonathan was a pretty well loved and very social member of the mers. He wasn't their leader by any means, but almost every mer in the archipelago knew about him, and his murder pissed a LOT of people off. Luckily thanks to Speedwagon, since then relations have gone from "it's on fucking sight" to "don't approach me and I won't approach you"

Morioh is one of the more isolated islands and a bit of an exception to the above thing, being the most accepting island in the whole archipelago. Honestly, at this point like half the town has at least a little mer blood in them, but they are primarily human passing. There are a couple of full blooded or half blooded mers that hang around, but Josuke was one of the first ones born in the town in a long while

currently debating how exactly the Morioh Trio are gonna be, since I want them to be a "full blood, half blood, human" trio for the funnsies, but other than Josuke I don't know which should be which. My current thought process is 1) Okuyasu is the full blooded and when he was younger he had a run in with Hunters which is where his scars came from since his dad more or less just fucked off and left him at their mercy at which Keicho had to save him which led to the two of the moving to Morioh, Koichi is the human and is Their Little Guy, is super familiar with how to work around mers and climbs them like a god damn jungle gyms, or 2) Koichi is the full blood and a really small mer but still Big for humans, he's a cuttlefish, got separated from his family when he was little which led to him being adopted by the Human Hiroses and Okuyasu is human and the resident Normie Guy, he's recently moved to Morioh and is getting used to how Positive human mer relations are here

still trying to figure out how the Stand Arrows work, since Stands..... aren't really a thing now. Probably some kind of super powerful Sea Magic thing going on, maybe turn partial mers/humans into full blooded ones?

the "Italy" of this world is a collection of islands that are under Passione's control, aka a group of pirates that have a literal fleet. Diavolo and Doppio are brothers, with Diavolo being a half-mer (maybe lion fish? I'm still deciding tho) and Doppio being a full human. Doppio is the face of the operation, but his brother is always lurking in the depths below the ship and even makes a couple appearances as the True Boss in human form. Trish is by extension 1/4 mer and they want to kill her so the truth about Diavolo won't get out

Passione, despite all the shitty stuff they do, is actually a surprising area of Human Mer teamwork. There are a lot of hybrids and even full blooded mers to the point they're almost the majority. For the most part people don't care what you are as long as you get your job done, and honestly if what they did wasn't drug trade and trafficking, they'd be pretty cool

the Bucci Gang don't have a whole lot of mer blood, and any they do have is pretty distant to the point they're almost human save for a couple little features (they also don't get full transformations), with the exceptions being Trish and Giorno. Trish I've explained, but Giorno is...... Really Really Weird with what he is. His birth mom was a mer, but Dio had mostly been using her to try and lure other mers so by the time Giorno was actually born she was killed. Giorno was then taken in by the Shiobana's, which obviously sucked ass, but he was able to pass as a human for a shocking amount of time because Sea Vampire Genes fucked with his aging, so he also looks a lot smaller than he should be. He's also been forced to stay in his "human" form for much longer than is strictly healthy which ALSO fucked with his size and health

Giorno is gonna be a giant sea snake, because I think it'll be funny because That's The Traditional Sea MonsterTM. Maybe during the final fight with Diavolo he gets shot with the arrow and falls off the ship all dramatic and everyone thinks he died but SIKE he suddenly grows to full Absolutely Fucking ENORMOUS Size And Kicks Ass

Jolyne is a siphonophore, I don't make the rules, she's Really Fucking Long

[a-libra-writes]

HIII!! can i ask, how do you write Mordecai Heller?? THANK YOUU!!

hmm Ill try to answer this best I can and try not to ramble too long but we'll see how that goes... Im not gonna act like im an expert or whatever, this is just my thought process ig? ALSO Im ace and so is he, and I add my own experiences into my writing. Anyway the long version here:

so first thing's first!! READ THE COMIC ALSO THE SIDE COMICS ALSO ALL THE EXTRAS bc esp the extras, you get to see a lot of his personality pre-Marigold. It's two very distinct points in his life - I'd venture to say that pre-Lackadaisy and early Lackadaisy Mordecai are also very different (and that makes sense - he was a kid, and he was with the Lackadaisy crew for 7 years). He has a very distinct character progression that in my opinion is very interesting and well-written!

actually, p much all lackadaisy characters are well-written, but mordecai is a fun case because he just has so much going on: his social skills are abysmal, and he doesn't seem to find it a problem. he has committed brutal murders and executions and considers them 'just business'. he doggedly pursues discrepancies. he fixates on things being neat and symmetrical if possible. He can deal with things not being that way, for a time (note when he's covered in bloody and filthy from a job, he doesn't freak out - because that's Business (tm) and he can just wash up anyway. But a driver getting a snot mess all over the car he has to drive in all the time? Unforgivable.) he grew up in squalor and has a serious phobia of spiders and rats. He's emotionally repressed in more ways than one. He's queer and is deeply uncomfortable with people (especially women) touching him or showing interest. He still thinks about his sisters fondly. he also thinks they're better off without him. He actually found a friend (or more) in Viktor and he'd never, ever, ever say it, and his way of keeping his friend out of crime and 'protecting' him was by shooting his kneecaps. his sense of humor is crap, and he doesn't understand why his mannerisms would be considered amusing. he got into crime at a young age, doing gangster's finances for them. as a kid.

im missing some other tidbits, but you get it. the dude is real interesting to think about and write, to say the least.

