#they can not make sense of it. and it’s really scary.

[surgepricing]

I think about Azula shooters often and their common refrain of "if Azula hadn't had a mental breakdown, she would've won" and I'm here to tell you that no, she wouldn't have.

There is no universe in which Azula was winning that fight with Zuko (or Katara, for that matter).

Azula spent so much of Book 2 being built up as this deadly terrifying force against whom the heroes are badly outmatched that it can be difficult to catch exactly how quickly Zuko is advancing.

Back up a bit to Book One. For the fearsome exiled crown prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko's not that impressive a firebender. He's not bad by any stretch, and he's able to lay the untrained Sokka and Katara flat pretty easily. Then he gets in the ring with Aang, who is an airbending master, and the difference between a regular bender and a master becomes apparent when Aang literally puts his ass to bed:

People have attributed this to the fact that no one's fought an airbender in 100 years, but I think it's also worth noting that Aang (a 12 year old from a pacifist nation) has probably never fought anyone before. Like, ever. And yet the second Aang thinks "okay, I'll attack back", the fight's over.

Zuko's got the same genetic predisposition for firebending talent that Azula does, yet it never seems to manifest because of his mental blocks. At the beginning of the series, he's already so beat down that all he really has is conviction, pride, and anger, so even with training from Iroh (the firebending master, thank you very much), he struggles. Yet throughout Book 2, when he has no time to train because he's on the run, he actually seems to advance faster. The fact that his bending is literally tied to his character arc (as his morals become tangled and he has to fight off aforementioned mental blocks) is pretty brilliant. Like, by the time of the Crossroads of Destiny, Zuko getting his ass handed to him by Aang is a pretty consistent feature of the show--he just can't match wits with him.

Hell, at the beginning of the series, he and Iroh (again: the actual firebending master) launch a combined power surface-to-air attack...which Aang casually swats away into a nearby ice wall. Come the Crossroads of Destiny, however, and Zuko by himself launches this bigass fireball that blows through Aang's defenses.

Zuko advances so quickly that it's scary. That prodigious talent is in him even if it doesn't come through as cleanly as with Azula. Who, by the way, was busy about to get flattened by Katara some few dozen feet away, until Zuko took over and then effectively stalemated her himself.

All of this in retrospect makes it abundantly clear why Zuko's firebending seemed to skyrocket so much when he learned true firebending from the Sun Warriors: it was really the only thing left. He's hard a hard road learning how to fight waterbenders, earthbenders, and airbenders, and even if unconsciously, he's applying the philosophy Iroh taught him about augmenting his bending style with aspects of other styles (see also, the waterbending-like fire whips he uses in the above gif). Once he actually understands fire and how it works, he's got it mastered. Hence why any gap between him and Azula effectively disappears as soon as their next fight--before her friends have betrayed her and her stability goes out the window. There's no real sense of urgency to their fight at the Boiling Rock prison. True, Sokka's presence with the sword helps, but Zuko doesn't look remotely worried and he counters Azula's every attack perfectly.

All her life, Azula only ever learned fire. She was taught by the best people the fire nation can employ, so she knows all the cool tricks, but she's still poisoned by the corrupted firebending practiced in the modern ATLA timeline. Unlike Zuko, who managed to get the basics if nothing else from Iroh (fire comes from the breath, and can be used to survive as much as to kill), Azula has always used fire as a weapon and a means to hurt others. She has no true knowledge of the craft, meaning she's got the same weaknesses as Zhao, she's just better disciplined to the point she can make up for it.

Zuko's victory was a given considering Azula's complete loss of control by the time of Sozin's comet, but even had she been in a perfect mental state, she'd have lost, because in many ways Zuko is simply the better firebender.

And that's the truth of it.

[ask-the-pioneer]

"I sure do! Watch this..."

"I can make explosive spears and throwables, just like my mom did. I can also propel myself in the air by whipping my tail very fast, which sets off the same flammable compound in my tail surface for an explosive boost. Very handy for movement, but also very loud… not great if you're trying to be stealthy. And yeah, my sibling could do that too, but he was always more interested in doing other things. An energetic but very scatterbrained kid that he was."

[She takes aim and throws the spear somewhere far away. It ignites and explodes with a loud dull bang that shakes the ground slightly]

"I can't do that too often, though. Maybe a handful of times in quick succession before my muscles tense up and burn as if scorched by flames. One time it got so bad that I lost consciousness and couldn't move for a couple of minutes after waking up. That was scary, and hurt like hell... since then I've been more careful. That said, I wonder if there are more slugcats with similar abilities to mine out there? I have not met that many scugs in my life to begin with, if I'm honest..."

"Of course I remember my family, how could I not! My sibling's name is… hmmm, right, let me explain this first. Slugcats have very good sense of smell. Usually, we know one another by our unique scents. They are incredibly complex, but can be written down as series of letters, if you map those symbols to the corresponding scent proteins and other chemical compounds. For example, my scent name would be:"

"Addmitely, this notation method is very over-engineered – a slugcat just knows you are you if they smell you. From what I learned, scugs don't really use a coherent writing system.. of any kind. I think the colonies may use pictograms? I uh, I've never been a part of a colony, so I'm missing a lot of info here. Still, what I wrote on the wall – I have used an Ancient script, which I roughly mapped to key compounds that make a scent. As you can see, it's incredibly long, it can also change over time, parts of it can be masked with non-organic aromas to hide your identity, so on and so forth. To simplify even further, these long strings of letters can be shortened to just the last three or two characters, and this is what scugs may choose to use to refer to one another. Here, my scent name is MGV."

"Then, there are names that resemble the form that the Ancients would use. It's considered more refined, and more common in big colonies where people adopt their preferable roles. Those names are viewed as a kind of «gift», because you receive it from your community. It's a symbol of how they see you, what you mean to them. Of course, my closest family was never a part of a colony… but my mom would still give me and my sibling those special names. I was named «Blue», which is the color of the sky above when it's not raining, and the color of clear water. My brother's name is «Bryn» after a very fragrant medicinal plant that relaxes your muscles when consumed. I always found it funny, as my brother was often the one getting in trouble and giving our mom heartaches."

