#if you're an author and don't know how to write manipulative characters then don't create them in the first place

[aleksanderscult]

My unpopular opinion for today? The Darkling was terrible at manipulating people

And that mostly comes from the author's incompetence on the matter.

Back in 2016-2017 on Tumblr she was asked which SoC character finds difficult to write and she replied "Kaz. Because he's clever and cunning".

So for her, writing manipulative characters is difficult and actually explains the reason why the Darkling's "efforts" seemed comedic in S&B.

I still remember how posts from 2020-2021 expressed bafflement about where did the Darkling actually manipulated Alina in S&B.

His first, full conversation with her? He lied to her three times and tried to figure her out. What her views are, what does she know about him, has her judgement been clouded by other people's opinions of him, how she feels about her supposed destiny. Apparently she failed in each one of them and the Darkling decided to withhold information since he didn't find her trustworthy. It was too early and she was too immature.

I've written about this scene here but I MUST put this reblog here as well because it's ✨gold✨

So for anyone who believes he should tell her the truth from the very beginning uhh....have you ever been to a job with a hierarchy?

(You can also read a very good meta about their first conversation here from @theweeklydiscourse)

His additional conversations with her? They lasted only ten minutes (maximum) and he mostly tried to soothe her fears and assure her that since she'll have the Stag she won't have to worry about the strength of her power. So, me, the reader, am I supposed to think "That walk that he took with her and lasted for five minutes was so suspicious"?. Ahh...ok.

That first kiss? Boy wasn't it awkward.

It was like I watched two high school kids being kissed for the first time💀

I'm sorry but if that was manipulating then he didn't succeed at making the reader say "Now that seems shady" but wonder "What the fuck was that?". The same thing Alina wondered apparently.

If he wanted to manipulate Alina, why didn't he stay longer with her? Why didn't he spend more time with her? The guy was missing for days from the Little Palace doing his duties and even Alina said that she didn't see him much. So where was the manipulation?

To the first, awkward kiss where he lost control for the first time?

To their Winter fete make out where he almost lost his pants?

(Homeboy couldn't even control his own feelings apparently)

Leigh describes him as "manipulative" but we have no context.

So basically it's like "Source? Trust me bro".

We only have a couple of characters accuse him of manipulation but no scenes to base the argument.

His attempts, in comparison to other truly manipulating characters in fiction (like Varys, Tom Riddle, Petyr Baelish, Tyrion Lannister, the Joker), seem honestly pathetic.

When the author doesn't know how to write such things then her "manipulative" characters and their attempts seem cartoonish, cringe and childish. There's no real danger to make the reader feel like there's something wrong. His scenes with her in the Little Palace only included attempts from his part to calm down her worries and their kisses only made the reader say "Oh he fell for her!" (Which is kind of funny because this is exactly what happened).

The only instance where he was manipulative and good at it was at the orphanage scene where he lied about the Grisha children and his plans with them in order to draw Alina out.

Besides that? Nada.

And it's actually strange to me when people call him "so manipulating" and it makes me think "Have you truly not read other manipulative characters from other authors to compare?"

Because, personally, I have and the Darkling seems like an idiot in comparison.

And this is not me trying to water down the Darkling but say how Leigh Bardugo is so incompetent in writing manipulative characters and try to present him as a "master" of it.

Because he was not.

(P.S. the fact that Leigh once said "I don't want my bad guys to carry a label saying "I'm evil" because I think the real bad guys are much more tactful in their attempts" is actually laughable considering how she gave her bad guy a label when she called him "the Darkling", gave him black clothes and a fearful reputation from the very first chapter. That man really didn't stand a chance from the beginning lmao)

[abattre]

It's actually so disappointing that Naruto's narrative took the route that it did. Kishimoto created an incredibly interesting world and premise, and ruined it by having everything amount to a shallow message of forgiveness that undermines almost every meaningful element in the story. And it's like,, I want to appreciate the world outside of the plot, but the moral framing of the story makes it virtually impossible because of how disingenuous it is. It completely undermines the audience's understanding of the tragedy and horror of the world so that Naruto becoming Hokage and being the most powerful person in the world by the end doesn't come across as distasteful as it actually is.

Like it's made abundantly clear throughout the story that the village system, and Shinobi society as a whole, is incredibly flawed. Kishimoto goes out of his way to show us that Konoha's council is made up of objectively horrible people. We see first hand how the council's short-sighted ideas of what 'protecting the village' means results in devastating tragedy for people both in Konoha and outside of it. It's clear in how Danzo and the rest of the council act that their atrocious behaviour is them just blatantly abusing their power to maintain their authority. The council has no remorse in anything they do; human experimentation, genocide, slavery, and blatant exploitation is all fair game to them if it preserves their status quo. And instead of maybe, like, addressing Konoha's skewed morality in a sensible way and setting the village up for reform, the narrative just tries forcing the audience to perceive Konoha's genuinely heinous actions as necessities. Which, you know, will work when you're like 8, but once you've grown up and developed some reading comprehension and critical thinking,,, it just feels annoyingly manipulative.

At its core, Naruto is a story that attempts to deconstruct morality. Like this is abundantly clear in how Kishimoto is constantly paralleling the dichotomy of good and evil literally every chance he gets. In the end though, this dichotomy just doesn't work in the context of the Naruto story because the narrative framing of the village being the good guys is just hysterically ridiculous. Konoha is an awful place, that does awful things, and is run by awful people that refuse to change anything because it benefits them for the village to remain awful forever. To anyone with a developed sense of media literacy the village cannot in any way be framed as morally good, so when the story resolves itself with Naruto becoming next in line to govern Konoha under the same unchanging authoritarian regime, with the same council supporting him because of his sheer physical prowess and complete dedication to their twisted ideology,,, it's honestly just an incredibly underwhelming conclusion to a story that made itself out to be more profound than it actually is.

If I had to guess, I imagine Kishimoto just didn't think through how negatively the world he created would reflect on the plot. Ultimately though, you can't write a moral story that's so deeply entrenched in real world social inequity and decide halfway through that because you don't know how to fix these things your story's going to have to be about how they're actually okay to be doing and perpetuating,,, like that is awful and also a terrible lesson to impart on an audience of children. With how serious the issues are in Shinobi society, trying to resolve things with the power of friendship was always going to fall flat. These broad scale injustices can't be brushed aside in that way without undermining their severity and diminishing the understandable impact they had on the characters that experienced such extreme oppression. That's essentially the trap that Naruto's conclusion falls into though, and so the story just ends up feeling incomplete and unfulfilling because none of the issues brought up are actually addressed or discussed with the gravity they deserve.

[iridescentscarecrow]

hi i'm the op of that post (stackslip) PLEASE elaborate on chainsaw man's metanarrative

hi! um. you've given me free reign, i hope you know what you're doing. anyway: fair warning in advance that this is based entirely on how i like to interpret and think of the csm story and doesn't necessarily hold true, partly because of the level of abstraction that i'm operating at here. i'm normal and i like metanarratives a normal amount. this might be a little long. but.

um. thinking about how protagonism in CSM is inflicted on denji by the author insert that is makima. i've brought up the Icon of chainsaw man before in my part 2 analyses but basically:

the Chainsaw Man is the role that denji occupies in the story, right? it's the title of the manga. it's what the public Sees him as. it's what makima quite literally produces. the relationship between denji and the chainsaw man in both aspiration and idealisation forms a major stem of both part 1 and part 2's narrative.

this production occurs on two levels: (1) what Chainsaw Man is, and should be, and (2) how denji is developed as a protagonist by makima.

"you don't get him at all." chainsaw man is her blorbie (i think i'm funny). the point is that the Presentation of chainsaw man, the one that the audience is initially set up to expect, is almost entirely synonymous with makima's version of the CSM that we get later. i think a lot about how part one borrows from, amplifies, and later subverts shounen tropes. the CSM as an idea persists in how it's discordant from denji's normality in part 2 but part 1's direction in how denji voluntarily inhabits the chainsaw is what i'm pointing at here. (there's a lot to be said about how denji's idealisation as tied to the icon of the CSM is intertwined with his wants but that's not relevant in this meta except in the minutiae of his adherence / resistance to this role.)

the thing is that makima is instrumental in pushing this role onto denji. she sees chainsaw man, he is chainsaw man. it's (and i sound insane here but please hold on, i beg) like writing.

i think her addressing him in the last battle scene, the "i'll kill you personally" is indicative of her finally divorcing denji from the chainsaw; forming The Chainsaw Man in full, while still obviously curating the denji that would support this formation throughout the story.

a small side here but: "but she never even saw me once, even from the start." // fujimoto's writing actively utilises characters towards the end goal of shaping the protagonist. this struggle here is one between a character and an author.

now continuing; the way that makima provides for and then systematically removes these initial connections simulates traditional story structures with its setup, its confrontation and resolution. her excellence as an antagonist rests upon her identity as a narrative device which develops the protagonist and pushes him through this structure. the conflicts and the loss that a protagonist usually naturally (at least in-world) goes through in a story are instead all artificially created by makima.

"how could i make you so hurt that you'd no longer be capable of living a normal life?" // her molding of denji isn't just passive emotional manipulation, it's active writing. she herself is aware of the tropes and the character relationships that are being built up, that are being subverted. she herself embodies, espouses and resolves the themes of multiple arcs (thinking of the end of the bomb devil and the darkness devil arc here / thinking of how she draws the shutters on ignorance and on wanting).

there's a lot i try to extrapolate from her commentary on movies during her date with denji especially in context with the story simulation that she herself is doing throughout the manga. i find it interesting how the ending to the movie date or the "good" movie founds itself on shared feeling: denji sees makima cry at the same movie as he does.

