#this also manifests in him taking a wife. he is meant to have an 'other half'

[biteofcherry]

To find the light, we must first touch the darkness

Please also check out @bluepinkangel​’s amazing hot moodboard for this universe 🖤

dark mafia!Steve Rogers x female reader

summary: When you unexpectedly are appointed to run a health center, you foresee many struggles along the way, but not one in the form of a merciless mob boss. Steve Rogers’ core aim is to own and he won’t take no for an answer. To any of his demands.

warnings for this chapter: dark!Steve Rogers; manipulation; power imbalance; forced marriage; D/s undertones; ex-pli-cit; knife kink; choking; choking kink; praise;

word count: 7k

Touch the Darkness Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Chapter 6. Downpour

~ * ~

Victims often described the events of their traumatic experience as a blur. Or a film montage of chopped scenes, often black and white, or with one color prevailing. Sometimes their minds protected themselves so strongly they dissociated, their consciousness floating away into a safe space.

Nothing of the sort happened to you on your dreaded wedding day. 

If anything, you felt more present in the moment than in the days leading to it. 

Colors were vibrant, sounds clear, your feelings vivid. 

You felt the constriction of the built-in corset of your wedding dress, the soft swish of the embroidered, shiny tulle in the chalice of the wide skirt; as well the warm amazement at how beautiful you looked. 

Even though your spite tempted you to pick a dress that would manifest how much you didn’t want to say your vows, you couldn’t help the flaming love you experienced at the sight of yourself in a stunning wedding dress. 

A fucking princess style, out of all. 

You wanted to hate it, to cross it out purely to not give Steve the extra satisfaction, but your parents teared up when they saw you in it. Maybe they had some qualms about the speedy wedding, but they sure got on board with it when they saw your face glowing. 

You didn’t have the heart to tell them it was because you felt beautiful, not because you loved your future husband. 

Whose handsome face you couldn’t look away from as your father walked you down the aisle. 

Dressed in a sharp suit, steel gray a tone warmer than his cold heart, Steve watched you every step of your way to him. Others perhaps saw in his face awe, getting all mushy over how much he had to be in love with you, but you knew it was a glint of triumph. 

You said your vows in the wide garden surrounding Steve’s property, under an arch of lush peonies and vines. You were sure it’s only thanks to the two glasses of Prosecco and Steve’s hand holding yours a tad too tightly, that you recited your promise to him without a hitch. 

With how smooth and soft Steve’s voice was, how he held your gaze captive, you’d think he was expressing true, deep feelings when he said his vows. 

True was his possessiveness. 

Steve displayed it first in the way he kissed you - draping you over his arm, like in old Hollywood movies, and branding your lips with a breathstealing, passionate kiss. Unable to resist, your arm sneaked around his neck, fingers splaying on the back of his head, while your other hand gripped onto the lapel of his suit jacket. 

Then by keeping you occupied each dance, allowing only your father to lead you through two songs. 

To your further annoyance, Steve turned out to be a really good dancer. Or maybe he was simply good at holding you and controlling your body as he guided you across the wooden planks built into a dance floor specially for this occasion. 

“You look beautiful, Princess.” 

There was no breathtaking awe in Steve’s voice, like you used to imagine your true love would say those words one day. But it was no coy game, either. Steve meant them, it was an honest compliment. 

It was also his pride in owning you. 

“I’m already your wife, all is signed. No need for bullshit,” you stared over Steve’s shoulder, stubbornly refusing to meet his gaze and see what desires may shine in the ice cold blue irises. 

He twirled you suddenly, then pulled you back to him. Kept you pressed against him tighter as he brushed his lips along your cheek. 

“I’d think by now you know I don’t really bullshit anyone,” he whispered in your ear. “I do find you stunning. And I’ll repeat those words later, when I have you naked in our bedroom.”

Heat filled you faster than after that shot you sneaked right before soup was served, to calm your nerves and numb yourself further as the reality of being now Mrs Rogers started settling in. No, that fast dose of booze didn’t scorch your insides the way Steve’s promise of the wedding night did. 

“Not gonna happen,” you tried sounding fierce, but your voice came much breathier than you’d like. 

“We’ll see, won’t we?” Steve chuckled, tip of his tongue flicking the shell of your ear, eliciting goosebumps to appear all over your skin. 

His hand on your back was placed low, but he dipped his fingers even further, toying with the ribbon of your corset right above the curve of your ass. 

“We have a deal, after all.” He reminded you. 

You wanted to argue with him, that technically you didn’t agree to it, but you knew it’s futile. You suffered some disturbing sexual deviancy and your pussy tingled at the mere thought of Steve touching it. So you planned on simply being sneaky and wiping yourself dry before entering the bedroom. And then staying resolved and unbothered, so that Steve’s dark touch didn’t force a single drop of slick out. 

You considered stuffing your nose with something too, because the scent of Steve alone now that he was pressed to you so close, was enough to warm up your body. 

To ignore your own responses - to his smell, to his touch, to the images of wicked acts he could do to you - you focused your gaze above Steve’s shoulder. Glancing at random guests, at the stunning flower arrangements, trying not to hurt from the fact your parents looked so joyous. 

You frowned, noticing Natalie smirking around the rim of a champagne flute as she talked to a man whom you recognized as Steve’s most trusted right hand, Bucky. While flirting at a wedding wasn’t something unusual, alarm bells rang in your head at the prospect of Natalie endangering herself. She was already at risk, being associated with you, but to dance with a wolf was like playing with fire that was surely going to consume her whole. 

You didn’t know much about Bucky, practically nothing, but if he was this close to Steve then there was no trace of innocence or clear conscience in him. 

No one could stay pure, if they followed in Rogers’ murky wake. A realization which made you wonder, if your own core may rot and dissolve at his feet. 

Your heart fluttered, as Steve twirled your body again. Chalice of your dress opened, shimmering in the sunlight as if encrusted in crushed diamonds. In reality it was a faint sparkle compared to the actual bling of the diamond ring on your finger. 

You glared at it with disdain when Steve first put it on your finger, seeing nothing but a leash. A brand of ownership and reminder of torment. But the more glances you stole, the more irresistible it was to admire. 

It was truly beautiful and you hated it for it. 

Steve pulled you back to his body, pressing you even closer than before. Tip of his nose grazed along yours, the icy blue of his irises warming into the shade of pure sky. His breath tickled your mouth, mingling with yours as your lips parted on a gasp. 

Then his lips were on you. Soft and coaxing, tempting you to respond in submission. 

You told yourself it’s the surprise of it that made you give in, the spectacle you had to continue for the guests, but you couldn’t completely deny the jolt of excitement that spurred heat into every crevice of your body, then melted it into a pliant surrender. 

You were vaguely aware of the camera flashes as pictures of you were taken. The sound of cheering and clapping barely registering through the haze of your heartbeat pounding in your head. 

There was no triumphant smirk on Steve’s lips when he reluctantly pulled away, which would undoubtedly shake you out of daze. Instead, there was a dark hunger that clenched your heart in fear and your cunt in anticipation. 

You found yourself surprisingly reluctant to step out of his embrace as the song ended and Steve took the opportunity to build the lie further by asking your mother to dance.

Trying to avoid dancing with Steve wasn’t as clever a solution as you first thought, because the bastard found other ways to instigate small gestures of intimacy that confused your brain and tickled your clit like a living tongue. 

Like him smoothly commenting how delicious that seasoned rib was and how you should try it, then promptly feeding you a piece of it.

With his fingers. 

Purposely slipping his fingertip between your lips along with the meat.

It was a split of a second, but enough to have a wave of heat wash over you and your thighs clench.

You thanked heaven that you picked a princess dress, because the layers of the skirt at least hid the movement that would otherwise betray you.

A gulp of wine couldn’t wash away the sensation, nor did it wipe the lewd image of Steve forcing his fingers into your mouth. Would they be salty? Would they feel heavy as he pressed them against your tongue? Would his rings feel cool? 

Then you didn’t even have alcohol to numb yourself. Steve made sure your glass was filled with water only as the celebrations proceeded. When you glared at him, trying to yank your hand out of his grip, he said he won’t have you sloshed on your wedding night.

“Don’t want you to worry it was only the booze that got you wet,” he sucked on your earlobe. 

But made it look so sweet, the way he pressed his cheek to yours and gently held your hand, that to the others it had to look as if he was whispering love admissions into your ear. 

The bastard played supportive and soothing as he caressed your back when you were saying goodbye to the guests leaving the reception late in the evening. Your mom took your teary eyes as an overwhelming, but positive emotion that made her all mushy as well. 

You couldn’t cling to her, or your dad, crying in despair that they were leaving you with a monster. Not when that monster was constantly by your side, being most respectful and charming towards them. Displaying a twisted care for you that eased your parents’ worries while irritating you. 

There were fireworks bursting in the sky in abundant splashes of color as Steve led you to the master bedroom. 

Everyone was gone, only the wedding planner’s team was rushing around like busy bees, cleaning up and packing leftovers. And they all pretended they didn’t see you. You thought some of Steve’s men were also circling around, but you didn’t know yet if it was to keep an eye on the workers, or if it was their routine to guard Steve’s mansion. 

Once inside the bedroom, you blurted out your need to use the bathroom and promptly locked yourself inside. Only for a few moments you entertained the thought of staying in and sleeping on the tiled floor, but you knew Steve wouldn’t allow that. He’d sooner take the damn door down than give you reprieve.

He wanted to wreck your body too much. 

And you feared how you may react to it. 

As you pulled up layers and layers of tulle, to use the toilet and clean yourself from the already obvious reaction to Steve’s touch; you accepted that your anxiety wasn’t for debauchery, but for the inappropriate eagerness of your body.

For fuck’s sake, you were dripping and coming on command when he defiled you with a gun!

How much stronger was your reaction going to be when he caressed you with his hands and mouth? 