[She pauses for a moment, thinking intensively]

"Hmm, I never thought of asking my mother about her name. I wonder if she had one? To me and it was always just «mom»…"

"My other parent? I never knew him. Must have left just before or right after my mom had me, because there is literally nothing I remember of him… or them… whoever they were."

[She takes some pearls out from her bag, and inspects them one by one just to keep her hands busy]

"Mom would never talk about him, as if he never existed. And I never questioned her, I was too young to understand and simply accepted everything at face value. It was just the way things were. Would I want to meet my other parent? Maybe, but I doubt it'd make a difference. What would I even say to them? «Thanks for abandoning mom and leaving her to fend for herself»? "

"I don't know. Maybe I'm too harsh. Maybe he was a hero who sacrificed themself to save my mother. That could explain why he was never seen or heard of again. But… I have no way of knowing for sure. It's the life I won't be getting back anyway."

// In the second drawing, I've used logographs from @ikayblythe's Standard Hegemonic Dialect

[ninyard]

do you think if aaron and katelyn had kids (twins possibly?) that andrew would make a pact with katelyn not aaron to protect them if anything happened. Been considering it for a while now

I’m imagining what that’d look like and all that comes to mind is if Aaron ever mentioned something in therapy along the lines of not being able to cope if his kids grow up the way he did. They’re talking about the future and Aaron is talking about kids with Bee, and he says something like,

“I really want to have kids. I do. I want to give them what I didn’t have. But I’m afraid that I still don’t know any better, and I’m just going to fuck them up anyway.“

“And what if you did? Or at least, think that you did?” Betsy asks. “What if something happens, or you make a little mistake in raising them, what then?”

And he thinks about it for a minute. He looks at Andrew briefly, he looks at himself. He can’t look at Betsy. Maybe his eyes are glued to the ceiling.

“I couldn’t live with myself,” Aaron answers. “Knowing things could’ve been different and they weren’t.”

I think the deal that Andrew could’ve made with Katelyn, when he finds out that she’s pregnant, would’ve been to always, always, always, prioritise their children over Aaron. It doesn’t make much sense to her - why would Andrew, who has always been so fiercely protective over Aaron, now say to her don’t put him first?

No matter what happens - if Aaron relapses, if he overworks himself, if his nightmares get worse or his past comes back to haunt him, Andrew wants her to promise that she’ll never let the kids suffer for the sake of Aaron. Andrew can always look after him. He can help in anyway he knows how. But what’ll only make things worse is if Aaron starts spiralling, and now his kids start to see him as addict dad, scary dad, angry dad, absent dad. Mommy doesn’t have time to play with us because daddy won’t get out of bed. It’d kill Aaron to become the thing he’s always resented his own biological father for - not being there, not caring about his kids. To hear his kids say I hate you would destroy him.

So Andrew makes her promise to shelter them from that. Aaron will worry and scream and cry don’t you take my fucking kids if she ever takes them away from him while he’s recovering, to her moms house, or somewhere else.

He’ll raise hell so she doesn’t leave with them; but he won’t survive if they stay.

He won’t survive if his kids grow up just waiting for dad to have a bad spell again. Waiting for something to happen. Going to sleep afraid of what mood dad might be in when they wake up. Growing up remembering what it looked like when dad hadn’t showered or shaved in two weeks. What it sounded like when he yelled at mom because he’d been working for three weeks straight. The way his eyes looked when he was high, and they were too young to know what it was.

He’d rather be locked in a bathroom with Andrew outside the door for a month, his kids thinking that daddy’s on a business trip, than expose them to the life he only has because of his fuck up parents.

Maybe that’s a deal Andrew makes with Katelyn. Maybe.

[angelscovee]

𝑚𝑦 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔

🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮

ʀᴇǫᴜᴇsᴛ ☞︎ ɪᴅ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ɴɪᴋᴀᴀᴀᴀ ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ɪs ᴜsᴜᴀʟʟʏ ᴀ sᴜᴘᴇʀ ᴄʟᴏsᴇᴅ ᴏꜰꜰ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ, ʙᴜᴛ ɴɪᴋᴀ ᴇᴠᴇɴᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋs ᴅᴏᴡɴ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀs ᴡᴀʟʟs ᴀɴᴅ sᴇᴇs ʜᴏᴡ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ is

⇝ ɴɪᴋᴀ ᴍᴜ̈ʜʟ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

⇝ ꜰʟᴜꜰꜰ, ᴀɴɢsᴛ (ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ sǫᴜɪɴᴛ sʟɪɢʜᴛʟʏ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛᴇɴ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅs)

⇝ ᴍᴀsᴛᴇʀᴛʟɪsᴛ

🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮🝮

it was really no secret to anyone that i was more of a reserved kind of girl, i always kept to myself, never overshared, and was always more on the quiet side.

and of course, this never changed, even when i started dating nika. i have never broke down the many walls i have set up for anyone ever.

most people see me as this cold, emotionless, rude, and over all not a friendly person, but that honestly couldn't be further from the truth.

its just that no one has "broken down" the barriers i've set. in reality im the complete opposite of everything i just listed.

nika has always insisted on getting me to open up to her about things, but i've always been so closed off and reserved that i just can't bring myself to do that.

but lately our arguments have been a bit more frequent, and as you can guess, they're about me not being open with her.

ꜰʟᴀsʜʙᴀᴄᴋ

"i just dont get why its so hard for you to tell me this kind of stuff! im your girlfriend for fucks sake! you should be able to trust me!" nika was currently going off about how i've never opened up to her in the slightest, i always brush things off as if everything is okay.

"its not about that nika! it doesn't have anything to do with that! i don't tell anyone my business, anyone. not just you." i wasn't lying when i said this either, growing up it was always hard for me to express my feelings.

so now being with someone who is very passionate with what they feel, and not being afraid to show how they feel has had its ups and downs.

that argument we had that night was not pretty, but after a few hours we were finally able to solve it thankfully.

ᴇɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ꜰʟᴀsʜʙᴀᴄᴋ

but now, its as if nika was slowly breaking down everything i built. as if they never existed. making me able to come to her whenever.

and since then our relationship has gotten stronger than ever. shes gotten me to actually be able to come to her when I'm bothered about something instead of just brushing it off like i always did.

and for that i will always be grateful, if it wasn't for her, i don't think i would ever have been able to communicate correctly with anyone.

nika has gotten pretty good at reading my facial expressions and body language, so i guess she could sense that something just wasn't right, she came up to me and sat next to me on the couch of our apartment.

"whats wrong? you look tense." she put her hand on my thigh giving me a slight sense of comfort as i sigh and lean back not knowing how to tell her.

"cmon remember what we talked about? honesty, and trust?" i looked over at her as she spoke vividly remembering the conversation we had.

i sigh as i finally spoke up, voicing my concerns to her. "its just that, its just that it all feels weird, you know? it's all so new to me and i just don't know how well i'm taking it." nika listened intently to me voicing my concerns.

although it concerns her that i'm not taking this whole being open and communicating correctly thing great, shes thankful that i was open enough to share this with her, wanting to be there every step of the way with me.

"i know it might feel scary, but you're doing great, everything is gonna take its time and you're going to adjust to it soon. but for now, we just have to take it slow." she gave me a small reassuring smile to which i returned.

knowing there was someone who truly understands me, someone willing to listen to me, and be there for me no matter what, it makes me feel like i'm worth something.

she makes me feel seen, feel loved, feel special. as if i'm the only girl in the world that truly matters, so why wouldn't i fight as hard as she does in our relationship?

"i genuinely don't know what i would've done if i hadn't met you." i look at her grabbing her hand, making eye contact getting lost in her eyes. she was the most gorgeous girl i've ever laid my eyes on.

"you're the best person to ever come into my life y/n, i wouldn't have it any other way." and with that we got comfortable on our couch cuddled up together.

knowing that it was just us right here right now made everything feel better, laying on my couch with the girl of my dreams.

maybe letting some walls down for her wouldn't be such a bad idea, it might be good for me, for us.

my rules were always to 1. never let anyone break down everything you built up in order to keep everything shielded, and 2. never let people know how you feel.

but with nika, i can proudly tell her this. "i broke my rules for you." i say as i stare at her face thats laying on my chest.

"i'm so glad you trusted me enough to do that." with that, i knew that there was nothing nika and i couldn't overcome. we were true soulmates.

i knew this girl was forever going to be mine, she'll forever be my everything.

[aveloka-draws]

So I've always kind of wanted a Tumblr account but never got around to it but aaaa ever since I came across your page I was like heck I gotta make one just so I can say how much I love your art!!!

COTL is such a big thing for me and the way you draw the lamb both cute and loving and yet slightly terrifying just hits all the right notes for me. I really wish when I draw I could get that same sense of feeling across aaa Wanted to ask, when lamb gets all scary smiley is he struggling to maintain control of his new powers all the time, or is he sometimes doing it to mess with Narinder? It almost feels like he does it intentionally to tease him (which I kind of live for).

Aww thank you so much!

A mix of both? They like scaring others sometimes, but godhood pushes them a little further to the point they feel the need to hide, so they can calm down.

[matan4il]

have you ever been able to have any Palestinian friends? I'm not asking this as a gotcha question at all, but sincerely (I know anons on here can be scary), I was wondering about it because an Israeli I follow on Instagram was asked about this a few days ago in his stories, and he said he was never able to have friends in Gaza, but he did have friends in the West Bank, and they've almost all cut him off completely following 10/7, and some really hurt him by showing support for the massacre. he said he's still got his Arab Israeli and Palestinian friends who are Israeli citizens, that they may disagree sometimes but haven't to a breaking point because they live in the nation together and want peace and are supportive of each other through differences, but those friendships in the West Bank are sadly over. he also said that he's had friends he's known for years from places all over the world who dropped him after the terror attack just because he's Israeli and Jewish, which I think is all too familiar for ALL of us because I don't know a single Jew who hasn't lost multiple friends, online and off, through all this and through no fault of their own, just existing as Jews. it makes me so sad. but knowing he was cut off because of support of the massacre from Palestinians was depressing to hear, you think people are your friends and then find out they approve your people's rape and slaughter? and until they stop deeply hating Jews to that point, how can there be peace? he seems like such a good person and centers humanity and does want peace, as I know most Israelis do, but one side can't achieve that alone.

sorry this is long. *hugs*

Hi Nonnie,

thank you for the ask, and I hope you're doing good! *hugs*

I have had Palestinian friends. True, not from Gaza. Israel left it in 2005, and there has been an internationally recognized border between us since. Ironically, I think the only Israelis who could have given you a different answer up until Oct 7 were the southern communities that Hamas attacked and massacred. They lived right on the border, most were left wing Israelis, many volunteered to help Palestinians in one capacity or another (such as driving them to get medical care inside Israel), or chose to employ Palestinians (despite how some might have warned them that it's a security risk), and that illusion of friendship was shattered when it became clear that it was exactly those Gazans who provided the intel on southern Israeli communities, that was needed to plan and carry out the massacre. Not every single Gazan, of course. But enough that this is a true betrayal in the worst sense of the word.

In my case, some of the Palestinians I've befriended over the years have been uni friends or colleagues, but the closest and longest lasting friendships have been with gay Palestinians who I share a community with. They can't be safely openly gay anywhere under Palestinian rule, so they would come to Israeli gay community centers, and were received warmly there. I also was in one fandom, where someone heard I'm from Jerusalem, and said they know another Israeli from Jerusalem. Turned out, it was a Palestinian girl from East Jerusalem, and while I'm no longer that active in said fandom, I'm still in touch with that girl.

I feel very lucky to say that I haven't lost these friendships since Oct 7. Ironic, because I've "lost" friendships (if that's what they ever were) with so many hypocritical foreigners who don't live this conflict, and aren't affected by it, beyond their need to show everyone they're "on the right side," but I haven't lost the people who are actually a part of it. It's almost like foreigners have no idea about the actual complicated reality of this conflict, nor a desire to learn about it, just a need to reduce it to "good" and "bad," taking whichever side social media tells them is the former. My Palestinian friends know me, they know how I treat other human beings (spoiler alert: as human beings!) and they also know my opinions, and that I see myself as being both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian. I guess they agree with me that my opinions are in favor of both groups, or I'm sure that they would have cut ties with me already.

