#i do have clear visions of how i imagine myself in the future

[saikisolosyourfav]

Baby Steps - Kusuo Saiki x Reader

Hi! I'm somewhat new to Tumblr. However, I wanted to announce that I just released the first chapter of my Wattpad story:

"Baby Steps - Kusuo Saiki x Reader"

I'm really proud of it and I would appreciate it if you checked it out!

From the moment I opened my eyes for the first time, I knew I was different. 

My earliest memories of childhood are not of colorful toys or the comforting warmth of my mother's arms, but of vivid, swirling visions that danced in front of my eyes. At first, they seemed like dreams—strange, incomprehensible images and sensations that faded as quickly as they came.

 But as I grew older, it became clear that these were not just figments of my imagination. I could see things others couldn’t. I could hear whispers from places far away and feel emotions that weren’t mine. 

A soft touch in my mind could tell me when my mother was sad or when my father was angry. At first, I thought everyone could do this—feel the emotions of others, almost taste their thoughts. But as I grew older, I realized that wasn't the case.

I could move objects with my mind, read people's thoughts, see glimpses of the future, and so much more. My parents found out rather quickly, and while my mother was fairly surprised, my dad seemed much more relaxed by the idea.

Surprisingly, my abilities didn't scare them. Rand, my father, was a brilliant scientist, as was my mother, Tamiko. Together, they were celebrated in their field, their minds a harmonious blend of genius and innovation. My father told my mother that my abilities were likely the result of 2 geniuses. 

While my parents were prestigious in their field, their brilliance masked a secret, one that I was too young to understand then.

The last thing I remember of my mother was the soft melody of her lullaby, a gentle hum that seemed to resonate with the very air around her. I was three years old when she died, leaving me with a father who was already starting to fray at the edges of his sanity.

My father had always been fascinated with the boundaries of human potential, but he took that curiosity to a place my mother would never have approved of. Before I was born, he altered my stem cells, mutating them to foster psychic abilities that were unheard of. Hence, he was never really shocked when he learned I had psychic abilities. I was his experiment, his creation, though my mother never knew of his little science experiment in her belly. 

From the moment they found out I had psychic abilities, they ran gentle tests to ensure I was safe and to make sure I wouldn’t harm myself or others.

Those early years were almost idyllic, filled with the love and warmth of my mother and the quiet intensity of my father. 

The how and why of my mother's death are still shrouded in mystery to me, but it was the catalyst that pushed my father over the edge. 

Grief-stricken and desperate, he abandoned all his ethical values. Our home, once a sanctuary, was sold off. In its place, Rand built a fortress—a psychic-proof laboratory with a single master bedroom for himself and a series of holding cells and testing labs for me.

I was no longer his daughter; I was his subject.

The first tests were simple, almost benign. He wanted to see what I could do. Moving objects with my mind, reading thoughts, and influencing small events are just a few examples. When he realized the extent of my powers, the tests grew more rigorous. 

I was placed in environments designed to stress my abilities to their limits. He would test my telekinesis by having me manipulate hundreds of objects at once, or he would push my mental endurance by forcing me to maintain force fields against relentless, simulated attacks. 

As the years went by, my powers only grew stronger. I learned to harness them and to manipulate anyone and anything at will. But with this power came isolation. The loneliness was suffocating, and I longed desperately to be normal. I hadn't stepped foot outside in ages. The most comforting thing I saw for 10 years was the clouds I saw through the skylight in one of my labs. 

As I got older, my powers grew stronger. I tried to hide them whenever I wasn't being tested to pretend that I was just like everyone else, but it was impossible. I felt like a freak.

One particularly grueling test involved my precognition. He would have me predict a series of random events, altering variables constantly to see how far into the future I could see and how accurately I could interpret those visions. The tests were relentless, and each failure was met with more work, each success with cold, clinical note-taking. My father’s face was a constant mask of stern resolve, and his eyes were devoid of the warmth I remembered from my early childhood.

By the time I was thirteen, the tests had escalated to physical extremes. One day, I was placed in a room with 100 armed guards. My task was to disarm them using only my psychic abilities. The guards were relentless, each attack more brutal than the last. I managed to fend them off, but I was exhausted. My body and mind pushed beyond their limits. 

As I lay there, panting and bruised, my father looked down at me with an expression that was a mix of pride and something far darker. He saw me not as his daughter, but as the ultimate realization of his life's work. I knew then that I had to escape. If I stayed, I would be nothing more than a tool, a means to an end.

He got the guards to escort me to my holding cell, and from there I went to lay on my bed.

My heart pounded in my chest, fear flooding my veins. I pressed my hands over my ears, trying to block out all the minuscule noises I heard throughout the building. 

The creaking of my bed, the scuff of the shoes of the guards standing outside my room, the thoughts of the scientist down the hall, and the shattering of my dad's beer bottle on the kitchen floor.

I heard him yell and start stomping his way down to my holding cell.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I curled up on my bed.

Suddenly, something inside me snapped. A surge of energy coursed through me, fierce and wild. I could feel the walls around me and sense the metal and nails that held the building together.

I didn't want to be studied, didn't want to be poked and prodded like some lab rat. 

The room seemed to twist and bend, as if reality itself was warping to protect me. The air crackled with energy, and a sudden gust of wind swept through the room, knocking over furniture and extinguishing the lights. In the chaos that followed...

CONTINUE READING ON WATTPAD

[labellefleur-sauvage]

Heat Above

In the sudden uncertainty of her life, Elain Archeron seeks comfort in an unlikely source: her mate Lucien.

For Elucien Week 2023 Day 1: Mates

The specifics of Elain's visions don't exactly seem well-described in the books, so I'm interpreting her visions (and how the end of ACOSF could affect them) and their potential ties to Lucien here. I like to imagine that Elain's visions will guide her towards her mate, and I wanted to try writing something in the ACOTAR universe for my favorite pairing, so here we are!

Thank you for everyone @elucienweekofficial for organizing this event!

Rating: Explicit. Word Count: 3.9K

Read on A03

XXX

In the span of a day, both of her sisters nearly died. 

And there was nothing Elain Archeron could do to save either of them. 

It all worked out in the end, they each soothed her. Nesta triumphed over those wanting to destroy her and became a Valkyrie, a living legend and feared warrior even the Illyrians idolized. Feyre survived the birthing bed—how, exactly, no one deigned to explain to her - and introduced her son Nyx to her family, everyone weeping joyously.

Everyone was safe. Everyone was fine.

And Elain’s visions had been out of control ever since.

It was as if a momentous shift occurred, like something—or someone—had altered the preordained fates the Mother lovingly crafted for each and every Fae and set everyone a new, uncertain future.

Her visions had never been regular or clear, but now they were chaotic and overwhelming. Death, blood, war, grief, terror and interlopers, interspersed with breathtaking happiness that Elain felt with her entire being: family dinners, Solstice celebrations, walks in unknown meadows, tending a garden on a bright, green hill, and holding hands with a foreign yet familiar male with flaming red hair.

That red-haired male was a frequent guest in her visions now, for whatever reason. Nearly every day she saw a glimpse of him, sometimes alone—his handsome face wreathed in sunlight, an open window behind him, a contemplative look on his face—or with someone she quickly realized was herself, such as when she saw him kissing down, down, down her body…

Elain shut her eyes. It was just like when she had been newly turned and her visions were constant, to the point where she didn’t know what was the present and what was the future, what was real and what wasn’t.

It was all too much, yet not enough. Elain wanted to turn her brain off, to have no thoughts at all, yet she craved more, needed to know what may happen. 

She was alone, yet surrounded by people. There was no one who could help her.

Except one. 

There must be a reason he kept appearing in her visions.

Elain leapt up from her bed and hurriedly dressed. She hoped he still kept his apartment by the river.

“Oh, hello Elain,” Feyre called quietly from the couch in the living room downstairs. Rhys was on the ground next to Nyx, swooping a toy bat over his head. “Are you going somewhere?”

“Just for a walk,” she called, gathering her shoes. 

“Would you like some company? Nyx is due for a nap, and a trip in the stroller—“

“No!” Elain yelped so loudly even Rhys raised a surprised eyebrow at her. “Er, thank you, but it’s just something I need to do by myself.”

Elain let herself out of the River House with Feyre and Rhys’s gentle murmurs behind her, then made her way into Velaris. She didn’t actually know where he stayed or if he spent his time with someone else.

No, she thought resoundingly, turning down a sleepy street lined with attractive apartments, Elain knew her mate hadn’t been with anyone since that horrible day in Hybern.

She stood in front of a clean and unassuming building. Something told her this was it. But how to get in? She was just about to knock on the front door of the building and hope someone would let her in when the door opened and she saw Lucien for the first time in months.

“Elain?”

He looked good. Handsome, clean, and put together in a deep green jacket and brown pants. Two small sections of hair were braided at his temples. 

Elain wondered if he would ever braid her hair, if she asked.

“Elain?” Lucien asked again, confusion and concern flooding his voice. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes,” Elain said, remembering herself and why she was here. “I came to see you.”

Lucien paled. “I see. Would this be better handled inside?”

“Hm. Yes, I think that would be for the best.”

Without a word, Lucien opened the door and led her up a series of staircases to an apartment on the top floor. Like everything about Lucien, it was clean and quietly elegant and put together: soft curtains fluttered on either side of the windows thrown open wide to let the cool breeze in, and several tasteful chairs were arranged around a low table in the middle of the room. A simple kitchen was in the corner, and a closed door was on the opposite side of the room.

Lucien sighed. “Are you here to break the bond?”

Elain looked startled. Why would he assume that? 

True, Elain had been ignoring her mate for years now, too frightened to belong heart, body and soul to any one being. After Graysen, after Azriel, after her entire world upended when she was pushed into the Cauldron, Elain couldn’t bear the thought of having another supposed constant in her life turn away from her. 

But to permanently sever ties with Lucien, especially now when her visions were pointing him towards her, left an empty, hollow feeling in her stomach.

“I—no, I’m not here to break the bond,” Elain replied. Lucien let out a deep breath and visibly relaxed. “I’m here to ask you why I keep seeing you.”

Lucien’s brows furrowed. “Seeing me? I haven’t seen you in months.”

“No, not like that,” Elain said with a slight roll of her eyes. “I see you. Constantly. In my visions.”

Lucien raised an eyebrow. “And there must be a reason,” Elain went on. “I see you in my mind everyday, without fail, between my… other visions.” Elain winced. “But the only good visions—if that’s what they really are, and not just some type of hallucination—only feature you. And I want to know why.”

Silence greeted her. “You came to see me,” Lucien said slowly, an eyebrow still raised, “to ask me why I keep appearing in your visions?”

Elain flushed. When he said it that way…

“I thought you previously said you couldn’t control your visions. How would I have any control over something you can’t?”

Elain bit her lip. He was completely right—there really was no good reason for her to have come here, to see Lucien and demand answers for something he had nothing to do with. But some part of herself knew Lucien was connected to her sudden violent visions—why else would she have visions of him constantly, and feel the urge to see him now, if he couldn’t help her?

“I—I thought—“

“I’m sorry Elain,” Lucien said quietly. “I don’t know if I can help you.” He looked away, a pained look on his face. “Would you like me to escort you home?”

Elain furrowed her brows. “You want me to leave?”

Lucien raised a quizzical eyebrow. “I just told you I don’t know how to help you. You ignore me for months when I give you gifts and space—I imagine you can’t stand to be in my presence since I told you something you didn’t want to hear.”

Elain glared at him. “Don’t assume to know what I want.”

“You’re right. I can’t assume to know anything about you, because every time I’ve tried, you’ve ignored me like a coward,” Lucien replied coolly.

“I’m not a coward!” Elain hissed, her cheeks turning hot.

Lucien chuckled unkindly. “I bet that’s all you’ve ever been. Hiding behind your sisters, using them as shields so you don’t have to confront anything in your life that bothers you.”

Elain grit her teeth, unable to deny Lucien. Why did she think he would help her, even if he could? Lucien probably detested her, loathed her for everything she’d put him through, and she couldn’t even blame him. 

“Even if I were somehow able to help you,” Lucien went on, putting distance between the two of them, “who’s to say you’d do anything but ignore me after I somehow banished myself from your visions?” Lucien leaned against a kitchen counter, directly in front of a wide window, the morning sunlight streaming in and bathing him in light. “At least this way, I can find comfort in the fact that I’m on your mind in some capacity.”

Elain sucked in a breath. It was identical to her prior vision: Lucien, surrounded in sunlight, his red hair gleaming. His golden mechanical eye paled in comparison to the glow he gave off now. The anger and frustration she felt for the male in front of her faded away. 

If this vision was true, what about the rest of them? Danger and sadness, but also eventual joy and happiness. Could one be had without the other? Was it worth risking everything to find out?

“You’ve been so cold to me for so long,” Lucien went on, ignoring how Elain was looking at him. “You ignored me, tossed me aside—“

“You’re my mate,” Elain breathed, and everything suddenly clicked in her mind. Yes, it was inevitable that there would be death and grief and bone crushing sadness in her life. They had been ever present in her life before she was turned, when she was human, and those emotions would be with her, in some way, shape or form, in her current life. The only difference was that now she had someone to weather the storm with her, and make her remember that happiness was always worth the sadness.

“What did you say?” Lucien asked quietly, looking at her.

“You’re my mate.” The more she said it, the better it felt, settling in her body and cementing her to the present. “You’re my mate. There’s only you.”

Lucien stared at her. The only sound in the room was his mechanical eye, ticking and moving faster than Elain could track. 

“Don’t say things you don’t understand,” Lucien said quietly, staring at the ground. “To say that to me, it’s, it’s…”

“Admitting what we both knew and have been avoiding?”

Lucien took a deep, steadying breath. “How do I know this is real?” Lucien jerked his head to look at Elain. His eye was wide and Elain could hear the fast beating of his heart. “How can I tell if this is what you want?”

Elain cocked her head, staring at the open vulnerability sketched on her mate’s handsome face. “Because I’ve seen my future. I thought it couldn’t be real, that some things must be wrong, but…”

“But? But what?”

“They’re all real,” Elain said quietly. “Horrible, horrible, things, coming soon and also later, but great things as well. Happiness, a family—all with you.”

Lucien’s eye widened. “You’ve seen that? Us? Together?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re not saying this because of what you’ve seen? You still have a choice in your future.”

She did, and her own heart sped up to match Lucien’s at the tenderness in his tone. Even now, he wanted Elain to have a choice, and wanted Elain to choose him.

“I think my visions have been urging me towards you for a long time. They know what I’ve been too afraid to admit.”

“And what’s that?”

“That I could be happy with you. That I will be happy with you.”

Lucien swallowed but didn’t move towards her, a wary look on his face. From what she’d heard about her mate from Feyre and Rhys, Lucien was never short on words, but his silence hung over their heads in the room.

Elain had already taken the first metaphorical step towards healing her relationship with Lucien—what were a few physical steps to convince him of her words?

Walking towards Lucien like he was a frightened animal, Elain stopped right in front of him. His heart was still beating fast—nerves, excitement, anticipation, she couldn’t be sure. 

“I still hear your heart.” Elain took one of Lucien’s large hands in hers—he was so warm—and held it against her chest, over her own stuttering heart. “Do you hear mine?”

Lucien gasped, his eye wide and mouth open as if he could finally hear the constant drumming of his mate’s heart, like Elain had heard ever since she emerged from the Cauldron. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but she swore she saw some type of shimmering cord wrap around Lucien’s hand from where it connected with her chest and traveled along his arm—

Elain lost sight of the cord entwining them together when Lucien leaned down and kissed her, consuming her mind, body and soul. 

It was blissfully silent in her mind for just a moment before a wave of images flashed before her eyelids, one after another after another, too fast for her to comprehend. It was like a lifetime’s worth of visions being crammed into the space of a few seconds and Elain gasped, overwhelmed with everything—

“Elain, what’s wrong? Breath, breath for me.”

And just as soon as they appeared, her visions fled at the first touch of Lucien’s touch, one hand on the back of her head, another on her lower back and rubbing soothing circles against her with his thumb.

“There, that’s better.” Lucien continued comforting her, and Elain realized what a fool she’d been the past years, to deny herself the sheer solace her mate provided her with just a few soft words and touches. “Was that…?”

“Yes.” Elain worked to steady her breathing. “I saw everything.”

Lucien paled. “Everything?”

Elain nodded, staring up at him. “We’ll travel… somewhere together. And Vassa will be wreathed in a crown of flame and feathers.”

“Elain—“

“Your father will rise to his full glory—”

“Beron?”

“No, the other one,” Elain snapped, massaging her temples. If only he could see. “And you’ll take your place next to him.”