"the drinks yesterday were delicious." // you talked about her goals already in your post but makima's search for real intimacy (and equality in a relationship) coincides with denji's one. to me, it comes off as a writer trying to find a mirror of understanding in their own creation. the way she visualises the CSM (as "chaos" to her order) reveals a relationship quite like the flawed connection that one has with characters one makes: and this relationship is what denji (the 'stage' of this process) responds to so emphatically: "she wasn't looking at me this whoole time."

so, yeah; CSM to me operates at two levels: the one with the deeply human character relationships that construct the story and another layer where fiction and ideation mesh. it's important to note that this is something fjmt quite likes doing in his other work: using characters to specifically engage with the telling of his stories or exploring his characters' nuanced reactions to fiction and its weight.

thinking of makima as the 'Author' is misleading, though, and it ignores the fact that makima is both a device deployed by the actual author and in-world by the structure that are the higher ups. she is the control devil; she controls the scaffoldings of the story but she in herself is an agent of the author, of the narrative, of the aforementioned higher ups.

i don't know. is an artist ever truly original in their art? do they not operate within a greater structure, borrowing from and being regulated by it and its interpretation of their work? are makima's plans not ultimately upset by her creation?

denji materialises as a character from multiple active sources instead of the unitary source that makima believes herself to be. he's a passive character and yet he refuses to be a stable creation (psst. it's that universal tussle between the living art and the artist -- something fjmt's already tackled in his oneshots).

i don't know (2). this interpretation's been simmering in my head for a while, but i wasn't very Sure about it. but hm. this writeup primarily bases itself off part one (since it's well. complete) but image and image production specifically coming into fruition as a theme in part two makes me feel increasingly confident in this interpretation. it's strange how it somehow all ties back into storytelling.

[andromeda-pleiades]

Feel free to just read this and delete it, I don't need a response.

Re: your recent post about noncon/underage content in fandom spaces, specifically in CoD:MW.

It's not an individual's place to police what Fanfiction or Fanart people create. The characters are fictional. The death, torture, and destruction in CoD fics are also fictional. In no country is murder "okay" either, but people die in Fiction all the time. There's a specific tag on Ao3 that authors can and should put on their works if the work features Under-Age or noncon content. You can filter out that tag and not read it.

I don't read them, certainly, bc that's not the kind of story I'm interested in reading, but it doesn't mean it's my right to tell authors to stop writing it. I don't read fics involving daddy kink bc it squicks me out like hell, but it is not my place to tell authors to stop writing fics with it. Fictional characters can't break irl laws, even in "reader insert" fanfictions. Authors are not and cannot be held accountable for the things they write, because they write fictional stories.

I recommend you block the users and tags you don't want to see, and you help encourage the creators you do want to see without insulting others. Your experience will improve. I want it to improve. I don't want you to be unhappy with your experience in any fandom. Fandom spaces are places to find your people, find your little joys, and to coexist peaceably, and it's wonderful when it all works.

With all due respect, you're well spoken, but that's where my respect ends

Let's do this in points

I am not policing what people write. I simply stated how i feel about certain content on the internet.

If you think writing character death or death in general is the same or equal to writing pornographic content about children, you're too far gone.

Once again, you try to dumb down pedophilia into something less than what it is. The things about daddy kinks are two consenting adults who are not getting off on the manipulation and r*pe of children.

Like I said in my previous post, I don't care about your laws or that 'fictional characters' can't break them. I believe that pedophiles are the absolute scum of the earth, and I have no positive feeling when I think of those horrid and disgusting people.

Also, I want to make this very clear. I don't care if you write weird, illegal things like vore or kidnapping on the internet, I only care about the children, and I wish nothing but the worst on anyone who wishes harm on them mentally, physically, and sexually.

I know it may seem hypocritical for me to be okay with certain things on the internet and not okay with other things but I am my own person and I'm allowed to have my own moral compass. And I find no reason why anyone should be okay with this type of content being allowed on the internet.

I know that blocking them and moving on about my day would be the socially acceptable thing to do. But I don't have to be content with the media people consume on the internet. I also have a platform, and I feel strongly about this, so I'm gonna speak out on it.

I know I might sound a bit extremist on this matter, but that's exactly how I feel, I care so deeply about children and their future, and well-being. That I will commit war crimes to make sure they're safe

Also next time you write something think what's the point, if the point is defending pedophiles then you're probably on the wrong side.

[mewtwoandme]

Also, you can answer this privately if you'd like, but I really love how you hold your ground with your ideas. I've seen plenty of creators kinda change their mind on ideas because a few people were offended or just didn't like the concept and it bums me out because while yes sometimes you should listen to critism, other times it's not actually criticism but just people being dumb.

You know honestly, I'm convinced I'm a 40-50 year old stuck in in a 24 year old body XD I'm such a hardass. I just don't have the patience or mental strength to deal with people who are like that, especially the younger generations. Even some people who are are my age or slightly older.

What I'm about to say below is not directed towards anyone, but how I feel generally on the matter. Read more if you want to

When something like cancel culture exists, you know you're not going to please everyone with what you do or what opinions/ideas you have. There will always be people who hate them regardless of what it is or what it's about. Whether it be fandoms, storytelling, art/character preferences, dare I say political views, etc. It goes on and on. But just because they don't like something, it doesn't mean I have to change things to appease them. And that's what a lot of those types of people can't stand. If I don't agree with them or abide by what they command me to do, suddenly I'm the asshole? XD God forbid they hold any accountability for themselves in their decision-making. They can just... not view my content. Scroll over, block whatever, but no, apparently, that's just too hard, and it's easier to bitch about and/or blame the creator. Like honestly my thoughts are I don't give a fuck how offended someone is or if they don't agree with my personal choices on a matter. It's my blog, I run it how I want to, I create what I want to create and I tell a story how I want to tell it.

I'm not going to cater to every individual who thinks they're holier-than-thou and entitled to say I need to change this or that just to fit their views or so it appears less offensive to them. Damn right I hold my ground! It is not my obligation to appease people by having my art/story/characters dictated by their every whim and what they think it should be. If they feel so strongly about what I do, they can easily write or draw their own stuff and make it more ideal for themselves, but if they claim, "B-but, I'm not good at doing that." Well, that ain't my fault, nor is it my damn problem. Don't come to my blog acting like you can manipulate me to draw or write things you want to happen or how you want things to be. You ain't my boss, you're not paying me to do your bidding, so until you somehow become my boss and actually obtain authority over what I do, leave me to write my characters and stories/make my art in peace!

[howtostandinsilence]

how does it feel to know that the author that created the character you’re defending outright called out the pro darkling fans and actually used their arguments against them in the king of scars duology? you know something’s off when even the AUTHOR says you’re wrong lmao

I don't respect Leigh Bardugo enough to care about her opinions. Sorry 🤷🏽‍♀️. She speaks about issues she clearly doesn't understand and acts like she's the authority on the subject, she wrote a story "against abuse" that somehow made the message worse, and she infantilizes her female fans as well as her female characters. Her writing supports oppression and racism, and has a pretty heavy theme of assimilation and conformity. She cheapens real oppression, abuse, manipulation, and grooming with her heavy handed attempts at writing them when she's so clearly ignorant.

The King of Scars duology is so badly written it's almost laughable. Zoya's rise to power is highly offensive, especially when it comes to how the persecution of her people is handled. Leigh Bardugo doesn't actually use Darkling fan arguments against them in the KoS duology (or prove them wrong) because she doesn't seem capable of understanding what they're even saying. She can't effectively argue against or disprove something she cannot even a) properly address, or b) understand at it's most fundamental level.

Even so, what she has to say about the subject is simply wrong. She clearly doesn't even know how cults or religions work, and the levels of finger-pointing in the KoS duology are so extreme as to be comical. You mean the Darkling that was dead all this time is somehow the cause of the problems the main characters created? He is somehow manipulating them even now from beyond the grave? At what point do people realize they're just using a convenient scapegoat?

"You know something's off when even the AUTHOR says you're wrong" - Look I'm sorry to burst your bubble Anon but authors aren't actually an authority on anything, and especially not on very serious issues like persecution and abuse. Would you take HP Lovecraft's word about the morals in his stories? I doubt it. Because the author will always have prejudices outside of their writing that they incorporate into it, and Leigh Bardugo clearly does.

So no, I don't feel much of anything on the subject, because Leigh Bardugo has proven to have nothing important to say on it. In fact, she generally only has very harmful and ignorant things to say. And in true echo chamber fashion, so do her fans and Darkling antis.

[madara-fate]

i think you're being biased with the issue of sakura in boruto. look, it's not the first time an editor or kishimoto's assistants manipulated him into not creating an arc for sakura when he did want to, and it's clear that whoever writes boruto has a problem with her. i don't understand what leads you to say we're wrong without giving any reason, you just dismiss with pictures. i don't think we're being rude, this is a debate and i wanna know your arguments and what makes you think they don't have a thing against certain characters, that's all.