There is one exception, though it predates Hamas' massacre. I've mentioned in my pride post that I've volunteered for the gay community in my city, at the Jerusalem Open House. In fact, there was a certain year where I won an award for being the organization's stand out volunteer. I mention this, because I have always seen myself as being there for everyone, and I feel like that award was an acknowledgement of that.

The very first Palestinian queer organization ever actually started out as "the Palestinian project" of the JOH, an attempt to create a safe space for, support and help queer Palestinians. One member of the group became very dominant and after a few years, she decided they should be an independent organization. The JOH gave its blessing, and agree to rent out one of its offices to her, and provide the physical space for the organization's activities (since obviously, they couldn't be openly held in Ramallah or Bethlehem, under the rule of the Palestinian Authority). I met her there, and we became friends. Not the closest, but def more than just acquaintances. I was very proud of her work for her community, and often told others about it.

One day, I was sitting in the JOH main space, talking to people about the problem of honor killings. It's widespread within Arab society (one researcher believes about 20,000 women are murdered for this around the world every year), and that includes Palestinians. I was specifically asked about it, and was answering the question out of a deep concern for Palestinian lives, mainly women and queers (including my own friends), threatened or murdered for the perception that they "violated" their family's honor. For the record, such a violation can be simply a guy kissing another one, a woman being raped, a biological male coming out and living as a trans woman, a mother getting a divorce and dating a new man, or a daughter defying her father's wishes and pursuing higher education. I have seen Palestinians (and Israeli Arabs) murdered for all of these reasons, and I HATE it and think more needs to be done to prevent such crimes. I also have queer Palestinian friends, who have tried to seek refuge in western countries because of a threat to their lives within their own society, sometimes from their own families. They were denied, and had to go deep into the closet. It's a miserable existence, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

She walked by while I was talking. IDK what exactly she heard, but she then went to the CEO of the JOH and complained that I was being racist. For caring about the lives of Palestinians. For comparison, I linked above to an Amnesty International piece about honor killings. Are they being racist for bringing up this problem, and speaking up for Arab women everywhere, too? The CEO called me in for a talk, was convinced that I wasn't being racist, and that was that. But it left me shook up. That was the first time I realized that this woman prioritized Palestinian society's appearance, over the actual well being of fellow Palestinian women and queers. I never talked to her again after that, nor did she ever speak to me.

I also started seeing her and her organization becoming openly anti-Israel, even when it harmed the community she was supposed to serve. In Sep 2021, there was even an article published about it, calling out the hypocrisy of attacking Israel, while this country's existence is what even enables that organization to operate, since they can't do so under Palestinian rule. And my friends who were seeking sanctuary from the threats to their lives from within their own society? They never got legal help in that pursuit from her organization, only from Israeli ones. I think that's a tragedy.

The last time her organization filed the needed reports to be officially recognized as an NGO in Israel was 2020. They obviously continued to be active after that, and still are (at least on social media, where they echo the anti-Israel narrative since the war started), but IDK if they're even doing anything real for queer Palestinians anymore, or whether she still heads it. Whenever I think about it, I'm just sad for all the people she should have helped, but who turned out to be less important to her than a nationalistic, antisemitic (that's what it is when she demands self determination for her people, but denies that right to Jews, as she does by supporting the BDS movement) and self-destructive (to her own community) struggle.

And yes, on a personal level, I felt betrayed by her, though I've also felt like her betrayal of her own people was way worse.

I think at the end of the day, for many Palestinians and Israeli Arabs, the question is what are they more attached to, that nationalistic, antisemitic struggle, or they (and their people's) well being. If you look at Mosab Hassan Youssef, I think what says it all, is that the son of a Hamas co-founder could end up on the side of Israel, initially not because of anything Israel did, but because he saw Palestinians in prison being tortured and killed by Hamas, and he gave a damn about his own people.

BTW, out of curiosity, who is the Israeli you're following, who got you wondering about this? And I really hope my reply was in some way helpful. Take good care! xoxox

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[erosiism]

OBLIVION | YANDERE IMAGINES

prompt: very lazy (oblivious) reader x yandere crown prince who basically does everything for him. reader is clueless about his friends disappearing around him, historical setting where MC is a pampered son of a noble family 

character(s): yandere crown prince, lazy!reader

warnings(s): mild violence, yandere themes. still considered rather fluffy and sfw

note(s): male reader, second person, present tense, as far as this goes this guy is too green to be really called a yandere lol. his possessive and violence tendencies are not to be glorified regardless, loose use of magic, not beta read 

Your biggest enemy is hard work, and your favorite hobby is sleeping. You can’t help it—you are spoiled, no doubt about that, and because you got lucky enough to be born into a prestigious family who dotes on you. Your social life is almost non-existent, but ever since you were young, your friend has stuck next to you. 

Your friend, who happens to be a crown prince.

People say he’s scary. You doubt that highly—is His Highness Cassian not the one who has brought you sweet treats from young? Is he not the one who littered your skin with tiny kisses because he likes showing affection? Is he not the one who allows you to laze around or nap? Rumors tend to be untrue, and you feel almost sorry towards the prince for having to deal with that.

(“I heard that if you mess with him, His Highness has the ability to kill! Haven’t you heard the disappearances lately?”)

You asked the crown prince questions regarding the rumors. All you got was a surprised, flippant reply: kill? That’s ridiculous, [Name]. I haven’t even mastered my mana skills yet.

So you don’t trust the rumors. It makes sense for people to be jealous, after all: he’s the crown prince. He has objectively good looks, and he’s an amalgamation of everything someone would covet: wealth, prestige, brilliance, and skill.

“You slept in class again?” A voice tears you out of your thoughts. You’re lounging on the bench in the school garden, and your legs are propped up on the sides. Your bag is thrown loosely to the ground. Inwardly you wish you had the physical capability to be agile enough to scale up a tree—because god, the place up there looked amazing—but unfortunately, you didn’t.