I think a lot of writing mordecai, esp if you're writing a more romantic fic or even if it's just platonic - he's so closed off! part of why the Savoys are so interested in him is they've worked with him a year and he just doesn't loosen up or talk much about himself. he and viktor knew each other seven whole-ass years and you think they ever talked about their families? how they came to know atlas? what they thought about the job? granted, Viktor is just as closed-off himself, but you get what im saying. he has a serious problem with letting people in, and part of writing him is getting a crowbar and figuring out which spot to put it in and bend it juuuust enough to open something up.

ok that metaphor went somewhere weird, but you get me. and, if im being honest, a LOT of what i channel is my own asexual experience. I used to be very touch averse, especially to the opposite gender - to the point where i'd panic if I felt a man was "too close" (i.e. less than 2 feet) and "lingering" (aka minding his business). I didnt mind my friends hugging me, but I didnt really like the cuddle sessions my female friends wanted to do, and after a point, I disliked hugs from my male friends. if a guy was crushing on me? Hell no, he wasnt going near me, even if I thought he was cute too (when I was younger I DEF had a thing for my female friends too, but i registered that as 'gaaaaal paaaals' for the LONGEST time until I accepted I was bi) There was like - an undercurrent of fear and anxiety. It took me a long time to identify why. while other people seemed delighted when people they liked held their hands and hugged and kissed, it sent me into a panic.

eventually i figured out my thought process: physical affection will inevitably lead to sex, and bc i thought i was straight, there was the terrifying thought of ... oh god if i date a guy he'll expect me to have sex. oh no oh no oh no-

(and no, no one taught me much about consent or taking things slow or talking to your partner. i had to figure it out, which sucked.)

all this to say ... when I write Mordecai, especially in a romantic sense, I kind of channel that anxiety I felt in my teens and early 20s. and like, this is the 1920's!!!!* Not to mention his upbringing, and of course his line of work - where he definiately cant have feelings getting in the way of murdering someone. I think this adds up to someone whose repressing themselves - their sexual thoughts (or lack thereof), memories of family, romantic thoughts, platonic thoughts, and so on.

I like to think - again, this is fanfiction, I seriously doubt it'll come up in the comics - in a romantic relationship (or even an intense platonic one), he gets intense about it. Because Mordecai is an intense guy - you can't hatchet up someone "because i was told to", or kneecap a friend you wanted to "protect", or switch sides to your father figure's rival and pretend like you betrayed everyone just to investigate that father figure and not be, uh. some kind of Intense. I often think that, in a relationship, his jealousy and confusion/apprehension around affection and sexuality would be just as intense. And eventually, the feelings of loyalty and devotion ... once he finally lets himself have it. Because I also think, to some degree, he doesn't think he should have it - just like he thinks his sisters and mother should just leave him behind.

when im writing him in the romantic sense - as I began to accept and understand my sexuality, and talk through my feelings with my partner (also generally have better mental health, my touch averseness got a lot better.** Again, Im also kind of projecting my feelings and experiences onto Mordecai regarding this. I like to think that, once he really trusts someone and allows them to touch him, other barriers begin to tumble down. its like raw nerves being touched sometimes, but he steadily gets used to it and eventually takes solace in it (now getting him to ADMIT that srfjsdfs--)

anyway! As always, fanfic is fanfic. You are free to characterize this murdercat however you wish. These are just the jumbled thoughts that run around in my brain.

* Asexuality, like homosexuality and many shades of queerness, was considered an illness. IF anyone even acknowledged asexuality at all - its definition and terminology hadn't really caught on until the 1970's, though the Kinsey scale attempted to address it (and Jennie June attempted to write and define this in the 1920s, but I seriously doubt her writings were widespread).

**A stranger can brush past me or put a hand on me and I only have a few seconds of anxiety. My friends and family can hug me for a while, or I can cuddle up to them. I don't mind my husband cuddling or kissing me at all anymore; he's actually the one person I can tolerate sustained affection from. A huge part of this change came from accepting and understand my asexuality as part of me. I wasnt "messed up" and "broken".

[alj4890]

Round Robin

Choices Books/Characters Used So Far: The Royal Romance, Platinum

Word total: 2,552

Masterlist for the Round Robin event

Next writer: @kingliam2019

Hosted by @choicesprompts

Chapter 4 Initial Meeting

"Gah!"

Bertrand jerked awake from the nightmares he'd been trapped in. Sweat beaded his forehead yet he felt chilled to the bone. His breathing was labored as he kicked the covers off of himself. He glanced at the clock on his nightstand and decided that four in the morning was a perfectly acceptable time to give up on sleep.

"How could I possibly rest after that?!" He grumbled.

Slipping his robe on, he quietly left his suite.

The resort he'd secured for this endeavor was on an island off the coast of Cordonia. It had its own airfield, dock, and rolling hills with thick forests to block the hotel from any possible onlookers from the mainland. The front of the hotel faced the ocean and possessed the only beach the island boasted of. The rest was a rocky shore line that few well seasoned boat captains could navigate around.

The secluded area allowed his more famous clients a chance to work through the planned events without paparazzi and the public watching. This would also allow Bertrand to film and have exclusive rights to said progress of these well known individuals.

This has to work, he thought to himself. It must!

Once he made it to the main lobby, he drifted on until he found the hotel's kitchen.

He paused when he heard noise within.

Peering around the corner, he felt both relieved and irritated to see Maxwell rummaging around the industrial size refrigerator.

"Are you still up or have you decided to begin getting up early to start the day off right?"