After wiping yourself dry, you cleaned your hands and with your head held high stepped out into the bedroom. You still planned on fighting tooth and nail to not arouse from whatever he had planned. 

Having taken off his suit jacket and rolling up his sleeves, Steve waited for you in the middle of the room. His eyes glinted with satisfaction when you stepped out. He crooked a finger at you, beckoning you to him. 

“I knew you’d come out like a good girl, Princess,” he crooned, not at all bothered by your stomping and glaring daggers his way. 

“Didn’t feel like watching a door being splintered into pieces,” you snapped, clenching your hands on the skirt of your dress as you stood right in front of Steve.

“Of course. That’s the only splintering you were concerned about,” he teased, running a single digit down the column of your neck. “But I know, Princess. I know there’s this curiosity that draws you to me. You may hate it, but your body is eager to learn what I’ll do to you.”

“It’s not. I’m not!” You protested, yet you didn’t flinch when his finger drew a scorching line from one collar bone to the other, then dipped lower to trace your cleavage. 

“I want to believe your words, Princess,” Steve said in pretend seriousness, “but let’s check in with your body, too.”

As embarrassing the thought of him flipping your skirts up was, you inwardly prayed he’d do it quickly. If he touched your pussy now, he’d find you dry. But if he prolonged the whole thing, you had no certainty it would stay this way. 

“I’m aware how fond of my gun you are,” his words startled you, stopping your heart for a split of a second then sending it into a fluttery beat. The memory of the warm muzzle dragging along your thigh and slipping under your panties spurred heat to pool low in your core. 

Shit! No! 

No, no, no. You couldn’t get wet! 

“But I didn’t think it’s an accessory appropriate for the wedding,” Steve’s mouth curved into a lopsided smile that only added to his criminally hot look. 

“So I had something special to be custom made for this occasion-” he touched your cheek in a sweet caress- “and for any future occasions… with my wife.”

Your breath hitched in your lungs when he called you his wife. He made it sound reverent, but at the same time his tone dripped with that dark triumph that reminded you there was no way out from his clutches. 

You watched Steve dip his hand into his pocket and then a glint of steel flashed before your eyes. 

A switchblade so sharp and polished so smooth that it seemed to be honed out of pure light. The handle was a shimmery white, with undertones of rainbow. Mother of pearl, you realized. 

Steve had his fingers wrapped around it, but purposely flipped it out, pinching the hilt between two of his fingers so you could see the silver initials engraved on it. Your initials, but with your last name being Rogers. 

Eyes widening, you went still as Steve brought the blade to your skin. Just the tip of it, you barely felt its touch, but your mind was already running with images of cuts and drawn blood. It should scare you, cause tears to fall out. Instead, you felt your pulse thundering in places that shouldn’t react to fear with excitement. 

Steve drew a soft line over the curve of your breasts and dipped the steel into the valley between them. 

He wrapped the fingers of his other hand around the front of your neck. His eyes heated up as your pupils widened in reaction, once again proving how weak you were for this single gesture. Keeping his hold firm enough you felt the silver of his rings pressing into your skin, Steve traced the blade along the trim of your wedding dress and then down your ribcage.     

“Are you afraid I’m going to hurt you?” Steve’s voice was deceivingly soft, as if he really cared if you were scared. 

You doubted he’d stop, even if you claimed that you are. You’d sooner expect him to mock you and then proceed to torment your body, proving to you how much you craved his depravity. 

But it wasn’t the physical torture you wanted to avoid. For how bad Steve was, how he fucked up your life, somehow you knew he wouldn’t harm you physically. Well, perhaps if you betrayed him. He’d kill you then. But as long as you followed his plans, you were certain he wouldn’t raise his hand on you.

Steve’s thumb brushed along your jaw in a seemingly soothing caress. You turned your face to the side, but he forced you to look back at him when you admitted in a defeated whisper: 

“I’m afraid you will make me like it.”

Fingers still curled around the front of your neck, Steve inched closer. Blue of his irises seemed to glitter an impossible hue up this close, mesmerizing you. 

You were a prey fully ensnared. 

“I will, Princess.” Steve’s lips teased yours. “I will give you pleasure that hurts so good.”

A tiny whimper escaped your mouth. You wished it was a sound of trepidation, but it held an unmistakable undertone of need. It was too late now, you felt a wet spot forming on your white undergarments. 

Steve kissed you softly, reverently; like a husband in love might kiss his beloved wife on their wedding night. Combined with the pressure of a sharp blade at your side, it made your head spin. 

“Stay still, please,” Steve squeezed your throat lightly, before releasing you and taking a step back. 

He walked around you, slowly making a full circle as he admired you. Teasing you by making you wait for what he does next. When he stopped behind you and you felt the puff of his breath on your nape, your fingers trembled. 

Then the cool blade pressed where Steve’s warm breath tickled you a second ago. He drew a sharper line down the middle of your back. You didn’t feel the sting of a cut, but he put enough pressure for you to feel a tingling scratch that dispersed into pleasant burning. 

You gulped when you felt him hook the knife under the lacing of your dress.

“I can just take it off.” You grumbled, frowning. It was a stunning dress and even though you wouldn’t be wearing it ever again, you weren’t happy with the idea of it being cut to pieces.

“You could,” Steve chuckled, “but then I wouldn’t get to hear you-”

You gasped as he swiftly cut through the first string.

“-make that lovely sound.” 

Steve relished in each cut, though you weren’t sure if he was more entranced with your little noises (which you tried to suppress, but failed at times), the act of cutting itself, or with your naked skin being revealed as the bodice of your dress parted. 

When the corset opened fully, dropping and exposing your upper body, Steve smoothed his hand along your back. Which elicited another gasp from you. 

You expected the blade to return, to draw dangerous patterns on your fragile skin. Steve’s warm, gentle caress sent a different kind of jolt down your spine, causing your tense muscles to relax in foolish trust. He pressed himself to your back, moving his hand around your front and boldly cupping your breast. A wave of heat seemed to scorch your face from the inside, but it also pooled between your thighs. 

He peppered kisses along your neck as he played with your breast; sucked on your skin as he switched his attention to the other tit. 

There was no logical thought in your head when he pinched your nipple hard and you arched; one of your arms flying up to grip the back of Steve’s head. It was an instinctive reaction of your body’s deepest need. 

Suddenly, Steve’s touch left you. Only to pull impatiently at your dress, forcing the abundant skirt to fall down. Big hands - one still holding a knife - clenched around your hips. He picked you up so easily, as if you weighed close to nothing. 

Then he was dropping you onto the grand bed. Before you even managed to push yourself up, he flipped you over onto your back. A split of a panicked thought almost had you inching away, reheating the idea to fight him. But one of Steve’s hands clenched on your ankle, while the other splayed on your belly - the one holding the knife. 

“Lie back, Princess.” Steve’s tone wasn’t harsh, but it chimed with certain urgency. 

You stilled. Though you preferred to think it was because of the blade he left on your belly in a warning, not because he asked you to. 

Definitely not because you couldn’t look away from him as Steve undressed in a few quick, practiced moves. 

The sight was so enticing you didn’t think of grabbing the knife and possibly changing the flow of the night to your advantage. 

Without his shirt on, you saw the wide plains of Steve’s chest and chiseled abdomen; saw the tattoos entwining his arms and upper body. Dark patterns, with a few splashes of rich color, that only added to the dark, thrilling aura of Steve Rogers. 

You swore that while Steve was a scary motherfucker in his usual wear, he’d appear an even more lethal demon if he approached his victims half-naked. 

Your gaze shifted downward when he pushed his pants down, but you forced it back up to his face. Mostly because you feared the sound you may make, if you saw his cock. Partly because you didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of you staring. 

When Steve knelt on the mattress and then crawled forward, you dropped your head to the pillows and focused on the ceiling. A part of you craved to watch him, to await in trepidation, but you still held onto that sane part of your brain that told you it’s wrong to want it. Wrong to give in to him so easily. 

“You’re beautiful, Princess.” He repeated the words, just like he promised.

Calloused fingers traced up your legs. The sensation this touch evoked made you want to clench your thighs, but Steve’s knee was wedged between your legs, preventing it. 

Eyes focused on your face, Steve seemed to study and memorize every spark of reaction to his touch. He picked up the knife again. The grin that he flashed you as he brought the blade to your skin was all satisfaction and condescending praise. He didn’t say it, but you almost heard the Good girl. For doing as he told you. For waiting. For being so obviously responsive. 

He knelt above you as he trailed the knife along your exposed body. His gaze shifted between the glint of the blade and your face. As his aim traveled south, Steve moved along with it. 

Corner of his mouth tugged upward in a dangerous smirk when he slipped the tip of the blade under the white lace of your panties. 

Your whole body went rigid. Your mouth opened, your breath becoming ragged. 

And yet, when he slashed the fabric apart, you felt a new gush of slick. 

Steve cut the other side of your panties as well, then pushed your thighs further apart. Exposing your shameful reaction. 

“Princess,” he licked his lips, “it appears that you’re wet.” 

He tapped the wide side of the blade against your clit, the jolt of it making you clench around nothing. Steve’s eyes darkened and a low, growling kind of sound rumbled in his chest as he used the knife to flick away the lace that was sticking to your drenched folds. 

“You’re not wet. You’re dripping.” He seemed to be in awe of the discovery. 

It was in a sense a comforting feeling, to see more than just a cocky triumph. To see Steve affected by the situation. Perhaps not as strongly as you were, but with enough force to make you think perhaps it was a novelty for him as well. 

“Say it, Princess.” Steve’s gaze flicked back to your face; his own eyes full of dark hunger. “Say how wet you are, for me.”

Your lips clenched shut, a stubborn frown drawing your eyebrows together. It was humiliating enough that you were so lewdly on display for this bastard, that your body betrayed you and was ready to take him. Admitting it aloud would only strip you of all defenses. 

When Steve slapped your inner thigh, the sting of it seemed to zing directly to your clit. 