“Other one? What are you—?”

“The man at the lake will fall and his birds released into the wind, but not without great cost.”

Lucien stared at Elain aghast.

“The Dread Trove will be restored, with the help of visitors from worlds so close to ours, but separated by the thinnest of veils.”

“Elain—“

“But we’ll be happy together, in the land of perpetual sun.”

“We will?”

“Yes, the two of us. You glow in the future. And we’ll have children—I’m not sure how many, at least two—“

Lucien’s lips stopped any more words from leaving her mouth. “Elain,” he chuckled against her, his lips kissing the corners of her mouth. “Let’s leave some things as a surprise, hm?”

“But what about—umph!”

Lucien’s lips slotted against her own again, his hands cradling her jaw, and Elain let her train of thought taper off. 

“We don’t need to worry about any of that now,” he whispered. “Let your mate take care of you, hm?”

Elain wanted to argue, that they absolutely should worry about what she had just witnessed, but then Lucien was kissing her again. His big hands trailed down her waist, then over her hips and behind her to cup her bottom. Whatever would come to pass would come—not admitting to her feelings and spending time with Lucien wouldn’t change that. 

So Elain twisted her hand in Lucien’s shirt and nipped at his lips and smiled in triumph when she felt him gasp against her. Her victory was short-lived: with one graceful swoop, Lucien carried her in his arms towards the closed door in his apartment.

As she suspected, it was a bedroom. Elain didn’t have time to study the room in detail, as Lucien tossed her on the bed then followed after her, climbing on top of her and resuming his heated kisses.  

“Is this alright?” he whispered, his lips trailing down her jaw, throat and collarbone.

“Yes!” she gasped as his lips skimmed her upper chest. She was on fire, and knew Lucien would only stoke the flames of her desire the more he touched her. “Off, off—!”

Together, they wrestled her dress off and soon, Elain was bare in front of her mate on his bed. Before, she might have felt self conscious—she’d only been with Graysen, and that was in a dark room—but she had no reason to be embarrassed, not when Lucien was staring at her like his world had just been shattered and made new in the span of an afternoon.

“Elain,” he croaked, glancing at her body before settling on her bright face. “You’re the most beautiful being I’ve ever seen.”

Elain smiled, her chest warm and beating, before Lucien was on top of her again, his lips against hers. She threaded her hands through his long hair and moved her hands over his neck, his back, his chest, anywhere that she could, just to feel more of his body. 

Lucien moved down her body, his lips licking and pecking at her sensitive breasts, her bellybutton—Cauldron, she had seen this too—before settling between her legs.

“Yes?” he asked, an eyebrow raised. Still checking on her, making sure she wanted this, wanted him. Lucien was breathing heavily, his eye darting to the curls between her legs and her heated face. He swallowed, like he was barely holding onto his restraint.

Elain wasn’t faring any better. “Yes,” she responded desperately, canting her hips towards him. Lucien needed no further persuasion: gripping her inner thighs, he wrenched her thighs apart and lowered himself between them.

The first, hot press of his tongue against her folds had Elain arching her back against his bed. The next swipe of his tongue against her clit made her grab Lucien’s head and keep him right where she wanted him. 

Lucien didn’t seem to mind; groaning into her cunt, Lucien kept licking and sucking, gradually inserting one, then another thick finger inside her tight channel and thrusting. Elain moaned her approval, too delirious with pleasure to form words. 

After nearly no time at all, Lucien crooked his fingers a certain way inside her, his tongue flicking her clit and his eye intense on her face, and Elain was coming. It was all consuming, but immediately her body craved more, more, more.

“Lucien!” Elain gasped, pushing his head away from between her legs, where he had been gently lapping at her swollen bud. “I need you!”

Lucien sat back on his haunches, breathing heavily but studying Elain. “You already have me, Elain.”

Elain felt her heart twist, knowing he’d given himself to her the day she crawled out of the cauldron and the mating bond snapped. But although Lucien had long ago given himself to her, Elain hadn’t yet done the same for him. She needed to reassure her mate that she wanted him.

Silently, Elain rose from the bed and helped Lucien discard his clothes. The more and more golden-brown skin he revealed to her, the warmer Elain felt; whether the heat was coming from Lucien or herself, she couldn’t be sure. 

Soon, he was naked, and Lucien’s glorious body was on display. Elain felt a sudden rush of pride: this strong, clever, handsome male was all hers, and no one else’s.

“Have you…?” Lucien began when he was over her once again, the tip of his cock brushing her folds.

“Yes,” Elain responded, shifting her hips to get comfortable. He was so close to where she needed him.

“Are you sure—“

Elain stopped his question with her lips, soft and sweet, against his. Lucien was on his elbows above her, his face inches from her own. Silently, she moved her hand over the scars on his face and traced them gently, then leaned up to kiss them lovingly. 

Shivering, Lucien pressed against her, working himself inside her tight channel. He went slowly, letting her adjust, until finally he bottomed out inside her. 

Elain felt full. Not just from Lucien’s length, but from it all meant for her: having someone with her, always, to defend her, protect her, care for her, and support her. She belonged to someone, and someone belonged to her. She could cry from how happy she felt. 

And as Lucien finally shifted his hips and began moving, his body and his heat above and within her, Elain felt grounded for the first time since she was turned. Her mind quieted, no longer tormenting her with what would happen, but blessedly blank, letting her focus on being with her mate. 

Elain was thankful; she didn’t want to miss any of what she was experiencing. Lucien was thick inside her, moving slowly but steadily. He was being so polite, exactly what she expected from the gentleman Elain knew Lucien was.

But Elain was selfish, especially now, and she wanted more.

“I need—“ Elain gasped, unsure how to communicate what she wanted.

Like Lucien could read her mind, he shifted one of her legs up against his hip and thrust hard inside her. Stars exploded behind her eyelids and Elain could hear the smirk in Lucien’s voice. “Is that what you needed?”

“Yes!” Elain moaned as Lucien leaned back on his knees, her leg still propped up against his body. 

“What else do you need, Elain?” Lucien crooned softly above her, increasing his pace inside her. He swiped a thumb over her clit.

“Yes, Lucien, more,” Elain begged quietly, quickly approaching her peak.  

“Ask nicely,” Lucien grunted. He was fucking into her hard now, hilting his cock fully inside her. Sweat rolled down his neck and chest. “Tell me what you need.”

“Keep touching me and stay with me, please.” She hadn’t meant to say that last part. After everything they’d been through, it was too much to ask of him. Elain expected Lucien to freeze, but it only seemed to spur him on.

“Anything. Anything you want,” Lucien groaned, his thumb furiously circling her clit and like an explosion, Elain came. It was like nothing she’d felt before; indescribable pleasure raced up and down her spine, pleasure that came from not just Lucien touching her, but the knowledge that he was hers, and she was his.

Elain was dimly aware of Lucien cursing to himself before he pressed his length inside her and came, collapsing on top of her as his orgasm petered out. He rolled them over so Elain was on his chest.

If Elain thought his heartbeat was loud before, it was nothing compared to the explosive drumming now. It soothed her, though, and Elain felt her eyes drift close after only a few moments.

“I’m sorry,” Lucien whispered against her temple later that afternoon after they had woken up for a second round of lovemaking. “For those horrible things I called you earlier. That wasn’t fair of me.”

“But they were true, as much as it hurts to admit it.”

“But that doesn’t mean I needed to say them.”

Elain sighed into Lucien’s chest and twined her legs with his under the thin sheet on his bed. “If you hadn’t said them, I’m not sure we would have ended up here, right now.”

“But surely you saw this coming.” Elain could hear the grin on his face. “Surely one of your visions—“

“My visions have told me quite a bit about the two of us,” Elain admitted, her cheeks red. “But didn’t you say earlier that some things should be a surprise?”

Lucien dropped a kiss to her nose, and Elain felt his heat suffuse her entire body with that one peck. “I did say that. I may not be terribly fond of them, but if they all concern you, then I’ll gladly let each day with you be a surprise.”

[corruptedcaps]

The Necklace

Staring at the glimmering necklace in my hand, a wave of conflicting thoughts sweeps over me. It's Claire's old necklace, the one she used to become an evil bitch. She lost it weeks ago and has since been nothing but nice to everyone but how did it turn up in my locker? The magic it holds is undeniable, promising beauty and popularity beyond my wildest dreams. But the whispers in my mind, the warnings I've read about its evil power, are equally strong.

I've always been the dorky, book-loving girl in the background. The one who's invisible to everyone except when they want help with their homework. Plain old Izzy. And now, this necklace, this cursed artifact, offers me the chance to change everything. To finally be noticed, to have the admiration I've secretly craved.

Yet, a gnawing feeling deep within me reminds me how the necklace twisted Claire, turned her into someone cruel and heartless. Is the allure of popularity worth sacrificing my kindness, my integrity? Can I really trust that the necklace won't change who I am at my core?

I imagine a future where I wear the necklace, where people look at me in awe, where I'm the center of attention. The thought sends a thrill down my spine, but it's immediately followed by the image of the necklace's dark aura, slowly seeping into my very being, altering me in ways I can't even comprehend.

As I hold the necklace, my heart races with the weight of my decision. The choice before me feels monumental, a crossroads that could forever define who I become. Do I dare risk my soul for a taste of the life I've always envied? Or do I stay true to myself, even if it means remaining in the shadows?

Taking a deep breath, I make up my mind. With the necklace dangling from my hand, I convince myself that I can withstand its dark influence. I've always prided myself on my strength of will, my determination to stay true to my values. Surely, I can resist the allure of its darkness.

As I fasten the clasp and the necklace rests against my skin, a strange warmth envelops me. I glance into the mirror and see my reflection, watching in awe as my appearance begins to change. My features become more refined, my skin seems to glow, and my eyes sparkle with an otherworldly radiance.

My hair lightens, my skin clears any imperfections, my eyesight improves enough to take off my glasses. The necklace is weaving its magic, transforming me into someone I never thought I could be. I'm beautiful. People will notice me now. The excitement courses through me, filling me with an intoxicating mix of emotions.

But even as I admire the changes, a whisper of power creeps into my thoughts. I can feel a subtle shift in my thoughts. It's like a door creaking open to a realm I've never ventured into before. Images flash in my mind—scenes of power, dominance, and control. Dark thoughts creep in, almost as if they're whispered by a sinister presence.

I see myself walking through the school hallways, a confident smirk on my lips and a hand on my hip. My steps are purposeful, and my gaze is unwavering as I pass by groups of students. But it's not the old me anymore. It's a version of myself that takes pleasure in wielding authority, relishing in the fear and admiration that radiate from those around me.

I imagine myself confronting Claire with a newfound confidence. No longer am I the timid girl she once tormented; now, I'm the one asserting dominance. Cruel words drip from my lips, cutting deep and leaving wounds that never fully heal. The thrill of having the upper hand, of finally exacting revenge, sends shivers of excitement down my spine and begins to make my pussy wet.

In this dark vision, I witness myself manipulating situations, exploiting others' weaknesses, and watching them bend to my will. It's a power I've never experienced before, and it both fascinates and terrifies me. The allure of being feared and respected is undeniable, even if it comes at the cost of my own compassion.

Yet, as the images unfold, a twinge of guilt tugs at my conscience. I remember the friends who stood by me, the moments of kindness that defined who I used to be. The darkness that this necklace carries becomes more palpable, a heavy fog that clouds my judgment and distorts my sense of morality. As I grapple with these thoughts, I realize that the necklace's power isn't just changing my appearance—it's testing the very core of who I am.

As my inner struggle intensifies, a strange sensation ripples through me, starting from the necklace and radiating outward. It's as if the necklace itself is responding to my wavering thoughts, amplifying its influence over me. My heart races as I feel an undeniable surge of energy coursing through my veins.

I glance into the mirror, and my breath catches in my throat as I witness even more of its transformative power unfolding before my eyes. My hair, already lightened, shimmers with newfound luster. It's as if each strand has been kissed by starlight, catching the light in a mesmerizing dance of colors. It’s thicker and blonder than any girl I know.

My lips, once soft and unassuming, are now plumper, more inviting, a shade of deep crimson that demands attention. They part slightly as if inviting someone to come closer, to be captivated by the allure that now emanates from me. I can’t help thinking to myself that they would look perfect wrapped around a big cock.

My nails, delicate before, now gleam and standout. They're longer, perfectly manicured, and adorned with a shade of pink that is sure to standout. My mind wanders as I look at them imagining how good it would feel to click my fingers and have loyal betas fall in line behind me.

As I take in the full image, I can hardly believe my eyes. My breasts, once modest, now boasts a fuller and more captivating shape. They inflate bigger than even Claire used to have, snapping my B cup bra causing it to fall out of my shirt to the ground. They are large and perky and somehow defy the laws of gravity. I’ll never need a bra again I think to myself with a satisfied smirk.

Even my clothes seem to shift in response to the transformation. The fabric hugs my curves in all the right places, accentuating my figure in ways I never thought possible. There's an undeniable air of elegance and allure about the ensemble.

In this moment of dazzling beauty, I'm faced with an even greater inner conflict. The temptation to fully embrace this newfound power tugs at me, but the warnings of the necklace's malevolence are stronger than ever. As I stand on the precipice of a new identity, I'm forced to confront the reality that the necklace's allure may come at a cost that I'm not prepared to pay.

As I stand before the mirror, my transformed self radiating an otherworldly allure, a wicked grin slowly spreads across my lips. The rush of power surges through me, and I revel in it, savoring every delicious moment. The doubts that once plagued my mind are now nothing more than distant echoes, drowned out by the intoxicating allure of the necklace's malevolent magic.

Gone are the days when I would be the unnoticed, the overlooked. No longer will I be the victim, the one pushed around and tormented. Now, I am the embodiment of beauty and power, the queen of this pathetic school. The world shall bow before me, and I shall command it with an iron will.

My eyes meet their reflection in the mirror, and they blaze with a newfound fire. No longer timid or uncertain, they now hold the gaze of a goddess, a ruler of destinies. I run my fingers through my shimmering hair, reveling in its silken texture, each strand a testament to my transformation from the shadows to the spotlight.

With a confident sway of my hips, I saunter across the room, the fabric of my clothes caressing my curves as I move. Every step I take exudes an air of superiority, of arrogance, as if I am destined to rule and dominate. I relish in the attention that this new persona commands, the way eyes follow my every movement, captivated by the force of my presence.

I raise my hand and admire my nails, now long and sharp, symbolizing my newfound power. They are a symbol of my ascendancy, of my transition from the sidelines to the throne. The darkness that once whispered the temptation of power now sings a triumphant melody in my ears, reassuring me that I am the embodiment of its desires. Letting me know that I sought me out.

I am no longer the girl who hides in the shadows, who cowers in the face of adversity. I am the embodiment of beauty and power, and I will take what is rightfully mine. The world will remember my name, and they will bow before my magnificence. They will learn to serve the wicked Isabella.

[moonlightblueandicegrey]

Looking in our future

Summary: (season 5) In the labyrinth, everyone is watching their future. But Jay didn't expect his future to be like that because instead of his love being by his side... He saw her brother...

............................................................................

...Then i saw my reflection in the ice wall. But i was different... I was older i guess. Was that the future me? I looked somewhere around my 60s or something. I liked my older self. I still looked good. Oh, and i had an eye patch! Awesome! What happened in my eye though? And since when i decided to have beard? It looked good on me but still... Beard? What happened to me?

Then the vision changed a little. A black figure stood by my side. It wasn't very clear at the beginning but soon i saw the face of that person. It was Nya. How? We broke up. Will we end up together in the future? She told me that it was never going to happen and when Nya says something, she means it. Maybe this wasn't my real future but just my dreams for it.

The vision changed again. I expected to see myself, Nya, kids and our house or something like that. I definitely didn't expect what i actually saw. Nya wasn't in the vision anymore. I was alone again until another black figure appeared. The shape looked different, it couldn't possibly be Nya. This time it was... Kai! What was Kai doing in my vision? He looked older too and tired of life's problems but still happy. His bright smile was still there. His beautiful, green eyes were shining so bright... (Wtf am i thinking about my teammate?) When my future self noticed him, he fell in his arms and smiled.

I was staring at the vision, confused, until i saw something that turned my confusion into fear. Kai's future self kissed mine! He really... We might... Us together?! My heart (deep inside) didn't hate the thought of me ending up with Kai instead of Nya and that was scaring me even more. He was my best friend! My teammate and my ex's brother! This couldn't be true... No... But, what if it was?

I turned around to look at Kai only to catch him looking at me already. He was shaking and looked as shocked as i was. We probably saw the same thing. He couldn't say a word and neither could i. There were so many things to discuss after this. I mean, what if it was indeed our future? Did Kai want something like this in his life? And what if the labyrinth was just messing with our minds? So many questions... Man, this was gonna be awkward... Imagine next time I'm alone with Kai. I won't survive that...