I've had this discussion plenty of times before, and I'm tired of it. Hence my exasperated initial response to the topic. Frankly, I'm tired of people claiming that if Sakura doesn't appear as much as they would like her to, it must be because the authors hate her. Sorry but that's simply ridiculous. Kakashi doesn't appear as often as I'd like him to either, and he very clearly also could have played a bigger role than he's been given, just like Sakura. But does that mean that the authors must hate him? Of course not; it's absurd to automatically conclude that the author(s) must hate a character, just because they don't appear as often as you'd like them to. Kodachi didn't make any implications towards disliking Sakura while he was still part of the team, Ikemoto hasn't made any such implications either, and Kishimoto has only done the opposite when he was full of praises for Sakura, and expressed how joyful and proud he was when she placed 3rd in that popularity poll last year:

I've already given my arguments on the matter plenty of times before, and I've now very briefly done so again here, but that's it, I'm through with this topic and I'm not gonna entertain it any longer. So allow me to say this one final time - If you want to believe that the author hates Sakura, then by all means go ahead, I don't care. Any further asks expressing discontent because of how Sakura is hated by the authors will be ignored. If you wanna talk about that so much, go elsewhere.

[exileseverafter]

The Author of Exiles Rereads All Of Exiles Published So Far

That's right, I did it. In preparation for Book 4, I started rereading something I started writing...like...ten years ago or something. And you know what? It's pretty good! Turns out I like my stuff!

Behind the cut are a lot of rambling thoughts on each book, along with anything I might have done differently. Mild spoilers, but mostly just authorial navel-gazing.

Book One thoughts: Hey, did you know that if you're making any kind of longform work you should consider taking notes on things like character hair/eye color and background details? And also, it's good to have a beta reader? Because I don't know if I had either at the time of book one! And there are sooo many little continuity errors I noticed! They aren't things you're likely to catch unless you're looking for them, but it makes me think I want to go back at some point and not rewrite book one entirely, but just edit it a little. Fix some errors. It's still solid, and I'm pretty sure me being the author is the only reason it kind of felt like that "Spot the Errors" episode of Garfield and Friends. (Side note: If you can find it on the web, please watch the Garfield and Friends episode "Mistakes Will Happen." It's one of the funniest things ever, with far too many jokes to catch in one viewing for something that predates the internet.)

Also, it turns out that if you try to read something by downloading it in PDF form off of AO3 and putting it on your phone via Kindle, it does unholy things to the formatting. So I do not recommend reading Exiles (or anything else) like that.

Errors aside, god, this was nostalgic. One reason I started this reread was to get back into the heads of the characters, and it all started coming back to me right away. I can go oh, there's where I figured out how this would end. That's when this first comes up. Neat! Also there are some genuine accidental foreshadowing bits that lead into book three, of all things.

Book Two thoughts: Wow, this is long. It's easily the longest of the three, and I'm not sure how well the pacing holds up in retrospect. I was very much writing as a "weekly serial" rather than a novel at this point, and it shows for better or worse. There are chapters where I can tell I was just trying to get something up. Did you know if you write something with regular updates, it's a good idea to have a backlog instead of just writing week to week?

That said, this is where I started to shake off the constraints of "everything must be rooted in some preexisting fairy tale" and I think that's for the best. I started pulling inspiration from 50s pulp sci fi, Little Shop of Horrors, what people in the 90s thought VR was going to be like, and buddy cop flicks. I was figuring out my gender at the time I introduced Rem Tera, and wanted a nonbinary character whose issues were not centered around what were Nonbinary Character Tropes at the time, i.e. 'figuring out nonbinary was a thing, explaining it to others, which bathroom to use, etc.'

I also like playing with scale in unusual ways, and one thing I wanted to lean into was how to create a threatening antagonist who was a few inches tall in a world where people came in giant size. It turns out the answer is 'give him some big monsters to command and scary levels of manipulative charisma.' Lord Germain, you are the worst but I am so proud of you.

Note: I think there may be a chapter missing from the original Jukepop posting. I'll try to go through and fix it soon.

Still also very happy with the final arc, even if the story does a bit of narrative water treading to get there. This book has the most 'quiet time' with the characters, and I think in the long run it helped me flesh out the relationships established in book one and the new ones forming in book two. Especially since book three is pretty story-heavy. Speaking of! Book Three thoughts: Wow, this is like post-timeskip One Piece where one thing just leads right into another. It's unsurprising, since a lot of the plot threads laid in books one and two really activate here. Libra and Valerian have a been a presence from the beginning and Blue was hinted at as far as the Moonflower Market. So yes, I was sitting on those for a while and happy to set them off here.

No Reflection is probably the most difficult original fic work I've written so far. To give you an example, I started it too soon after finishing Of Rot and Bloom and was stalled out for years afterwards. The good news is that like any creative project that isn't made of expiring materials, you can pick a story up at any time. One day I finally decided to ditch the chapter I was stuck on, write something else and start the ball rolling again.

And it worked! I finished it. More or less. There's something of a Nona the Ninth/Alecto the Ninth "book 3 and 4 are part of a piece" feeling to the end of Book Three, but I do try to end on at least a climactic element. There are just a lot more cliffhangers this time around.

Man, I'm mean to Basil in this book and this isn't even his book! Poor guy is gonna have it rough in Book Four.

ALSO, there are at least two missing chapters, and they're important ones that reveal major plot elements. In fact, one is right in the climax. I need to fix that ASAP. Presumably AO3 lets you insert chapters? I'll figure out how.

So, what does this mean for Book Four? It means it's definitely happening, though I don't want to say it's happening immediately. Maybe after the New Year. I have some chapters prewritten for Book Four I want to revise, and this time I'm making sure I have a healthy backlog and a plot outline worked out.

For everyone who's read any part of Exiles, thanks so much for supporting me thus far! I really appreciate it. Wouldn't be able to keep up this much enthusiasm without you. And if you're thinking of writing (or drawing, or animating) your own original thing, my advice is just to do it! Just jump in. Yeah, it won't be perfect, but you'll learn by doing, and an imperfect story that exists is always better than the idealized one trapped in your head.

[firendgold]

Albus percival ulfric Brian dumbledore for the bingo.

I got these practically at the same time, so I'll answer both simultaneously. (And btw, thanks for asking about Albus first. ^^)

Heehee.

blorbo: unsurprising. Albus has had a hold on my attention for almost two decades now.

I wish I could save you: it has been SO MANY YEARS since HBP came out and I still am very selective in what post-HBP fics I read, if any. Killing off mentors is a lazy trope. Especially in fanfics that are supposedly canon-divergent retellings but will repeat this same mistake every time. It's 2023. If you're going to have Albus be more than a Merlin copy-paste, actually make his relationships with other people matter.

Complicated Feelings: Albus is hardly without serious flaws. I actually enjoy works more which grapple with them. It's just difficult to find authors who do so correctly and fairly, so most discussion about Albus is black-and-white and I lean hard toward the white to compensate.

Please for the love of god etc.: seriously whose dick do I have to suck for people to write more good Dumbledore fanfics? notice I said "good Dumbledore" and not "good!Dumbledore" though the latter would also be preferable; I just want some quality. also notice I did not say with gr*ndeld*re, because do you know how hard it is to find a fucking fic about my fave nowadays that doesn't bring that other dude into it--

I have so much to say about them: goes without saying. He's one-half of the subjects of this sub-blog. Child-blog? Whatever these things are called.

they intrigue me: OF COURSE, Albus Dumbledore's life is very fascinating. Even with the bad movies there's so much we don't know about just what he was up to for huge portions of his life. I really want to see more exploration of his relationships with minor characters.

I can make them worse: I so could. These randos think they're writing actual manipulative!Dumbledore? HAH. Out here creating OOC old men who are either Grindelwald's Happy Boyfriend, Voldemort in the Wrong Skin, or just Incompetent Politicians who somehow have enough memory to twirl their moustache and sign bank forms but not enough memory, brain power, influence or magical ability to subdue a teenager who comes to their place of power to wail at them. Pathetic. No one can corrupt a character better than someone who actually understands and loves that character. I never would, but I'm confident I could write an elite fanfic where Albus was either an infallible Dark Lord ruling the country or an expert international Mugwump who was so deliciously interfering that it made complete sense in-universe why the wizarding world was still as corrupt as it was. Besides, of course, the already existing reason of one-or-two-or-six-good-government-officials-can't-override-hundreds-of-bigots-no-matter-how-high-up-their-title-is.

[umbrahighpriestofgiratina]

Divided I Fall

IT'S FINALLY DONE! I am so sorry this took so fucking long, it took me like a year to write because my art brain forcibly took over my body for a stupid amount of time but now it is DONE and you can SEE it with your EYEBALLS. Anyway... This, This is a project I have been planning for YEARS but took some stuff lining up just right for it to sift to the top of my oneshot backlog. It is, to keep it simple and not spoil too much, an origin story for a character that's shown up in my stuff before.

As one important note before I begin... This fic stars a character of a fakemon species known as Vahirom, created by @kynimdraws on Tumblr/kyleenim on Twitter, used with permission. If you steal it I will be offended on her behalf and personally boil your toes. Got it?

ANYWAY:

Divided I Fall

Zygarde had a dilemma.

Unova had too many humans and they had it too good. But there was nothing they could do to thwart them without letting the other Legends in on his game. What to do?

As they stewed on this, lurking on the edge of civilization, they looked up, and there they saw it.

A meteor, careening down toward the nearby hills. It crashed, sending out sparks of light and a shockwave, which Zygarde weathered easily. They were a god, after all.

"Lots of those since AZ broke the sky," they muttered.

They slithered through the earth until they got to the impact crater, emerging in its center to find, surprise surprise, a meteor. However, it was one they could tell was a Metionite, a kind made of an extremely rare, alien ore.