Maxwell jumped in surprise and whirled around with a large tub of ice cream in his arms.

Bertrand released a resigned sigh at the sight. He knew his brother too well to even hope he had gone to bed at some point during the night.

"What are you doing up so early?" Maxwell asked in order to avoid further questions of his late night activities.

"After the nightmares I've had, I decided that sleep will no longer be of any use."

Bertrand started a nearby coffeepot.

Maxwell found a spoon and hopped up on the counter. Digging in to his tub of Rocky Road, he hummed his concern.

Bertrand rolled his eyes. "Was that an indication of sorrow over my predicament or am I supposed to take it as an inquiry?"

"Both." Maxwell said around a mouthful of heavenly flavors. "What'd you dream about?"

"What else other than the very thing that is weighing heavily upon my mind?" Bertrand grumbled.

"Ah." Maxwell ate another spoonful of ice cream. "How bad was it?"

"Horrible." Bertrand shuddered. "The worst case scenario one could possibly imagine. We were unable to help a wealthy client from Spain reveal her family's questionable background and we had a client murdered by one of our agents."

"Who did the murder?" Maxwell leaned forward with renewed interest.

"Someone I didn't know." Bertrand poured himself a cup of coffee. "It certainly made me rethink my policy of hiring from outside our social status."

After taking a sip, he launched into another rant of how this company had to succeed, that the world was watching and these people needed to be given a chance to prove they could be something other than their reputations.

Maxwell set the tub of ice cream down to search through a nearby cabinet. He came across a bottle of brandy that he figured couldn't hurt. He poured a healthy dose into Bertrand's coffee mug.

"What are you-Maxwell!" Bertrand scolded. "You might be able to flagrantly ignore the pressure we're under, but I--"

"Need to calm down." Maxwell finished for him.

"I can't be drunk on our first official day!" Bertrand argued.

"That teensy splash isn't going to do anything except help you relax." Maxwell pointed out.

Bertrand's jaw dropped when he saw the bottle.

"That's Courvoisier L’Esprit! Do you have any idea how expensive that bottle is?"

Maxwell shrugged. "So? You rented this whole place and all that comes with it. Enjoy it."

"I don't have the luxury of enjoying anything." Bertrand grumbled. "Much less indulging in spirits that costs nearly seven thousand dollars a bottle."

"Live a little." Maxwell patted his back. "It'll do you some good."

"Good? Like it did everyone here?" Bertrand snorted. "All I need to make this company falter is to show I'm no better than they are."

"So they've been caught doing a little bad behavior." Maxwell resumed his ice cream snack. "They're here now, ready to make things right. We'll help them. Word will spread how awesome we are. Badda bing badda boom: everyone wins!"

"Only you could make this sound easy." Bertrand mumbled as he sipped more of his spiked coffee.

"With our people working this, it'll be a piece of cake!" Maxwell exclaimed. "Just you wait and see."

**************

A few hours later, Olivia Nevrakis, Duchess of Lythikos, was disabling a computerized lock of one of the suites on the tenth floor. With a satisfied click, the door opened without any further trouble.

Her nose wrinkled at the sight before her. The living room area had been completely trashed. The wet bar was littered with empty tequila bottles and strawberry margarita mixes. Lamps had been knocked over. Couch cushions were dirty from shoe prints. Clothes littered the floor and led the way past half eaten appetizers towards the master suite.

Not even bothering to knock and give warning to the occupants, she stormed into the bedroom and opened up the curtains.

There in the bed lay the client she was given. The sunlight revealed that the infamous musician was sandwiched between one of the resort's staff and one of the three Michelin chefs that worked in the kitchens. The two had the decency to sit up and mumble apologies while Raleigh Carrera casually stretched his naked body.

Olivia rolled her eyes at the sight before her.

"Out." She told his guests.

The two hastily left, swiping up their clothes along the way.

Raleigh groaned over the light and cracked one eye open to see what time it was.

He cursed when he saw that it was barely seven in the morning.

"Why are you in my room?" He grumbled.

"Why else?" Olivia replied. "You agreed to do this."

He rolled over on his back and took a deep breath before glancing her way.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

"Olivia Nevrakis." She replied, not fazed at all by him being fully naked. "Duchess of Lythikos."

"Beaumont sent you here for what?" He muttered. "Torture?"

"Trust me, if this was torture," she smirked, "you wouldn't be talking right now."

He snorted as he rolled out of bed. Unabashed at her seeing him in all his glory, and secretly hoping it pissed her off, he walked towards her and paused a hair's breath away from her.

Holding her steady gaze, he reached behind her for one of the half empty tequila bottles.

His brow furrowed when she didn't react to his nearness. Lifting the bottle to his lips, he went past her to look out the window.

The morning light made him wince worse than the alcohol burning down his throat did.

"So?" He said. "I take it you're my shadow that Beaumont was talking about yesterday."

"Correct." Olivia pulled out her phone and began to scroll through some documents that had been sent over the night before. "And you're the PR Nightmare."

He snorted. "Nightmare, huh?" His smile grew hearing that. "I guess you could say that."

"Seems ridiculous to me." Olivia remarked. "Your drinking, carousing, and destruction of private property hardly seems worth my time."

"Giving up on me already, Red?" Raleigh teased. "And after your delightful wake-up call, I thought we'd be friends."

Olivia's chuckle had a cold edge that caught his attention. "Friends? No. I don't do friends with people like you."

His eyes narrowed upon her. "You got a problem with singers or tattooed people?"