I didn't have more time to think about it. Morro found us... But that doesn't mean i will forget what i saw any time soon. And i think Kai won't forget either.

............................................................................

It's not good.

I don't like it.

I'm tired.

Please forgive my mistakes.

[writingonjorvik]

The After Stories

So I was musing to myself about how I thought narratively the Soul Riders were most likely to be set up as more cyclical characters for what I think the next major story arc is most likely to be, what I called the Witch Wars arc in this ask response, and I ended up doing more than the Soul Riders, so I figured I'd share those thoughts.

I'll start with the Soul Riders since I've put the most thought into their arcs, also they're the most important characters right now, so it makes the most sense. I really only think one of the Soul Riders should be in the next story arc as a major character, for a number of reasons, though I doubt that'll be the case. I'm also following the assumption that, based on what we've been told in plot about severing the connection between Pandoria and Jorvik meaning the Soul Riders will lose their powers, that after Garnok is defeated, the connection Aideen created with Pandoria is cut and they don't have magic, or they only have whatever magic is left.

Easiest first, Lisa. I think Lisa is going to return to her music career and take time to recover. Personally, I think the writers need a step back from Lisa. She went from being what I had always thought was the leader of the group in SSL (and in the books) to her country redesign and her being largely the party healer. And I think there is a really good story arc to have there. Not to lean into the trope that metal and rock are symbolic of rebellious phases, but I think there's a story you can tell about the eras of Lisa's music genres being reflections of her stages of grief, the more punk genres being her rage followed by her return to country music as acceptance, a connection with her mother, and a way to maintain that connection as she processes that grief. I think a lot of folks will conflate stadium & pop country with classic country music which does also hold a lot of punk values which sets her up for a return, but I also think a step back from Lisa post all of the crazy would give her time to recover and take that symbolism and make it material. So I think she should take a more minor role in the next story arc.

Second easiest, Linda should not be a major player in the Witch Wars arc. Firstly, Linda is arguably the Soul Rider we've spent the most time with. It makes sense why, she's an easy lore dump character, but that also is a reason why in it of itself. If Linda is always our source of worldbuilding, there isn't an opportunity for other characters to provide information that feels relevant, and also it takes that opportunity away from the player character to discover in their own exploration. But the biggest reason I think is that Linda has probably had the least amount of time to pursue her own personal goals. There is absolutely a story there to tell about how major achievement is a personal scale, you don't need to achieve the world in order to be successful, but I don't think that's a story SSO will tell and it also falls a little flatter when Linda is part of the team that did save the world from Garnok. But comparably, Linda has the least amount of achievement to her name. Like, imagine being able to see the future, not to mention be unquestionably intelligent, with very clear goals of going to university and pursuing your interests and expanding your skills as a writer, saving the world and then watching all of your friends' dreams of reality come true. Visions made material. Lisa's music career, Anne's success as a dressage rider, a model, going on to be a vet, Alex being set up to take over a culturally significant organization (which I'll come back to), and you. Seeing all of it, and never getting there. And then the visions start to go away. There was already the moral question of could Linda use her powers to cheat, not that she would, but I imagine the guilt of the idea probably prevented her from pursuing entry exams because, she could. See the future to see the exam answers to study perfectly. And the fear of it prevents her from applying. And now her powers are leaving, she has the chance to be honest about it again. To provide she was more than her role as the Moon Soul Rider. She deserves to take it and come back to the story a more fulfilled person.

Alex has a good opportunity to be semi-present. She has been set up to take Elizabeth's place and with the defeat of Garnok, there's finally enough breathing room to do so. Yes, I'm sure the druids will be thrown into more ordeals with the fallout of their magic, which leads into the Witch Wars and pursuing answers there, but someone has to take up the mantle now that the chaos of Garnok is passed. And we were told that was Alex. It's a huge responsibility shift for her too, one she's going to have to learn on the job. I'm sure she'll receive help but it's not like she can go to school for how to be the leader of a magical organization. And it's not like her predecessor is there to guide her. There's also the existing tradition that she's breaking by taking Elizabeth's place as the Lightning Soul Rider becoming the Keeper's leader, where the Sun Soul Rider would normally take that place. But these are unprecedented times, the druids are losing a major part of their magic, so maybe it's time for a change. I think that sets Alex up well to be both present in the story, as the leader of the druids supporting us, the PC, going to learn more about witch magic to help the druids, but also take a step back. She has to stay in Valedale now, be a present leader and coordinator. But of course, it's Alex, she's bound to show up for big confrontations.

Which leaves Anne as the last Soul Rider. And I think she remains present. She's the Soul Rider we got the least amount of time with, but she also has the least reason to settle down. She still has a lot of grief to process from her imprisonment. And, as I said in my last post, I don't think we will kill the Generals. They might die in losing Garnok as like, their life source, but I don't think we will kill them directly. I'll get more into them later, but at the very least, I think Darko survives and Sands dies. And that right there sets Anne up perfectly. In a post Garnok world, in a world without magic, and the man chiefly responsible for her imprisonment is still out there. If anyone is going to be desperate for her magic back, it's Anne. There is still an angry part of her that cannot rest, and so when magic starts to fade and the PC pursues answers with the witches, Anne is right there. Not to mention, if we do get a new quadrant of the map, portal magic would be great for teleporting in and then reconnecting physically after main story shenanigans through North Link. But particularly after we've seen Anne proving she's not only back, but she's among some of the most powerful Sun Soul Riders in history, losing that would be devastating. Anne pursues answers about magic, and is our primary ally moving forward from the original cast.

Also in all of this, the Guardians. We don't know if in losing their Soul Rider powers the Guardians survive (I think they will), but we don't know if the Soul Riders will be able to talk to them. Like does Aideen's Gift maintain itself. Of all the Soul Riders, Anne probably has the most experience of not being able to talk to her horse, and so I see her thriving in this condition of still being able to connect with Concorde in a way none of the other Soul Riders can because of her time working with Concorde as a foal. And I see that causing a rift with the Soul Riders too as suddenly Anne is the odd man out again, and now that their grief in losing that particular connection is broken, there is some true feelings coming out about how they expect Anne to help in a way she only ever got resistance or correction for feeling with Concorde.

Quick ones off the list next:

Fripp goes to sleep. I don't know if he dies, I think he probably like. Does whatever Aideen did and fades into the magic of the world. I think he comes back, but without the connection to Pandoria, he can't maintain his consciousness without more magic. It also gets him off the table for the same reasons I think Linda should back seat, he knows too much and that takes away from the player's ability to discover.

Avalon dedicates himself to supporting Alex in taking over the leadership role. He's more confident now and speaks up for her against the rest of the council and commits himself as her primary ally and mentor within the druids.

Evergray is going back to the North with us. Without a connection to Pandoria, he is still a magic researcher. Possibly even tasked with finding another connection back to Pandoria, which leads to whatever he was doing in the North. He also has the most connection with witches there.

Rhiannon is also going back to the North. She's a Warden, she knows more about magic outside of the Circles from her proximity to the witches, and the Wardens aren't, kinda aren't, are something other than druids. Not to mention, if the connection with Pandoria cuts off magic and possibly losing Aideen's Gift, Rhiannon is the most set up to help reestablish this connection. I think it will, it's Aideen's Gift to Jorvik, it was her own magic, but there's a plot there to connection with the Wardens.

Ydris leaves. I know he's the game's Internet sexy man, but we've honestly seen very little of him since Fripp's recovery and we know his goal is to save his home. If the connection is broken, Ydris goes home to Pandoria. He can return in a later arc, with I think what would be fitting, a redesign of his original model since time is soup there, but I see very little for him to do in a witch arc unless he can't make it back home, which does have potential in him being a begrudging ally as he's made like. Semi-human from being cut off from Pandoria.

Mrs. Holdsworth and Sive are obvious, it's called the Witch Wars arc, they would be joining as major characters. Great opportunity too to introduce Marzipan from concept work from forever ago here as our young witch companion.

I think Justin should get a baby arc just to give him a better ending. He should go train with the Wild Whispers before going to train with Herman.

Speaking of Herman, he comes back briefly because his brother, Coyote, is in northwest Jorvik, so that gives us a connection into the not magic stories and exploring the cities there. Also, that sets up CHILL to come in with GED and we can have that semi-mundane arc too.

On to bad guys!

GED first, there's no reason why these guys wouldn't be back or even thriving without DC competing with them. They're low stakes bad guys, they've been basically run out of southwest Jorvik, they're very likely to be back in a new region.

I already said it, Mr. Sands dies. Look, his wife is dead, the devil he made a pact with dies, and he was human. There is no reason that he survives unless we get the redemption arcs I've discussed before happen, which are not remotely set up in the story. The man is death flagged, I don't make the rules. Turns to dust, bye.

Darko survives. I think having Darko be less present now means he can be set up to do the whole take over the vacuum when Sands is gone. Maybe he sees the writing on the wall, this is a kids' game and Garnok is going to lose. So he stops trying to go for Sands and bides his time. And when that happens, guess who steps in. A magic inventor with the remnants of resources to continue to be a problem and no competition anymore to do so. The rest of DC is goons, now he gets to horde a black market of magic to himself. DC dissolves, all the assets relocated before charges could be pressed. No charges to press on a dissolved company, the leading members of the board dead in a freak accident of their own making, there's no one there to hold responsbile. And Darko wasn't a General, he was just their inventor, conveniently missing from records, assumed dead, ready to be a main antagonist in the next arc under a new evil corporation.

I don't think all the Dark Riders die. The least likely is Erissa. She has gone through so many iterations just to finally get released, Erissa survives. Escapes capture even. Blends in, disappears, starts whispering into powerful ears. She becomes a problem. She also looks like a kid, they're not going to kill her for a slew of age rating reasons.

Because that's the thing, the Dark Riders aren't human. They're different kinds of aliens, by our best guesses. From different worlds too. Katja's ice world and Sabine's dark star are not the same places. If anyone survives the break from the pact with Garnok, it's these four.

Jessica is iffy, she is arguably the least developed. Of any of the Dark Riders to team up with Darko, I see it being Jessica. She reads as having a need for control, and suddenly cut off from her magic, either from being more injured than the others or the loss of the portals powered by Pandoria's magic, I think a reluctant deal with Darko for some scraps of magic to survive, that's where Jessica lands.

Katja leaves. She does not care about people. Of anyone in the story to become a permanent cryptid, it's Katja. She just goes back to being the Ice Witch of Icendell, if not through that portal. She's here because of her pact with Garnok, I see no reason for her to stay. She isolates herself until she can recover enough power to be a menace again.

Sabine is difficult but I see her as the character the community most wants to have a redemption arc (for various reasons), as well as the story setting up the most for a redemption arc, but I don't know if SSO would go there. Sabine has a riding club, she's made connections, however trivial to her now, on Jorvik. And something else, she's discovered a new kind of power, one she could never possess on her Dark Star home. People, control over people, working together to achieve more power. There is no civilization to control back home, it's a world of beasts, hunters, predators, there is no civilization, nothing to control, just survival. There are here. And so while I see her probably still being fairly narcissistic about it, I also see a story where Sabine recognizes that she can only have that kind of authority if she protects this new home. Very Greed from FMA kind of character twist. So she is a partial ally then, but it opens the door for more opportunities of, maybe not altruism, but more potential for good.

I think that's everyone who's a primary NPC. But let me know who I missed. Or if you think otherwise.

[aheckinmess]

In response to the results from my "What Am I Working On?" poll, I've decided that for those of you who want to see what's up ahead, I would be delighted to share it with you!

For those of you who do not want to be informed about upcoming writing and fanfictions, whether it's because you don't want to be disappointed if it's not posted or because you would rather be surprised when it comes out, I will put a divider here so you DO NOT have to read it if you don't want to. The only news I am sharing below this line is new and upcoming writing information. Read at your own discretion.

I wanted to take all of your responses into account, and this is how I am able to do so!

TLDR: You want writing news? It's down below. You don't want writing news? Don't read.

Writing News & Updates

Welcome all of you who want to be kept in the loop with updates and other fun ideas headed your way! Bear in mind, the ideas that I share with you will take some time to write, but I figured you all might be interested in seeing what's happening in addition to the regularly updated stories I have going on right now.

This is a compiled list of both current and future works that I'm working on.

CURRENT WORKS IN PROGRESS

My Hero Academia Imagines/One-Shot Compilation:

This work gets updated regularly every Saturday/Sunday right now. Should I ever need to skip a week, I will post an update about it. In addition to this, I'm willing to consider different requests should anyone have them, so feel free to drop a line in the comments (or in a message if you're more shy, like myself) and I'll let you know if I can work it in as a prompt.

A Reader Rendezvous:

The hope is to keep this updated at least once a month. There are a lot of prompts I have as works in progress for this compilation, but work has been busy so I haven't had a lot of time to focus on my x Reader imagines/prompts. Trust me, I'm as upset by this as you are. I have so many good prompts that are basically finished and just need editing! However, I don't work on these as consistently as I do the prompts for my MHA Compilation with Ichijiku (since it's updated every week), so please be patient with me. Same as before, though, requests are allowed.

Cursed, Not Cute:

This work is being updated spontaneously when the muse speaks to me. I went from writing 4 chapters back-to-back in May, and then not posting chapter 5 until Aug. 18 of this week. (although chapter 6 is in the works now). However, I know that it's a fan favorite, so rest assured that it's not forgotten. Since this fic doesn't have as clear of a direction for me right now, there may be long stretches between chapters, but I will try to keep it consistent.

Season of Serendipity:

This work is being updated spontaneously when the muse speaks to me. Similarly to CNC, this fic doesn't have as clear of a vision right now. Since I'm more hyper-focused on My Hero Academia at the moment, Jujutsu Kaisen kinda gets the short end of the stick right now, but I promise these stories are not just being dropped in favor of MHA fics. They all get just as much love!

Bashful Beginnings with Bengal:

This work is being updated spontaneously when I have time to get chapters written. I got into Batman: The Dark Knight in high school and was crazy about it for a while! Then, it died out and my friends rekindled my love for it by introducing me to Wayne Family Adventures on Webtoon. So, I've been writing about my OC, Bengal, for a few years now, but I haven't had time to edit her story in order to make it as polished as I'd like in order to post it. However, more chapters will be added. I just don't have a clear timeline for it. I'm going to say I'm shooting to get another chapter out before the end of September!

Apricity:

This story is completed. This was meant to be a 3-part one-shot series! Now, that's not to say that I won't eventually add onto it, but for the time being, it is complete and can be read as it is.

Hollow Harmony:

This story is completed. This was meant to be a 3-part one-shot series! Now, that's not to say that I won't eventually add onto it, but for the time being, it is complete and can be read as it is.

FUTURE PLANS & PROJECTS

By the Books:

Calling all Aizawa lovers! This is a fanfiction that I've been working on since I first got into My Hero Academia about two and a half years ago. Shouta Aizawa has always been the holder of my heart since I got into the show, and that will never change (although Enji Todoroki also holds my heart in his hands)! I don't want to give too much away, but just know this is an OC x Aizawa fic that is somewhere around 721 pages of nothing but slow burn, angst, and tasty delicious ✨C H A R A C T E R   D E V E L O P M E N T ✨. My hope is to have enough of the fic edited by the beginning of 2025 so I can start posting at the beginning of the new year.

Eye of the Beholder:

Once again, Aizawa lovers, this is for you! Especially if you love Dadzawa! Instead of having an Aizawa x OC fanfiction for this, this is a good old-fashioned Dad!Aizawa-Finds-Child!OC-and-Adopts-Her fanfiction. The idea for this fanfiction was actually born from By the Books, when I was wondering to myself how my character might act if she was hit by a de-aging quirk. And then Eye of the Beholder was born! This story was only just recently thought up in the past year or so, so there's only about 200ish pages for this one.

Ice Ice Baby:

While I know Enji Todoroki isn't a fan favorite in the fandom, that certainly hasn't stopped me from loving him (I mean, more for me, am I right?)! The idea for this story was born because I wondered how Enji might react having someone as emotional as me as a child. From observing the family from the show and manga, it appears most of the Todoroki children are all emotionally distant/have tucked away their feelings. Yes, part of it is because of the emotional abuse, but as someone who grew up in a similar household and still ended up a squishy, emotional bean, I decided LET'S EXPERIMENT! So, we get to see the havoc my little soft OC bean reaps in the hearts of the Todoroki family as she slowly pulls them back together. You can hate it if you want to, but I think it's absolutely adorable (and also about 250ish pages) and I'm rather excited for it. Consider this your warning about it if you don't want to read it.