It was then they got an idea.

An awful idea.

Zygarde got a wonderful, awful idea.

They started burrowing their own cells into the Metionite, pumping it full of energy. Godly energy. Draconic energy. The Meteonite contracted and curved until it turned into a small gray orb.

Zygarde tapped it.

And it burst to life.

--------

What am I?

What is this place?

Those were my first thoughts as I gazed around, wide-eyed, until my eyes fell on a strange green and black titan.

"Who are you? Who am I?"

"I am Zygarde, the guardian of order, and you are my creation!" the titan said in a booming voice.

"You created me?"

"Yes! For one purpose!"

The titan pointred a claw to the southwest. "There's an infestation of these pests called humans around thataway. Deal with them for me."

I looked in that direction. Seemed simple enough.... But something didn't feel right.

"...Very well."

Tubes extended from my shoulders and attached to my tail as my wings flared. I took off.

-------

I arrived to find strange structures,domes, blocks and pyramids, and walking among them strange creatures. Were these the humans Zygarde mentioned? "Deal with them." What did that even mean?

I got closer and as I did they started acting strangely. They seemed... Afraid?

"You creatures! What are you?"

They were making loud screams now. They didn't seem less afraid. Maybe they couldn't understand me? How DO I talk to them then? Come on, think think think-

~-Think!~

Thehumans stopped, gazed up. I had communicated by... Thinking really hard?

~Uh... Humans! I mean you no harm! I just wish to... Deal with you!~

The humans started murmuring among each other before a more elaborate-looking human came forth.

"You, great dragon! What do you propose as a deal?"

Oh, I can understand THEM fine. But good question...

~Let me think.~

What do I even tell this person? I guess... If they were afraid of me, they had other things to be afraid of. That wasn't good. Maybe...

"If you give me shelter and a home, I will aid you however I can. Is that a satisfactory deal?"

The elaborate human slowly blinked several times slowly before rapidly nodding.

":We will accept your offer... B=but my warriors will keep an eye on you."

I looked to the "warrior" humans he spoke of. They were trembling. Everyone was looking at me with unease,

This would take some adjusting.

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

I was in my own corner of the city, surrounded by more of these warriors. They were taking shifts watching me, but they all seemed scared. Almost as if they felt if I tried anything they couldn't stop me.

I didn't feel like doing anything that needed stopping... but then I wasn't sure WHAT to do. I had made the deal with the humans but I wasn't sure how to enact i-

Just then I heard a roar, in the distance. The warriors looked to me, then to the source of the sound. They seemed confused that it wasn't me. Soon another warrior rushed up to them.

"T-there's a Scolipede trying to take over the farmland!"

"O-one of those? Why?"

"They're immensely territorial! It claimed the farms as its own!"

What was this beast? The humans needed help. But they wouldn't let me help...

...Then again they couldn't stop me.

I activated my tail turbine and lifted off as the warriors panicked, and I jetted off to where the other warrior had came from.

---------

When I arrived there was indeed a large, purple, insectoid Pokémon rampaging about. Several warriors and their Pokémon were trying to pierce its chitinous armor, to no avail. It was much bigger than the humans, that's for sure.

...But it was much smaller than me.

I flew ove4r to and landed right in front of it. It looked up but seemed unphased.

"What do YOU want?"

"I want you to stop bothering these humans."

"Why should I? This is MY turf." "No it's not. As far as I can tell the humans were here first." "Well it's mine now."

I narrowed my eyes. "Leave. Now."

The Scolipede scoffed. "Make me."

"If you insist."

I flicked him with a claw.

He went sailing back into a tree with a very loud thud and collapsed, unconscious.

Humans started gathering around, looking on in awe. Then they started cheering. It was only then I realized the magnitude of what I'd done.

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

Things changed after that rather quickly. Or, they did from my perspective anyway.

The humans, after that, regarded me as a protector. Not only that, they gave me authority. It wasn't much at first, I started as captain of the warrior, but as time went on and I helped the humans more and more I ascended to the right-hand mon of their rulers.

They called me Vahirom, or more commonly, the Iron Arbiter.

They adored me. And I grew to adore them. They cared for me and I cared for them back. And after time things changed. I learned how to alter my form to be like them.

It started simply, firsty with mimicking their speech, but then I started to learn how to alter my physical form, this way and that way, until I had come to resemble them in my own way. It was at that point the Iron Arbiter was both a dragon Pokémon and a human.

And someone didn't like that at all.

One day they returned, while I was alone, sitting on the throne the humans built for me. I looked up into their glowing green eyes as they glared down into mine.

"What is THIS? This isn't what you were supposed to be doing! And why do you LOOK like them?" They stomped a foot on the ground.

I sighed. "It is less intimidating to them than my natural draconic form. And why do YOU look like them? Don't you have forms that are oh so superior?" They winced, and in an instant cells swirled around them to return them to a more traditional serpentine form. "Only to subvert them, manipulate them. You do it for sick kicks! You were supposed to DESTROY them, not help them!"

"There is no need to destroy them. They are flawed yes, but have kindness and charity in their hearts if you know where to find it. I seek to bring that out in them. "You're wrong! All humans are a sin against the natural order! MY order! They need to be purged!"

"Your view is dangerous. And I will not have you threaten my people."

I grew and stretched and bent into my true, draconic form.

"You may have given me life, but I am not yours. They are not yours. Leave, or I will force you to."

Zygarde hesitated, then let out a long, pronounced hisss before disintegrating into cells and vanishing.

I sighed again, then resumed my post.

-----------

Decades passed, that turned into centuries. I saw many humans and their Pokémon come and go, and cherished them all dearly while they lasted.

But then one day two were born that would change my life forever, for better and for worse.

They were twins, born to the current queen and king. They were shown to me soon after they were born. They were lumpy and chubby as human babies were but they had fire and lightning in their eyes from the start.

And thus their parents named them Tentay and Pethakhon, Ancient Unova's words for fire and lightning. As usual, I was assigned to be their guardian. I did not realize then how special they would be to me - and how that would be my downfall.

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

The children grew quickly. Their tiny grasping hands grew inquisitive, groping for anything they could reach. At first, I let them pull and tug at my human form, but as they grew older and nimbler I allowed them to play on my dragon form as well.

Eventually they started to talk.

"Say mama!" "Say dada!" their parents clamored. But every time they both pointed at me and said "va va!"

They didn't care. They just laughed.

When they got old enough to learn, I was their teacher. I taught them.... Well, not everything I knew, I was too ancient and powerful for that, but I tried to teach them a good amount. And I definitely tried to answer their many questions.

"How old are you?" asked Tentay. "Older than you can comprehend."

"What's your favorite food?" asked Pethakhon.

"I do love corn cakes."

"Do your parents let you stay up past bedtime?" asked Tentay.

I had to pause and think about that one. My only "parents" were Zygarde and the stars, so...

"I don't listen to my parents. I do what I want."

The twins gasped and looked at each other eagerly. "You can DO that?" they said. I chuckled. "I can. You probably shouldn't until you get older."

The two visibly deflated.

"Not fair..." said Pethakhon.

"I guess we have to listen..." said Tentay.

"No way! We can't!" said Pethakhon. "But we gotta! Or we'll get in trouble!"

"Nuh-uh! We can do it!

I chuckled. By all means this was amusing.

And yet. Something deep inside felt off.

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

It came suddenly, swiftly.

The king and queen fell ill, from a terrible disease. They were isolated, only taken care of by a select few.

It was too little, too late.

A grand funeral was held, several ceremonies, a feast, a fitting sendoff. But none of it filled the hole in all our hearts.

Especially not the twins'.

I visited their room afterwards., They were huddled in a corner together, curled up, sitting only a few inches apart. In human form to fit in the room, I pulled them into an embrace.

"I know better than to say it's all right, but... I am here for you."

"But... Mom and dad... They're gone forever," said Tentay.

"They're never coming back... What's gonna happen to us?" said Pethakhon.

I sighed. "I have seen many leave forever just as they did. I can escape it, it is both a gift and a curse, but for your kind it is inevitable. But it is not truly the end. You two will grow to be great, and your children, and your children's children, and so on. I assure you of this. You can pick up the pieces and carry on in their stead. They would want you to."

"...Okay, Va." said Pethakon.

"...I guess so, Va," said Tentay.

They nestled into my arms further. I patted their heads.

We stayed that way a while.

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

The two started to near adulthood for their kind, and thus I started teaching them how to rule. . ~Now, you two, I have a question.~

They both shifted in their seats in the courtyard we were in. Teenagers were antsy about being taught. Especially when their teacher was an ancient and powerful dragon.

~Say that there is a famine. What are your main options for dealing with such a thing?~

"Simple," said Tentay. "You spend the royal budget on improving the crops."

~Ah, but such a solution would be expensive... And could be unsustainable."~

"Then we improve the harvest infrastructure over time!" said Pethakhon enthusiastically.

~Yet that could take a long time. Too long. People could starve.~

"Well my method is clearly better!" said Tentay. "It gets more immediate results!"

"You're wrong!" said Pethakhon. "MY plan won't doom us all later!" "It MIGHT not. It will definitely make people starve."

"We have to consider the future!" "The future is NOW, Pethakhon."

"Moron!"

"Imbecile!"

The two continued arguing like this until they finally noticed me waggling a claw mockingly.

~Now now now. Have you considered these solutions aren't mutually exclusive?"

The two of them stared at me. Then started sheepishly rubbing their heads.