"Neither." She replied. "In fact, I'm even slightly fond of someone who has a tattoo." Her own eyes raked dispassionately over him. "What I don't like is someone who rolls over and gives up."

"Gives up?" He threw his bottle down. "On what? What have I given up on?"

"From the few minutes I've been forced to endure your company, I would say self-respect." She shrugged. "I have very little patience as it is, so don't expect me to cheer you on during these next few weeks."

Olivia straightened her suit jacket, and walked out of his bedroom without a second glance.

Raleigh cursed as he chased after her.

"Wait a damn second!" He ordered. "What do you mean, I don't have any self-respect?" He gestured around his room. "What, just because I know how to throw a good party and enjoy life the way I want to; that gives off that I have no self-respect?"

"No." Olivia perched her hip on a table. "The fact that you allowed it to be the only thing you're known for proves you don't have any. Who cares what you do during your private time? You're the only one who has allowed this reputation to develop."

"Hold on!" He ran his hand through his tousled curls. "My former PR reps, the record label; they all demanded I date the new stars to help build up their reputations. I then was told to publicly break up with them and stage wild parties."

Olivia merely raised an eyebrow over that explanation.

"I don't need this shit!" He snapped at her. "Believe whatever the hell you like, but I do other things than screw starlets and trash rooms!"

She didn't even blink over him shouting that last bit.

A knock at his door had him swinging around in agitation to jerk it open.

Maxwell stood there with a camera propped up on his shoulder. His jaw dropped at the sight of the famous singer without a shred of clothing.

"Ummm." He cleared his throat. "I can...uh..."

He swallowed when Olivia appeared behind Raleigh's shoulder.

"Give us a few minutes." She ordered.

"A few minutes for what?" Raleigh griped. "I'm not going to participate in this bullshit another--"

The wind was knocked out of him when Olivia flipped him over her shoulder. He tried to breathe but lost the battle when she straddled his chest, pinned his arms down with her knees, and flipped a dagger in her hand so that the edge was right below his eye.

"Listen closely, because I will not repeat myself." She hissed.

Raleigh heard Maxwell breathe out, "Holy sh--" before Olivia kicked the door closed.

"You desperately need someone to right your image. Your label is already threatening to drop you. Your fans are sick of all the drama you do with fresh faced singers and actors." She told him.

Olivia leaned closer, her words dripping like venom.

"I personally don't care if you waste your life or not. You are nothing to me. You will never be worth my time." She paused. "But, I do have loyalty to the Beaumont's so I will improve your image."

She got off him, replaced her dagger in the strap above her thigh, and straightened her skirt.

"So here's how it is going to go." She informed him. "You're going to get off your hungover ass, get dressed for the camera, and do everything I tell you."

Her eyes narrowed upon him. "If you don't, then your little anonymous community centers in low income neighborhoods will cease to exist."

Raleigh shot up when he heard that.

"You know about those?"

Olivia slowly smiled. "Here's a helpful hint when dealing with me: I know everything before anyone else does."

She motioned towards his bedroom. "Go get dressed."

He got to his feet. "How did Beaumont find out about those? Nobody knows about that."

"Bertrand doesn't know. I conducted my own investigation on you like I do with everyone I interact with." She replied.

Raleigh blinked over that.

The last thing he wanted was for the kids in his old neighborhood to lose out on something to make their lives better. He had plans in place to build more of them across the United States. He couldn't let his true passion die now that he'd found it.

"You really think you can fix my image?" He asked.

"Of course I can." Her smile was full of smugness. "I never fail."

Raleigh took a deep breath and slowly released it. He knew he really didn't have a choice, which stung a bit. Still though, what did he have to lose by letting her try and repair his image? It was either going to work or it wasn't. Couldn't be much worse than what his other agents had attempted.

"Okay." He looked up at her. "I'll do it."

"Get dressed." Olivia ordered on her way to the door. "I'll tell Maxwell we'll be ready to film shortly.

"My nakedness bothering you, Red?" He teased to get a rile out of her.

"Hardly." She rolled her eyes.

"So you do like what you see?" He countered.

She eyed him, a hint of a genuine smile drifted across her lips.

"You're going to wish I did." With that, she stepped out of his room.

***************

A few minutes later, Bertrand joined Maxwell outside of Raleigh's suite.

"How's it going?" He asked.

"Well," Maxwell hedged. "It's, um, it's been an interesting start."

"Really?" Bertrand's excitement couldn't be contained. "Let me see what you have so far."

"Maybe you should wait." Maxwell countered. "I mean, I haven't got all the angles right and I should really get some more footage of--"

"Nonsense!" Bertrand snatched the camera out of his hands. "I've been sitting on pins and needles. I just know that..."

His eyes widened at the sight of Olivia throwing a naked Raleigh Carrera over her shoulder and straddling him.

"Good God!" He screeched. "What on-- why?"

"It's okay!" Maxwell quickly reassured him. "Olivia said Raleigh will be ready in a few minutes. We can--"

"I can't release this to the public!" Bertrand cried out. "We're ruined! Those few seconds of footage will shut us down faster than--"

"People are going to love this!" Maxwell argued.

"Yes. Voyeurs of the worst kind." Bertrand raked his hands through his hair. "No one will ever hire our company again after seeing one of our agents physically attacking a client."

He groaned as the realization struck him. "My nightmares have become true."

"But I think--"

They both became silent when Raleigh opened the door once again. He was clean, dressed in his usual rocker style, and actually had a pleasant smile on his face.