Might:

We all love some Papa Toshinori. I just think it's absolutely cute and based on the AU fanart and fics I've seen of him taking care of Shigaraki, I decided I'd try my hand at writing some of it. This fanfiction is going to be Toshinori's goddaughter and her life of trying to be a hero after her parents die and Toshinori is left to care for her. It's got a little canon divergence, but a lot of the main canon events will be taking place for some tasty delicious ✨C H A R A C T E R   D E V E L O P M E N T ✨ with a lot of fluff and angst sprinkled in.

Permafrost:

Once again, I have an obsession with Enji Todoroki. Simply put, with enough love and affection, I think his redemption arc and character development could have been kick-started. So, this fanfiction idea was created before Ice Ice Baby with the same idea of "How would Enji Todoroki's character arc have changed if he had someone to actively show him love and affection up front before his children were born?" (Note: I am not saying that Rei did not love Enji. I am, however, saying that I read her character as being much more passive in her affection, as well as marrying him out of obligation instead of someone who might choose to marry him for different reasons.) So basically, think of this as my Todoroki family fix-it fic!

Other Ideas:

I have at least 300+ prompt ideas for MHA that all have little summaries written for them so I don't forget what my ideas were, but they haven't been written yet.

For JJK, I don't have much in the way of a full-fledged fanfiction planned out. (That's a lie: I have a fanfiction plotted out, but it's in collaboration with some friends, and thus I would have to speak with them before deciding to post anything.) However, I do have ideas for a compilation of one-shots, much like I have with MHA.

Also in the way of JJK, I have a Bartender Sukuna AU that I've started writing. It was inspired by someone on Instagram named pikkufrog, but it has my own spin on what it might be like. Maybe once I've gotten part 2 finished, I'll post it as a little two-part one-shot story. Or maybe it'll end up a full series, who can say?

I have two 30-day OTP challenges that I've been working on that I think would be fun to post. One is for Aizawa and one is for Enji. They both have very different plotlines but are both full of cuteness and angst. (Perhaps a dash of spice here and there.)

I've considered an Arranged Marriage AU for Sukuna in JJK as well, but we'll see if the muse sings to me on that one.

Finally, my big, ambitious project is to make a full-fledged fanfiction for every major character in MHA (and yes, I have compiled a list - we're at 38 characters thus far). Yes, it's a big undertaking and no, it won't happen overnight. However, since I enjoy the fandom and I like creating fanfiction within the world, I figure as long as I'm having fun with it...might as well!

CONCLUSION

In closing, I have a lot of ideas swimming around my brain constantly. Not all of them will ever see the light, but for the majority of these that I've shared with you, I want to give them a chance at life so I can share them with all of you! I hope this update gives you a look at what's happening, as well as some anticipation for what is to come.

TLDR: I have a lot of ideas for MHA and JJK. Most of them revolve around Aizawa and Enji, with a dash of Toshinori. Yuji, Sukuna, and Gojo are the ones I typically write for in JJK but those ideas aren't as fleshed out since I'm obsessed with MHA.

HAPPY READING!

[stillness-in-green]

Pair of Advisor (Anime-Style) Asks

For @shockersalvage and @plf-advisor-stan, with thanks for your patience. I've got another ask from salvage coming down the pipe shortly, but it developed a rant on me that I want to give the space of a dedicated post, whereas these two covered quite similar ground!

First up!

I went and looked up the scene out of curiosity, mostly to hear what his voice sounds like in advance of the hospital stuff, and wow that is not the voice I would have gone with; it sounds way too old.  I realize the advisors are all supposed to be heads of bases and such, but it’s very clear from their designs that a number of them are still rather young people, and I feel quite strongly that Scarecrow should have been one of them, the better to have him, Spinner and Shouji all fighting for control of the crowd at the hospital, all thinking about and representing different visions for the future.

(Putting the rest of this under a cut, because between the two of them, they got fairly rambly, and also the second one has a bunch of pictures.)

Getting past my gut response there, the pep talk framing is a little strange, given the fact that he’s the second-ranked behind Nimble, so it’s pretty weird for her to be in need of a pep talk from him.  On the other hand, given the way the dialogue flows, I would not have to strain myself to imagine that Nimble is rolling her eyes a bit to herself at Scarecrow reiterating all this stuff they already know and replaying a message they’ve already heard half a dozen times because he likes to hear himself talk and also feel validated by the higher-ups.  XD

(Man, I also still dislike the choice for Skeptic’s voice actor—or if not the actor himself, at least the emotional range they’ve directed him to play the character in.  Needs to be 300% more spastic-sounding.)

As to the colors….yeesh.  Scarecrow’s pretty straightforward—I expect I’ll have more opinions once we see him unmasked and I can check his head-stripes and his scar.  The birds-egg blue for Cementoss’s cousin is at least eye-catching, and probably any color they chose would look pretty strange, given his appearance!  I do like that they maintain his somewhat uncertain, pensive expressions (insomuch as those can be read off of him in the manga).  I'll have one other observation to make about him (his wildly inconsistent height) which I'll cover in the next ask.

Nimble, though.  MAN, if I could sit down and have a chat with whoever in the BNHA production staff is so unbelievably enamored with blue-eyed blonde women……  Why would you look at her strange paper-strip hair and think, “Yeah, obviously yellow-blonde is the right color for this.  And give her purple-gray eyes, which is far enough from blue for plausible deniability.  And the blocky dude can be a shade of blue chiefly associated with blue cotton candy, but The Girl definitely needs to have a skin tone indistinguishable from the palest and most conventionally attractive female characters in the show.  Oh, and of course make her shirt pink.”

Just yeesh.

As to lumping in The Question, it’s a pretty strange choice to make, given the explicit dialogue being played there about how all three of Spinner’s advisors—obvious heteromorphs, the lot of them—were placed in his regiment Because Of Who They Are.  The group shot the anime uses seems to mostly understand that,[1] given the anime-original designs of the rest of the people in the shot, but The Question is not a clear heteromorph; he pretty much just looks like an alternate dimension Mr. Compress.  Kind of feels like the animators just wanted to minimize the amount of designs they had to come up with, so they grabbed the only one of the other Support Regiment advisors who could feasibly be a heteromorph and threw him in there, even though including him kind of misses the point—that it’s only Spinner’s underlings who are specifically and universally heteromorphic, not the entirety of the regiment he co-leads with Mr. C.  Which we know because neither Galvanize, Band Jacket Guy nor even The Question visibly qualify as Obvious Heteromorphs the same way all three of Spinner’s advisors do.

1: Mostly.  There’s a Hero-looking gal whose closest thing resembling a non-baseline feature is an unusually squared-off chin, which mostly comes off as mild cartoony caricature rather than a truly divergent facial structure.  There’s also a bowl cut dude two over from her who would need to have some truly bizarre eyes hiding under that hairline to make him anything other than baseline as all get-out.

Anyway, I see between this and the ask below that the anime’s made a few calls about adding them in where the manga never indicated their presence!  I wonder if that means it will also try to show more of them arrested when the anime inevitably gets to the tiresome scenes of the police talking about how they’re for-sure-definitely wiping things up at their designated battlefields?  Most of that stuff is, I think, just floating talk bubbles in the manga, but the anime will have to kill several seconds of time for voice actors to read those lines, and I think pretty often will try to fill that space with actual illustration of what’s being talked about, which Horikoshi only does when he’s in full montage mode, seldom when he’s in active/ongoing action.  Having more advisors available increases the number of Known Faces the animators can use for such filler shots.

While I forever crave more about them (more on that shortly), I definitely don’t relish the anime’s increased screentime being all A) still-frames of advisors when their group is being talked about in broad terms or B) anime-original shots of them being arrested!

Thanks for the ask, and I should have the other one up before the day's out!

---

Second up!

Also included in the ask were the following screenshots!

I gave my general opinions on the anime-mode advisors in the answer above but ohhhh my heavens, the sizing is so funny.  So, so funny.  A lot of the issue is probably that Horikoshi is not very consistent either, of course, but wow they weren’t even trying to keep #3 consistent there, were they?

For some comparison purposes, here’s Scarecrow’s first panel where you can really, fairly judge his height:

A true short king. Smolest of boys and realest of meowmeows.  Scarecrow they could never make me hate you.

Look at him.  Mentally try to move him back to where he’d be standing directly next to Hose Face.  He’s, what, maybe four feet tall?  No wonder he has to stand on top of a tall building to give his speech. 

Then look at this one, where he’s of a very comparable height to Koda (height: 6’1”):

  

Then these two, where Horikoshi can't decide whether he's a little shorter or a little taller than Nimble, but certainly over 4’0”!:

   So he’s a bit all over the place—and that’s hardly unique to him; Horikoshi draws pretty wildly inconsistent heights even amongst his main cast.

But man, #3 is on a different level even from that.

Let’s expand the frame on that last picture, shall we?

Now, when I had looked at this shot in the past, I had mainly been focused on the faces of the characters in it, particularly Bindi the Younger because I was so pleased to see she’d escaped her even-more-ignominious-than-Piercings-Dude no-hit wipeout against Edgeshot.  I hadn’t paid a great deal of attention to Not!Cementoss save to note that he was pretty big.  Like, wow, look how tall he is when he’s standing there behind Scarecrow’s shoulder!

But of course, if you look closer, he’s not standing behind Scarecrow’s shoulder.  He’s standing in the background, with probably at least three rows of people standing, roughly, between him and the people in front.  It’s given away by the silhouetted black heads of the people who are actually standing right in front of him:

   Like, not only do those presumably-grown men not quite come all the way up to his shoulder, the width of them compared to him is just cartoonishly shrimpy.  The guy is a giant, clearly built on a scale taller and heavier than any normal human.  Wow!

…And then of course you go back to this shot and just have to shake your head.

   Still, even if his height’s pretty inconsistent, his width is less so.  He’s in profile in the shot above, but compare this one, from the advisors’ introductory spread:

   He’s taller than The Question, if not by a monumental degree, but even if he were facing the camera directly, his cube-shaped head would still be 2-3x wider than The Question’s.

So it’s a shame that, as your screenshots show, on top of his height being much reduced the anime can’t even manage to keep his width intact.  Sad.

Thanks for the ask!

[dailytomlinson]

20 Questions With Louis Tomlinson: How ‘Faith in the Future’ Built His Confidence and Showed Who He Truly Is

The One Direction alum talks about his second solo album being informed by what he wants from his live show, and about the challenge of proving himself in the alt-rock world.

After years of playing catch up, Louis Tomlinson is finally two steps ahead of himself.

Tomlinson kept the prospect of presenting his follow-up, Faith in the Future, to an audience at the front of his mind while creating the album, but he also gave himself the grace to allow the record to come to him in creative waves, rather than racing to an impending finish line. He didn’t need to catch up to where he, or anyone else, thought he should be: It was more a matter of coming to an understanding of a clear, cohesive goal and mapping out a blueprint to achieve it. 

What emerged from Tomlinson’s intuitive writing and recording process was a pop/rock-oriented collection of songs that the singer says refueled his confidence and added layers of depth to the musical presentation of his mind’s inner workings. With the sophomore solo set arriving today (Nov. 11), the singer-songwriter answered Billboard’s 20 questions about communicating his creative vision to new collaborators, maintaining an authentic connection with his fans, and leaving ego out of his songwriting and live shows.

1. You’re in the process of filming a documentary – do you have a favorite music documentary that you’ve seen?

They’ve done two or three, but there’s an amazing Red Hot Chili Peppers one on YouTube, forget what it’s called. They’re making one of the albums. As a music fan, [it’s] just really, really interesting to watch through the process — and especially, you know, a band that are very different to anything I’ve ever experienced. So really inspiring and interesting. 

2. How does the process of capturing your life on film contextualize how you reflect on your growth and progress? 

It’s funny, really, because any time I’ve been watching different edits of it, you look at it in quite a clinical manner. You’re very aware that it’s you and it’s your story. But I think at the moment, because it’s kind of not finished, you’re looking with different eyes. So I’m sure once it’s finished and I really take all those emotions in, that it will be interesting, definitely. But at the moment, yeah, I’m just a little bit more clinical trying to work out exactly how to mold it.

3. How has using emotion and honesty in your songwriting gotten you to the point of being able to write a song like “Chicago,” or to incorporate reflections on platonic relationships like on “That’s the Way Love Goes”?

That’s always been like me bread and butter, really – honesty within lyric. But I suppose I’ve used it in different ways over the years. I think for me, especially on this record, I didn’t want to make everything feel like a romantic love song. And there’s a way of talking about love without feeling so soppy and f–king romantic — like, look how we do on “That’s the Way Love Goes.” You’re talking to a friend who’s going through something about a relationship and still there’s an element of love in there, you know? 

But I think it was just about me expressing myself and trying to think with a little bit more depth. I think it’s the easiest concept to come up with, probably – love songs. But I think I wanted to be broader on this record. I wanted to say more. I wanted to have more interesting concepts. But I do think honesty, it’s always kind of come naturally to me. What I did a little bit different on this record was I tried to write a little bit outside of myself and looking at other people and people’s situations, or imagining a different situation. So not writing completely from personal experience, trying to be broader with that. 

4.  What was the experience of creating Faith in the Future like in comparison to Walls?

I think that was a lot of me working out who I was coming out of the band. And it’s not to say I wasn’t true to myself in the band, but I was in that band and I was part of that band – it wasn’t just me. It took a second to me to work that development stage out, whereas I think I did have a clearer picture on this record. And writing the first album, I can’t remember the period of time that I wrote it, but it was a long period of time from when I wrote the first song, which I believe was “We Made It” to the last song, which was maybe “Only the Brave.” That was a long time in between that, and it meant that I didn’t really build up any momentum. 

I’m immensely proud of those songs, but at times when I listen to the album, it kind of lacks that consistency and fluidity. And that’s because, you know, when I was writing the songs, it was over a big chunk of my life. Lots of stuff happening to me. So at times it was moving around conceptually. Whereas I think this record, every song is about something slightly different. But I think there is something, there’s the element of change that keeps coming back. There’s definitely a lot of nostalgia in there, because I’ve been thinking about getting older and all that kind of thing. So I think there is a kind of invisible concept that ties it all together, if you know what I mean. 

5. Who are your dream collaborators? 

I think it probably wouldn’t be a traditional collaboration. I mean, maybe like, a cool guitarist on the record or a co-producer who produced some of the albums that I love. I mean, Mike Crossey, he was kind of that guy – he produced “Bigger Than Me” and a few of the songs, you know, he’s worked with a lot of the bands that I grew up listening to. I’ve never really got me eye on collaborations, I think, ‘cause I did a bit at the start of me career. Now, it’s more about showing who I am. I’m sure I’ll come back around to that, but my brain’s not really on that wave at the moment.  

6. Tell me about how you chose your collaborators for this record. What’s the most important aspect of an artist-producer relationship for you?

Well, first, I wanted to work with people who make the music that I really love listening to, and that hasn’t always been the case. I’ve also not been lucky enough to be in those rooms before this album, mainly. So the benefit of working with artists and producers that work within the space that A) I want to be in and B) that I listen to, obviously just everything just feels more natural. And also, even getting in the room with these people, it builds your confidence. You feel good about what you’re doing. And so in terms of the process, it wasn’t quite as regimented this time around. 

When we wrote “She Is Beauty We Are World Class, “Saturdays,” “Silver Tongues” — it was over like three or four days. There was no rushing around for anything. Just when we wanted to write, we wrote. Because it’s difficult sometimes when you sit down in a session and you’re working from 9:00 til 5:00 and you think, “I need a song by the end of the day.” It kind of stains the air creatively. So it was nice with this album having the flexibility of taking the time with each song and not forcing and just letting it come naturally. 

7. Because you had that space to experiment, were there trial and error moments where you tried something out that you thought maybe might work but didn’t as well as you thought it would? 

For me, it was more in reverse. It was more about taking a risk musically, listening back to it and thinking, “Well, at the time that felt like a risk, but actually listening back, I think I can go further and further and further and further.” And that’s kind of the way that I worked with this record. There wasn’t necessarily anything that we tried that didn’t work out. I haven’t really thought about it, but I suppose I’m pretty lucky.

I think it’s because there was an element of trial and error — but it was much more trial and error on the first record. Whereas this, I had a clear idea of what I wanted, and because I had the live show fresh in my mind, I’m trying to create these interesting live moments. So I just had a much clearer picture in my head.

8.  How do you go about communicating that idea of the live show to the people that you’re in the studio with in order to bring that to life?