"You have a point..." said Tentay. "That could work.." said Pethakhon.

~See?" I said. "If you work against each other nothing gets done. But if you work together...~

"Yes, we understand the moral, well done," said Pethakhon. "Why must we learn things we know already?" said Tentay.

~Because with you two it bears repeating.~

The two blinked and staredbefore rubbing their heads sheepishly again.

"...You have a point," said Tentay.

"We'll. We'll work on it.." said Pethakhon.

I simply smirked.

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

They quickly became adults, true kings of Unova, and soon their first test was upon them. The ruler of a desert kingdom smack dab in the middle of Unova was a Volcarona by the name of Heliana. Shee was called before them for a diplomatic meeting, and we all assembled on the border between the desert and greener land.

"Why hello there!" said Heliana, floating before us.

Tentay and Pethakhon stared then turned to me, each whispering.

"She, uh, is a little hard to--" Pethakhon started to say.

"She's a Pokémon, but she can't speak telepathically, so we can't understand her," said Tentay.

"...That." said Pethakhon.

I chuckled. ~Don't worry, I can translate. She just says hi.~

The two nodded and turned back to Heliana.

"Right, hello," said Pethakhon.

"Shall we get down to business?" said Tentay.

"Oh, yes, yes!" said Heliana. "There was a matter of grave importance I wished to speak of with you! It was... Oh, hm, what was it..."

"She isn't very professional," Tentay whispered.

"Shhh!" said Pethakhon, nudging him.

"Oh! I remember now! It was wood!" said Heliana.

"Wood?" said Pethakhon. "My kingdom doesn't exactly have many trees," said Heliana. "I want cedar in particular! I'll offer you our finest textiles and minerals in return!":

"Hmmm. But we need the cedar for-"

"Shhh!" said Pethakhon. "She's making us a great offer!"

"More like a ridiculous one. We can't give her all that cedar!" "But we need the minerals and textiles!"

"She hasn't even specified WHAT minerals and textiles! Think before you leap!" "Well ask her!"

"Fine!"

Tentay took a deep breath and looked Heliana straight in the compound eyes. "You're being awfully vague about what those "minerals" and "textiles" are... Could you be more specific?"

"Oh! Lots of iron, copper... and Silk! Me and my babies spun the silk ourselves!"

"Wait, the silk comes from-" Tentay started to say.

"Sounds great!" said Pethakhon. We'll-"

"No. We need that cedar."

~Now now you two.~ I said. ~Put your heads together. Your wants and needs aren't mutually exclusive.~

They stared. And blinked. And... Well they didn't literally put their heads together but they did start mutually putting their hands to their chins thinking.

"There's some places we could grow... Cedar groves?" said Tentay.

"Yes! And we could loan those groves out to you!" said Pethakhon.

"They would take a while to grow normally but our Grass-types can make them grow faster!" said Tentay.

"Excellent!" said Heliana. "It's a deal! And Hekla and Katla will get started on the silk straight away!"

"Hekla and Katla?" said Pethakhon.

"Who?" said Tentay.

It was then two Larvesta emerged from Heliana's fuzz and divetackled Tentay and Pethakhon each with cries of "Friend! Friend! Friend!"

"My children!" said Heliana. "They spin the finest silk in all the land!"

"Well they sure are cute," said Pethakhon, holding up Hekla to get a good look at her.

"Easy little one," said Tentay, cradling Katla.

I just smiled.

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

I was in my throne room, and human again. I was alone, and it was quiet... until I heard a telltale slithering again.

"...Hello Zygarde."

The serpent congeals in a flash from their cells before me.

"You're still doing this. Why are you still doing this."

"They appreciate my help. And they are clearly better in my hands than yours."

The snake withed, their form rippling.

"Look, if you can't stop yourself from messing MY order up, I WILL."

I scoffed. "How?"

"You're awfully fond of those two humans, aren't you?"

My eyes widened. I clenched my fingers on my seat. "...Petty threats will get you nowhere."

"Oooh, I struck a nerve, didn't I? Don't worry, I won't do anything to them... Physically anyway. Unless you try to warn them that is, in which case I can always arrange an accident...."

I shifted to dragon form, knocking several things over in the process. "What are you planning, Zygarde?"

"How does the saying go, something something for me to know and you to find out?"

I roared and slashed at them with a claw, but before I made contact they scattered into cells and disappeared from whence they came. Guards rushed into the room shortly after. "Arbiter! Is everything all right?"

I panted heavily, looking at where Zygarde had gone, before turning to the guard.

~It's... It's fine. Just spooked by a shadow.~

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

From there it became apparent something was very quickly going wrong.

It started small at first. The brothers being more snippy with each other than they were before. But it soon blew up into full-on arguments, and everything I had raised them to do was falling apart before my eyes.

I knew exactly why.

I stalked the halls of the castle until I found a hound, ducking and weaving through the corridors.

"You!"

The hound stopped, looking smug. "What is it?"

"What are you doing to them?"

"Oh nothing much. A lie about one here, a rumor about the other there, did you realize exactly how easy it is to turn them against each other?"

"How... How dare you!"

I fired a metallic burst, a small-scale version of my Origin Flare, but they were already gone, and the brilliant beams of light only sank into the corridor, reducing chunks of it to rubble.

It was then I panicked. As long as Zygarde could keep spreading their lies...

...There was nothing I could do.

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

Soon enough came a day that would come down in history as a fateful one.

The two of them were having a particularly heated, particularly philosophical argument about the future of the kingdom. Said argument was happening in the throne room, right in front of me, a dragon silently watching as their two human charges escalated to potential civil war right before their eyes.

"Do you really think your deluded visions would ever lead this kingdom to greatness?" said Tentay, "Your ideals will only bring ruin!"

"Your plan is built on a flawed foundation," said Pethakhon, "and faulty delusions of truth!"

It was becoming all too clear for me.

They would not reconcile this time.

I would have to choose one.

...But I couldn't.

I couldn't possibly-

One side of me wanted one. Another wanted the other.

But I couldn't choose.

I couldn't I couldn't I couldn't I couldn-

CRACK

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

When I awoke, I could not move. I had reverted to the God Stone I use to sleep and could not get out.

But I could see everything. I could see Tentay and Pethakhon beholding two dragons that I quickly realized had split off from me, by sheer will to leave neither one behind. I could also see I had rolled off to the side, where no one could see me.

But if those two pieces of me were out there... What was the rest of me doing in here?

As I wondered this I witnessed the argument between the two brothers escalate further, and eventually they stormed out of the room.

Time passed. Day turned into night. Then the serpent came.

"Well well well, that was an entertaining show. I knew your powers were unstable but I never expected them to do THAT. Oh well, it works out for me plenty - those two idiots you were so protective of will decimate humanity by their actions, and those bits of you that spawned for them will only help.

I wriggled in my prison, trying desperately to escape and put Zygarde in their place. They noticed and chuckled.

"Oh how foolish. Don't try too hard to escape dear. You don't know what schisming off so much of your power has done to you."

Their form rippled.

"And besides. It's too late for you. I've already won."

He gave a hearty, echoing laugh as he dissipated into cells and disappeared.

----------

Throughout the night, I continued to wriggle and squirm. I HAD to fix this, I HAD to prove Zygarde wrong, I HAD to-

And then I broke free.

And then I felt it.

I could tell I was not the being I used to be. I felt weak. I felt empty. There was a gnawing hunger and emptiness at the bottom of my soul that I could not overcome.

I staggered through the hallways of the castle, in confusion and pain, when I came upon two guards, who recoiled at my approach.

"H-Halt! What monstrous kind of P-Pokémon are you?" said one.

I looked at that guard. And I hungered. The emptiness gnawed at me as I yearned for something to fill it.

I lunged.

The other guard screamed as my fangs sunk into his compatriot. I started devouring him, purely by instinct, rending flesh from bones.

"M-Monster! Monster!"

It is then I snapped back to my senses and realized exactly what I was doing.

I tried to say, "Wait, no, you don't understand!" but all it came out as was staticky buzzing. Then the guard fled.

Overwhelmed with grief, shock, and horror, it was then I did the same, leaving the tall pyramid castle I had called my home for centuries and never turning back.

-----------

I holed up in the crater I had first crash-landed in from thereon out, never emerging. Still, I saw many things.

I saw Unova burnt by a deluge of fire and electricity.

I saw Unova rebuild, become more technologically advanced, more close totheir Pokémon, then further away, then closer again.

I saw people settle the area where I lived, and grow to fear me as others had.

I saw one bit of kindness from a boy from those people.

I saw the white dragon that split from me return, join with me once more, filling my emptiness but causing her unbearable pain that racked me with guilt.

I saw all this, but one thing remained the same, for the most part.

I was alone. And I was unsure if that would ever truly change.

So all I could do was mourn all I had lost.

***

Bit of a downer, huh. But I hope you enjoyed it! WILL Kyurem's situation get better? We'll have to find out later - I've got other shit I've really got to get to writing.

[asterisquebloomed]

☀ What's your rp pet peeve?

Honestly, WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN!?

First off, godmodding. Instant way to tick me off. Fortunately it's been rather pleasant here on tumblr ( surprising, I know! ) and only one individual has broken that rule. Said person was also problematic in general. It's a good thing they're gone now.