"Sorry for the wait." He jerked his head towards his room. "I'm ready when you are to start filming."

Bertrand' gaped at the man. "You are?"

"Yeah." Raleigh glanced back at Olivia. "Gotta do something to fix this, right?"

"Er, right." Bertrand cleared his throat. "Well then. Maxwell, don't keep the man waiting."

He pushed his brother into the room. "I'll leave you to it, then."

Bertrand forced a smile as Raleigh shut the door then sagged back against the opposite wall.

"Oh thank God." He whispered.

With this strangely auspicious start, he wondered how the other initial meetings were going.

[rulanarinrush]

random ramblings on my thoughts on drdt's world(idk i just felt like it)

*spoilers for drdt ch1 and drdt bonus content and like maybe david's mv if you squint? and dr3...ish..

*not a theory, don't take this as such. just saying stuff that comes to mind. also some facts in this might be straight up wrong, i don't remember stuff very well. as per usual it's just my thoughts and i don't mean to cause any discourse

Drdt's world is. weird. I don't mean this in a critical way of the worldbuilding, I just mean this in the sense that, if we assume all the events of the dr franchise happened(or at the bare minimum, dr1, since Teruko mentions "that past kilIing game", unless that refers to dev's other kg, in which case forget about it), it's kind of weird that society has regressed so far backwards. I don't mean this in a "society and social norms never regress as time moves forward" way(because that is wrong), but in a "why does everything make it feel like this game/show is happening in the early 2000s" kind of way.

L:ike I can buy that (computerized/automated) technology has stayed relatively the same for the sake of writing convenience, and the fact that extremely violent movements often tend to target people who have either wealth or are highly educated or both, thus at least stalling technological progress. What I find weird is that, in the context of dr's world, the fact that corruption and homophobia is not only rampant, but borderline socially acceptable. Setting aside(somehow) the fact that DR3 promotes Hope's Peak again, when it is the very embodiment of everything that caused the tragedy in the first place, it's blatantly "meritocratic" system, the way it places all of society's hopes on the shoulders of kids whose frontal lobes haven't even fully developed yet somehow asks them to maintain the social order that has caused these children so much pain and suffering in the first place, and the fact that like... you know... the tragedy started there, did people just forget that homophobia is at least partially why the tragedy began in the first place?(referring to Juzo, I don't personally think the Tragedy is entirely his fault that's victimblaming, but, like all things, nuance exists, and he had his role to play)

Social and technological progress are intertwined, but they aren't the same thing. It feels strange to me that Eden and Nico's secrets are the way that they are. I don't mean that the secrets themselves are the issue, as everyone should be able to come out when they are ready, but the fact that they even are secrets(worth kiIling for) in the first place. I feel like it sort of implies that homophobia is the commonly accepted social norm of drdt's time. People in every generation find ways to discriminate against each other for being different or for thinking differently, but it feels... off to me that in like the year 2080 or 2090(dev said our beloved kiIler Duke Spurling is maybe??? still alive, so he was probably? a child/teen 70-80 years ago based on the q&a) society has had so much social inertia that it's basically how we treat lgbt people now; the cast respects their identities and doesn't treat them any different(for being queer, sorry Nico they're on their own for the murder attempt tho), but it's still unfortunately not always safe to come out. Especially kinda baffling given the whole Juzo thing. I mean yeah, man took it to the grave, but did no one in 70 years who had the full context(Kyoko could've probably figured it out) think maybe hey uh, we should do something about this? It's not like being queer is a new concept, but it feels dystopian for nothing to have changed since then.

Like I mean yeah. In a post-apocalypse where the world needs people(making babies), I could see some sort of anti-gay law existing(I do not mean that this is justifiable) and people tend to conflate law with what is moral, but in like 70 years, wouldn't the population have at least recovered somewhat from extinction?? Whatever this is making my brain hurt I'll just let someone who has experience analyzing the intersectionality of fiction and politics speak about this. I'm not built for deep discussions.

****

And regarding the other dystopic part of drdt- the corruption. It's a weirdly common trend in the characters' stories to be exploited by wealthier people with more power.(that's called theming, but i never plan out my rambles) We see this with Teruko, Xander, Rose, and Min. All of them are(or were, in Xander's case) held back by the fact that no one will help them out of poverty. (What on earth do you mean crazy medical debt is still a U.S. thing in our year 2080 after an anti-capitalist movement?? Did they seriously learn absolutely nothing after a tragedy that wiped out so many people??) I don't have much to say about this that wasn't explained above, but I do have some thoughts on all of this as it relates to Xander.

If drdt is going to say something about societal progress, it feels kind of dystopic for the Ultimate Rebel to be the first victim of the kilIing game. He's meant to be a symbol of resistance(and change, which is maybe why, thematically, Teruko closes herself off when he betrays her). While not all change is good change, kilIing off anything that threatens the status quo means that we can't hope for a better world. That'd be fine, if the characters of drdt lived in a perfect world, which, as stated above, they don't. (Also notably, after he kicks the bucket, the students are actually more willing to play by MonoTV's rules.. maybe it has something to do with the fact that drdt has a soft time limit?(see the part of the hidden quote on the drdt website where the speaker says that he/she/they knows what "makes them all hope until they starve to dea th"))

I should really start planning these out idk what to say after this but uhhh i could maybe see his demise being spun in a positive light. From footnote 14 of David's MV we can guess that David placed at least a bit of his hope's on Xander(or vice versa, it's not clear who is speaking to who there). Maybe some sort of message about how complete nihilism isn't the answer, and David and Teruko have to find the inner strength to help the world change even without a God(17th student?)?