It’s another massive benefit of working with artists. They know what it feels like to be on stage. They know about that connection, they know how important it is — they understand a setlist, they understand different moments in the show, etc., etc.. It’s a really natural thing. And also, you know, even not as artists, we’ve all as music fans had great experiences going to watch live music. So it’s just drawing on all those memories, really, and trying to capitalize on the unbelievable atmosphere of every show. The crowd. I’m so f—ing lucky to have such a great crowd at every show, so I wanted to make a record to match that.

9. Does that more live-oriented, industrial, Brit-rock sound communicate something through the music that a more structured kind of pop couldn’t? 

For me, it goes back to what I kind of grew up listening to and still listen to today. I think on my first records, I was slightly closed-minded in terms of the sounds that I used. And I think it was important for me on this record to be more interesting sonically. And also, you know again, that serves the live show, that’s going to give more depth to the live show. So it was definitely a conscious decision while still trying to maintain an identity that kind of runs throughout the record. 

10. What was the last song you listened to?

Let me have a look, I think you’ve got a history these days, don’t you? On your Apple Music? This better be f–king good now. Oh, “Notion,” Kings of Leon.

11. What’s your favorite album to listen to from top to bottom?

AM [by] Arctic Monkeys has got to be up there. Probably [their] Favourite Worst Nightmare, as well. Those two albums were absolutely massive for me growing up, so yeah, let’s go with them. Trying to think of a more recent one. The Snuts’ debut album, I absolutely loved. I loved their follow up as well. 

12. You’ve gotten some pushback a couple of times from bands and artists in the more “alternative” or “indie” space for championing that music and trying to make space for those artists where you can while coming from a pop background. How do you think about the role that ego plays in an industry like this? 

Maybe that’s just the nature of the beast. You know, I could sit here and say, “I wish it wasn’t there,” but I think it’s maybe always going to be there, to a degree. And there’s times where it frustrates me, but there’s also definitely times where it really f–king motivates me, you know — definitely gives me something to work towards in breaking down these perceptions and preconceived ideas that people have. Just because I was in a band then doesn’t mean that that’s me now. And you know, [there are] definitely times where it does my head in, but at the same time I like the challenge.

13. What does authenticity mean to you, and what do you think it means to your audience?

I think musically it would be hard to put it down to one thing. I think where it’s easier to kind of see is when there isn’t authenticity. Sometimes you can’t put your finger on exactly what that is. You know, it’s kind of a collective intention. It’s within the lyrics, it’s within your concepts, it’s within the way you dress. And that kind of builds up this image. I would even say that the authenticity stretches as far as my relationship with the fans – it’s incredibly authentic and incredibly rewarding, I think, for both of us.

I think it’d be hard to really just explain it in one thing, but I don’t really know any other ways. It’s kind of like, if you’re brave enough, it’s the easiest way to operate. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s sometimes a challenge. There’s definitely days where you get kind of tested. But you just kind of got to stay strong-willed and stay authentic. I think that’s the most important thing as a musician.

14. What’s at the top of your professional bucket list?

Probably [playing] festivals. I have a lot of great memories there as a music fan. Love spending time there. 

15. Faith in the Future feels very conversational at times, while also maintaining a sense of introspection. How do you carve out a space for yourself while also leaving room for your fans to find themselves in the music, too?

That was important for me. I mean, conversational lyric – honest and conversational – is what comes naturally to me, lyrically. I wanted to write a little bit more metaphorically at times, like there’s definitely lyrics within “Silver tongues” that I think sound kind of random, but they meant something to us at the time. The first record, I explained what everything was about – but I also made it specifically only about me and my experiences. And exactly what you just said, I wanted to open up and give the fans room within these concepts that of course I can relate to, but so they can as well and it doesn’t just become completely autobiographical. Because, to be honest, that’s a little bit ego-driven, innit?

16. How are you approaching blending the worlds of Walls and Faith in the Future for the live shows next year? 

Speculatively thinking about what this set might look like, I imagine it’ll be about 70% new songs, 30% Walls. It might even be more new songs than that and less of Walls. I like to do a long set anyway, but I’ll probably still do a One Direction tune — I enjoy doing them. We did a different version of “Night Changes” recently. It’s fun to reshape those songs and make them kind of fit in line with where I’m at musically.

In terms of the show, for me, the crowd do all the heavy lifting and I’ve just got to do a bit of singing and just enjoy it as much as I do. It’s my favorite thing to do. But honestly, the show is going to feel like a level-up this next tour. Musically, it’s going to be better. But honestly, the show lives with me and the fans and that connection. I imagine if I was, you know, a friend or a parent who came to one of the shows, that’s what they would come away from it thinking, and that definitely makes me really proud. 

17. Which artists, dead or alive, would you love to see live?

Well, I mean, it’s really generic and obvious to me to say, but I was never lucky enough to see Oasis together. And I would have absolutely loved that.

18. When you’re looking backwards, there’s grief, and regret, and memories. But when you’re looking forwards, there’s a lot of uncertainty, but also optimism, hopefully. What keeps you grounded from spending too much time looking in any one direction? 

I’d say I am an optimistic person, so my optimism probably helps with that. Because I think, you know, even when we get emotional on this record, I think there’ll be something within the sound of the production, there’ll be a lyric, there’ll be a melody that just kind of is there to inspire hope. So even when it gets a little bit darker emotionally, there is that hope at the end of it. And that was important for me across this record, really. In terms of staying grounded, I’ve just got a good group of people around me. I’m lucky for that. It makes everything a little bit more bearable.

19. When you think about legacy and impact – when you look back on your career years and years down the line – what do you want to be the most defining element of all that you’ve done? 

I think actually, as much as this album is about the fans and about those live moments — when I listen back to this album, even today, what makes me proud is this is the record I want to make and I always wanted to make. So if I still have that feeling in two years, which I imagine I will, that’s how I want to remember it individually. That will definitely give me confidence for the rest of my career. And it already has. I really feel comfortable in what I’m doing and again, it all comes back to the fanbase. They’re the people who allow me to do what I want to do.

20. You have a 31st birthday coming up soon. What have your thirties taught you about yourself so far?

F–king hell, I’ve only been thirty for some months. What’s it taught me about meself? Maybe that I need to grow up a little bit.

[cheemken]

Ok so you know Encanto? It was real popular in 2021. Well if you don’t know the whole idea is that this one family gets “gifts” or powers when they turn five. The gifts in order are,

Healing

Weather Control

Future vision

Plant Manipulation

Super Hearing

Super Strength

Shapeshifting

Zoolinguists

So there’s 8 gifts in the movie, and 8 champions

I think you know where I’m going with this

But I just thought to myself, the Champions are technically the protectors of their regions. But their only defences are their Pokémon

So what if Arceus saw humans appoint certain humans the title of “Champion”, saw these certain humans protected the weaker humans, and decided they needed something else to help protect the humans on earth, and decided to gift them powers

And no, this isn’t going towards a super hero AU. It’s heading towards a god AU

But yeah, Arceus decided these humans needed more than Pokémon to defend themselves and others, and gifted them powers

And when I said this is turning into a god AU, I didn’t mean the champions consider themselves gods, but the people of their regions do. At the very least Demigods

Because in their eyes, their Champions got blessed by Arceus, the god of all life in the universe and he who knows best

Really this is just the champions expectations, but 10x worse cause now they’re looked at like gods

(Also I don’t know if this has gone on for centuries, and every new champion gets a new power while the previous champion loses theirs. Or if the present champions are the first ones to receive gifts, you can decide which one you like more)

Oh and while they are powers, they can still be referred to as gifts in this AU because Arceus gifted the Champions with them

ENCANTO, DUDE, THE WAY I CRIED OVER THAT MOVIE man I just bcnxbxnxn dude the way it came to my house and broke my fucking heart giving me false hope of an apology from my grandmother but she didn't but I shouldn't speak abt that bc I'd be trauma dumping on an au lmfaooo

Anyways

HCMXHDJD YES DEMIGODS CHAMPIONS CHNXBC

It would be dope tho if like, the champions before them got the gifts too, but was then passed down to the next cause I have Diantha angst with the former champion bc she thinks she couldn't live up to his legacy even worse now bc she has powers and he was such a great champion they have a statue of him as Kalos' greatest champion and protector and she's like spiralling if she could really live up to the legacy he left behind

Anyways

Ough,,,,,, pls,,, that's so fuckin dope cnxnnd how it's really Arceus that gives the champions their gifts, but also should we still base the gifts off the movie?? I'm like thinking abt it but like feel free to also share yours on who'd get this gift and such but for me it's gonna be like this

Lance w super strength

Steven w plant manipulation

Wallace w weather control

Cynthia w future vision

Diantha w shapeshifting

Hau w zoolinguist

Leon w healing

Geeta w super hearing

Imagine if Iris is like Mirabel tho, she didn't get a gift from Arceus for whatever reason, and people kinda look down on her bc ofc she's a champion without a gift, could she truly protect the region w just her pkmn? And throughout it all she's trying to prove herself competent despite her lack of gift

But also it would be so so cool and it's so self indulgent bc I think Iris deserves dope things, that she does have a gift, it was still untapped, but she does have it, she has Arceus' powers herself maybe, that'd be cool, but ofc she doesn't know yet bc it's not as clear and prominent as the rest, so as she grew older, still trying to prove herself to everyone, she's desperately praying to Arceus to at least give her a gift too, she was a strong and competent champion, so why doesn't she have one

But ough she does she fucking does, Arceus took one good look at her and decided she's the one to truly inherit his power to protect the world, the way she could really help the other Champions with their power as well, the way she could give others gifts as well, the way she could do all the things Arceus could do, but she never realized it just yet

No cause there are nine champions so there should be one who doesn't have a gift hahah and me being me gave Iris the main charac card once again hahahah

But don't you think that'd be dope?? Idk it's dope for me that Iris could really use the move Judgement, but it's also cool to see her bond with the other Champions learning abt their gifts too, and then being the one to help them open up about their gifts

BUT ALSO PLEASE CYNTHIA W FUTURE VISION HER BEING THE BRUNO OF THE AU JDMCBDK

We don't talk about Cynthia😭😭

Lmfaooooo Wallace singing that, "we don't talk about Cynthia here, Iris" proceeds to talk about Cynthia

Man that's fucked up tho imagine since all the champions are already burdened by their gifts, and Cynthia sees it all, sees how it'll end for them if they can't handle the pressure anymore, sees that Iris won't get a power, and she doesn't wanna let her down, doesn't want Iris to feel like shit, so when she told the other Champions abt it, they didn't want to believe her, no, the pressure was already too much before they got their gifts, what more a champion without one? Cynthia felt like shit, she doesn't want to tell Iris about it, she couldn't handle the disappointment, the hurt, everything; so she ran away, hid herself from both her league and the rest of the champions

And since Arceus gave his powers to Iris (tho I wanna say he gave Hau his gift first before finally giving Iris everything he has), he couldn't give another person Cynthia's gift, also it's the fact no one's taken her title yet, she doesn't want anyone to take the champion title, she doesn't want anyone to go through the same shit she went through both before and after getting the gift

Ough shit this is making me go through it again lmfaoooo Lance w Surface Pressure HXKXXMXFJXBXK SHET

Or like Geeta w that Dolores fan song Turn It Down, please PLEASE DO YOU SEE MY VISION the line "I always listen, but never act" DO YOU SEE IT PLS she's like chdmdb she hears everything, hears every whisper, ever rumour, ever hateful comment about her and her fellow champions, but she doesn't do anything abt it. Arceus gave them these powers to help the people, but it's so hard to protect the people who doesn't even like her and will give her fake smiles and compliments when she does her duties to the point she became so fucking passive and would only act when someone tells her to

Omf okay I'm rambling this is dope I'm gonna fucking combust this is exciting chdmdb hahaha

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios University

“What the hell was that?”

Abe shook his head violently, trying to clear the overwhelming thoughts in his brain. That was like no tarot card reading that Roman ever tried. Was this ability granted because she was one with the spirits, or was it a common experience for the Bellamy family? Roman had often been curious about Malika’s extended family, but aside from that probably misaddressed message about goat sacrifice and a large jewel of some kind in a safe deposit box, the Bellamys were still a mystery to them.

“That was a warning!” Malika snapped angrily. “A call to change for the sake of your husband. That future may still come to pass. You and my heir may die in the childbirth process or have an unforeseen accident. Anything could happen and Roman will suffer for it.”

“Is that a threat?” Abe asked angrily. “Trust me, I had Theo in a much more dangerous situation, with you and your favourite demon literally trying to kill me. This kid is going to be born perfectly fine.”

Malika looked like she had an angry retort she wanted to scream, but after a quick pause, she collected herself.

“I sacrificed myself for the safety and happiness of my grandson,” she reminded him. If looks could kill, Abe too would be a ghost. “I gave you a chance and you’ve failed every test I’ve given you. How many times has that abomination almost died because of your negligence? I saved his life at the cost of my own and you let him nearly die alone in front of the demon sovereign, possibly killing others in the process. You’re unfit to be a father! You’re unfit to be a husband!”

Malika slapped another card angrily on the table and glowered at Abe as the world once again began melting away.

“Roman fears this loss more than anything, so take a good look at what it means to fail him.”

Abe blinked and in an instant, he was standing outside of the Bellamy house, watching a much older version of himself try to console a weeping Roman. Behind him stood the twins, once again much older than they were now, but just as familiar as before.

“It’s okay,” he heard his older self say. “He’s at peace now; your cards have told you that many times. He’s watching over us, I’m sure of it.”

The twins shared a skeptical look between them, but held their tongue. Clearly they weren’t as fond of Abe as they were in the other vision.

“I think I may have been talking to Theo yesterday on the ouija board,” Luciana offered quietly. “It said it was a demon and that it was missing our family. That has to be him, right?”

Adrienne rolled her eyes at this.

“That, or you’re just talking to one of Aunt Lucy’s ex-boyfriends,” she teased. “You have no idea of how to use one of those things.” She looked guiltily towards her father, reevaluating her mocking tone when she saw the pain in his eyes. “No, actually it was probably him. Theo’s always going to be with us in spirit, Dad.”

“It’s been years,” Roman sighed, tearing up again at the thought of his son. “I can’t even imagine what he’d be like now. He’d be in his twenties, dating and driving a car that I taught him how to drive. We’d have jokes and memories together. I’d have his high school graduation picture next to the girls’. He’d be a man instead of a dead little boy-my little boy.”

Tears once more overwhelmed Roman and the twins glowered intensely at Abe, demanding that he do something to help. Vision Abe reached out to hold Roman, but was pushed away.

“It’s fine, Abe. Don’t touch me.”

Abe flinched at the pain in Roman’s voice and the coldness he showed his husband. He could see a wedding ring on Roman’s finger, but when his double reached out to hold Roman, Abe could see that his hand was bare. There wasn’t a reason on earth that Abe would ever take off his wedding ring...unless their marriage had never happened.

“He was my son too,” Vision Abe said quietly. “You don’t have a monopoly on grieving for him. The six years we had him were the best years of my life. I miss him everyday.”

“It was your fault that he died!” Roman shouted, batting Abe’s outstretched hand away once more. “If you didn’t always push him away from us, he would never have run away! He would never have thought we didn’t want him and would still be safe at home with me! You would have never miscarried our second child if Theo had returned to us, but no! You had to be so hard on him; you had to punish him! Because of you, I’ve lost two children! Because of you, I can only breathe in the few brief moments after I wake up in the morning, before I remember everything I’ve lost because of you!”

“You yelled at him too!” Abe protested angrily. “You made him suppress his powers, just like I did. If we hadn’t, maybe he would have learned to control them better.”

“I did that because of you!” Roman yelled, fury written across his face. “Because you could never accept people who weren’t normal. People you should have loved unconditionally but never could! God forbid your son embarrass you with his true self and feelings! The last thought our son had in his short life was that we were ashamed of him and I don’t know how to live with that. If you somehow can, then you’re more of a demon than I could ever be.”

As Roman stormed away from Vision Abe, the twins turned their backs and followed quickly after him. Both Abes were left alone with a sad piece of marble marking the date that everything good in the Bellamy family had died. The gravestone was looking a little worn from the years, but the name was as clear as ever.

Theodosius Ulysses Bellamy. Age six.

Every year Roman took out Theo’s favourite toys from the shrine he kept in the house and placed them at the grave site, as if the spirit of their lost son might continue to play with them for the day. The older Abe had observed this tradition over the years and had gotten used to it, but the younger Abe was heartbroken at the sight. He had to escape this nightmare, no matter the cost.

“Malika! Get me out of here now!”