Second, policing. I haven't experienced this myself thankfully, the lot I associate with are very chill and very accepting people. I've been quite fortunate to avoid the kinds of people who think it's their business to tell others how to write characters. Being a primarily fandomless blog, I don't see people telling me things like "Your portrayal is wrong" or "That's out of character", simply because they're MY characters. I am the authority for what is and what is not in-character for them, and no one can contest that. Despite not being a victim of it myself, I've heard stories from my partners about them receiving such treatment. Can't say I'm a fan. Let people write characters the way they want. It's not going to hurt you any, stop acting like the world is going to end just because someone writes a character a way you don't agree with—or writes something you don't agree with. It's fiction. Calm down.

Third, not tagging stuff. Like, at all. It's painful trying to find stuff on blogs that never tag anything, but more than that, some people have certain things blacklisted for a reason—for their own comfort and mental well being, more often than not.

Fourth, when someone has quite clearly not read your rules or even anything about your muses. I understand forgetting or getting confused, or not reading every single detail related to a character and just skimming their profile to get the gist of a character before throwing one's muse to the proverbial wolves, but if you don't even know the name of the character you're interacting with, then you've proven that you have no respect for the other writer in the slightest. Another thing that regrettably happens far too often is blogs approaching someone seeking explicit content when the person they approached has it very clearly in their rules that they do not write NSFW content. I have unfortunately had to deal with this at least once. Fortunately, I shut it down rather quickly without much complaint other than a rude comment of “why is your muse even talking about lewd things if you’re not going to write lewd things?”, but I’ve heard plenty of horror stories and even witnessed some occur upon the dash. There’s no excuse for not reading someone’s rules. It’s common decency and basic etiquette. If you can’t even show the other person that bare minimum of consideration, then please, just don’t interact with them.

Fifth and final, neglecting and leading your RP partners on. This is straight up manipulation and abuse. While it’s understandable to have muses and motivation wane, and sometimes you’re just not feeling a particular thread or interaction, it’s another thing entirely to make promises you have no intention of keeping. Life is hard at times, and we don’t always have the time or energy to devote to writing. There should never be an expectation of “you have to do this immediately, you owe this person something”. Roleplaying is something we do for fun. We’re here to enjoy ourselves, to make friends and build relationships between our characters, to create a story together. That said, the second that dishonesty takes hold and you begin neglecting your partner and actively avoiding interaction with them is the moment that you start abusing your partner, whether you’re aware you’re doing so or not. If you are not interested in interacting, say so. If you’re no longer feeling a ship, tell your partner. If you’re not comfortable or able to continue a particular thread, talk to the other writer. It’s become too commonplace for people on this site to refuse to communicate on the basis of inflated self-importance. Yes, you need to take care of your own needs first, but there’s a difference between putting yourself first, and treating only yourself as important. There’s a real person behind those blogs, who deserve the same respect you do. Please don’t treat them as machines that are there to serve your needs and nothing more. Communication and understanding are integral for a healthy relationship, and RPing is no different. You don’t have to defend your choices in front of the court, but not saying a word to someone and cutting them off is not only an extreme escalation, but it hurts the person on the other side of the screen. Would you want to be treated that way? I know I wouldn’t. Sadly, I have been treated that way, and I speak from experience, it is never pleasant. Be honest, communicate your needs and boundaries. Don’t tell people “everything is fine” when it isn’t. That’s just lying. A lot of people seem to be deathly afraid of confrontation, to the point they’d rather lie and mistreat people than say no to them, and that is something very saddening. In particular, regarding shipping, please. Please. PLEASE! Do not lead people on. That is one of the worst things you can do. By doing so, you’re letting people invest in something that you have no intention of delivering. I have witnessed this happen, and it was dreadful to watch. This is manipulation, no exceptions.

[americasass81]

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My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Beneath The Moonlight

Warnings 18+ for the following:- Non-Consensual Sex, Dubious Consensual Sex, Kidnapping, Language, Violence, M & F Penetrative Sex, F/F Penetrative Sex, Group Sex, Oral (Both M & F receiving), Betrayal, Fingering, Mention of Anal, Mild Spanking, Mild Choking, Mention of Degradation, Use of Pet Names, Mention of Edging, Branding, Implied Mind Manipulation. Seriously do not read if any of this upsets you, the warnings are there for a reason. Feedback is welcomed and any mistakes are my own.

By proceeding you are acknowledging that you are over 18 and are consenting to the content below the cut.

Pairings:- dark!Tony Stark x Reader; dark!Steve Rogers x Reader; dark!Natasha Romanoff x Reader; Tony Stark x Steve Rogers (implied established relationship); Implied other dark!Avengers x other kidnapped victims.

Author’s Note 1:- Got the idea for this from the new image of Doctor Strange in the trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Author’s Note 2:- Huge thanks goes to @nsfwsebbie for the amazing moodboard that accompanies this fic. Please go check out Sab’s work and pass on some love.

See the full post

95 notes • Posted 2021-08-29 19:48:55 GMT

#4

Infinity's Reward

Warnings:- Predominantly Fluff, Loss of Virginity, Dark Themes Mentioned or Implied Include Kidnapping, Non-Consensual Sex, Betrayal, Fingering, Minor Violence, Brief Mentions of Anal, Oral (m & f receiving), M & F Smut, Implied Breeding, Mild Language, Mild Spanking. Do not read if any of these warnings are upsetting. Feedback is welcomed.

By proceeding you are acknowledging that you are over 18 and are consenting to the content below the cut.

A/N 1:- This is for @saiyanprincessswanie 2.5k Followers Writing Challenge. Congratulations Missy you are an amazing writer and such a sweet and wonderful soul, and this fandom is so much richer for having you in it. The support you so freely give to others is truly remarkable and here's to the next 2.5k. lyl💞💞

Challenge parameters:- Steve Rogers (Character), First Time (Troupe), So you're telling me there's a chance (Movie Quote)

A/N 2:- Using the troupe First Time there's a couple of firsts dotted throughout. Also changed pieces of Endgame a bit as we all hate how that movie went down.

Pairing:- Steve Rogers x Reader

Word Count:- 10K+ (Oops!)

Synopsis:- Having returned the stones and done his part to restore the world, Steve Rogers is ready to retire and claim his reward . . . you just don't know it yet.

Parking your barracuda and locking it up before heading to the elevator you wondered what awaited you when you'd enter the compound. Only your second week back at work since Dr. Banner had undone five years worth of heartbreak and devastation and Tony Stark had sacrificed his right arm to finally rid the universe of Thanos and his army of vicious space creatures, the world was at last enjoying what it had lost. While the good people of Earth took their joy in what they now knew had been taken from them, the Avengers were back to dealing with the garden variety villains they used to deal with before blips, aliens and powerful colored stones.

For you, a data entry employee at the Avengers Compound, work just seemed to have increased lately. Although, as you now rode up in the elevator from the parking structure you figured a lot of that extra workload could be laid at the feet of one James 'Bucky' Barnes. True to form as you reached your desk, there sitting in your chair was the former assassin with a cup of coffee and a stack of files.

"Morning doll." he greeted, quickly vacating your seat before handing you the cup while you simply glared up at him.

"Don't you 'morning doll' me Mr. Barnes. Those files tell me you've got more reports you want doing and how many times do I have to tell you . . . I. DON'T. DRINK. COFFEE." you stated, poking him in the chest on each word just to hammer home your point.

"I remembered doll, that's why I got you a hot chocolate." he said, flashing you the broad smile that he knew you were a complete sucker for. "Besides, we both know you're better at this stuff than me and Sam has some thugs he wants to go check out."

Finally taking the drink from his outstretched hand and opening the top just to be sure, you sat down at your desk just as the aforementioned Captain America entered the room. Sighing deeply as Sam stopped beside Bucky while your friend Suzy headed to her desk, you took a gulp of your hot chocolate before speaking. "Fine, go do whatever it is you two do, these reports will be ready by the time you get back."

Smiling at you again as Sam turned to leave, Bucky leaned down on your desk before speaking. "Thanks doll, you're a saint. I promise I'll make it up to you," and with that he turned around and followed Sam out the door. Turning on your computer and picking up the first file, your morning got a whole lot more bizarre when Suzy wheeled her chair over beside you and rested her head in her hands while staring straight at you.

"Okay Suzy Q out with it, what's on your mind?" you asked while getting on with your work.

"Nothing, just wondering how a v-child like you has the Winter Soldier fawning all over her."

Wincing inwardly at her mention of the fact that you were still woefully inexperienced when it came to sex, you sometimes wondered in quiet moments if the chance had passed you by. While you were in no way against having sex, you also didn't want to have it just so you could lose your so called v-card. Growing up you had your own reasons to wait for the right person, but now with life and time ganging up on you you felt like the freak who had waited too long. Deciding that the best course of action was to ignore the subject as usual, you continued on with your work and thankfully after a few moments of silence Suzy got the message and headed back to start her own work.

Ten minutes into lunch you finally finished the last report and decided to treat yourself to some time by the lake. Taking a seat at one of the outdoor tables, you were surprised when a shadow covered the sun and you looked up to find one Steven Grant Rogers standing beside you. "Did you want something, Captain Rogers?" you asked meekly, trying not to stare too long or too directly at this pinnacle of human perfection.

"It's Steve or Mr. Rogers. Sam's the Captain now. Actually I prefer Steve." he corrected, before looking around for what you weren't sure. "Would you mind if I, umm, joined you?" he asked and if you didn't know any better you'd swear he seemed nervous. Still, knowing you weren't exactly great at reading people, you shrugged it off and pointed at the seat across from you.