“Ohh!” You couldn’t suppress the gasp, but then managed to spat angrily - “Fuck, fine! I’m wet for you, you bastard.”

As much as you hated it, your anger was less about him demanding your admission and more about him not touching you where you most needed it. 

“Your husband.” Steve reminded you, with sinister glee. 

With his knee, he pressed your other leg down. Then dragged the knife along the skin of your inner thigh. This time you felt the prick of pain as he cut the tissue. You hissed, head lifting up to stare at the tiny, thin wound. A single drop of blood pearled at the end of it. 

Then Steve’s mouth was on it. Warm and sucking, and drawing a surprised moan out of you. 

He sucked and licked it clean, making you forget about everything else. His mouth moved up, closer and closer to your core. When he finally licked into your folds as if he was biting into a ripe fruit, you dropped down with a cry. 

Fingers gripping the sheets tightly, you rode sensations unknown to you until then. Muscles strained in pain as you held yourself stiff, still sensing that blade pressed against your skin. Steve had his arms wrapped under and around your thighs, keeping you spread as he feasted on your pussy. One of his hands was holding the knife against your abdomen, the sharp tip right on your mound. 

“Oh God, please!” Your eyes clenched shut. “Please, please, Steve. I-”

As he lapped at your clit, lashing it with rapid flicks then sucking on it so sweetly, you felt your orgasm building painfully high. You were heartbeats away from climaxing.

“Stop, please!” You begged. “The knife- I can’t- I need-” 

Even if you were pleading for him to stop what he was doing all together, Steve wouldn’t listen. Not when he was so close to owning you completely. You needed something slightly different and you hoped Steve would recognize the urgency.

Mercifully, he paused. Though he held his lips close to your clit as he looked up at you from between your thighs - his eyes reminiscing of the stars frozen in dark waters of the northern lakes. 

“What do you need from your knife, Princess?” He asked, tilting the blade an inch lower. 

It almost touched your clit. 

“Place it away, please,” you started explaining, sensing that he wouldn’t comply without a satisfying reason. “I- I’m about to come. And I will, um, move. I can’t stay still. I just, I never could. I can’t.” 

“You’re afraid I’d cut you, if you get all squirmy and arching?” Twinkle of amusement lit up Steve’s eyes.

“Please, Steve.” You feared tearing up, if he refused you. You also feared he would make you cum and cut you, and that you weren’t ready for that combination of pain and pleasure. 

He hummed, holding your gaze as he licked your clit again. Your muscles tensed anew, he had to feel them straining in your thighs where he held you. Then, very slowly, he untangled himself from you. Steve let your thighs drop to the mattress freely. He lifted the hand holding the knife and you sagged in relief. 

Steve leaned over you, bracing his weight on one arm. His broad frame cast a shadow over you. He brought the blade up to your face, you could see a fragment of your reflection in it. 

“Kiss it.” Steve ordered. 

You stared at him, bewildered. He waited, surprisingly patiently, holding the blade inches from your mouth. He called this knife yours. Had it custom made for you. Used it on you in ways you never imagined in a sexual encounter. Teased what more he could do. What he probably would do to you in the future. And he wanted you to kiss it as if in gratitude for all the lewd things it would unleash on you. 

Swallowing nervously, you lifted your head enough to press your lips against the steel. 

“Good girl,” he praised. 

Your gaze followed Steve’s arm as he reached toward the nightstand to place the knife on it. Then his hand swiped along your arm, caressing muscles that strained from still gripping the sheets. 

He coaxed you back into the moment with a sensual kiss. The way his tongue dipped between your lips was soft and seductive. You’d never expect someone like Steve to be able to kiss like that. 

Heat quickly returned in pulsing beats to your clit as Steve kissed down your body. He settled back between your thighs, with a moan tasting your pussy once more. Relentlessly, he licked and sucked you back to that edge. Then pushed you over it as he pushed a finger into you. 

Steve kept that finger pumping steadily into your fluttering walls as he trailed wet bites up your body. He was hovering above you. Mouth, glistening with your arousal, was a lick away from you when he thrust a second digit inside. The stretch made you keen and Steve drank up every grimace you made. 

“Touch me, Princess,” he tempted you, curling his fingers just right. “Come on. Touch. I know you want to.” 

If your brain wasn’t a post-orgasmic mush, maybe you could muster some stubborn will to do the opposite. But he was right, you itched to touch him, to feel the ripple of his muscles beneath your fingertips, to see how hot he ran. 

Hesitantly at first, you placed both of your hands on his shoulders. Your gaze found one of the intricate vines that weaved along his shoulder and up his neck, a branch sprouting from it curved down and over his pectoral. You traced it with one hand, your other instinctively moving to Steve’s back. 

When you traced the contoured muscles of his abdomen, fingernails scratching lightly at the narrow path of coarse hair leading southwards, Steve increased the pace of his fingers. It stirred the fire in your core into a burst, evoking another moan. 

“Lower.” Steve gritted out, putting more of his weight and heat onto you. “Wrap that small hand of yours around my cock, Princess.” 

It was dirty - his words and the squelching sound of your pussy as he fingerfucked you. 

But it also made you drop your gaze between your bodies, searching for a glimpse of that dick. It swayed heavy, half-hard, right above your hip. Your walls clenched unexpectedly as you watched it. 

This wasn’t the first cock you saw in your life. You were far from a blushing virgin. There was something about Steve, however, that made you feel nervous and out of your depth. It appeared that sex with him was a whole new, scary discovery. 

Steve urged you with another command and your hand slipped down instantly. Hot, pulsing flesh in your palm, twitching and hardening as you curled your fingers around the quite impressive girth. 

It would stretch you so deliciously. Steve didn’t need to voice it for your imagination to ignite with the phantom sensation. 

You tightened your hold, swiping your thumb over the widened, red head. At Steve’s deep moan, your eyes flew up to his face, watching his pleasure in wonder. He didn’t hide it from you, didn’t try to pretend he wasn’t affected. Still, you felt yourself more at his mercy than he was at yours. Especially when you sensed that small kick of elation at giving him pleasure with your touch. 

You smeared the beads of precum down his shaft and started stroking. It was a mismatched rhythm, your focus faltering every time Steve drove his crooked fingers against that sensitive, spongy spot inside you. 

When Steve sat back on his haunches, you stopped your movement. A rush of heat filled you with sudden shyness as his gaze roamed over your splayed body. 

Skin dewy, breasts heaving with quickened breath, legs spread wide. Your hand was still around his cock, your ring and wedding band catching sparks of light. Steve’s own fingers were buried deep in your cunt, your slick glistened on his palm and wrist. 

Steve moved his other hand up your body, marveling at your curves and softness. He gave your breast a playful squeeze before trading his fingers further up. Fingers encircled the front of your neck in a familiar way. 

“You’re a fucking perfection, Princess.” 

Then he was withdrawing his fingers from your heat; milky slick sticking in a web between his digits. He knocked your hand away and spread your wetness all over his cock. 

He held your gaze as he dragged his dick between your puffed folds and into your hole. A pause for you to catch your breath, then he was thrusting in one fluid, firm stroke. 

A curse bubbled on your lips, stretching into a moan as he split you. Unable to reach him at the moment, your hands fisted the shits, gripping and twisting the fabric. Nipples stiffened into hard peaks, your chest arched upward at the same time as your head bowed back. 

There was no second to adjust, no mercy. Steve pounded into you roughly, setting a steady tempo. He watched your body move along the mattress, at least as much as his hold on your throat and your hip allowed. Your breasts swayed with each thrust, your thighs shook with each slap of his hips into you. 

He watched your eyes glaze over as an orgasmic haze crept over you anew. Your pretty mouth stayed open, letting out all the sweet noises. It took barely a few of his thrusts and you were cumming again. 

Everything was still spinning in your head when Steve yanked your hips more upwards. Your buttocks rested on his thighs, legs thrown over his hips as he fucked into you. Grip on your throat tightened more and more. Your eyes flew open, one of your hands grabbing onto Steve’s wrist. Unbothered, he kept choking you lightly. At the same time, his other hand sneaked across your abdomen. 

With your airflow limited, every sensation seemed to heighten impossibly. The stretch of his cock, the pressure of his hand on your lower belly. The coil tightened and tightened, and when Steve swiped his thumb over your engorged clit, you shattered with a soundless scream. 

Steve released your throat and the gulps of air you instinctively tok between raw cries seemed to prolong your orgasm. It twisted into a craze that felt agonizingly good. 

So good it caused you to cry, salty streaks dripping out of the corners of your eyes and down your temples. 

Through the thunderous buzz of blood pounding in your head, the muffled sound of Steve’s voice reached you. Your brain was unable to function enough to recognize it, but it sounded like your name. And something akin to ‘Atta girl. 

When Steve shifted, you welcomed his warm heaviness like a comforting blanket, mapping his sweaty back with your hands. He was still moving, speeding up, as he braced both of his forearms on the mattress. His breath was hot against your skin, his lips starved as he kissed and nipped. 

He rested his forehead against yours as he came with a loud moan. Warmth of his spend filled you and though you didn’t think of it now, later you would be thankful for the little contraceptive implant you had. As the fog of pleasure held you in its grip, you didn’t care for the consequences. Not when Steve was still rocking slightly into you, his cock twitching. 

You sighed, scrunching up your nose, when Steve pulled out a while later. Your pussy throbbed in protest, or maybe it was from the ache that was starting to make itself known. You leaked, too, which would make you really embarrassed if you weren’t too boneless to care. 

You managed to wipe at your temples and cheeks, where remnants of tears still wetted your skin, before Steve was touching you again. He flipped you onto your belly then licked a line up your spine with a broad stroke of his tongue. 

“Aren’t you done?” You huffed, fearing you may not be able to survive more. 

“Far from it,” Steve laughed and playfully slapped your ass. 