[grymmnox]

weekly fic recs #2

decided to do saturday, instead, since it’s the end of the week instead of the beginning of a new one. we’ve got a mix of fandoms now! bsd, atla, toh, and bnha..mostly bsd fics. still working on getting through the series, but i have a tendency to expose myself to spoilers. anyways, here we go! fic recs are all under the cut, as per usual :)

Bungo Stray Dogs Recs

the heart is always searching - thishasbeencary

teen and up, no archive warnings apply, m/m (soukoku aka chuuya/dazai)

complete, 12,187 words, 5 chapters

topics to be aware of: n/a (i think?? possibly some dazai-typical behavior and thoughts, though)

summary:

Dazai wakes up at a desk at the Port Mafia headquarters. Chuuya wakes up in an unfamiliar apartment. It doesn't take long to figure out what happened.

But why are they stuck in each other's bodies? And how the hell do they fix it!?

soulmate bodyswap shenanigans. what more could you ask for?

songs of bygone days - Origamidragons

teen and up, no archive warnings apply, gen

oneshot, 8,477 words

topics to be aware of: some violence

summary:

It’s like a bomb goes off in the room, and then it’s like the bomb keeps going off, the shockwave not dissipating but instead intensifying moment by moment. Everything is heat and light and darkness and above all pressure, pushing relentlessly, shoving the combatants into the walls with such crushing force that the concrete cracks.

Atsushi’s head hits the wall with a sickening crack, hard enough that he sees stars for a moment. There’s a weight on his chest pressing down, down, down, like a cinderblock between his lungs, squeezing his ribcage in a vise, and his vision is flashing black and red and he- can’t- breathe-

Then, just as suddenly as it began, it’s done. The choking red mist filling the air abruptly clears, everything and everyone clatters unceremoniously to the floor, and in the center of what was once a rather tasteful bank lobby and now charitably resembles a war zone, Dazai is holding a child by the wrist.

A Human Element - Fan_ofmanythings

teen and up, no archive warnings apply, gen

oneshot, 2,929 words

topics to be aware of: dazai-typical behavior and thoughts, probably (past) child abuse considering the whole..everything

summary: 

"Dazai? Looks like you've shrunk." Chuuya barked a single laugh, more baffled than anything else. He couldn't imagine this being part of Dazai's plan.

"And you must've hated milk growing up if you're this short and this old." Dazai said in a flat voice, the insult blunter than usual, and more blatant in its bite. Chuuya huffed.

"Might want to find new material instead of letting yourself get hit with an ability that's somehow turned you shorter, likely weaker, and even more annoying. Don't expect me to save your sorry ass when you can't even lift a gun with those match-stick arms."

Or: Chuuya gets some uncomfortable answers when Dazai becomes a younger version of himself with no memory of the last 6 years.

(My go at a de-age Dazai fic! I'm so sorry if they're OOC lol, I tried.)

yeah i went on a bit of a de-aging fic streak

past horrors (make future problems) - DeviBlue

teen and up, no archive warnings apply, m/m (soukoku- NOT while dazai is de-aged.)

oneshot, 6,222 words

topics to be aware of: child abuse, childhood trauma, dazai-typical behavior(?), some violence

summary:

“Dazai has been de-aged by an ability and—”

“How old is he?” Chuuya said, completely cutting Kunikida off without a care.

“Ten.”

“Shit,” Chuuya cursed. There was a commotion on the other end, and it sounded like Chuuya was running. “Don’t take your eyes off him and don’t let him touch you. I’m on my way.”

OR

Dazai's childhood before the mafia taught him to be dangerous in more ways than one.

the hazard of doorknobs - Seito

teen and up, no archive warnings apply, gen

oneshot, 1,171 words

topics to be aware of: dazai-typical behavior

summary:

Dazai vs Doorknobs! Who wins?! (if you guessed Dazai, you're wrong.)

or

Doorknobs were Dazai’s greatest enemy. Truly. One would think his greatest enemy was life itself, due to the increasing complex way he kept trying to die and failing.

(One of Dazai’s many secrets was that he didn’t try very hard to kill himself.)

But no! The truth was indeed Dazai’s greatest enemy was doorknobs. Namely doorknobs that like to snag and catch his bandages. It doesn’t matter how he approaches the door, mindful of the knob. It doesn’t matter what type of doorknobs either! Nor does it matter how well Dazai tied his bandages.

The truth of the matter was simple.

Every time Dazai reached for a door, he most likely got tangled in the doorknob.

lovely crackfic. bandages and doorknob shenanigans

On a need to know basis - insi

teen and up, no archive warnings apply, m/m (soukoku)

oneshot, 4,617 words

topics to be aware of: dazai-typical behavior, child abuse??, generally just. port mafia related warnings

summary:

There was something strangely novel about the days when the entire Agency ended up squished into Yosano’s infirmary in the aftermath of a mission. Tanizaki, Kenji and Atsushi were lined up like ducklings along one bed, Ranpo and Kyouka sat on another, Kunikida stood by the wall. And, they all got to watch as Yosano manually patched Dazai up.

“You’re not getting painkillers?” Atsushi asked.

“Nope.” Dazai tilted his head to the side slightly and looked at him. “Why would I?”

There was a beat of silence and then Atsushi’s eyes jolted towards him. His expression morphed to one somewhere between confusion and alarm. “Well… Doesn’t it hurt?” he said slowly.

Rx: #32924 -  Techni Kolor (KaiserKorresponds)

teen and up audiences, no archive warnings apply, gen

complete (it’s a collection of drabbles), 12,510 words, 22 chapters

topics to be aware of: dazai-typical behavior, drug usage, medication (and negative reactions and side effects to said medication), medical trauma, mori is his own warning tbh

summary:

A collection of one-shots about Dazai's experiences with psychiatric medications over the years.

[Title is a reference to the prescription number reading as "Dazai" when it's typed on a phone keypad.]

making our way towards the credits - kazoosoda

teen and up, creator chose not to use archive warnings, gen

oneshot, 2,674 words

topics to be aware of: implied self-harm, i think that’s it

summary:

“Ah… Chuuya-san.” He says politely, watching as Chuuya's face immediately morphs into a strange mixture of disgust and abject horror. “How are you?” He asks, a very strained smile making its way onto his face.

Chuuya twitches so violently that Atsushi fears he may have broken him, then skitters back a solid five feet. “Who are you?”

(Or: Nakajima Atsushi's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.)

14. i saw a trash bag on the side of the road today. reminded me of you. - elijay

teen and up, no archive warnings apply, m/m (soukoku)

oneshot, 556 words

topics to be aware of: n/a

summary:

Ranpo lunges for the phone as it's on its fifth ring, hitting ‘accept’ and ‘speaker’ in rapid succession.

Atsushi lifts his hand to his mouth, and has a one-second internal crisis.

/

Or: the Agency is, as usual, mildly traumatized by Soukoku’s unconventional mating rituals.

(standalone)

those dead mackerel eyes of yours (so creepy) - elijay

teen and up, no archive warnings apply, m/m (soukoku)

oneshot, 439 words

topics to be aware of: n/a

summary:

Atsushi and the Agency get curious, where'd the name mackerel come from?

Chuuya takes the opportunity as it is: a chance to rant about Dazai to (mostly) willing listeners.

(standalone, part of a drabble series)

ten - elijay

teen and up, no archive warnings apply, gen + m/m (soukoku)

oneshot, 1,398 words

topics to be aware of: dazai-typical behavior, homelessness (it’s honestly not very angsty, but dazai is dazai)

summary:

“How old are you?”

Someone had asked the question, when he was young, before Mori and the mafia and all the darkness, and he’d stared at them for a little before guessing, “Ten?”

They’d asked if he was sure, because he didn’t sound sure. He had shrugged, and they had simply clapped him on the shoulder, and that was that.

He didn’t ask their age - he didn’t care.

So that was his age from then on out - he was ten.

/

Or: Dazai doesn’t know how old he is, he never has. He can guess, and that’s all that really matters. After all, age is just a number.

(standalone)

would you believe me if i said i was blinded by the light? - elijay

teen and up, no archive warnings apply, gen + m/m (can be interpreted as daizatsu)

oneshot, 1,203 words

topics to be aware of: uh. n/a?

summary:

Everyone stares at him, and Ranpo cackles.

“YOU’RE HALF-BLIND?!” Kunikida roars, and then the questions begin to pour in.

(standalone, part of a drabble series)

That's me, standin' in the mirror - minukke

not rated, creator chose not to use archive warnings, gen

oneshot, 2,968 words

topics to be aware of: dazai-typical behavior

summary:

“So...you’re Dazai from four years ago?” Kenji broke the silence first. He tickled his chin thoughtfully. “Wow, you’re really different!”

Dazai made a non-committal noise.

Or, teenage Dazai, Port Mafia executive and dubbed the "Demon Prodigy", finds out how much he's changed in four years.

The man who cries wolf - Scarlet_Nin

not rated, creator chose not to use archive warnings, gen

oneshot, 2,667 words

topics to be aware of: dazai-typical behavior

summary:

„This is ridiculous.”

Dazai snaps, trying to twist his coat free from the beast that had it in it’s jaw. All he gets for his trouble is a tug, that pulls him onto dry land. Standing up, he quickly steps away, a glare on his face that would have sent men crying.

The beast looks unimpressed, staring up at him with blue eyes and whines.

Hurt - Scarlet_Nin

not rated, creator chose not to use archive warnings, gen

oneshot, 5,338 words

topics to be aware of: dazai-typical behavior, kidnapping, torturing, violence, implied depression

summary:

“He was annoying as hell. Couldn’t keep his mouth shut and wouldn’t stop mocking me. It’s not like I killed him.” “I hope you didn’t. We need both of them alive.”

The other man hisses lowly as he walks over and uses his foot to roll Dazai over. He frowns when he sees the pale face, smudges of blood and dirt clinging to it and glares at his partner. “Does it look like he’s breathing to you?”

“He is, I know he is!”

The man walks over, crouches down in front of Dazai and Kunikida’s stomach drops. Heart beating a mile per minute, he watches as the man feels for Dazai’s pulse only to furrow his brows.

“Fuck. There’s no pulse, what should we do—”

Feeling like the ground beneath him just crumbled, Kunikida blinks furiously. Dazai can’t be dead. He can’t be. Throat closing up, he opens his mouth a few times only for no sound to come out.

Petals Of Nostalgia - Scarlet_Nin

general audiences, no archive warnings apply, gen

oneshot, 2,833 words

topics to be aware of: dazai-typical suicide references, otherwise it’s a fluffy fic

summary:

“Now you’re just making fun of me,” Puffing out his cheeks, Dazai huffs as he glances around the colorful ray of flowers. “You’re mean, Odasaku. After I showed you my coffin too!”

“Coffin?”

“Yeah!”

At the slow blink of his friend Dazai grins as he gestures to where he had been laying before.

“Death by breathing in poisonous flowers! That way, the sweet aroma would have put me to sleep and I’d never would have woken up again. Nobody would have to leave flowers on my grave too, since they’re already here.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but none of the flowers here are in any way poisonous.”

Do It For Him - dietpopcorn

teen and up, no archive warnings apply, gen

oneshot, 9,725 words

topics to be aware of: mori is his own warning, implied childhood sexual abuse, depersonalization

summary:

「you do it for her, that is to say, you do it for him」

A friendly summer shopping trip with some harmless cross-dressing sounded like a fun Agency bonding activity. Then again, hindsight is 20/20.

The Heart of Your Murderer - full_moon_pills

not rated, creator chose not to use archive warnings, gen

oneshot, 7,231 words

topics to be aware of: medical trauma, surgery (specifically, open heart surgery), blood, dissociation, implied child abuse, panic attacks, mori makes some creepy comments about dazai’s hands being pretty, manipulation i suppose?

summary:

“Dazai,” Ranpo interrupts. “You do the emergency surgery.” He’d foolishly believed no one would make him do these things anymore—that he was free.

or: Dazai is forced to operate on Poe, and unwanted memories arise.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Recs

Zuzu - romanslegs

teen and up, no archive warnings apply, gen

ongoing, 54,981 words, 6/? chapters

topics to be aware of: transphobia, homophobia, child abuse

summary:

“I think they made a mistake when I was born. Everybody says I’m a girl but I feel like a boy. We should tell everyone I’m a prince, not a princess. Then they wouldn’t say the wrong things anymore.”

“Zuzu, honey, you mustn’t say things like that.” His mother grabs his shoulder firmly.

“Why not?” She doesn’t answer for a long time, gazing at the pond before finally turning back to him, the tranquility of her face contrasting with the urgency of her grip.

“It could make people very angry.”

“Like how Father gets angry?”

“...Yes, your father would get very angry.”

“Oh. Okay.”

________________________________

(aka: a trans!Zuko AU where Zuko says "fuck chasing the Avatar" and becomes a boy instead)

The Owl House Recs

just frame the halves and call them brothers - ClausLucas

general audiences, no archive warnings apply, gen

ongoing, 47,426 words, 8/9 chapters

topics to be aware of: child abuse

summary:

In which Hunter and The Collector become friends while Hunter's uncle isn't paying attention.

Boku no/My Hero Academia Recs

Your Golden Sheen (Flakes Away) - MarInk

teen and up, no archive warnings apply, gen + m/m (erasermic, they foster shinsou and izuku)

complete, 25,733 words, 6 chapters

topics to be aware of: (past) child abuse, running away, mentions of bullying

summary:

If being fostered by Aizawa and Yamada is a dream come true, then the arrival of Midoriya Izuku, Hitoshi's newly minted foster brother, has turned it into a nightmare.

Hitoshi pets cats, does his homework and tries to navigate the suddenly tumultuous waters of his foster family with varying degrees of success. If only Midoriya wasn't here... wouldn't that be great?

hitoshi is a traumatized teenager. izuku is also a traumatized teenager. hitoshi has some quirk issues to work out. it gets messy, but it has a happy ending

When Realities Collide - LowlyWriter

teen and up, creator chose not to use archive warnings, gen (erasermic)

ongoing, 49,559 words, 4/? chapters

topics to be aware of: uhh. bullying??

summary:

(Formerly known as Into the Deku-Verse)

Shota sneers at the teenager across from him. His defense raises like the hairs on the back of his neck as he glares steadily, ready and waiting for whatever will come from this encounter. He narrows his gaze when the teen shifts; just the thought of sharing this rooftop with Japan's most notorious villain makes his skin prickle. “Deku.”

“Y-yes!” the teenager cries out in relief, taking a small step towards Shota, “I’m Deku! I’m so g-glad you—”

“Deku,” Shota growls darkly, flicking out his capture weapon hastily to snag the villain before he can make his move. He's quick to tug it taut, leaving no room for Deku to escape. “You’re under arrest.”

“I-I’m what?! W-wait!”

tl;dr

Hero Course student Izuku comes to the realization that he is definitely not where he's supposed to be.

reconcile - whatagoodegg

teen and up, no archive warnings apply, gen

ongoing, 46,013 words, 4/? chapters

topics to be aware of: bullying, child abuse, afo’s treatment of shiggy, nightmares, self-harm (shigaraki’s scratching)

summary:

Midoriya and Shigaraki get hit with a Quirk that basically locks the both of them in an indestructible box and makes them unable to physically harm each other. The only way for them to get out?

They have to reconcile their differences.

Obviously, this is easier said than done.

(not a ship fic, but ig this could be read as pre-slash? shrug)

Crossover Recs

Into Your World - leedonghyucks

bungo stray dogs + my hero academia

teen and up, creator chose not to use archive warnings, m/m (shin soukoku aka akutagawa/atsushi + tododeku)

complete, 110,256 words, 20 chapters

topics to be aware of: canon-typical violence, past child abuse, past bullying (i think that might be it)

summary:

A case gone wrong had caused Atsushi and Akutagawa to be transported to an unknown universe set 200 years into the future, where Abilities (now known as Quirks) were as rampant as ever. The renowned new Double Black have faced many fearsome enemies but can they survive the trials and tribulations of hero high school?

Spoiler alert: Barely.

yes, a bsd and mha crossover. expect more of these. it’s all the crossover section is.

The (Tainted) Sorrow of Being Tossed Into Another World - justaglitch

bungo stray dogs + my hero academia

general audiences, no archive warnings apply, gen

oneshot, 2,920 words

topics to be aware of: n/a, although there may be hints of. dazai-typical behavior.

summary:

“It’s like being a babysitter,” Iida moans. “Tell me about it,” agrees Kunikida. “How do you do it?” Kunikida pointedly turns his back on the scene in the dormitories’ main room. “Sometimes I yell at them; sometimes I just ignore it all.” Behind him, Chuuya stands on the ceiling with his hands wrapped around Dazai’s neck. The bandaged man’s feet aren’t touching the floor, and he’s clinging onto the chandelier which sways dangerously. He’s grinning even as his face goes purple. “...does it help?”

crackfic! shenanigans galore

You long to end your life, so you never will die - pluton1um

bungo stray dogs + my hero academia

teen and up, graphic depictions of violence, gen + m/m (soukoku + shin soukoku)

ongoing, 47,111 words, 11/? chapters

topics to be aware of: violence, dazai-typical behavior, generally just the usual bsd warnings

summary:

For Aizawa, it seemed to be a normal day; after patrol, he was planning to go home and sleep for eighteen hours. That was until he saw the two bloodied teenagers sitting in an alleyway.