Sitting down and watching you intently, you couldn't shake the feeling that the man had something on his mind and knowing you wouldn't be able to enjoy your lunch with him fidgeting across from you, you decided to face the problem head on. "Mr. Rogers. Steve," you added when he looked up at you, "is there perhaps something on your mind?"

"I'm sorry," he laughed, running his hand across his neck. "Is it that obvious?"

"A little." you laughed in return, waiting for him to continue.

"I just wanted to thank you for helping Bucky out. I know he can be a handful, but he's really a sweet guy once you give him a chance."

Not sure where exactly he was going with this, but having your suspicions that his mind was headed in the same direction as Suzy, you tried to figure out how to resolve this situation for the second time today without sounding like a total cow. "You don't need to thank me really. It's the least I can do given all he's been through. However, if you don't mind me saying, he seems more than capable of doing his own reports. Is there something else going on I'm not aware of?"

"Umm you could say that, I guess. Truth is he's been trying to figure out if you're seeing anyone." he confessed and you now groaned as the former Avenger stared at you with the same intensity you imagine he once used against his enemies. Relieved at least that you could have this conversation with Rogers instead of directly with his friend, you did your best to explain things without giving away too much details about your own private life. As it was, leaving Steve with the understanding that Bucky was not your type but you did have an interest in someone, you returned to work not knowing that a certain retired hero was left to figure out who had stolen his best girl from him and more importantly how to get her back.

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112 notes • Posted 2021-06-08 16:02:56 GMT

#3

!!WARNING:- 18+ ADULT CONTENT. BY CLICKING ANY TITLE BELOW YOU ARE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT YOU ARE OVER 18 AND CONSENT TO VIEWING THE CONTENT INCLUDED.!!

YOUR MEDIA CONSUMPTION IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY SO PLEASE READ ALL THE WARNINGS PROVIDED.

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170 notes • Posted 2021-08-28 19:55:43 GMT

#2

I Know What You Need

Warnings:- Smut, Aftercare, Fluff, Spanking, Mild Degradation, Use of Pet Names, Edging. 18+ only. Do not read if any of these warnings are upsetting. Feedback is welcomed.

By proceeding you are acknowledging that you are over 18 and are consenting to the content below the cut.

A/N:- This was written especially for @syntheticavenger who sparked the idea after posting the remark pictured below. This is my first time writing for Andy and I hope I pulled it off. As for you Synth, I really hope this hits the spot🤣😉.

Pairing:- soft-ish!Andy Barber x Female Reader

Word Count:- 2,137

He knew you didn't mean it. Life in general often brought you a little down, but now the current state of things, coupled with your present inebriated condition and this was bound to happen. But you both knew it couldn't go unchecked. Meeting Andy at a mixer when his firm was hired to do some work with your legal department, you immediately hit it off over your shared love of football. Having finally left his painful past behind him, Andy hadn't really been looking for anything new, but something about you drew him in.

Almost six months constantly bumping into each other around the office and sparks were definitely starting to fly. Andy loved how forceful and bossy you could be when working, how focused during the few presentations he had witnessed, mirrored with how free and animated you got when the two of you would frequent the canteen to discuss whatever football match you both had last seen and it quickly dawned on him that you were something special.

Realizing that his world seemed a whole lot brighter with you in it, he didn't waste much time when the contract between your two firms neared completion. Three days before it ended, he cornered you in one of the many conference rooms and asked if you would be interested in joining him for dinner. Informing him that his offer might be considered if he knew any place that served both good wine and pasta, he smirked knowingly before walking away leaving you to wonder if you had seen the last of him.

Twenty-four hours later and there you were, sitting in Andy's car on your way to who knows where. Eventually pulling up to what looked like an old run down warehouse, Andy gracefully led you inside where a beautiful miniature park, complete with skylight, water feature and seating area took your breath away. "Impressed?" he questioned, and looking around all you thought was there was no way pasta was on the menu. Still, ever the polite young person you were raised to be, you looked around a few minutes before speaking.

"Yeah, it's definitely beautiful here. How did you find it?"

"Came across this place a little over a year and a half ago. Been working on it here and there ever since." he said, walking you towards the seating area. Sitting you down with a wide grin on his handsome face, he then reached behind the bench wall and pulled forth two specially insulated bags. "It even comes complete with dining services." he added as he opened up the bigger bag and produced two gloriously hot pasta dishes. Taking in the wonderful smell, he then brought out the wine and two glasses from the smaller bag and you had to admit, he may actually have brought you to heaven.

Eating the delicious meal, amid the beautiful surroundings and wonderful company, you thought your night couldn't possibly get any better until Andy suggested taking you on a night time drive through the city before dropping you home. Doing all you could not to jump his bones right there, you held your composure and smiled gratefully at him before accepting.

Now here you were, three months after that glorious night and countless dates in between, firmly back in the present with an irate boyfriend, a belly full of wine and a mouth determined to do nothing but dig you a deeper hole. " 'm not sryy." you slurred out as Andy rolled up his sleeves and shoved you face first into the couch before placing your body securely across his thick thighs.

"No honey?" he questioned, running his hands along your ass and thighs while squeezing hard every so often, "well let me see what I can do about that," and with that the sound of fabric tearing reached your ears as your panties were ripped from you. Knowing now that you were in trouble by the use of 'honey' and the discarded panties, a shiver worked its way up your spine as Andy lowered his upper body along your back to rest his lips against your ear. "Care to tell me what got us here, huh?" and no response from you was rewarded with a loud slap against your now exposed ass.

Crying out, his hand then massaged the soft flesh as he waited for you to finally answer. "Screamed at you for not being here when I got home."

"Right, but my meeting was on the calendar for a month. Could it be something else is going on?" and when you just flipped him the finger, he swiftly brought your hands behind your back and rained down four blows on each cheek and both your thighs. Trying to stifle the sounds that were a mix between a shriek and a moan, he wormed his fingers between your folds and tutted loudly when his fingers came away wet.

"Look at this honey," he mocked, moving his fingers in front of your face before stuffing them into your mouth. Leaving them there until you got the message, he bent forward once more as you licked the moisture from them. "That's it honey, clean them good. Oh my word, look at you, filthy little thing trying to get herself off while I'm here teaching you some manners." he sneered as he stilled your movements with a bit more pressure on your lower back.

"Andy baby, please?" you begged, removing your mouth from his fingers and turning your head to face him. Looking at your tear streaked face he might have taken pity on you, but something told him in this moment, this was what you needed.

"Don't 'Andy baby' me, honey, you brought this on yourself. Tell me what's really going on. Now." he demanded, and you knew from his tone not answering would have you sore for a week.

"Work was bad." you finally admitted, feeling a bit of relief just saying those three little words. "Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong and I guess I just lost it."

"Yeah, and the wine didn't help either. How many times have I told you drinking is not the answer?" he asked and once more your answer was cut off as his hand made contact with your ass. "You're going to count for me honey and maybe, just maybe, I might go easy on you," and with that you moaned out the numbers one to ten as Andy's hand made contact with your nether regions over and over again.

Finally satisfied, Andy released you and sitting you on his lap, wiped your tears as a pout formed on your lips. "Aw what's the matter now honey? Did I stop before my girl got to come? Here let me help you out." he smirked as he moved his hand down to your now swollen and sensitive folds. Moving his fingers up and down along your slit, he alternated between delving into your warm heat and circling your throbbing clit. Keeping your tender ass firmly nestled against his growing erection so you couldn't move, he worked you up so good that just when your body finally began to sing . . . the music stopped.

Turning your head once more to look at him, he simply winked at you and licked his fingers clean as your brain realized what he had in store. Kissing you fiercely to stifle your protests, he allowed your body to cool off before starting his ministrations all over again. Five more times of this treatment, and you actually apologized for your behavior as your legs kicked out at nothing in a desperate attempt just to do something.

At last taking pity on you, or perhaps himself, he got up, tossed you on the couch and ripped your top clean down the middle. Ignoring your complaints, he then added to the humiliation by forcing your tits out of your bra and slapping each one repeatedly as his other hand began freeing his cock from the confines of his pants. Gazing down on his hard and impressive length, he gave you a moment to enjoy the view, before taking his shaft and slotting it into your waiting pussy in one powerful thrust.

Moaning out at the warm, grasping feeling of your tight, wet walls, he set up a punishing rhythm as his powerful hips pounded into your sore ass. Telling you over and over again how wet and welcoming your pussy was, it didn't long for the tension he had built up in your body to finally snap and you came with a shriek as a powerful orgasm ripped through you. Slapping your tits once again as his cock and hips continued to guide you through your high, you knew he had no intention of letting you down as the pressure started building once again.

Pleading with him to slow down, he took your words as a challenge and sucking hard enough on both breasts that you knew you would still feel it tomorrow, he thrust a few more times before bringing his fingers to your clit and squeezing hard. Screaming loudly and arching your back as you came hard around him for the second time, he pulled out just in time and sprayed his seed all over your exposed chest.

Laying his forehead against yours while kissing you tenderly and rubbing his cum into your skin, he waited patiently until your breathing returned to normal before speaking. "Feeling better sweetheart?" and the change of pet name told you that all was as it should be and your punishment was over.

"Yeah." you answered slowly, finally sounding like yourself again. "Thank you. Sometimes I just ne . . ."

"Need to not be in charge all the time." he finished for you, before continuing. "I know sweetheart and you know I'm always here for you, no questions, no judgements. But maybe next time lower the volume a bit, my ears are still ringing." he laughed and you couldn't help but break into laughter along with him.