You were thankful that he spent quite some time just kissing and touching your back, your ass and your thighs. Whether he was giving himself enough time to get hard again, or if he was this dedicated to learning your body. 

When he sat on your thighs, his knees braced on the outside of your closed legs, and squeezed your asscheeks, you expected him to play there more. Instead, you felt him spread you enough to expose your pussy. He slid inside slowly, but it still took you by surprise.    

Steve laid on top of you, balancing his weight on his arms as he pulled back and thrust back in. The angle unraveled a completely new type of sensation.

“Oh my- fuuuck!” You couldn’t help the unladylike, high pitched squeal. 

Nails scratching at the sheets helplessly, you spluttered mewls as Steve purposely rocked his hips back and forth. 

“Awww,” he cooed, “is that the spot, Princess?” 

Then he pulled back and slammed back in. Each thrust grazed that ultrasensitive area; each time he sunk deeper and deeper, too. 

If you were moaning and crying when he fucked you the first time, these sounds were a symphony of pitiful and needy that surpassed others. At one point your mouth just hung open, saliva seeping out of the corner and staining the mattress. 

Your toes curled and you helplessly kicked your feet up and down, unable to shift in your position to ease the increasing, maddening pleasure. With your cheek pressed to the mattress, your gaze mindlessly focused on the ring on your finger where your hand rested beside your head. 

Steve’s fingers entered your vision, brushing along your hand and intertwining with your fingers. A mockery of softness in the ruthless way he was fucking you. 

Your cunt tightened around him, producing more slick the longer he railed that tormenting spot. The sound of him fucking you turned more and more squelching. 

“I want you to soak the sheets,” Steve grunted. When you made a noise of protest, he paused to force your legs wide apart with his feet. “Come on, Princess. Make a mess.”

And you did. 

Hiding your face in the bedding didn’t suppress the string of cries as you climaxed, squirting a small pool of release. 

Steve fucked you through it. Each of his hard thrusts ripping your whimpers into a choked single vowel as you went lax beneath him. 

“Fuck, Princess.”  He groaned, feeling your wetness drip down his balls. “I would wife you up for that alone. You really-” his hips snapped harder and faster- “are. Fucking. Perfect.” 

Your fingers remained intertwined, Steve’s face buried in the crook of your neck, as he came. Perhaps it was the angle at which he was buried inside of you, or maybe this time his orgasm was much stronger, but you felt every throb and every spurt more clearly than before. Felt yourself full with his cum and dripping excess of your combined spend. 

Long, long minutes later, when Steve pulled out and dropped next to you onto the mattress, you didn’t even blame him for not having enough power (or decency) to get you a wet cloth. 

Honestly, you didn’t have any strength to get up either. 

It was later, as you resigned yourself to falling asleep in the mess that you made, that you heard the sound of a drawer being open. Then a soft, wet wipe was pressed to your inner thigh. It was a surprise. Felt a little weird, too. But you rested quietly as Steve wiped you and himself clean, tossing used tissues into the bin hidden behind the nightstand.

When he laid back down on the unsoiled side of the bed and reached for you, you glared at him. 

Yes, he fucked your brains out. You seriously doubted there were any functioning brain cells left. Yes, you were officially married. Still, it didn’t mean you were going to play a docile wife in every aspect of this torment. 

“You want to sleep on the stained sheets?” Steve arched a single eyebrow. “Swallow your stubbornness and scoot here, Princess.” 

It was voiced as if he was giving you an option, but he didn’t wait for your decision. Astonishingly easily, he sneaked a hand under one of your thighs and simply lifted you enough to relocate you. 

Nestled to Steve’s side, with one leg hiked over his thigh, you willed yourself to stay awake long enough to sneak out when Steve dozed off. Unfortunately for you, your will was too fucked out. 

You fell asleep snuggled to the ruthless mafia monster.

[genericpuff]

Can you call Tina Belcher driving through a parking lot at an anxious snail's pace a driving "style"? So why do we try to use "style" as a defense for LO's pacing problems?

There's something about how Lore Olympus engrosses people within its weekly doses of H x P content and cliffhangers that makes people not realize just how long Lore Olympus takes to get to the point of, well, anything. Many plotlines are setup, and then go untouched for weeks, sometimes months at a time, before seeing any sort of progress, much less a resolution. In this, I'm going to actually give you time ranges on some of the more egregious payoffs and continuations of plotlines that were setup - some that are now resolved, others that have yet to see the light of day.

CONTENT WARNING: I will be discussing the SA plotline, and there will be spoilers for Episode 265. I will also be showing pictures of some rancid ass tattoos, I know that sounds random for what we're discussing, but trust me on this one, I have a point to make. Also there's a Junji Ito panel from The Enigma of Amigara Fault... yeah, that one.

LEUCE

Let's start with an easy one that's not exactly tied to the main plot. The Leuce plotline. She was first introduced in Episode 201 as a 'bargaining chip' from Zeus to Hades, in a misfired attempt to get Hades to call a truce over the embargo between the Underworld and Olympus.

At the time of this episode's release, by all accounts this seemed to be a cut and dry reference to Hades' first wife, Leuce, unfortunately reduced to a mail-order bride who Hades, of course, turns down, because he doesn't want the "I can't believe it's not butter" Persephone, he wants overpriced, tastes-the-same-but-costs-more-because-of-the-brand-name Persephone.

But then she came back, 36 episodes later - in real time, this was roughly 38 weeks for free-to-read users as the series went on a 2 week hiatus near the start of S3 - only to be used as a cliffhanger leading into a recycled Minthe plotline, in which she attempted to seduce Hades in Episode 238, only to be shot down for the second time.

If you're having a tough time wrapping your head around how long 36 weeks really is, that's nine months. If you got pregnant when Leuce was first revealed, you'd be entering the final window of pregnancy by the time she returned, assuming the baby didn't come pre-term.

Another 7 weeks later, enough time to actually get pregnant again following that first baby, we got the sudden continuation of that plot, with Persephone invading her home and filling it with barn animals, with a not-so-subtle threat to Leuce to stay away from her husband.

"But what about the text messages? Were they really from Hades?" Well, if you were someone reading this comic in real time, you wouldn't have this question answered for another SIX EPISODES - that's a month and a half in real time - and the answer would ultimately be "she made it up, she was 'manifesting', none of it's real, they should call her Deleuceional!" Six weeks for a nothingburger answer to wrap up a nothingburger sideplot, all in the pursuit to 'prove' for the 1275903729 time that Hades and Persephone are truly meant to be together.

EROS AND PSYCHE

This is a big one. The Eros x Psyche plotline was one of the most popular romance subplots, second only to Hades and Persephone, throughout the comic. And yet, despite people holding their breath to see what would become of the star-crossed lovers, a mortal and a god-

-readers in September 2021 would not find out how their recent skirmish with Apollo in Episode 171 would resolve itself until Episode 218, A YEAR AND TWO MONTHS - ROUGHLY 60 WEEKS AND A MIDSEASON HIATUS - LATER, and even then it would only show us Eros, who quickly summarizes what happened to him during the entire trial and Kronos arc that his anticipated romance storyline got sidelined for - he got married and now he has a child.

And it wouldn't be for ANOTHER six weeks that his wife and the mother of his child would actually show up, not alongside Eros, but Aphrodite and Hephaestus, in Episode 224.

What happened to her after finally having her 'true form' revealed to Eros? Well, that's not shown for another three weeks in Episode 227. During this a bunch of info about how Psyche got out of that sticky Apollo situation is dumped on us and we just have to go along with it as she becomes a goddess, not because she earned a place among the Olympians, but because Zeus needs her to spy on Apollo, which was actually shown one episode prior in 226.

So let's say you got knocked up again after that Leuce baby, when Eros and Psyche were shot out of the sky. Welp, in the time it took for Rachel to get around explaining what happened to the both of them, now you just had your second baby and for all we know, you could have gone for a third and already be well into or near the end of your first trimester, if you really wanted to get busy. You'd have a Dionysus, a Melinoe, and maybe even a Demophoon. Congratulations.

And speaking of Melinoe-

MELINOE

Turns out the interloper and the child in Tartarus were one and the same, or at least that's what I'm assuming, because otherwise that would mean there's some whole ass other baby to worry about that we haven't even been introduced to yet.

Melinoe, or "the child deity", was first established in Episode 218.

But as per LO tradition, the child would only mentioned in passing every now and then until finally being revealed as Melinoe in Episode 252, a whopping... THIRTY EIGHT FUCKING WEEKS LATER.

And that waiting is still ongoing as Melinoe is, of course, still trapped in Tartarus, with no end in sight. Since then, Hades and Persephone have gotten married, kidnapped a child, Persephone has terrorized a nymph and caused yet ANOTHER genocide, and they've resurrected a child that was suddenly revealed to be Demeter's. Thirty eight weeks and counting of dragging on a plotline that we're supposed to believe is dire while the characters do sweet fuck all.

What was the name of that other dream baby that Rachel referenced from some obscure non-legitimate source?

Riiiight, Brimos. Congrats, there's pregnancy number 4. But can we find a way to make a fifth happen?

KASSANDRA

We're first introduced to Kassandra, another implied victim of Apollo's, in Episode 226 when a photo of her is found on Apollo's pen drive which was conveniently left on the ground for Psyche to swipe.

In Episode 227, they theorize on how they could track down this mystery woman, using either Eros or Aphrodite's abilities to find her through the power of

✨love✨

How will that actually work though? Has anyone ever been in love with Kassandra, or has she ever been in love with anyone else?

Any bets on how long it would be until we'd get our answer?

Episode 251. The same episode where we're finally told about Leuce's delusions, we suddenly skip to the reveal of Kassandra being Apollo's personal oracle.

And it still doesn't end up answering our question as to how Kassandra was tracked down, by the way. Eros and Psyche sorta just conveniently find her at the same time Apollo happens to be there when he's getting her to deliver her big prophecy to him.