"What the hell."

(In which Dazai and Chuuya are sent into the world of heroes and villains. How will they hold in an environment where moral code is placed at such high esteem?) (TLDR 2.0: Dazai and Chuuya become problem children who bring nothing but trouble and stolen alcohol into UA.)

I’m No Hero - Mirani

bungo stray dogs + my hero academia

teen and up, no archive warnings apply, multi (soukoku + erasermic)

oneshot, (part of a series but unsure if it’s going to be continued) 2,990 words

topics to be aware of: n/a

summary:

“You have got to be fucking kidding me.” “Language, young man!”

—————

Nakahara Chuuya and Dazai Osamu find themselves 200 years in the future. It goes about as well as you’d expect.

Monsters & Men - monoul

bungo stray dogs + my hero academia (fusion)

teen and up, creator chose not to use archive warnings, m/m + multi (soukoku)

ongoing, 19,060 words, 6/? chapters

topics to be aware of: some violence, dazai-typical behavior

summary:

Yokohama has long since sealed itself from the world. Anyone who comes out of Yokohama doesn't speak of what's inside. Heroes have no jurisdiction there. Everyone wants to know; how does a city where the majority of the population are quirkless survive?

The new exchange students might know, though.

OR

"Seriously? You want us to play babysitter?"

"Think of it more as intelligence gathering."

OR OR

Mori owes Nezu a favor, Mori also wants to keep an eye on the League of Villains. Why not kill two birds with one stone?

The Sticking Point - Anxiety_Pickle

bungo stray dogs + my hero academia (fusion)

teen and up, creator chose not to use archive warnings, gen + m/m (soukoku)

ongoing, 27,816 words, 5/? chapters

topics to be aware of: violence (probably), dazai-typical behavior, child abuse

summary:

When Nedzu called him to his office for a meeting this morning, with no indication of its subject other than that name, Aizawa knew it was going to be a shitshow, because everything involving Yokohama always was.

"Tell me, how do you feel about transfer students?"

The deal has already been sealed by the time he looks over his tea. For the love of any god that’s listening, he hopes the two transfers aren’t going to be anything like the rest of his class, and knows he’s wrong by the time he steps foot out the door.

(Or: Nedzu and Mori have an understanding, and everyone suffers for it).

Between Scheming and Babysitting - Alcore

bungo stray dogs + my hero academia (fusion)

teen and up, creator chose not to use archive warnings, gen (can be interpreted as soukoku)

ongoing, 10,281 words, 3/? chapters

topics to be aware of: dazai typical behavior, likely going to be violence and such in future chapters

summary:

Mori wants Double Black to infiltrate the U.A. Nezu wants them to work for the Hero side. Dazai and Chuuya just want to be done with playing heroes/babysitters/part-time spies.

What could possibly go wrong?

Don't mind us dropping in - Raja_Myna

bungo stray dogs + my hero academia

teen and up, no archive warnings apply, gen 

ongoing, 6,216 words, 4/? chapters

topics to be aware of: implied abuse, dazai-typical behavior and such

summary:

Chuuya's not used to waking up eating grass, feeling like someone kicked his ass all over Yokohama, with a bunch of kids in school uniform staring at him. Those are the least of his problems, however, and being stuck here with Akutagawa, the Agency's weretiger, and Dazai, is not making it better.

This is all Dazai's fault.

-

OKAY finally done. that took like an hour, almost two. if i missed any warnings or got any links wrong or anything, please tell me and i’ll try and fix it.

[pangolinheart]

Ship with... M'zhet Tia

[[First, I think we should all count ourselves lucky that I remembered who M'zhet Tia was. Second it was through re-familiarizing myself with his character for this that I finally realized M'zhet IS JUST CATBOY-IFIED RED XIII FINAL FANTASY VII OTL. I also told myself that this one would be way Shorter than the Cid one but... it's actually longer... I tried to edit it but I go]]

From the "Send Me a Character and I'll Describe a Ship Between Them and My OC" ask meme!

| Cid | M'zhet | Lahabrea

M’zhet broke the surface of the water with a gasp, thrashing wildly and flinging water in all directions as he struggled to right himself without losing his grip on his spear. His shaggy hair was plastered in dark streaks to his forehead, the longest bits falling in front of his eyes and obscuring his vision.

“Well you’re never going to catch anything like that!” His companion chided from the shore. He was thankful his back was to her so she couldn’t see the way his cheeks darkened.

“I almost had it!” He yelled back. Well, “almost” might have been charitable, but he was confident that she was far enough away that she wouldn’t have been able to see him miss the fish by a yalm. UGH! He just wanted to catch one fish. That wasn’t too much to ask, was it?! He had watched her do it so many times. So. Many. Times.

He scowled down at the now empty water below him.

“Well, all of your splashing has probably scared the rest of the fish away, so why don’t you come back to shore and take a break?” She called.

He groaned in frustration but knew that she was probably right. He could detect no more movement in the crystal-clear depths of the Ruby Sea around him. Oh well. His arms were getting tired from all of the swimming and thrusting and throwing, anyway. Pushing his hair up and out of his face with the heel of his free hand, he turned and started the short swim back to the beach.

When he waded inland, he found Z’rhiki lying on her back in the sand, propped up on her elbows, sunning herself. She opened her eyes when she heard him slump down next to her.

“You were doing pretty well before you realized I was watching,” She commented with a knowing grin that made him bristle with embarrassment.

“My arms were getting tired!”

“Well, you were out there for a long time.” She agreed. He didn’t know how to respond to that, so he simply sat there, catching his breath. When he didn’t speak again, she shoved herself upwards into a sitting position, folding her legs in front of her. “You don’t need to try so hard to impress people,” She said, voice softer than before. Or maybe he was imagining that.

Water dripped from his hair to his face, and he scrubbed it away with the back of his hand. “Well-“ He hesitated. His face felt hot, though not from the sun beating down on them. “Well, what am I supposed to do if I want to impress someone, then?” He blurted out the words slightly too quickly for them to sound casual like he had intended.

She stifled a giggle with the back of her hand – thankfully not a mocking one.

“Well, I can’t say I would recommend spearfishing.”

He groaned and let his upper body fall backwards into the sand. “We can’t all be good at everything, you know?”

She stretched one leg out and brought the other up to rest her arm on her knee. “I’m not good at everything,” She pointed out. “I’m good at spears, and I’m good at fishing. That’s only, like, two things.”

“Sure.” He could probably think of at least a dozen more things she was good at if he tried, but he decided to let it go.

Why did she even invite me here?

The question had been on his mind since… well, since she had invited him. She was the bloody Warrior of Light and he was just… M’zhet Tia, weakest member of the M Tribe. Future Nunh, he corrected himself. His name might not command much respect now, but someday it would! Why shouldn’t the Warrior of Light invite him personally to join her on her Eastern Sojourn?

Because she probably thinks I’m pathetic, the treacherous voice in his head unhelpfully supplied. But no! He couldn’t think like that! She had asked him, hadn’t she? If only because, according to her, she had already asked M’naago and then J’ohlmyn, but neither could spare the time away from their duties. Still, the greatest hero in Eorzea must know lots of people, so if he thought about it that way, third choice wasn’t bad at all!

Though… thinking back to the night before, he couldn’t help but wonder exactly how much her plans had changed from when she had first invited M’naago….

“Oh, don’t sulk Zhet!” She swatted his arm playfully. “Since we’re taking a break anyway, why don’t we have a snack? I’m starving.”

Zhet was it, now?

Some food didn’t sound half bad, actually. He hadn’t realized how hungry he had gotten until she mentioned it, but now the sensation was impossible to ignore. He sat up, brushing off the sand clinging to the back of his head and ears. His gaze traveled to the large basket of fish sitting near the waterline, the product of her own efforts. “Are we going to cook up one of those?”

“What? Ew, no! Why would we do that?” She made a face and pretended to gag,

“Wait, you don’t like fish?” He blinked as his mind put the pieces together. Or rather, didn’t, because they didn’t fit together. “Then why did you want to go spearfishing?!”

She shrugged, evidently not bothered by the obvious contradiction. “Because it’s fun. Don’t worry, I was planning on giving the basket to the villagers in Isari, or maybe the Kojin, so these poor little fishies won’t have given their lives for nothing! You can have one if you want, I guess. But go somewhere way over there to cook it – I can’t stand the smell.”

“I-I see.” He didn’t. “Do they, uh, teach dragoons how to fish with their spears? Is that how you learned?”

A beat passed. Then she burst into a fit of laughter, not even trying to disguise it this time, He didn’t think the question was that stupid, but apparently she thought it was hilarious. “No, they don’t. That’s hysterical though! Imagine taking a bunch of Ishgardian dragoons with a spear up their ass on a trip to the ocean. Gods, I should ask Estinien that question. I bet he’d try to do it in his armor…” He watched as she composed herself, relapsed into giggles, and then finally caught her breath. “In all seriousness, though, I didn’t learn from the dragoons, or even the Lancer’s Guild in Gridania. My friend, Govv, taught me, actually. He’s a sahagin.”

“Of course he is.” M’zhet replied flatly. Why should he be surprised, at this point? He’d already met some of her other friends: Alpa, the ananta, Kabuto, the kojin, and several Namazu whose names he couldn’t quite remember. “You do keep strange company,”

“Well, I suppose you would know,” she teased, climbing to her feet. “In any case, I brought something way better than stinky old fish for us to eat.”

He watched curiously as she dragged over the large pack she had brought with them on the boat that ferried them from Kugane. She grappled with an item inside of it for a second or two before pulling out something large, round, and green. She presented it proudly. “Ta-da!”

“Um, what’s that?” He asked. Whatever it was, it wasn’t native to Gyr Abania. Of that, he could be certain. He’d foraged almost every edible plant that grew in the fringes – and a handful of non-edible ones early on, too.

Her gaze flicked to the green sphere, then back to him. “It’s a melon!” She declared with the same level of enthusiasm as before. “An Allagan melon, actually! I asked around in Kugane when I was buying supplies this morning, and the grocer said that these are a popular choice for picnics at the beach in the summer!”

M’zhet nodded. That made sense, he supposed. He regarded the melon’s smooth, unbroken exterior. “Did you bring a knife or something to cut it with?”

“Sort of. I did bring a knife.” She grinned, “But that’s the fun part! Apparently, when you’re at the beach you’re not supposed to cut it open. You just… hit it real hard! With a stick or something, Until it breaks open!”

“Really?” His ears perked up. That sounded like it could be fun. He may not be able to hit a fish swimming through the water, but a large, stationary melon seemed much easier. She tossed something in his direction – a smooth stick he had earlier in the day assumed was part of her spearfishing equipment – and he was barely able to raise his arm in time to prevent it from hitting him in the face.

“Sorry!” She had already moved on to spreading out a small square of tarp to place the melon on and didn’t seem particularly sorry. He clamored to his feet, trying awkwardly to wipe off the wet sand sticking to the backs of his legs, and joined her looking down at the melon.

She glanced up at him, grinned, and took a few steps back. “Well, have at it!”

“What? You want me to go first?”

“Well it won’t be any fun if I go first, now will it?” She snickered. “Besides, you said you wanted to impress someone, right? Maybe you could impress them by smashing open an Allagan melon with a stick!”

Is that really all that impressive? It seemed like a highly situational talent, at best. But maybe it was a good place to start. That was something he had learned from M’razh Nuhn’s lessons – start small and work your way up.

Alright! He could do this! Energized with his new resolve, he adjusted his grip on the stick. “You might want to stand a little further back,” He declared. “I wouldn’t want you to get covered in melon pieces with how hard I hit this thing!”

“Ooh, good idea!” She took a few more steps back. “You know, I was told you’re actually supposed to do this blindfolded, but that, um, seemed like a bad idea.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“F-Finally!” M’zhet staggered, almost collapsing to his knees. If his arms had been tired before, they were burning now. Just what was that thing made of? And when did it get so hot out? The fatigue, though, could do nothing to dampen his spirits as he stood triumphantly in front of the partially caved-in melon. Z’rhiki was clapping for him from her place in the sand – she must have sat down at some point – having dutifully cheered him on even as his attempt stretched out into minutes. He could have sworn the thing kept moving …

“Congratulations!” She beamed at him, somehow managing to not sound at all patronizing. He bowed with a flourish. If she didn’t share his enthusiasm, he thought, she was certainly good at faking it. While he caught his breath she scrambled back to her bag and returned with a knife, which she used to cut free a large slab of melon. She offered it to him, but he waved her off.

“All yours, my lady!” He said with a wide grin. “If I could borrow your knife, though…”

She offered it to him, and he hacked off his own hunk of melon flesh. It was surprisingly… wet. And he hadn’t expected the inside to be so red.

Z’rhiki settled back into the sand and took a bite of her melon, looking out at the water. He followed her lead, biting into his own. He could see the appeal. It was sweet, but surprisingly refreshing after the day’s exertions.

He dropped himself into the sand next to her and took another bite. “You know,” He said, still chewing, “That was pretty good training, when you think about it! I should tell M’rahz about it!”

She turned her face towards him, and, though she still wore a small smile, he couldn’t help but feel that he had said the wrong thing. Something shifted behind her eyes, though he couldn’t put into words what it was.

They sat in silence for a while, eating and staring out into the waves, before she said, “This has been fun, right?” Her voice was as jovial as ever. Maybe the change in mood had been all in his head.

Fun? That was certainly one word for it. The past day and a half felt like a dream – every moment flowing smoothly into the next until he actually put any thought into it, at which point the memories collapsed into a jumble of disjointed scenes that didn’t quite make sense. Stepping off the boat onto the pier, his knees buckling at the sudden transition onto solid land. The shouting of dozens of stall minders and shopkeepers as they weaved through the streets. Her tucking a few strands of his hair back with nimble fingers, pinning a jade green ornament in place next to the rest of his braids, and declaring that it suited him with her face just a little too close to his. The hiss of food on a skillet, the smell of oil and spices, and the burn of alcohol in the back of his throat. The night illuminated by the orange glow of paper lanterns and the light pouring out of bars and restaurants. Her kissing him in the shadows just outside of all of that light, the feeling of the  cool stone of the wall against his back through his clothes. The deafening pounding of his own heart. Had that really happened? He had been drinking - maybe he had imagined it. Or maybe it was a drunken mistake. He had been drinking and so had she. He could taste it in her mouth, but the intensity in her eyes in the dim light of the inn room made him question just how intoxicated she really was. Or maybe he had imagined that, too.

“Yeah,” He said, finally catching up to his present self. “It’s been fun.”

He bit the last bit of watery flesh off the melon rind and leaned back into the sand once again. He closed his eyes and took a moment to bask in the feeling of sunlight warming his skin. Waves lapped at the rhythmically against the shore and somewhere in the distance he heard the caw of a circling gull. He sighed, contentedly. When he opened his eyes, she was looking at him again. The sun had drifted lower in the sky, Maybe that’s what made this smile look so bright.

“This is great,” He mused. “I almost don’t want to go back.”

“Almost?”

The question, as simple as it was, carried its own gravity. For some reason, it felt like the most important question he had ever been asked. For an instant, he was back in the inn room again, with her looking down at him with that same intensity, one of her hands tangled in his hair. He blinked and he was lying on the beach again. She was still watching him. The seconds seemed to yawn into a chasm between them until he had no idea how long the silence had lasted.

“Yeah,” He finally said. “Almost.

So, long story long, I feel like this ship is kind of a non-starter, for a couple of reasons. The big one is that M'zhet's life goal is to become the Nunh of the M Tribe. Even when he realizes he doesn't have to "reclaim" the title on behalf of his father, he still chooses to pursue his dream of becoming Nunh, just with a different reason and through less adversarial channels.

Z'rhiki, on the other hand, Does Not Vibe with Sunseeker culture. She has absolutely no desire to be part of a Seeker clan. She doesn't necessarily think the traditional Seeker family structure is bad for everyone, everywhere, all the time, but she knows it's not for her. She doesn't like the rigid gender roles or the real lack of agency "female" Sunseekers have in their own lives. They're all expected to reproduce with the tribe's Nunh (or, at least, that's how it seems) and raise children, and they don't even usually have a say in choosing the Nunh - he's either appointed by the previous Nunh or defeats the old Nunh in physical combat. You're essentially expected to have sex with whoever is strong enough to beat up your dad. And, while she's not at all opposed to some polyamory, the idea of sharing her appointed spouse with potentially dozens of other women doesn't really strike Rhiki as particularly romantic. It's just not for her.