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272 notes • Posted 2021-06-10 20:51:30 GMT

#1

Did You Think I Wouldn’t Find You

Warnings:- Stalking, Home Invasion, Smut, Dubious Consent, Non-Consensual Sex, Violence, Possessiveness, Oral (m & f receiving), Mention of Previous Branding, Mention of Implied Breeding, Minor Knife Play, Drugging, Swearing, Somnophilia, Mind Games, Spanking, Anal, Choking.  Do not read if any of these warnings are upsetting.

By proceeding you are acknowledging that you are over 18 and are consenting to the content below the cut.

A/N:- The inspiration for this lies firmly with Bucky’s dagger hanging on my wall, @nsfwsebbie​ fic Scars and all the countless, exceptional dark!writers here who continue to treat us all to some outstanding content.  Feedback is welcomed.

Word Count:- 8,634

Heading back to your apartment after a long day, you couldn't hide the niggling feeling between your shoulder blades, but blamed it on everything and anything except the obvious.  Two years into your new life and as far as you were concerned, the past you had run from was now well and truly behind you.  Having left behind your biggest mistake, you now kept yourself busy working at the local farm and adventure park, and you had to admit that although sometimes gruelling, the benefits far outweighed the negatives.  For one, the animals were a joy to be around and getting to see city kids interact with them was a whole new experience.  Taking time to grab dinner on the way home, you entered through the main complex gate and headed towards your place.

Though not as nice as the world you left behind, at least here your life was your own, to live as you saw fit.  Noticing that your next door neighbor had finally moved away, you wondered how long it would be before the apartment would be occupied again.  Though a bit on the expensive side compared to some of the other apartment complexes, the sense of security afforded here was well worth the price.  Taking your key out of your bag as you passed the fountain and rose bushes, the yawn that left your lips told you that dinner, a bath and a soft bed were what awaited you the first night of your three week vacation.

Opening the door and heading inside, you sighed heavily as you locked and bolted it behind you.  Though you'd finally stopped looking over your shoulder, the sporadic niggling above your left hip which meant you'd never again don a bikini, was a constant reminder that though now half a world away, you could never again allow complacency to get a foothold on your life.  Taking off your work boots before stepping into your trainers, you gave your apartment a quick once over, before heading to the kitchen to heat up the pasta and open the wine you had treated yourself to.  Though you normally never drank, still blaming alcohol for the mistakes that led you here, this was your first vacation in two years and come three weeks time, school tours would ensure that your days were a lot busier so you planned on enjoying yourself.

Sitting down once your food was ready, you tucked into the delicious meal and thought about what you might do with your time off.  There was of course that new action movie which opened last week that you were dying to see, but after that, you figured you might just spend the time relaxing with some good books.  Working outdoors with a lot of manual labor involved meant you didn't really need to work out to keep in shape, so any free time really got to be spent taking things easy.  Finally having finished your pasta, you washed up afterwards and taking the wine, headed upstairs towards the bedroom.

Placing the bottle and glass on the nightstand, you opened the top drawer out of habit and confirmed that the metal object was still where it always was.  Reaching out as if to take it, you quickly pulled your hand back, closed the drawer again and shaking your head, took a mouthful of the fruity beverage before heading towards the small couch.  Sitting down, you began removing your clothes as your thoughts drifted to the warm bath that would hopefully ease away the tension that was slowly making itself at home in your slightly aching body.

Finally divested of all the layers, you put on your fuzzy robe, refilled your glass of wine and headed down the hall to your spacious bathroom.  Say what you will about the security afforded in this gated community, for you, this apartment's crowning glory was the fact that its bathroom not only housed an excellent shower with impressive water capabilities, but on nights like this, you also got to enjoy the luxurious bath that accompanied the facilities.  Placing the glass on the inner wall and turning on the taps while doing what you needed to do, your mind slowly began to move itself into relaxation mode.

Flushing the toilet and placing your robe on the hook, you turned off the water, added your favorite bubble bath and lifting your feet, slowly sank into the warm welcoming waters.  Reaching for the remote and turning on the sound system you had installed just outside the door, you took another sip of wine, closed your eyes and allowed the soothing music to take you away to another world.

Using all the stealth and experience that his life afforded him, the intruder easily made his way through the window in the spare room and listened for any sign that you might interrupt him.  Knowing that he was going to get you back, he wasn't yet ready to have you find out that the life you had built without him was actually a lie.  Heading to your bedroom while a soft light and soothing music indicated that you were still enjoying your bath, he couldn't hide the smile that graced his features upon opening the drawer in the nightstand to reveal his best friend's dagger.

Taking out the blade and recalling the last night he had held both it and you in his arms, his crotch tightened at the memory of it's sharp edges leaving his mark on your delicate skin.  Pulling himself back to the present, he knew there would be plenty of time ahead to get reacquainted with what was his, but right now, he had a mission to complete.  Checking to make sure no other weapons were in your possession, he returned the blade for now and syncing his phone to your apartment’s hidden cameras, headed back out into the hall towards the room that held his prize.

Delighting at how easily this whole trip had been, he watched transfixed as you relaxed in the water, unaware of the danger standing a few feet away.  Acknowledging this as confirmation that you needed the type of protection only he could provide, he watched as long as he comfortably could before he worried his presence might be found out.  Moving forward slowly, while making sure not to disturb you, he slipped his hand into the pocket of his hoodie and removed the petals he had pulled from one of the rose bushes by the fountain.  Kissing them delicately, he threw them into the bath and watching a few more seconds as some of them landed on your exposed body, he finally tore himself away from the sight before him and headed back out the way he came to watch your reaction on the cameras that were installed in this and every other apartment in this exclusive complex.

As the water started to cool, you opened your eyes and the horror hit you as the rose petals floating on the surface indicated you were not alone.  Turning off the stereo and listening closely for any and all sound, you washed as quickly as possible and pulling on your robe, made a beeline for the blade nestled in your nightstand before checking every possible point of entry into your once peaceful sanctuary.  Finding nothing out of the ordinary, though knowing the rose petals didn't appear out of thin air, you returned the dagger to its usual hiding place and prepared for bed.

Tossing and turning throughout the night at the slightest noise, you finally found some respite as the golden rays of the morning sun began to edge their way across the floor.  Rising sluggishly from the warmth surrounding you, you hated how your hand instinctively reached towards the nightstand to ensure the thing that sent you running for the hills two years ago, was still within arms reach should the need to defend yourself arise.  Seeing the dark metal through the small gap that you grudgingly opened, you decided that you wouldn't hide away in bed for the next three weeks and so began the task of getting dressed and facing your demons head on.

Eating quickly, you then did another check in daylight of the apartment's exits before making a list of groceries needed for the week ahead.  Finally satisfied that everything was in order, you made a note to talk to the head of security once you returned before heading off into the local city.  Though you no longer felt the sensation in your shoulders that you ignored last night, you now found that two years of building yourself back up had taken a setback.  Sitting at the very back of the bus so no one could surprise you from behind, any single, broad shouldered man not making eye contact made you wonder if he had finally managed to track you down.  Knowing however that his possessiveness knew no bounds, you assumed, to your future detriment, that patience was not a tactic he would employ where you were concerned.

Stepping off the bus and heading to the nearest supermarket, you kept your phone in your hand and your eyes alert, but as the trip went on and the day continued, nothing out of the ordinary happened.  In fact, things were so mundane, that by the time you hailed a cab and returned to your apartment, you asked Joel to check the windows and doors citing nothing but the freaky storm that had occurred three days previous.  Walking throughout the apartment and reassuring you that everything was fine, Joel left you with the promise that all security staff would be told to be extra vigilant simply as a precaution.  Grateful for this added measure, without being probed as to your possible motives, you thanked him and offered to get his kids free access to the adventure park when your vacation was over and they had a break from school.

Closing the door and locking it once more after Joel took his leave, you then set about putting away your shopping before deciding what you wanted to do with the rest of your day.  Settling on a bowl of warm salted popcorn and a movie, five hours later found you relaxed on the couch, with a snowy television screen and a half eaten bowl of popcorn, while the drool on the cushion and the time on your phone confirmed that sleep had come calling.  Turning off the tv before rising from the couch and stretching out your limbs, you quickly cleared up the uneaten snack and decided you might be better off doing something to engage your mind.  

Heading upstairs to the spare bedroom which you had turned into a gym, you turned on some music and began your stretching routine.  Once satisfactorily limbered up, you headed over to the exercise bike and worked through your usual reps before dismounting and helping yourself to some water from the nearby mini fridge.  Next up was the punching bag and though the memory of his voice coaching you through the routine tried to distract you, the memory buried deep in your muscle tissue won out and half an hour later, sweat glistened off every inch of your body as you poured out all your fear and frustration into the huge bag before you.

Cooling off with a light yoga session afterwards, you lay back on the mat and stared at the ceiling, wondering if your life would ever again be normal.  Finally giving up on the internal cataloguing of what ifs and what might be, you rose from the floor and headed off towards the bathroom to shower off the workout session.  Being the first day that you were once again fully naked in the same room where the petal incident occurred, you stepped under the cascading water as your hand lingered on the shield and letters that now marred your once flawless skin and forever marked you as his.  Pulling yourself back to the present, you quickly washed and headed downstairs to eat dinner and enjoy a warm fire with the movie you slept through earlier.  Eventually settling in for the night, two more days passed before the next incident occurred.

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293 notes • Posted 2021-04-29 14:49:50 GMT

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