That's twenty four weeks, meaning you're now near the end of your second trimester with child #4. Whoever the child is remains to be seen but I'm sure Rachel will find a way to shoehorn another helpless baby into the plot for Hades and Persephone to rescue who we can use for this metaphor.

But none of these come close to the greatest unresolved plotline of them all, the one plotline that has outlasted even the main H x P plotline of Lore Olympus' story-

APOLLO

Or more specifically, the SA. Rachel has tried so hard to twist Apollo into a villain of Disney proportions, through his sudden involvement with Ouranos, while also using him as a mouthpiece for her own critics by having him literally dish out word-for-word the criticisms that have been made towards Rachel's writing of Persephone-

But the core foundation of his plotline goes all the way back to 2018, when he assaulted Persephone, a plotline that has yet to resolve itself or show any progression beyond Rachel's half-baked attempts at speedrunning Persephone's healing process, while Apollo is still at large and hasn't been brought to justice.

We've seen her in very poorly-written therapy where her assault was addressed once. We've seen her grapple with the potential consequences of the SA through a gynecologist scene that, as I've discussed before, does more harm than good in helping the discussion around women's sexual health. And of course, Rachel will pepper in vague references to the SA every now and then when she's bothered to remember that it's a plotline she wrote and still hasn't resolved:

And judging by how the story has been progressing, Rachel seems far more intent on simply using Apollo as a mouthpiece for criticism and a puppet for Ouranos rather than focusing on the bigger issues, all while Persephone has helped more people cope with the assault that happened to her rather than receiving help herself.

What's really telling is that despite half of the Olympians at this point knowing what Apollo did, not one of them even tries to convince Persephone to come forward, or say something themselves. Daphne has more than enough reason to come forward. Artemis, Hera, Eros, Hermes, and Hephaestus all know what he did, and yet none of them say a thing, even when those of them who haven't been conveniently shoehorned out of the plot are still in the same room as him-

The assault scene happened in August 2018. It's been five and a half years since it was established, and while there have been small efforts made to resolve it - from Hera and Hephaestus having the photos deleted to Persephone seeking therapy - there's less reason now than ever for it to not be addressed, especially with so much at stake. I could side with Persephone not wanting to say anything in the beginning, when he was blackmailing her with the photos and her TGOEM scholarship was on the line, but now that she's a Queen, rich, and married to Hades, living in the Underworld where he can't get to her, without any schooling or scholarship or job to worry about or the photos hanging over her head, it comes across as flat out irresponsible that not a single person thinks it's worth mentioning. Even the narrative itself seems to be trying to undo the SA entirely.

At this point, I'm not confident it will be mentioned at all, and that Apollo will be conveniently dealt with as a pawn of Ouranos rather than as a perpetrator of violence towards women.

A FINAL ANALYSIS OF LO'S PACING

There are certainly far more examples of this weekly edging happening throughout LO, but I hope the ones I provided get across the point I'm trying to make about its pacing.

Of course, none of these gaps in time are happening back-to-back-to-back. This is Lore Olympus' writing "style", if you can call it that - constantly bombard the reader with separate plot points so that they'll either not remember the ones that were left behind, or so that Rachel can buy herself time to get herself out of the corner she wrote herself into. It's the equivalent of clickbait, constantly grabbing your attention with shiny new things that will replace whatever you just saw in your brain, on a constantly repeating cycle. It's the writing process of inexperienced amateurs, like what you'd see in short stories written by fifth graders - "and then this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened", with no theme or overarching meaning tying them together; and if you were to ask them why a certain thing happens, especially if it logically doesn't make sense, the answer is just, "well, because it does." There's no rhyme or reason, they just thought it was cool.

And I say "style" because while fans of LO have definitely defended the story's pacing as just a writing style, the actual execution of what they're implying is painful to watch and not what any experienced writer would call a legitimate style. It's not uncommon at all in long-running series like this to jump from plotline to plotline, often times longform stories like these have to balance multiple side plots at once to keep things engaging and to bulk up the plot with more actual content.

But in most cases, the reader will expect the speed of a plot's resolution to be relative to its urgency. If a casual B plot with low stakes is introduced, it's not necessarily doing any harm if it just sits there for a bit before finally being resolved. After all, it's low stakes and no one is being hurt by it existing on the sidelines. It might feel a bit like pointless fluff, but there's nothing necessarily wrong with fluff and it can offer fun and relaxed reprieves from the overarching narrative, assuming you integrate them well so they're not drawing attention away from those more urgent plotlines at the worst possible times (looking at you, Stranger Things S2 Episode 7-)

But when even the high stakes plots are being hung out to dry and treated like distractions and fluff, it comes across less like a decisive writing "style" and more just directionless pantsing from an inexperienced writer who's gotten themselves in way too deep.

And that's what really separates Rachel's writing problems from "style". Style is decisive. Style is the act of referencing over a set period of time, crafting what you like and what you've learned into something new, with rounds and rounds of fine-tuning. Style is experience put into action.

And, while I don't typically like using my own work as a comparison, LORE | REKINDLED is meant to try and recapture the original magic of Lore Olympus' art style and writing foundations - and even then, you can still see the clear difference between Episodes 14 and 44, which use the same panel from the same scene, but look vastly different due to the improvement and refinement that's happened over time.

Same style, but different levels of experience and skill, which is to be expected after weeks and weeks of fine-tuning and deliberate practice.

If you're lacking in your fundamentals, whether in art or writing, you can't equate that lack of skill to "style" because you're not choosing to be inexperienced, you just are. And that's okay! But to try and pass it off as 'style' implies that you're choosing to be inexperienced - when in reality, if you tried to put out anything beyond your skill level, you simply wouldn't be able to, because you haven't gained those skills yet. Like fifth graders writing short stories with the "and then this happened" model, "it's just my style" is often used as an excuse by young artists and writers who don't understand that style is not exclusively an end result of inexperience.

I'm gonna go on a tangent here, but there's this controversial but trendy style in tattooing called 'ignorant', and it's best defined as "tattooing badly on purpose".

These tattoos are regularly praised for their simplistic ingenuity and visual aesthetic but equally criticized for being the opposite of what many artists have worked to overcome - being "bad at art". After all, who would willingly pay for a bad-looking tattoo? It's because it's the style that's in demand. I would argue that it takes a lot of confidence and mastery of the craft to be purposefully bad at it and make it look good, as contradictory as that sounds.

As much as the lines may be wobbly and the anatomy poor, ignorant style tattoos are done purposefully by experienced artists who still know how to properly tattoo. As much as they may look like they were drawn by a middle schooler, they will still heal properly, the lines will hold up, and the client will not (or at least, should not) experience any excessive scarring or unhygienic practices as one would experience from an actual inexperienced artist-

In a genuinely poorly-done tattoo, the evidence of the inexperience is literally written all over the body. The skin swells, the ink bleeds out, the lines are inconsistent in their depth, and there's clear signs of trauma to the skin that will undoubtedly result in a poorly-healed tattoo (and that's not even getting into the larger health risks such as contracting blood diseases due to a poorly kept space). It's not hard to see the difference between a bad tattoo and a tattoo that's intentionally bad.

It's the age old saying in a different medium - only once you learn the rules can you properly break them.

Rachel never learned these rules in her writing and it's evident to anyone who knows these rules and is viewing LO through a critical lens - or in my case, experiencing it on a week to week basis. It's a regularly occurring problem in the medium of webcomics as a whole - thinking that knowing how to draw is enough, and that writing comes dead last, if at all. When in reality, comics are a marriage of art and writing, you can't simply do one really well and allow the other to drag behind. That's not to say there aren't comics that succeed at having bad art and good writing, if anything a well-written comic can save bad art-

But if you have a comic with good art and bad writing, that's when a comic opens itself up to harsher criticism. As much as art may be the visual forefront of comics, if you want to keep your audience along for the long road that stretches ahead, you need to have a strong foundation in writing, or at least, enough of a plan to ensure you're not driving in the dark. The art can be as gorgeous as you want it to be, but if the plot is weak, then no one will have any reason to check back in week to week.

And such is Lore Olympus' biggest weakness. Much of what we praise LO for back in its first season was simply its foundation. It's very easy to praise a story's writing when it hasn't had to payoff what it's setup. Having ideas is easy, and early LO is rife with good ideas - but many of those ideas have since fallen flat, even the ones you wouldn't expect.

Ideas are a dime a dozen, but actually executing them in a way that can be engaging from start to finish and resolve itself in a way that's satisfying is a whole other challenge that many creators, including Rachel, find themselves unable to tackle; and nothing is a greater example of that than LO's third season, which is now fumbling its plotlines that have failed to resolve themselves properly after 5 years, while introducing new ones that serve as mere distractions, as if they were a laser pointer aimed at a cat.

I hear the argument, "LO is a better story if you binge read it" a lot, which - while I can certainly understand in today's culture of content that's churned out to be binged - I still fail to see how it actually makes LO a better story. Binge-reading LO doesn't remove the pointless plotlines. It doesn't fix its blatant timeline problems, its retcons, or its inability to stay focused on one topic for more than 5 panels. All it really fixes is the waiting, the ritualistic toiling over each and every cliffhanger that caps off the weekly episodes just for them to either be resolved in the next week or left behind with no in-between. And while having all that waiting removed certainly makes the reading experience a lot smoother, it doesn't make the story or its writing better.

The relationship between a story's writing and how the audience experiences it shouldn't be overlooked. Many stories depend on how the audience experiences it within the mind to succeed and leave an impression.

Junji Ito utilizes the dreaded page turn to scare his audience, an effect that can only be truly gained and appreciated if you read his books in traditional print.

Marvel spent years meticulously building up its Avengers franchise, culminating in a once-in-a-lifetime cinematic event through Avengers: Endgame, which is truly the epitome of "you had to be there", because if you watch Avengers: Endgame in 2024 in your living room, you're likely not going to experience the same level of hype as audiences experiencing it in the theater in 2019.