You face him. Cassia raises an eyebrow, and his fingers reach out gingerly to touch your cheek gently. You don’t recoil. It’s become normal.

“I can see words imprinted on your face. How long did you sleep? Or rather, how long was your class?”

It takes a few moments for you to process the prince’s words, before you squint your eyes. There’s a red smear on his cheek that seems hastily wiped off. It’s not too obvious, not to others, anyways, but you’re so used to Cassian's face looking normal that you immediately notice it.

“What’s that red thing on your face?” You ignore the question. You know that he can guess the answer.

“…Red thing?” Cassian immediately narrows his eyes, pausing. His fingers leave your face and go to his own. It looks like blood; which is odd, and definitely not possible.

“Is that…” you mull it over for a second. It can’t be blood. Or lipstick.

Cassian, though having received multiple marriage proposals, didn’t seem to be settling down any time soon. 

Strange, it doesn’t even seem like he likes women. So the only plausible thing is—

“—were you drinking tomato soup earlier?”

Cassian blinks his eyes, before a look of realization dawns on his face. And if you see correctly, there’s almost the tiniest hint of relief. Cassian’s lips tug up into a smile—he laughs, the prince laughs, the sound bright and mirthful and irrevocably fond. Your parents have teased you once about the prince nursing a crush on you. But this is how he has treated you for as long as you can remember.

“Tomato?”

“Looks like a tomato,” You furrow your eyebrows. “Hey, do they serve tomato soup in the academy? I really want tomato soup. It’s easy to drink, and…”

“I’ll get you some later,” Cassian says affectionately. He ruffles your hair, and you relax. “Don’t worry too much, alright?”

You shrug loosely. “Alright.”

.

.

[ before ]

He stares at the dead body on the ground. There aren’t a lot of rumors of you, but your laziness is well known. Some see it fondly, almost endearingly, but there are the rare few who view you with disdain because of your apparent lack of diligence.

Caspian doesn’t like that. He’s fine with rumors of his own—but of you? But of sweet, innocent, lovely you? He loathes it.

“Stop talking,” he smiles. “…You can do that, can’t you? After all, you’re already dead.”

A head lolls about and blood drips off a blade.

What, Cassian thinks with that sweet softness he has reserved for you, smiling gently, should I get for [Name] today?

shitpost since i had this lying around. lowkey cringe

[ccoconutmall]

✶⋆✶ INTROS!

YN'S SEXY MINIONS!

BITCHES WITH ILLNESSES!

ABOUT THEM!

YN LN; 20. she met yuji through a fortnite lobby (she catfished him so he could get her skins) and when he found out yn went to the same school as him in their sophomore year in high school, you could just say he was shocked when he found out you weren't really megan the stallion.

NOBARA KUGISAKI; 20. EVERYONE was intimidated to meet her at first, not because she looks mean, but because she's scary. turns out she's actually really sweet. if you take her to get your nails done together she'll love you.

ITADORI YUJI; 19. he's a lil slow sometimes... you still can't believe that catfishing thing worked. even then, yuji is actually really good at giving advice and providing joy in the group. he's truly the glue that holds you guys together.

MEGUMI FUSHIGURO; 19. he's so sarcastic, he has a dry sense of humor and something about it just makes you laugh even more because you can never tell if he's joking or serious. he always has a straight face but even then, you can tell he loves you guys (no matter how many times he tells u he doesn't)

YUTA OKKOTSU; 22. has had a crush on you since he bumped into you during his senior year. he yaps about you to anyone who listens, but you scare him so he doesn't think he'll ever be able to approach you, not without a little shove and some liquid courage.

TOGE INUMAKI; 21. he literally is a freak. and not in the sheets, he's a weirdo. he loves goofing around with his friends, but he has a weird "yo mama" and "deez nuts" type of humor. always has a joke on hand, and somehow he just KNOWS the perfect time to say them. he loves games and he has a family cat that is 15 years old. (it's losing hair and has the crunchiest meow ever.) but he loves it to death.

MAKI ZENIN; 20. almost the same as megumi, except she jokes alot more. she may seem mean but she cares, and she shows that by being 'mean'. her friends have gotten used to her cracking jokes at them, but you know she doesn't mean what she says when she does. she's that one friend who agressively loves you.

M.LIST

© property of ccoconutmall ‘24. please do not repost, copy, modify, or translate

[nykuna]

THE IRONY OF FATE

Chapter 2 : Prey.

pairing : Ryomen Sukuna x fem reader

cw : angst, mention of drugs and alcohol, slow burn, romance

summary : After a long night's work, you've met a man whose name you don't yet know, but the threads of fate seem to be drawing you together.

jjk alternate universe : no jujutsu sorcerers, everyone is human.

The music feels louder than ever, the bass seems to vibrate every organ in your body, the lights flicker and you feel your mind slowly getting intoxicated by the alcohol you've consumed.

Lily's not back yet, she's been gone for a while. Already intoxicated by the alcohol in your veins, you decide it's time to have some fun. You get up, pushing aside the stranger still sitting next to you whom you've been trying hard to ignore, and walk over to the rest of the group who are playing a game of poker it seems.

The table is covered with piles of bills and empty glasses. Around the table, about 5 people are concentrating, but you notice that their eyes are red and slightly hooded, now you wonder how they can bet such large sums of money while under the influence. The rich really do have funny ways of entertaining themselves, and you can't help but judge them silently.

Lost in your thoughts again, you feel a hand come to rest on your waist causing you to shiver in surprise, you hurriedly turn around to find out who it belongs to and stumble backwards in your panic.

"Careful, I know I'm hot but you could still try to keep your balance." Damn, that's a pretty voice. You look up to see who's addressing you. Your gaze is greeted by a piercing green stare. You continue to explore his face as you come to your senses and realize that he's probably a boxer too, given the scar that adorns his lips.

"Sorry, I think I might be a little drunk," you murmur. "But would you mind taking your hand away? As far as I remember, we've never met." You say, holding his gaze.