Eh who cares I'm not thinking about this anymore. Drdt's world is weird and I'm sure more will be explained later. No more thinking, only eeping...

[bnha-more-like-bnh-gay]

Name: Izuku Midoriya

Quirk: Found Family - Unconsciously, Izuku constantly emits a low-level psychic field that, when someone gets caught in, makes that person want to adopt Izuku as their son/nephew/brother/etc. When in distress, the psychic field strengthens, forcing all those who have "adopted" Izuku to become murderous towards whoever or whatever distressed Izuku. Curiously, the only ones immune to this quirk are those with shitty/douchey personalities (e.g. Bakugou, Mineta, Endeavor, etc).

I love you, @ tumblr user onimi18

It’s so true though

The, “I’m not here to make friends squad” (shinsou and Shouto) both become besties with izuku (shinsou loves him, I don’t care what anyone says. After izuku tells everyone about ofa and rants about how great shinsou’s quirk is? Shinsou pledges his soul to this green demon.

Aizawa tries to resist for the longest time, but soon comes to realize that he would do anything for his son, Problem Child

Present mic accepts that he has a son within the first four days of knowing izuku. Izuku asks if mic could teach him JSL, he already started to learn because he’s hard of hearing (thanks, bakugou), but he figures that Mic would be able to help more than YouTube.

Midnight finds izuku’s hero analysis blog online and raves about it to the other teachers she reblogs from him and screen shots it to every social media she has and proudly proclaims that this is her student, and that he’s going to be a great hero

All might starts sometimes taking him out for ice cream after training him a few months before ua

Uraraka is the first of the UA students to be affected by his quirk. He helps her out during the entrance exam, and she promptly declares herself president of the Izuku Protection Squad/Club, Iida soon becomes treasurer

Kirishima one day asks bakugou why he’s such an asshole to the literal embodiment of heroism and sunshine, and bakugou just goes on a highly rude and offensive rant about how useless izuku is, which is like,,, #1 way to find yourself with a bunch of people angry at you. Kirishima stands up for izuku though :)

I don’t care who you ship izuku with, they will get SO many shovel talks. Not just by the adults, but by izuku’s friends too

The most terrifying one to give the suitor The Talk tm is Inko. That’s her baby, and she trusts his judgement on who he chooses to date, and by all means, she knows that he can take care of himself (can he though @ the vigilante arc), but she’ll be damned if there isn’t the added factor of, “hurt my child and face my quirk that can tear you apart atom from atom”

Big brother izuku and his little sister Eri. They are adorable. They could kill you and you would thank them because, honestly, if they decided to do so, there is a good reason for it.

Izuku is Eri’s favorite person, and he is literally overjoyed when she tells him this. She finds him when she has nightmares, and he is always ready to comfort her and assure her that everything is, and will be, okay

Izuku stands up for Kaminari after people start making fun of him when he short circuits. He makes sure that he’s okay, and protects him from any harm that could befall him. After that, Kaminari too, pledges his soul to the green demon

Monoma tries to hide the fact that he does care for izuku, but after izuku fucks off for his vigilante arc, Monoma has a mild breakdown along with most people who have interacted with Izuku in recent months. Where is the class a bastard? Why is he not here? Why did he think this was a good idea? Why didn’t he ask for help? Why is he putting himself in so much danger? If he had asked literally 90% of UA would be at his side in an instant

Mei decides that Mr. 1 million is great after he helps her with her babies and helps her tests them. She decides that he’s even more reckless than she is after his solo mission where he goes off the grid for a while and tries to hunt down the worst super villain known to man. But hey, who is she to judge? She’ll support this mad man and help make all the tech he needs as long as he partners with hatsume industries, and she knows he will, because he’s great and definitely meets her crazy

Momo realizes how great Izuku is after he helps reassure her after she lost her fight at the sports festival. He finds her and talks about how great her quirk is and how smart she is. They are paired up for a project one time, and completely dominate. They help build each other’s confidence so much. I literally love these two so much, they’re both smart and insecure as shit. Momo loves listening to izuku’s analysis and makes comments every now and then too, and izuku just dies inside because he’s not being told to shut up or being called weird

Jirou always walks into the dorms on Saturday mornings asking for song recs. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, izuku makes her a playlist of some rare songs that she might not have heard yet, and Jirou promises that she would burst eardrums for this dude

Speaking of the dorms, when they are set up, the quirk becomes so much more powerful. Like, everyone already loved izuku, but now? He is their son/brother/cousin/nephew/crush/whatever the fuck, they care about him.

One time, he got to talking with toga, and soon enough, she’s spilling her tragic backstory Shouto style. *another one bites the dust plays in the distance* izuku has a new sister. Congratulations, everyone, a new member of the Izuku Protection Squad/Club has been found (I know this probably wouldn’t happen in Canon, but I love toga so much and if given proper quirk counseling and/or caring parents, she would have found her way into the izucrew. I stand by this and my mind will not be changed.)

Mina teachers izuku how to deal with his curly hair. She was appalled when she found out how he used to take care of them and makes it her mission to fix this tragedy. But she also really helps with his confidence. I love this duo so much, the chaos that they reign on UA is great.