The same can be said for James' Cameron's Avatar, which entranced audiences with its innovative motion capture CGI and immersive 3D effects, an experience that could only be lived to the fullest if you saw it in 3D in IMAX theaters back in 2009. Without that experience, most people in 2024 find the movie to be pretty generic and uninteresting, a reverse Pocahontas with blue people in space, but when it first released in IMAX theaters in 2009, it was a cultural and technological phenomenon due to how advanced it was in its VFX. I can't even share with you clips of it, because obviously it would just be proving my point to try and show you how groundbreaking Avatar was in theaters through a bad shaky cam Youtube upload of its IMAX release on Youtube, but let's just say that it wasn't uncommon for people to brag about how many times they'd gone back to watch the same movie just to feel what they felt from the first showing all over again.

All that's to say that while Lore Olympus may offer a 'better' reading experience when binge-read - regardless of whether or not it actually helps the story's pacing problems - the reality is that LO is still being written exclusively with the weekly format in mind, and its been very much to its detriment, both in the short-term and in the long-term. Readers are often left in the dark on plotlines for weeks at a time, Rachel loses track of what she has and hasn't addressed, and the extended waiting times trick readers into believing that weeks have passed in the comic's story, when in reality it's only been a day or two, sometimes as little as hours depending on the sequence; meanwhile, if you binge episodes that had those problems in hindsight, you'll likely be a lot more quick to notice how many plot beats are either retconned or abandoned entirely, because you don't have the weekly waiting times artificially inflating the pacing of the story and causing you to forget what was established weeks before, because when binged, those weeks are reduced to hours and minutes.

And worst of all, with the assumption that you're reading on a weekly basis - as it wants you to do - Rachel tries to pull clever stunts by matching up LO's episodes with real life dates and holidays, which often just makes the story beats feel rushed or random in their execution - because to the vast majority of readers who haven't caught on to this or are reading the episodes through the physical books, they are rushed and random, and they can't exactly explain why.

Binging these episodes doesn't solve the problem, if anything it exemplifies them because, as a shining example, Hades and Persephone suddenly get married right in the middle of an ongoing issue, which isn't exactly the best time to wrap up the story's main plotline. Since then readers have become less and less interested in their story, and can you blame them? By all accounts their story is over. Everything now just feels tacked on to give them something to do in a story they no longer fit into.

There's an episode behind the FastPass lock right now, Episode 265. It unlocks for free on February 17th, three days after Valentine's Day. Guess what episode it is?

Ah yes, the episode where Hades' initiates sex without consent with his wife who's suffering from panic attacks, who also happens to be a rape victim. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.

I actually made this particular discovery while writing this essay, so that was a very unwelcome surprise, but it explains the sudden random shift from Persephone being so stressed over the ongoing situation that she's passed out to Hades just deciding for the both of them that now's the time to have sex. As much as the fans will defend this as a husband and wife's last chance at intimacy before diving into a dangerous situation, they'll also still conveniently forget - just like the narrative and Rachel herself - that Persephone is a rape victim, and Hades initiating sex with her after nearly having a panic attack isn't exactly a good look.

This is why our theories as to when LO ends are so firmly cemented in one specific time range, because the story's pacing and distractions seem only intent in one thing - getting the story to last until spring, when the series will most likely conclude. It's basically been all but confirmed by Rachel, from her stating the series would be ending in early 2024, to Inklore - an imprint that seems designed specifically for Rachel and LO - launching officially in spring of this year, undoubtedly just in time for Rachel to wrap up LO for good.

(and boy, do I have some words about Inklore and its plans for "Rachel Smythe Presents", but that's another essay entirely.)

At the end of the day, LO's pacing is equivalent to paint drying on the wall, but it relentlessly convinces us to keep watching because the paint is blue and pink and maybe, maybe it'll turn into a piece of art. But as is evident in the comment sections of the newest episodes, even the fans are starting to realize that paint will not magically turn into the final piece of art they've been waiting to see if the hand that wields it doesn't know what it's doing.

Though style may be gained as an accidental side effect of one's influences and experiences, what Lore Olympus' intent is remains to be seen, and the longer the story goes on, the blurrier whatever intent it could have becomes. Unless it somehow manages to pull off a twist of Attack on Titan proportions that thoroughly explains and ties together the plotlines that have been left in the rearview mirror, the vehicle that is LO will continue to trudge along at a snail's pace, until it inevitably either crosses the finish line or crashes - but by that point, anyone waiting for it could very well be gone, their good faith left behind at the starting line when there was still plenty of time to change its trajectory or stop.

Such a time is long, long gone.

[dragonseeds]

if only because i'm seeing takes about daemon being incapable of not perceiving the women he cares about as sexual objects because of how sexist he is. oh and doesn't remember what his mom looks like so his mind is presenting her as his most sexually appealing fantasy...like what do you even say to this.

i genuinely don’t knowww. it’s…. certainly a reading. like just jumping straight past “it’s sad that daemon can’t remember his mother and instead has to create an image of her that’s basically an amalgam of the other women in his family and horrific that his longing for her is manifesting sexually due to the trauma of dynastic incest + alys attempting to mind break him” to “once again daemon is uniquely evil and sexist and such a targ supremacist that alyssa looks like a generically HOT ai generated targ baddie in his nightmares.” if you ignore the fact that writers have also changed the hair colors of other targaryen characters like rhaenys to make them more easily clocked by general audience members as targs and have made zero effort to give any of them correct eye colors it could work.

it’s… interesting to me that he’s the character through whom the effects of the dynastic incest has been explored the most and he’s also the character people are most vocally disgusted by, while his status as a victim and product of incest is either overlooked or turned into a joke (esp re: viserys). i don’t know what to say to that either. obviously he’s also a perpetuator—but again that is not actually unique to him. how old were aegon and helaena when alicent forced them to marry? helaena is supposed to be 17 this season, according to the wiki—and the twins are toddlers, so…? how old was laena when her parents tried to betroth her to viserys and told her he wouldn’t bed her until she was 14? how old was aemond when aegon took him to a brothel to “get it wet,” and when he was coveting helaena as an object and symbol of what he thinks should have been his? at what age did alyssa and baelon understand that their parents meant them to be sexual partners? like? they’re all in this cycle, they’re all traumatized by it from a very young age, and every male character in westeros is sexist to some degree because the subjugation of women is a necessary component in the maintenance of the feudal system. daemon’s arc this season has actually been a genuinely thoughtful and honest of exploration of what it actually means for him to have crowned his wife and knelt before her in this violently patriarchal society (in addition the nightmares & torment) it’s like. wild that people aren’t getting that aspect of it because i think it’s fascinating.

[appleflavoredkitkats]

don't support here lies love the musical as it comes to bway

my post on here lies love is getting rounds and while i still stand by everything i said on that post, my grievances with the musical has Grown in the last couple of weeks of me researching about it. granted, i still need to do more— i want to do an essay on it in the future because i would hate for it to run on broadway for long, but because that takes time, i thought, at least, i would need to make a post detailing what i find wrong about this musical. even if it's not the most comprehensive, i want more people to be informed about it as soon as possible.

so, have this. ramblings at 5am. i'll try my best to gather sources, but information i have regarding the marcoses comes from a lot of non-digital resources like classes, museums, and physical books. in this case, i recommend the following resources to learn more about who the marcos family is and what they did:

"the kingmaker" by lauren greenfield. native filipinos can watch this free on youtube, but if you aren't from the ph i recommend using a vpn to access it or find a pirated version somewhere else

online martial law museum

if you can buy it, "some are smarter than others" by ricardo manapat, a book detailing marcos' crony capitalism and all his faults

i'd also like to preface: i am not a saint. i am not a historian nor the smartest person who can detail everything marcos did when he was born. i'm trying to do my best with what i know, and i am down to learn more if others want to chime in.

lastly, here's a fresher on the names of people involved, because it can be confusing:

ferdinand marcos — i will try my best calling him ferdinand but most people, including myself, often call him just "marcos" despite the fact that they technically all are marcoses. he was the president from 1965-1986

imelda marcos — i will refer to her as imelda. wife to ferdinand and contributed a lot to his reign of terror. she is still alive today.

bong bong marcos — son of ferdinand and imelda. his name is often shorted to bbm, which i will use. he is currently the present of the philippines

ninoy aquino — marcos' main rival who he indirectly murdered. not a perfect guy tho, just the lesser evil. i will just call him ninoy

now, onto the real deal:

thesis statement, so this can be easy to follow: despite the intentions of the musical being anti-marcos, much of how it is written and presented will inevitably become propaganda to brighten the image of the marcoses. by putting imelda in the forefront, making her entire character do what she does supposedly out of love, audiences will come out of the theatre sympathizing with her and her family. not only is this politically dangerous, but it is incredibly insensitive to native filipinos who have not only gone through the struggle of martial law, but also is suffering through bbm's presidency today.

[rest of the post under the cut]

despite what a lot of criticisms claim, the intentions of the musical is not to be pro-marcos. this is stated in their instagram post:

david bryne also stated these in an article from the guardian:

"The mindset of the Marcos regime and the mindset of disco music to me doesn’t seem all that distant. The hedonistic, escapist feeling of losing yourself and being transported to another world, like you feel on the dance floor and like you feel in a dance club, that’s a means to divorce yourself from the rest of the world, just as Imelda did.

When you’re dancing, you’re in this psychological and sonic bubble, in the same way that powerful people create a bubble around themselves. So I wanted to give an audience a taste of that feeling.