"I just wanted to get closer to the table to watch the game, I bet quite a bit of money on Naoya. But I have to admit, you're not too bad to look at after all." He says, stepping back. Everything about this man screams red flag, the way he talks, the way he grabs a perfect stranger by the waist or his visible interest in gambling. Yet you can’t deny that he’s extremely attractive. "Im Toji, what’s your name pretty drunk girl i’ve never met before ?" he smirks.

"O-oh sorry," you apologize, shifting away from the table to guarantee him a better view. "My name is-"

Before you can finish introducing yourself to the handsome stranger, the atmosphere that had become so light, becomes heavy and intoxicating again.

Unsurprisingly, you realize that the tattooed man from earlier is now standing next to Toji. How is it that the universe seems to collapse in on itself when he arrives in your space? His crimson red gaze sends a shiver down your spine, and he taps Toji on the shoulder, looking you straight in the eye and smiling sideways as always. Your drunken mind is playing tricks on you again, but you can't help thinking that, his expression mixed with heady music and reddish lights, he looks particularly charismatic, attractive yet disturbing, almost demonic.

"You really ignored me all night to go hit on that guy?" he raises his eyebrow and sits behind you.

"We can understand why, maybe she doesn't like tattoos too much, gotta admit you're scary dude." Toji retorts, still facing you.

They continue to spar but you couldn't care less. At this point, all you can think about is the fact that you're caught between two particularly attractive and imposing men, bickering for your attention. And to be honest, you don't mind in the least.

It's time for you to order a new drink, you can enjoy yourself freely tonight as you look forward to spending the day in bed tomorrow. Completely ignoring the two men, you jostle them to make your way to the stairs.

With every step you take, you realize that you should surely have eaten something before feasting. Each step requires unwavering concentration, and the music pounding in your ears doesn't help you in the least. When you reach the steps, you take a breath to prepare yourself to go down, which in your current state seems almost impossible.

Finally breathing, you open your eyes and look at what's going on downstairs, despite the time, everyone seems to be enjoying their evening, and that's one of the things you love the most about your job, even if it wasn't uncommon to serve jaded or depressed customers at the bar, the dancefloor was always filled with groups of friends laughing out loud, couples seducing each other tenderly in the dim lights, their eyes always brimming with joy, love or envy.

Contemplating the scene, you feel a hand rest on your shoulder, the warmth of that hand against your skin brings you unprecedented comfort, you don't even bother to look at who it belongs to and you feel a breath close to your ear.

"Look, I know I've behaved like shit tonight, but at least let me help you down, you're in no condition." His low voice sounds divine in your ears, you must really have been drunk, but the mix of the touch of his hand, his presence so close enveloping you in his bewitching perfume, his voice so deep and yet surprisingly soft... Fuck, you can't fantasize about a complete stranger, especially not this one.

"I guess I could use the help…What's your name? Might as well introduce ourselves since you can't go 5minutes without me" you straighten up and give him a playful smile. You don't have the strength to fight him anymore, besides, he's far too hot for that.

"Everyone calls me Sukuna, but you, lucky girl, can call me Ryomen" he leans over to put his arm under your shoulder and supports you to make sure you don't collapse down the stairs, his gestures surprisingly gentle and considerate.

"Even though you didn’t ask, my name is y/n" you smile gently.

With that, you've finally arrived downstairs, and you spot Lily sitting at the bar laughing out loud with Suguru, which warms your heart as they seem to be getting along really well.

Ryomen asks you what you'd like to drink as you approach the bar, but you grab him by the arm and pull him towards Lily and Satoru.

He raises an eyebrow at the sudden contact, given that you've been avoiding him all evening, but he's happy to oblige.

"Oh my gosh y/n you're just in time, I was just telling Toru that you made me a cocktail so strong one day that I had to run to the bathroom after just one sip!" Toru huh? The evening seemed fruitful for Lily, more so than for you, that's for sure.

"Fuck yeah, I remember! I've got to say, no one could drink that without flinching..." You laugh with her. "Do you like challenges?" You turn to Ryomen and Satoru with a hint of mischief in your eyes.

"You looked at us? Bring it on, baby." Ryomen says as she sits down next to Satoru and Lily.

You call Shoko with a wave of your hand, and when she arrives at your level, you ask her if you can go behind the bar to prepare your « drink ».

"Oh my God, you're going to do it again..." she sighs with a smile, then opens the door for you to pass through.

Determined to make them regret the bet, you get out shot glasses and start mixing all the strongest alcohols you have on hand. Your condition no doubt makes the drink even more undrinkable than before, but you couldn't care less this was your way of getting back at Ryomen.

~

10AM, you're woken by the sounds of Lily, who has somehow found the strength to get ready for school despite last night's hectic pace. As you get up, a terrible headache takes hold of you, and you start to regret having partied so hard yesterday, especially as you have no memory of what happened after the cursed shot.

The sun shines brightly through your window and you hasten to close the curtain to avoid aggravating the dull pain in your skull. You finally decide to go to the kitchen to take some medicine and lots and lots of water.

Lily is already in the kitchen preparing her lunch.

"Damn y/n, you really look like shit today!" she laughs happily, you shoo her away and hastily ask her what happened at the end of the night.

"Honestly, I have no memory of it either, I just know we took the horrible shots too, so no wonder we don't remember a thing!" She finishes wrapping up her meal "Toru texted me that he'd ordered us an uber so we could get home safely."

"What a gentleman, you'll have to tell me all about it when you get home tonight!" you chirp before greeting her as she heads for the entrance to exit.

~

After a hot shower and several liters of water, you decide to go back to bed and enjoy your day off.

One thing's for sure: your brain isn't resting. Your thoughts can't help but revolve around him, Ryomen.

Everything about him intrigues you; if only you'd had less to drink yesterday, you'd know more about him. Now all you can do is imagine. But you do remember that he seemed to be friends with Satoru... maybe he was a famous athlete as well? Without further ado, you grab your phone to look up his name and hopefully some information about him, knowing that you won't be able to sleep until your curiosity is satisfied anyway.