Izuku is one of the first people to treat dark shadow like their own individual entity, and Tokoyami is shook. Sometimes, dark shadow, Tokoyami, and izuku hang out at night when they can’t sleep. So does anyone who wakes up from nightmares and can’t go back to sleep

Now. Aizawa was terrified of Nezu getting his hands on izuku’s analysis notebooks. He still has nightmares about how it happened, honestly. But one day, izuku was called out of class by Nezu and Aizawa honestly wondered if he should hand in his resignation. It took mic to convince him not to, but mic was also terrified of what would befall the world after Nezu got his hands on either izuku or momo (which we’ll get to in a moment). After a very long and interesting conversation with izuku, Nezu requests that he be shown all of izuku’s notebooks.

His laughs can be heard echoing across the school. Shivers go down spines. The sun hides behind the clouds.

Izuku tells Nezu that sometimes momo will do analysis with him, and that she’s a really great strategist, just lacks confidence.

Again, Aizawa feels his world tip on its axis as momo yaoyorozu is called into the principle’s office.

Soon, they are both appointed as nezu’s personal students, meeting up twice a week.

No one knows what goes on during those meetings and no one has the Gaul to ask.

Except Mina. But she doesn’t get a real answer from either of the students.

Koda loves that izuku is the first student of UA that he can comfortably communicate with through JSL, other students start learning after a few weeks though after learning that it’ll be easier to communicate with izuku, koda, and present mic if they can, and they don’t want anyone to feel excluded!

Sero loves pre-quirk era superhero movies, and overhears izuku talking about them one day. Immediately runs over and asks if he knows spider-man. He does. They need out about it for hours. Izuku overheard someone saying that Sero is, “plain looking” and stands up for him,. Sero is sinfkwnfitjsjks. Izuku tells izuku that people say the same thing about him, which Sero honestly cannot understand, because this boy is obviously precious and deserves the world. Yes, he could easily destroy said world, but if he decided to do so, he’d definitely have a reason and sero would support him

Izuku is not sure how he went from having one (1) person (his mother) care about him, to having a whole fleet of people who have his back 1000%, and he honestly struggles to accept that people genuinely care about him. Shouto theorizes that it’s a quirk first. He blatantly says that izuku has a quirk that makes people want to adopt him in some way, shape, or form bur shouto’s conspiracy theories are never taken very seriously by most people. He will never let them go though. He’s right. He knows it.

I love this so much, pleaseeee😭😭😭😭 thank you for this wonderful theory that is 1000% true 💙💙

[danganronpa96]

Why didn't Ayano kill Chapter 4, since well….Senpai is her motive and well, I think she'd figure out pretty quickly that it's Senpai without having to see it?

What if there was a triple kill Chapter 5? Like dynamics wise and the trial itself? (DR69)

How would Yoshi likely react to the death of Mario, assuming Mario had Yoshi had a pet and all that?

Would the idea that after the explosion, the little killing game in the church would actually somehow continue but turn into a full blown killing game in the city?

How would the participants had reacted if Yuri had committed a murder?

Also, the Smiling Friends artstyle you managed to a T. It's really good and Pim looks so cute in it.

What if the entire cast was just Yuri cloned 16 times. What if Kaidou and Yuri have survived? How do pets work in a world of anthropomorphic animals? How did the participants not freak out that there were two anthropomorphic animals? Why do I have so many questions?

Anyways um, York again, loved Chapter 4. Sorry for the horde of questions again.

Hello 101 questions /lh

1. This one is pretty obvious. Ayano made a promise to Luigi in chapter 3 she would try her hardest to get the trust of others and help them out. She even showcased this during the chapter 3 trial when she was being falsely accused with her secret exposed. Ayano went onto be distrusted regardless, but remained determined to keep herself in line. She knew her Senpai would be the focus of any motive featuring loved ones, but that wouldn’t stop her from her promise. After all, trying to kill a situation like this always pertained the possibility of herself dying, and in that scenario she would not be able to protect her Senpai at all.

2. I don’t know, it depends who would die. I could see Parappa getting involved somehow, but not anyone else (unless Ayano decided to go to the 5th floor too). So it’d either be Fluttershy/Parappa/Ayano or Fluttershy/Parappa/Brian. I think the trial would become more complex, but also since three bodies would leave three times as many clues behind… it could go either way.

3. The Yoshi would be very sad, but I’m sure Luigi would go onto adopt it for Mario.

4. Not really. That wasn’t what I was going for in the story. The whole ‘new killing game’ was just meant to be a cop out to a) introduce Matt into the gang and b) introduce Gumi and how I wanted to portray her character. But it does sound interesting regardless.

5. The majority of them wouldn’t be surprised. Natsuki would feel upset and betrayed Yuri went the full way with it. Although, I’m not sure she would consider it as most people would suspect her in a trial (unless this was before she revealed her philosophy).