In the first half, when the play is dealing with her childhood, her upbringing and her meeting with Ferdinand Marcos, it’s meant to get the audience to empathise with her and understand what’s driving her and then they’ll understand how that manifests later on."

so, it seems promising: an anti-marcos musical that will make audiences dislike empathizing with her. initially, i really liked the concept of audiences being lost with the music similar to how the marcoses were able to play a lot of their supporters.

but, and a big but, 1.) there's a lot to pick apart from these statements, and 2.) i fucking despise how they presented imelda in the musical.

let's discuss the first point: the instagram post details that the intent of the musical is to dispel disinformation created about the marcoses. first thing's first, if this truly was a musical that aims to educate, then broadway is probably the worst way to do it. while the west and native filipinos could share the award of most misinformed about the marcoses, native filipinos are the ones most affected by it. we just suffered a terrible election last year with constant speculation and reports of vote buying. i've heard accounts from people from the province that bbm would send representatives to bribe those in poverty to ensure a vote. we are suffering in the worst education crisis, with the most corrupt politicians you can think of.

so, if this musical aims to educate, the fact that you can only access it by viewing it live on broadway is incredibly... backwards. how are you opting to dispel information when those most affected can't even access it?

what's worse is the statement that says that modern history of the philippines cannot be told without the usa. it is such a patronizing, surface-level statement that gets my blood boiling. it is true that our histories and present-day contexts are intertwined, especially since the filipino diaspora in the usa is incredibly huge, but that's because this is all a product of american colonization + imperialism. stating like the philippines owes the usa to retell our native stories mirrors much of the savior complex-esque sentiments the usa had when they colonized us.

now, onto bryne's statement. the main problem i have with it is him insinuating that imelda is a victim of circumstance. he wants us the audience "empathize" with her and understand her downfall. this is common rhetoric uninformed people, even filipinos, used to excuse imelda's contributions. that she was supposedly "poor", that marcos put her through hell. but genuinely, and i cannot emphasize this enough, imelda was an absolute ass on her own accord.

no, she did not grow up poor. her wikipedia even states that she grew up in a wealthy family, born into the romualdez political dynasty. my history professor even claimed that she attempted bribing the mayor when she lost one of her beauty pageants. despite the repetitive "i'm doing this for love!" bullshit the musical regurgitates, imelda did not even marry marcos out of love. in ricardo manapat's book, he details how marcos attempted to swoon imelda by showing her his vault of money (of course, possibly stolen). she was enraptured by marcos the moment she saw his WEALTH.

i want to emphasize: imelda is not fucking stupid. much of what marcos did to the philippines was thanks to her. i would recommend watching the kingmaker documentary for all the details, but just know she is still alive and incredibly wealthy. she is well-known for her absolute gaudiness and all of that comes from her money-centric mindset. she does not give a shit about love.

here's some accounts by ricardo manapat from his book. on imelda falling in love with marcos (btw, she had a fiance at the time and didn't tell him she was marrying marcos until said fiance found out on the damn newspaper):

imelda being aware of the wealth she accumulates in politics:

on this note, i'd love to discuss how historically inaccurate the musical is. i'd like to preface that i've only listened to the only available version of the musical which is the 2013 version on spotify. this could have changed, but either way, the general tone of the narrative already reads to me as extremely incorrect, anyway. i'd also love to detail every discrepancy of each song, but again, i'll save that for a future essay.

in general, the musical's plotline follows imelda, a "humble and poor" girl from leyte who grows up and marries ferdinand. she repeatedly expresses she's doing this all out of love. thus, the musical insinuates that imelda is merely a victim of circumstance, and that she didn't become evil on her own accord. and yet, from what i've presented so far, she was very much aware! she was not passive. you have to understand, SHE was the reason both men and women had equal opportunities to become corrupt in our government.

what marcos did was also imelda's fault. the genocide and displacement of indigenous people, the mass torture and murder of journalists and politicians, the stealing of companies and mass wealth, the mass delivery of non-native animals to the philippines. she condoned all that. yes, marcos cheated on her, but she also used that as a means to manipulate him into doing whatever she wanted. they are both horrible people.

speaking of, marcos' song in the musical was also really bad. he could be written as lying for all we know, but his "fear" of japanese soldiers invading the philippines is also up for debate. there is speculation of the marcoses collaborating with japanese troops, which also led to the murder of marcos' father's political rival.

and while i don't know if there's actual dialogue outside of the songs, i don't think this musical actually informs us much of the marcos' faults. the songs, which will be the most accessible thing to native filipinos, express nothing but generic descriptions of what characters feel about certain situations. it's hard to understand or know what these people are actually doing because it's just so vague and ambiguous. how are you supposed to inform when none of the music details, well, anything? the information given is so minimal that i pray, at least, the musical would have more explicit scenes about marcos' atrocities.

and that's my main problem with the musical. with how much they spend sympathizing with imelda in the first act, i don't think everything the marcoses have done can be encapsulated in the second. of course, i'm not asking to give me a detailed rundown of everything they did, but let's be honest, this musical was never about dispelling disinformation. if it was, then they wouldn't spend an entire act and a half sucking imelda's dick. it's not about educating audiences about martial law. it's about humanizing imelda, with martial law and the marcoses' atrocities as a second priority. it makes me sick to my stomach seeing how pure imelda is presented when travelling to meet other world leaders, or how she's seen as the person who insisted that ninoy move away from the philippines.

it was never about education or re-information. in the end, these were such pretentious and performative statements to defend a historically inaccurate musical.

and tbh, that's just the tip of the iceberg of why i hate this musical. another thing is that, holy shit is it obvious that it's written by two white people. they mispronounce "tacloban" (should be tacLOban not tacloBAN). these characters are also just... not distinctly filipino? they're so white in mannerisms. i need more insulting humor, more grit. in fairness, the richer you are in the philippines the more connected you are to western culture, but i would have loved to see that disaparity more in the songwriting. they really peaked (/s) when they wrote these lyrics:

this is... awful, in a cringey what the hell manner. i hope they changed it for the bway production, because this was blatant evidence that the songwriters barely took the time to understand our culture before writing.

if you don't understand what it says, "titi mo" (the correct spelling is tite but i digress) means "your dick". i think imelda is trying to call marcos a dick, but they literally translated dick in tagalog. but tite isn't an insult, it literally refers to a penis. "mo" is the equivalent of "your" which also makes ZERO sense. the lyric literally goes "how can a your penis run the country?", like WHAT.

so you know, maybe there's a reason why many filipinos fucking despise this show on twitter. we are insulted for good reason. they are sensationalizing and glamorizing our suffering for their own gain. we native filipinos and other filipino diaspora who can't access the show have nothing to gain. here lies love is profiting from our struggles that we are still recovering from and experiencing today. imagine if you made a musical about hitler explaining he is a victim of circumstance to disco music. insensitive, isn't it? i'd love to ask the cast of here lies love if they'd ever show the musical to living survivors and families of victims of martial law.

and what's worse, because of course it gets worse, misinformation like this is what boosts the reputation of corrupt politicians in the first place. manapat quotes what leonard saffir wrote about how marcos built his reputation in new york via a biography filled with disinformation. the excerpt is too long but it's quoted from this article by the new york times. and now we are living in an era of another musical based on imelda being shown in new york — time is a flat fucking circle.

what sickens me is that this musical is possibly a lot of americans' first exposure to the marcoses, and what will they think? imelda is just a poor girl, imelda is just a victim, imelda is blah blah blah. that will be stamped in their head. even if some filipinos have come out of this musical dreadful that they sympathized with imelda, not everyone is gonna have the same experience.

^ this an excerpt from one of theatermania's articles. dictators have feelings too, i guess!

objectively, there is nuance when it comes to anyone. but the problem is, we cannot afford to consider nuance in politics. we cannot sympathize with imelda right now when people are dying of poverty under the marcoses' hand. the marcoses are very much alive, very much in power, and very much willing to lend their offspring to other positions of power. they turned the entirety of ilocos into a bunch of marcos dicksuckers, and i'm afraid that this musical can make a ton of their audiences be oblivious to the true extents of the marcos' atrocities. i'm already seeing people on tiktok say that there's nothing wrong about this musical, or that this can exist when miss saigon and evita exist (which in on itself are problematic beliefs, because they are glamorizing other country's sufferings too).

i am privileged enough to be educated about marcos, and while there is much to be done in terms of disability and lgbtqia+ rights, i am lucky to be less impacted by the marcoses compared to other people. but there are hundreds of thousands of filipinos severely affected by marcos. what's worse, is that there are plenty extremely uneducated that they are unaware that marcos is directly contributing to their suffering. my history professor told us that other countries are using the philippines as their model for successful disinformation campaigns. in this era of disinformation, we cannot afford to disinform even more. as sad as it is, the usa has a lot of power and control over the philippines (and the world, tbh), so one wrong step into the wrong direction and we're fucked. this musical fails the message it attempts to preach and i cannot imagine how much more people are going to spread misinformation about the philippines like they did during the 2022 elections.

to end off, i'd like to mention to everyone that imelda marcos has actually listened to the musical. in this new york times article, she says, "i'm flattered, i can't believe it!". i don't know what to tell you— if imelda herself says she likes the musical you claim to be anti-marcos, then what does that say about the musical?

i guess i'll end with, i am willing to change opinions once i see how the musical is being executed. if they emphasize the atrocities done by marcos and give proper information about the timeline of events, then i can be more lenient. but if i still see any attempts woobifying imelda, then i stand by what i say. this musical is insensitive, disrespectful, and just fucking hurtful.

[sfaghetti]

oh just finished bara no konrei and I think this is how the plot goes ? do correct me if I'm wrong with anything I'm just trying to put together my thoughts here. anyways plot summarized/explained:

btw I'll use she/her for Mana's character for easier distinction since all characters other than Cecil r men and Mana's can be interpreted as either a man or a woman, so. also Dracula is played by Yu~ki.