When you unlock your phone, a notification catches your eye: an unknown number has sent you a picture, and you click on the mysterious message with a bit of anxiety, considering it was very unusual.

The photo is a picture of you taking a mysterious shot with Shoko and Lily...That bad huh? You can't help smiling, you look really silly, but you send it to Shoko to have a laugh with her.

When it's done, you go back to the unknown conversation and write a message, because deep down, you knew very well that only one very specific person could send you an unflattering photo without even introducing themselves.

[y/n] : Let me guess…

No less than 30 seconds later, you get a reply.

[Unknown]: Were you waiting for my text ?

[y/n]: Not rlly tbh :// How did you get my number anyway?

[Unknown]: I honestly don't even know anymore.

[y/n]: Wtv, you can delete it, yesterday night was fun but don't expect more.

[Unknown] : Come on i know you were thinking abt me all day long.

Of course you did, but you couldn't let it go any further, you still weren't mentally ready to commit to a relationship of any kind. Besides, everything about Ryomen screamed danger, from his profession to his looks to his behavior, you'd had enough with men like him.

[Unknown] : Wanna come over ? :)

Straightforward, isn’t he ? You know you shouldn't answer, but despite yourself, you feel this sensation in the pit of your stomach, begging for more. After him, you'd never spoken to the same man for more than one evening, choosing to protect yourself from all the dangers that come with feelings and relationships.

[y/n] : hell no, i was drunk last night, i must’ve confused you for a good guy :) wtv gotta go.

[Unknown] : Ah well we’ll see abt that :)

The fuck does he mean "we’ll see about that?" He's upset you again, but maybe that's a good thing, maybe now you'll finally be able to enjoy your day without having your thoughts polluted by him.

Despite all the good will in the world, you can't help but save his contact, "just in case".

~

After this brief conversation, your unfortunate fears about your own mind proved legitimate.

Even though you only spoke for 5 minutes, and not to say much of anything interesting, this little game of seduction had already gone to your head. Sure, it's a dangerous game, but you can't lie, feeling "wanted" again was particularly pleasurable. You knew that if you got back in touch with him, someone would end up getting hurt, because it seemed like fate was mocking you and had a nasty tendency to ruin all your relationships.

It was a mistake, and a big one. You should never have drunk yesterday, or even accepted his advances. It was a mistake you were paying for today by reminiscing about all your past mistakes, as painful as they were. All this without even having engaged anything with Ryomen, so you can't imagine the catastrophe if you decided to ignore the curse hanging over your head and follow your instincts.

No, you should protect yourself, you have to protect yourself, you can't afford another tragedy, you don't have the shoulders for it.

If you run away, you’ll never know.

More updates on AO3 : https://archiveofourown.org/works/56234707/chapters/142859620

Nyc <3

[traumaboyexo]

CARRION!Sif Ghostfrin Event

[[Still pending a better name like Parasite Siffrin or Abomination Siffrin or maybe even a title I dunno]]

"Ah!"

(Isabeau points up ahead. Your heart nearly stops as you look ahead yourself.)

(It's the ghost.)

(Bonnie is the next to gesture towards it. )

"Look! Here!"

(Mirabelle.)

"That's...That really does look like Siffrin, doesn't it?"

(Sure.)

(It looks like Siffrin. Maybe it really is Siffrin.)

(And if they are...)

(Odile frowns. She's clearly the more disturbed of your family regarding this situation.)

"Another one, huh?"

(So they could all see it this whole time.)

(Ghost. Spirits.)

(You thought you were hallucinating it out of guilt, but that makes sense.)

(Monsters don't feel guilt. Monsters don't feel anything.)

(You find your voice once more.) "You guys can see it too, huh?"

(What would a ghost taste like. If possible, maybe if you eat it fast enough, they'll forget it was even here.)

"Yes??? Of course???" (Mirabelle looks at you in confusion. Somehow, you nearly break a smile. The notion that may be crazy has passed through your head more than once, and yet...)

(For her to look at you, so confused, it's almost comforting.)

(Bonnie speaks up.) "Yeah, weird Frin copies!"

(Odile sighs.) "Don't worry, Siffrin. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me as well. Take relief in knowing the both of us are not becoming delusional."

(No, you aren't.)

(Your real problem is so much worse.)

(You reply.) "Thank you. Good to know my brain isn't broken from all my napping."

"So, are we gonna say hi?" (You turn your head and look at Iseabau, doing your best to hide your disbelief and fear.)

(He wants to greet it?!)

"Me too, I wanna see the weird not-Frin!"

(You're on the opposite end of Bonnie's enthusiasm.)

(You're horrified.)

(If it really is Siffrin, if it's really their ghost...)

(What would he say? What would they do?)

(You don't even want to think about it. You don't even get a chance to. Because your family has already rushed ahead.)

(Isabeau's cheery voice rings out first.)

"Hey, ghost Sif! How are you-ah!"

(Almost immediately, Isabeau turns around and quickly covers Bonnie's eyes.)

"HEY! ISA?! WHAT'S CRABBING GOING ON?!"

(Mirabelle glances over at them for a brief second before looking at the face of the ghost herself.)

(...her eyes widen in horror and her legs instantly give out. She would have fallen to the floor if Odile hadn't caught her.)

"Woah. Easy easy, I got you." (Odile looks at the ghost's face herself, and her face turns into one of great unease as well.)

"...gems alive."

(...a slimy wet, sound.)

(...the ghost is melting.)

(Slowly, it begins to droop and drip parts of itself as it becomes smaller and smaller, slowly dropping into a formless sludge puddle of itself.)

(...and then it fades, sinking into the ground...until it's no more.)

(There's a long pause.)

(Everyone is still. Silent. Even Bonnie stopped trying to escape Isabeau's grasp.)

(Isabeau is the first to make any movement, taking his hands off Bonnie's eyes.)

Bonnie: "...what happened?"

Bonnie: "There was a scary...wet sound and-"

(Mirabelle exhales heavily. Her voice and breath is shaking.)

Mirabelle: "O-oh change..."

Mirabelle: "I...I..."

(She looks over at you.)

(She's terrified.)

(...everyone else is staring at you the exact same way.)