6. Thank you!! I think I can draw Charlie a bit better than Pim but I’m happy to hear you liked how I drew him too ^^

7. a) The Yuri’s would be very freaked out. One would snap first but you can’t ask me to identify who because, you know, they all look the same.

b) Kaidou may do a similar thing I described in this post (and by that I just mean from the 3rd paragraph about the bandages and down, as a sign of maturing). Yuri on the other hand would become like a typical DR antagonist, who’d have some moments in the trials but ultimately tries to skew things in the wrong direction in order to help let the killer win.

c) You ask the Bojack Horseman universe the same thing because I have no idea. Or maybe ask the MLP universe because it works with Fluttershy. I guess it depends on the theme of animals (if they’re all different animals then no pets).

d) Well Hayasaka and Kurumada did get a bit concerned at Retsuko at first, but just went along to accept it come meeting Bojack (slightly) because they all woke up on an island with no recollection why at this point they could start levitating and assume it’s all one big group hallucination or social experiment.

e) man I don’t know holmes you tell me

Hello again! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed ch4!! And thanks for the assortment of questions lol

[lutawolf]

TharnType Episode 1

I know a lot of people hate TharnType… But for me, it holds a special place. We live vicariously through art. Just because I watch or read murder mysteries doesn't mean I'm so idiotic as to believe I can solve a murder. Just because I cheer when someone knocks the shit out of someone in the movie, doesn't mean I think it should happen in real life. If you don't want to watch shows and movies that require critical thinking, then don't. I personally feel that we've taken so much critical thinking from shows and movie that people can't make logical leaps or think for themselves.

All that to say, that I'm well aware that these characters are toxic. I'll be pointing out a lot of toxicity, but that's also real life. And I personally want to feel something other than awww, when I watch a show or movie. I want to have to analyze my emotions. So that's what I'll be doing in this review.

Right off, we can see that Type is that man's man type of guy. He is tough and sporty, and he views the world from this very narrow view finder. Traditionally, men have been socialized to portray a strong image, especially in Asian society. And you have to understand that most victims of violent assault are made to feel weak. How often I've heard, "that wouldn't have happened to me because I would have punched someone." or "that won't happen to me, I'm strong." Men especially feel the weight of this. Because they are the "protectors" and "providers". So what we often see happen is over compensation of that masculinity, as if to completely erase any weakness. I've always been impressed that MAME details this because generally unless you can get a male victim talking, most miss this behavioral trait.

Techno runs in and tells Type that his roommate is gay. Because he knows how Type feels about gays. Let's talk about this. We know that all of Type's friends have no issues with gays, and yet they still hang out with Type. Which means they've already figured out that Type likely has a reason for his prejudice. Everyone, "Just because he went through what he did doesn't" shut the fuck up. Your lack of sympathy is showing. I do not know a single victim that didn't hate and didn't have to work damn hard through that hate. That's when we become survivors, but I'm telling you, I relate to Type because my hate nearly consumed me.

What I like about the initial confrontation is, despite Tharn's clear anger. He is education and brings up solid points that cause Type to pause. He sees the logic in the education. While there is anger, there isn't hate, which can cause people to get angry themselves and not listen. This right here for me is the first step we see to Type reformulating his bias. A seed has been planted, though he doesn't know it, but he will see it later on in the show when Type brings up these very arguments to himself.

We see more arguments. Type having nightmares of being molested by Tharn. Which they downplay in the show, but yeah, think about it. His anger is all about his fear and his fear of being weak again. See, anger is like armor, it hides the cracks of imperfections. The broken pieces.

Notice how Techno is not accepting of Type's prejudice. He educates at every opportunity. When Techno begins to ask if Tharn has hit on him, we see anger rise in Type. Again, this is used as a shield. In the flashback, we see the real Type. Through the flashbacks, we can see that Type really is a pretty likeable guy. He's friendly, respectful, and honestly easy going. He didn't fight for anything coming into the dorm. He didn't see it as important. Then we see the type of person one becomes when they let hate take over.

And that's the point of this next part! Now Tharn is letting anger take over and is the beginning stages of hate. You flame that, and it will grow till you are doing stuff in the name of revenge. Hatred and anger turns us all into different people, ugly people. People we don't recognize.

Techno sees Type for who he is. Techno is like that third point of view. Now back to Type and Tharn, we see the escalation of emotions that's going to lead to despicable acts. Then we watch the back and forth. We see Type feeling guilty. He can't stop what he started, but we aren't seeing an inherently bad person. You can really see this from the way his friends communicate with him.

I'm going to bring up something rarely brought up. Tharn has had a tendency to be in Type's of space. Type has had to push him back. Then he initiated that cheek kiss. That's when Type gets physical, which is fair. See, he is actually defending himself, and I know we all feel the need to cheer for Tharn because he is the one having prejudice against him. But Type wasn't physical. When do words and annoyances equal moving to physical? You can walk away from these other things. That being said, I cheered, hell yeah, I love a good revenge move, but I can easily see that these two are both wrong. They need to take each other out of the dating pool because they are so wrong that they are right for each other.

Techno trying to explain about Type without selling him out. He's explaining exactly why he is the way he is and why Techno forgives it. Why he is friends with him. It's just that it's not sinking in for Tharn. Or maybe he is like a bunch of people and doesn't think that's an excuse. But that's like telling someone with PTSD, Anxiety, or any other brain misfire that we can't control it. It really is very hard to control, especially when not given the tools to begin healing. He has had no therapy, no chance to communicate. This has festered as a dirty little secret.

Anyway, I think that's it more than anything. Tharn has an idea but no comprehension to show compassion. And a lot of built-up animosity, "I don't do drunk people." But he feels okay with hickey revenge. He has pushed passed what would be deemed acceptable behavior even to himself, but he's let animosity fester. And admit it. Some of us found the revenge sweet. Why we enjoy it so much is Type is a jerk, and we all fantasize about giving it to the jerk. But it's also uncomfortable, and it's meant to be. It's meant to make you realize that the need for revenge can push us where we shouldn't go. I really truly love the depth of this show.

Okay guys, give me feed back. Want me to keep going?