So, even if they were to initiate some sort of romantic relationship, it would have a hard end-date of the day M'zhet finally deposes M'rahz. One or both might be able to delude themselves into thinking that it doesn't, but there's really no way around it. If they were to stay together, either Z'rhiki would have to join the M Tribe (or at least be okay with M'zhet fathering children with however many members of the M Tribe there are at that point) or M'zhet has to give up on the goal he's been working towards his whole life. Even if he would consider it, I'm not sure Rhiki would want to be the one to take that away from him - especially if she really does care about him.

With that in mind, it seems unlikely, but not impossible, that Z'rhiki and M'zhet would even end up in a relationship. Unlike with most NPCs, I don't think it's that unbelievable that M'zhet might have a romantic interest in Rhiki - he clearly has a crush on J'ohlmin, so female miqo'tes that are more competent than he is does seem like his type. And I don't think Rhiki dislikes M'zhet at all - he definitely has some endearing qualities: he's funny, he's dedicated, he's tenacious, and he doesn't let failure stand in his way. He's even willing to admit when he was wrong and change his behavior accordingly. That being said, I don't know that M'zhet really doesn't do that much to distinguish himself from all of the other generally-likeable people in Rhiki's life. He definitely experiences some character growth through finding out the truth about his father, but he's still kind of an average guy. His comic relief angle is played up a lot, which unfortunately doesn't paint him in the most flattering light. He's... a little dumb, but so is Rhiki so she can't really judge. He's good looking enough, but he probably wouldn't be Rhiki's first choice in potential datemates. I could see him maybe being a fun fling that somehow turns into something more, but that's the only real avenue for them to get together, because based on his behavior around J'ohlmin, he's not really the type to be up-front about his romantic interests. They also both have some abandonment issues that might complicate things a bit.

I think Rhiki is also a little wary of getting entangled with male Seekers in general. In her opinion, Nunh's don't need the attention and already have too much on their plates, and Tias tend to have... complexes. Even the ones that have left Seeker life behind might have some Feelings about the way things work in Seeker clans. So, that would also serve to put her off M'zhet a little, through no fault of his own.

I think they could have a fun time together for a little while, though! M'zhet seems like he's up for pretty much anything, and I think Rhiki could help him to build his self-confidence a little. And I'm sure a few extra sparring sessions with the Warrior of Light wouldn't go amiss!

I do like M'zhet, though! I'm not sure if we'll see more of him in the story at any point, but I hope we do!

Thanks for the ask! I hope you liked the "Drabble!"

[gibbearish]

Hello kind stranger, i just took your quiz. honestly not sure why. i am seeking an answer to the same question over and over but the hoax is i already knew the answer from the start. really, i'm seeking clarity; i always am. nothing is ever clear enough for me. the sun in the sky is not enough indicator of a sunny day. etc. etc. one thing for me that continues to be difficult is the future. i'm certain that i am trans right now, but if i try to picture myself like 40 years in the future it breaks my brain. i still see a woman if i picture anything at all. it's so frustrating and i just don't get it. do you have advice for overcoming this? what could it mean? sorry if this is jumbled and absolutely insane. but if you have insight i'd be enchanted to hear.

urs, anon

think about it this way, when you were a kid did the future you imagined look like the one youre in right now? right now you live in the universe where youre not doing anything about this, it makes sense that when you try to envision the future your brain still spits out Future Where You Haven't Done Anything. albeit i may not be a great person to ask for help w this because i dont really have a vision of myself/my future but i mean. just because you can't imagine a world where you go for it doesnt mean that world is impossible. and yeah i wont lie to you theres always a chance transition wont do a lot for you, there are trans people who will never pass and you could potentially be one of them. it makes making decisions on this hard because you get stuck in that rut of "what if i go through all this effort to be the person i want to be and it doesnt work," i for sure get that. the question then becomes are you willing to risk how happy you could be if it /does/ go well on the chance it might not? and even if it doesnt, would having some changes be better than none? i was really scared of the same thing when i started and i essentially decided even if the rest of the world isnt going to see me the way i want, if i do nothing theyre gonna do that anyways, so i might as well modify my body a bit to make me more comfortable. modt likely you still see a woman when you try to think ahead for the same reason when a trans person first comes out they sometimes misgender themselves, its how youre used to seeing and presenting yourself and theres always an adjustment period no matter how certain you are. it updates based on what you do, so don't base what you do off of the fact it hasn't updated yet

[heehoothefool]

Cracked Glasses

My parents have told me of many of their adventures. What child wouldn't want to hear about the fairytale-like escapades of their nationally famous parents?

I grew up dreaming of visions of grandeur. Travelling the diverse lands of my home continent with close friends, slaying majestic beasts in acts of great heroism. My parents told me of their last adventure, once. They told me of venturing deep into the snow covered crystal peaks of the frozen kingdom, Icolyth, a land so unlike my home I've never had an easy time imagining it. They told me of their valiant fight against an ancient dragon with shining white scales, a creature with breath so frigid the lands around it became wintery wastes. It couldn't be allowed to leave the eternal snow.

The glowing red mark of my home, the fire that had been imprinted onto my palm told me that I would one day leave home to embark on a quest of greater importance than anything my parents had ever accomplished. I knew my entire life I would need to fight something greater than a dragon some day.

I took up magic when I was young. Fire was my specialty, the element that shaped the land in which I lived. I dreamed of burning away the challenges I and my future friends would face, lighting our path towards a bright and successful future. I dreamed of burning away the darkness that had come to pervade our homes, opening the way for new and wonderful life to bloom in its place, of doing as my mother preached that she and those who followed her word would always strive to do.

Fire is a tool of light and rebirth, of clearing the way for new beginnings and illuminating the darkness. It would be my tool of making a name for myself, of cleansing myself of the titles I was born into and instead earning me the titles I wished to have bestowed upon me. It would be my tool to rise above my peers in arcane study and besting my opponents no matter how heat resistant they think they are. It would be my tool of purifying food and water, of assisting my friends through whatever hardships we may face.

As the smoke curls up from the buildings of the town I was raised in, as I watch my travelling companions put their varied skills to use to put out the flames eating at the walls of a city built to be fire proof, I can only stand and inhale the fumes produced by being short sighted. Fire is not the answer for every issue. Sometimes flames need to be dowsed.

My mother wanted me to get new glasses before I left home. I should have seen the cracks.

[thepathfinderstogetherwegrow]

Set Clear Goals: The Blueprint for Success

Imagine setting off on a journey without a map, a compass, or even a clear destination in mind. You’d likely end up wandering aimlessly, unsure of which direction to take or where you might ultimately arrive. Setting clear goals is like having a detailed map and a reliable compass; they guide you with precision and purpose. This blog post will delve into the critical importance of setting clear goals, how to effectively formulate them, and practical steps to ensure you stay on course.

Why Setting Clear Goals Matters

1. Provides Direction Clear goals serve as your guiding stars, offering direction amidst the vast sea of possibilities. Without them, you might find yourself drifting, responding to external influences rather than steering towards a defined objective. Clear goals help you focus on what’s important and provide a sense of purpose, ensuring every step you take is aligned with your ultimate destination.

Metaphor: Think of goals as the stars that guide ancient sailors at sea. Without them, you’d drift aimlessly in a vast ocean, hoping the currents would lead you somewhere favorable. Clear goals provide a fixed point of reference, helping you navigate through life’s complexities and steer towards your desired destination.

2. Enhances Motivation Goals are like the fuel that powers your engine. With a clear objective, each effort you make propels you closer to your dream. The sense of progress and achievement you experience as you reach each milestone acts as a powerful motivator, encouraging you to keep pushing forward despite any obstacles you may encounter.

Metaphor: Goals are the fuel in your vehicle, transforming your potential energy into kinetic energy. Without them, you might stall or lose momentum. Each milestone you pass refuels your drive, keeping your journey alive and dynamic.

3. Facilitates Decision-Making Goals simplify the decision-making process. When faced with multiple options, your goals act as signposts, pointing you toward the choices that align best with your aspirations. They provide a framework for evaluating your options, ensuring that your decisions contribute to your progress rather than diverting you from your path.

Metaphor: Imagine you’re at a crossroads with multiple paths to choose from. Goals act as signposts that clearly indicate the direction towards your ultimate destination. They help you choose the path that aligns with your objectives and steer clear of distractions that could lead you astray.

4. Measures Progress Having specific goals allows you to measure your progress effectively. You can track how far you’ve come and see what still lies ahead. This ongoing assessment not only keeps you motivated but also helps you make necessary adjustments along the way, ensuring you stay on the right track.

Metaphor: Goals are like mile markers on a highway. They let you know how far you’ve traveled and how much further you need to go. This continuous feedback loop helps you adjust your pace, make informed decisions, and stay motivated throughout your journey.

How to Set Clear Goals

1. Define Your Vision Start by understanding what you truly want to achieve. This involves introspection and asking yourself key questions:

What is my ultimate aim?

Where do I see myself in the future?

What are my core values and passions?

Having a clear vision provides a broad sense of direction and helps you set goals that are meaningful and aligned with your deeper aspirations.

Metaphor: Your vision is the lighthouse on the horizon, guiding your journey across the turbulent waters of life. It illuminates the path and shows you where you’re heading, ensuring you stay focused on reaching your desired port.

2. Use the SMART Criteria To be effective, your goals should adhere to the SMART criteria:

Specific: Clearly state what you want to achieve.

Measurable: Define how you will measure your progress and success.

Achievable: Ensure the goal is realistic and attainable.

Relevant: Align the goal with your broader objectives and values.

Time-bound: Set a deadline to create a sense of urgency and commitment.

Example: Instead of saying “I want to get fit,” a SMART goal would be “I want to run a 5K marathon in under 30 minutes by October 31.”

Metaphor: Think of SMART goals as the detailed map and compass that chart your journey. They provide clarity and precision, ensuring each step you take brings you closer to your destination.

3. Break Down Large Goals Large goals can be overwhelming and intimidating. To make them more manageable, break them down into smaller, achievable tasks. This approach is akin to planning a series of base camps on your ascent up a mountain. Each smaller goal serves as a stepping stone, making the overall journey less daunting and more achievable.

Metaphor: Climbing a mountain is daunting if you look at the peak from the base. Instead, focus on reaching each base camp. These smaller, attainable milestones make the journey to the summit less overwhelming and more achievable.

4. Write Them Down Documenting your goals makes them more tangible and real. Write them down and place them somewhere visible. This constant reminder keeps your goals at the forefront of your mind and reinforces your commitment to achieving them.

Metaphor: Writing down your goals is like carving them into stone. It solidifies your intentions and serves as a constant reminder of your journey, keeping your destination clearly in sight.

Staying on Track with Your Goals

1. Create an Action Plan An action plan is your detailed guide to achieving your goals. It outlines the specific steps you need to take, assigns deadlines to each task, and prioritizes them. This structured approach ensures you stay organized, focused, and on track, avoiding unnecessary detours.

Metaphor: Your action plan is the detailed travel itinerary for your journey. It outlines each step, ensuring you know when to turn, where to stop, and what to do next, keeping your journey smooth and efficient.

2. Monitor Your Progress Regularly reviewing your goals and assessing your progress is crucial. This ongoing evaluation helps you stay aligned with your objectives and allows you to celebrate your successes and learn from any setbacks. Adjusting your strategy based on your progress ensures you remain on the right path.

Metaphor: Monitoring your progress is like calibrating your compass. It ensures you stay on course, allowing you to make necessary adjustments and maintain your direction towards your goals.

3. Stay Flexible Life is unpredictable, and circumstances may change. Staying flexible with your goals allows you to adapt to these changes without losing sight of your destination. Flexibility ensures that you can navigate around obstacles and stay on course, even when faced with unexpected challenges.

Metaphor: Think of flexibility as the ability to tack your sails. Just as sailors adjust their sails to harness changing winds, staying flexible with your goals helps you adapt to life’s shifting currents and continue moving forward.

4. Seek Support Sharing your goals with friends, family, or mentors can provide valuable support and encouragement. Their insights and feedback can help you stay motivated and accountable. Surrounding yourself with a supportive network increases your chances of success and provides a source of strength during challenging times.

Metaphor: Your support network is like the crew on your ship. They provide assistance, encouragement, and valuable insights, helping you navigate the seas and stay on course towards your goals.

5. Celebrate Achievements Every milestone reached is a port worth celebrating. Acknowledge and celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how small. Celebrating these moments reinforces your progress and keeps your motivation high, encouraging you to continue your journey.

Metaphor: Each achievement is a port of call on your voyage. Taking time to celebrate these stops rejuvenates your spirit and prepares you for the next leg of your journey.

Conclusion

Setting clear goals is akin to charting a course for a grand adventure. They provide direction, motivation, and purpose, guiding you through the journey of life with clarity and confidence. By defining your vision, using the SMART criteria, breaking down large goals, and staying on track, you can navigate the path to success effectively. Remember, each goal you set is a star in your constellation, lighting your way towards a fulfilling and accomplished future.

Metaphor: Goals are the stars in your constellation, guiding your way through the night. Each one lights up your path, ensuring you navigate the journey with purpose and direction. Start setting your goals today and embark on your journey to success, knowing that with each star you set, you bring yourself closer to your dreams.

With these guidelines, you can set clear, actionable goals that will steer you towards success. Whether you’re aiming for personal growth, career advancement, or any other achievement, clarity in your goals is the compass that will guide you to your destination. Start setting your goals today and embark on a journey towards a successful and fulfilling future.

[mbakiezariealfonso]

The epitome of versatile leadership

One fine Thursday evening, selected MBA students from De La Salle University were invited to the Collab Sheraton Manila Hotel to hear Mr. Kingson Sian, a distinguished leader holding several prominent positions in the hotel and casino industry, deliver a powerful and inspiring talk.

I felt a sense of relief for choosing this elective and was genuinely excited to hear from the first set of CEOs. I did not expect to meet top executives from the country, and Mr. Sian's generous decision to share his insights at the Sheraton Hotel made this experience truly exceptional.

Listening to Mr. Sian's talk, I noticed that his passion for his work was evident. He deeply cares for his employees and the environment and is fervent about preserving historical cultures. His story empathized with me, especially when he reflected on the adversities their company has faced. He emphasized that no textbook or MBA lesson could fully prepare someone for the challenges he has endured.

One of the most striking aspects of Mr. Sian's leadership is his presence during times of adversity. He stood before Congress after the casino attack, supported his employees throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and kept the hotel operational as long as possible to safeguard thousands of jobs. His dedication and compassion are truly inspiring.

Imagining myself in his position, responsible for the lives and well-being of employees and their families, feels daunting. Yet, as we have learned in class, Mr. Sian exemplified true leadership by being present. He attended the wake of the casino attack victims and remained involved in the lives of their children. His actions went beyond mere duty; they demonstrated genuine care and commitment.

Now that the Travellers International Hotel Group is thriving, Mr. Sian shares his passion for culture. It is remarkable how a large modern company remains grounded in its roots and continues nurturing its culture. Everything they do ties back to the company's beliefs, vision, mission, values, passion, will, and teamwork. His leadership epitomizes Peter Drucker's saying that "culture eats strategy for breakfast." This is why Travellers International Hotel Group has successfully navigated numerous challenges. Companies with the right culture, strong beliefs, and leaders who embody these values are destined for success, regardless of their size. As a future leader, my key reflections and takeaways from hearing his talk are as follows:

To Be Present – I aim to be present during challenging times. Being available and supportive to my team during crises not only builds trust but also demonstrates commitment and care. This requires me to have a strong emotional resilience and the ability to stay calm under pressure.

To Nurture Culture – I will be dedicated to preserving and nurturing the right culture. A positive, inclusive, and values-driven culture can significantly enhance team cohesion and performance.

To Lead with Empathy and Compassion – Mr. Sian's actions and decisions during the aftermath of the casino attack and during the pandemic showed profound empathy and compassion. I aspire to lead with these qualities, ensuring that my team feels supported and valued, especially during tough times.

To Be Adaptable – there is no textbook solution for real-world adversities, highlighting the need for adaptability in leadership. I aim to cultivate a mindset of continuous learning and flexibility to effectively navigate unforeseen challenges.

To Have Purpose-Driven Leadership – Everything discussed ties back to the core beliefs and values of a leader. Leading with a clear sense of purpose and ensuring that my actions align with the broader vision of the organization is a principle I aim to embody.