(...you have to know.)

"So? Did it have a third eye or something?"

(...that was suppose to be a joke. You smile during jokes. You forgot to smile.)

(Odile seems to have noticed that.)

(She is the first to answer you.)

"...Siffrin."

"You're not hurt anywhere again, are you?"

(...huh?)

"No?"

"No cuts? No bruises or scrapes?"

(Wouldn't matter.)

"No."

"How about...headaches? Naseau? Feeling dizzy? Are you unwell in anyway, Siffrin?"

(Why won't she tell you.)

"No!"

"Really? Absolutely sure. Remember last time, we didn't realise you had a cut under your arm until-"

(You need to know!)

"I said I'm FINE! TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG!"

"...what did you guys see?"

(She continues to stare without a response.)

"Uhm...I'll be on explaining duty then, M'dame." (Isabeau walks away from the group and pulls you aside, while Bonnie, Mirabelle and Odile start to discuss amongst themselves.)

"Don't be too hard on M'dame Odile, what we saw was just...a little scary is all."

(Scary? How?) "It didn't seem like it did anything."

"It...didn't. That's why it was kinda scary."

"So, it was standing in front, and we went up to it, cause it was kind of strange it wasn't facing us."

"And luckily I was the first to see it, or Bonnie would have seen it as well."

"It didn't flinch when I called out to it. It didn't even try to look at us."

"It's face was..."

(Isabeau looks uncomfortable even trying to remember it.)

(...You have to know.) "What? What about the face?"

"Yeah yeah, sorry, it was...Uhm..."

"...well, it was covered in scars. Bleeding scars. And its eyes were...gone? Its mouth was open, and it kinda looked like..."

"...like if someone had died, standing up, and refused to sit down."

"But then its lips started moving like they were trying to talk. But I didn't hear a noise voice or noise or anything."

"And then...well, then it started to turn into goop, and that was it."

"So you can see why Mirabelle was so startled, she was already super stressed, but I think...I think it'll be fine."

"And, don't worry about M'dame Odile, you know how she is. She's always worried about us, even if she won't say she is."

(...)

(Startled.)

(Worried.)

(Haha.)

(Hahaha.)

(Ha.)

(...Mirabelle and the rest are walking towards you now.)

"Sorry about that...it was just a little overwhelming...but I feel better now."

(She shouldn't.)

"But Siffrin, if anything is ever wrong...please make sure to tell me. O-or any of us."

(You won't.)

(Maybe if you're hungry.)

(But not about....)

(Odile continues to frown.)

"Siffrin."

(She stares for just a few more moments, before looking away.)

"...nevermind."

"I think we've wasted too much time. We should get going."

(...they're afraid. You made them afraid.)

(Why couldn't they have just stopped. Why couldn't they have just ignored it.)

(WHY COULDN'T THEY HAVE STAYED STILL AND LET IT FADE AWAY!)

(You're always worried they won't care about you, but for once now you regret making them care!)

(You're disgusting, you're selfish, you're horrifying.)

(They've seen it, NOW THAT'S ALL THEY'LL THINK OF YOU WHEN--)

[REWIND]

"Ah!"

(Isabeau points up ahead.)

(Bonnie is the next to gesture towards it. )

"Look! Here!"

(Mirabelle.)

"That's...That really does look like Siffrin, doesn't it?"

(No.)

"I don't see anything."

(Even without looking back, you can feel everyone's confusion focused on you.)

"Sif? You really don't see the...ghost you?"

(You don't respond.)

(You wait. And wait. And wait.)

(...and soon...)

(...it's gone.)

(...you feel hungry.)

[rendside]

your art is beautiful im rly curious about your wc ocs as well!!! what happened to harpy?

Harpy’s injury was by an attempt to drown him on the day where he was supposed to become the leader, by the previous leader. (Leaders in greater way are known as crown holders.)

[ace-with--a-mace]

they banned ap psych in florida cuz the class ap discusses sexuailty and gender which violates ron desantis' piece of shit dont say gay law so fuck you ron for that

in the college board statement they say it was banned because "teaching foundational content on sexual orientation and gender identity is illegal under state law" which is bullshit because these gov leaders believe anything lgbtq is a brain disease so you'd think theyd keep the brain learning class

they banned ap african american studies because "it lacks educational value and historical accuracy" which is making it easier for them to erase black history that is so intertwined with the history of this country that most everything here is so deeply antiblack

this mf has his head so far up his ass that hes ruining our education system even more than it already was

[intotheelliwoods]

I have one more thing I want to work on before I get back into updating 2AL regularly, but until then......

[uncanny-tranny]

It's actually kind of heartbreaking how many people feel their life has ended right after high school or college, and honestly, the heavy romanticization of that period of time is so overwhelmingly predominant that it can be hard to avoid. It's insidious to constantly be told that ages 10-24 are the only worthwhile parts of life, that everything after is essentially meaningless and dull.

It's hard not to look around you and think that your life still is open and full of potential when you're told over and over again that the rose-tinted childhood is the last time you were alive. It's hard to realize that your life isn't over when you walk off the stage of your graduation.

We must realize that we will always be full of potentials. Your life won't be over until you take your final breath, and then? That's simply another chapter in your story, one of many. Let yourself realize that you're alive in the here and now. There will be good and bad, but never a complete loss of potential or hope.

[beevean]

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness

Legendary Belmont

[frociaggine]

that one post I rb'd earlier about France and laicité and Macron celebrating Chanukah is still making me made just thinking about it. That came in the same week as Masha Gessen being almost stripped of the Hannah Arendt prize because they wrote an essay about Gaza (incidentally, Gessen is Jewish). I'm just really, massively tired of the current climate in Western Europe where political and civil authorities pay lip service to diversity and pluralism but actually actively suppress diverse voices. Case in point, lots of framing Judaism = Israel while actively making life harder for their Jewish communities.

I'm not eloquent enough to word this properly, but it's infuriating to witness. It's not a new attitude by any means, but it's rooted in racism and xenophobia and I hate that it's getting so much fresh mileage lately. I wish more people (& local press) called it out for what it is.