Klaha and Cecil are engaged and due to marry in a week but Dracula sends Klaha a letter saying he wants to purchase a manor and is asking for advice, Klaha agrees to go visit him and has to postpone the wedding by another week making Cecil very upset, but she agrees as long as he does arrive in time like he promised. while he's at Dracula's mansion, she has dreams of a vampire coming for her and her staying with him. she goes to church to confess her dreams to the nun who is Mana and Mana tells her to pray.

meanwhile at the mansion, Klaha sees a painting of a woman that sticks out to him due to her resemblance to Cecil, Dracula realizes that he's looking at the painting and says that it's his late wife. later, during dinner, Dracula sees Klaha's locket with a picture of Cecil. after they dine he sends Klaha off to his room to sleep and here is where Klaha dreams of women (who seem to be other vampires) who touch him all over while he's tied to a cross.

while Klaha sleeps Közi, who is a vampire, keeps drinking the blood out of human women, until he arrives to Cecil's room where he is stopped by Mana who tells him that he cannot touch Cecil for she's meant to be Dracula's virgin bride. Közi asks her why she's doing all this for Dracula, she says that it's because Dracula saved her life and then it goes to a flashback where we can see Mana inside the church then all of the sudden Közi opens the door and warns her that they're coming for her, a crowd appears and they forcibly take Mana while holding Közi back.

the crowd brings Mana to the stake and burns her while Közi can only watch, for what it seems she didn't truly die at the stake and got saved by Dracula by being turned into a vampire as well. we're back to the present and Közi asks her why she's still living as undead when her revenge has been fulfilled and she says that it's to keep the faith of those who believe in God, this could probably mean that despite being a living dead she's still catholic? since she seemingly stays with her role of a nun. Közi leaves and then she sits on Cecil's bed.

while this was going on Klaha wakes up and realizes he's been asleep for far too long, he walks out of the room and sees that now the painting of Dracula's late wife has "Cecil" written over it. he rushes out to go back home.

by this time Dracula was on his way to where Cecil lives. before arriving Dracula went on drinking the blood of the people that Mana brought to him to regain his youth. at the same time, Cecil receives another letter, which wasn't written by Klaha, telling her that he's gonna take another week because he'll have to teach Dracula the customs of the people that live there.

Dracula and Cecil finally meet up and after their first meeting he goes to her room and turns her into a vampire. Klaha arrives and finds Cecil already turned, and he arranges for an exorcism to be performed to save her.

during the exorcism Dracula arrives and breaks the ropes that were holding back Cecil, he kills everyone in the room except Cecil and Klaha, embracing her once he's done. Klaha picks up a knife/dagger to stab him but Dracula disappears with Cecil before he's able to.

after Dracula disappears Közi manifests himself in the same room and tells Klaha that he's not here to hurt him but to help him. he tells Klaha where he can find Dracula and asks him if he believes in god, as to which Klaha says he does. Közi tells him that it's harder to kill a vampire the more religious you are. maybe a reference back to Mana staying religious despite being a vampire/being devoted to one? Klaha asks him why he's helping him and Közi says that it's to defend his territory, Klaha thanks him and leaves.

next we see Cecil being laid on a table with Mana and Dracula at her side. Dracula slits his own wrist so that Cecil can drink from him and this is when Klaha arrives. he tries to engage in a fight with Dracula but Dracula quickly overpowers him. when Dracula is about to kill him Közi arrives and saves him and gets into a fight with Dracula. by the end of the fight Közi kills himself for some reason? might have been because he realized he couldn't defeat Dracula and he'd rather go out on his own. he doesn't fully succeed in his suicide and while bleeding out he asks Klaha to finish him, which he does.

Klaha goes to Cecil, but then she opens her mouth and he realizes that she's a vampire now. Mana (who had also gotten in the middle of the fight between Közi and Dracula) tells Klaha that Cecil must die then she falls to the ground. Klaha tries to stab Cecil but Dracula gets between them protecting her. Dracula offers her his blood to drink and while she's drinking Klaha takes this chance to stab him and finally kill him. after he's done with Dracula he stabs her also and she falls to the ground. he's about to finish her off but instead he slits his hand to feed her and she holds him close. next shot is of them waking up together with wedding clothes on, he picks her up and they walk out together.

did they both die and it was them in the afterlife? did they both become vampires? was it just a near-death hallucination? not sure but either way it was really enjoyable

would love to have seen it in black and white though

[hiraya-rawr]

I got this ayato idea while I was in class like instead of ayato cheating on the reader it's the reader and ayato who are having an affair but in a good way like

Ayato and his wife had a political marriage and his wife told him that they both should be free to have affairs or be with their lover bcz loving someone is not something you can force yourself into. Ayato despite his smarts he agrees with this. It's not gonna tarnish his reputation if the affair isn't found out right? Plus the one he loves is the reader so he's happy to be with them and the reader also deeply in love with commisioner is ready for it too.

Ever since the reader and ayato became lovers ayato has always been visiting the reader at night spending time with them since they can't interact much in public due to the rivalry of the families. This continues after marriage too.

Ayato fell for the reader for like yk being there for him during his hard time,caring for his loved ones and by being his safe place to be himself. And when his dear wife is like that ayato finds himself being a bit more affectionate towards her. Ayato doesn't realise it but he's slowly falling out of love with the reader while starting to grow more affectionate towards his wife. However the reader who knows ayato more than himself catches on quick .

His nightime visits , the number of letters he write to the reader all had reduced to the point he rarely comes and when the reader confronts him he makes excuses saying he's busy

But after seeing ayato and his wife at place which used to be the reader's and ayato's secret meet up location the reader has lost her hope in their affair. The way he smiled at her ,the way he intertwined his hands with her placing kisses on her wrists, everything he did with her screamed the fact he was so in love

Even tho the reader is supposed to be sad they don't feel anything but maybe a little happy seeing ayato being head over heels with someone who's better than them, maybe ayato and his wife are meant to be

And the worst thing is his wife, she's absolutely amazing both her looks and personality. even though she had allowed it ayato never told her he was having an affair and introduced you as a good friend. She talks to you like you are family and is always thanking for helping the kamisato siblings back in the days. You can never hate her. She genuinely loves the family and takes great care of them

But as much as you're happy it hurts so much seeing ayato , your first love, your first at everything fall for someone else. You can't bear to see them look at each other like they both are the most precious thing to each other

Then everything like every other ladies of age your father had come to you with a marriage proposal from mondstadt for you which you don't oppose because why not your dear lover is now happy with his wife then what's stopping you? But then ayato comes again questioning you ab your marriage. He asks if he should send a letter to the owner of the dawn winery to reject your proposal and the reader just loses their shit with all of the things going on now . All the ugly feelings of jealousy and grief you had for ayato just explodes and ayato then realises how much it had affect you, replacing you after giving you so much hope. And all he could do was watch as your face remained the same almost as if trying to tell him he meant nothing more but the tears flowed through your cheeks proved otherwise.he couldn't get himself to make up one excuse afterall he was at the fault too

I know this was long and kinda yk over but you were the first one who came to my mind when I thought ab it sksk and also it's my first time sending ask In your acc. I love your acc sm

AND ALL GOOD LUCK ON ALHAITHAM BANNER GET THAT SMART SMEXY MAN ✧⁠\⁠(⁠>⁠o⁠<⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠✧ *manifesting early alhaitham and standard banner diluc for you*

I really don't know what to say but I just love complicated marriage lives (fictional only, ofc) AAAAH I love it! the openness of a contract marriage that eventually falls into place, it's the happy ending a couple deserves– but, with mc being the side character, it only shows how painful it feels 😭 how cute

thank you for thinking of me when you wondered who to send this brainrot to! i do love married brainrots.

[lovelyladyabsinthewrites]

Exiled

Pairing(s): Arthur Dayne x Reader, implied Rhaegar Targaryen x Lyanna Stark

Warnings: canon character death

Words: 3605

Story Request

For as long as you lived, you would never forget the guttural pain and heartbreak you felt when you found out what had happened to Elia and her children. Those poor, sweet kids whose lives had only really begun. Gone. Snuffed out so easily.

Elia's only Dornish lady-in-waiting that was permitted to attend her in Westeros, you hadn't seen her since the start of Robert's Rebellion. You'd been separated from your lady and her children; Aerys forcing the three to be his hostages. To ensure the loyalty of your people, specifically the hot-blooded Prince Oberyn Martell.

Locked away in the Red Keep, she was forbidden any of her familiar help. Her displaced attendants including yourself were immediately kicked out of the Keep to fend for yourselves. Other pedigreed young ladies simply fled to their family's estates while they were still able to leave the city. You were the only one to stay. How could you leave when Elia was alone and scared. You couldn't comfort her physically, so you manifest your loving energy in the hopes that it would reach your princess.

With everyone leaving the capital before the war could breach the walls of King's Landing, it was easy to find vacancies at an inn. Your room was nothing compared to the one you recently lived in but it was cheap and faced the intimidating structure of the Red Keep.

From afar, you kept an eye on her. All around you though, unrest had a choke hold on King's Landing. Skirmishes could be heard below your window. You made sure to keep a knife next to you at all times and rarely left your meager trappings.

The longer you remained, the more dangerous it became. Robert Baratheon's forces were finding dramatic success. Rumor in the bar downstairs was that it wouldn't be long until his army came knocking at the King's Gate.

Then came the Battle of the Trident. You felt sick not because Prince Rhaegar was killed in combat with Robert. You feared for what would become of Elia now.

Robert’s army would indeed be upon the capital in a matter of days. If things continued to go his way, he might want to abolish not just Rhaegar Targaryen, but also those who were close to the Silver Prince. That meant baby Aegon, young Rhaenys and their mother. All considered Targaryens through either blood or marriage.

There was nothing you could do. You had no power or influence in the courts of Westeros. Your ties were with Dorne, that was all anyone knew of you.

The following night all three would be murdered in the most gruesome fashion by Tywin Lannister’s men. Murder felt like too light of a word for what Gregor Clegane did. An animal wasn’t even capable of the brutality he demonstrated.

Horrific details came out quickly when the throne was claimed by Roberto Baratheon. Their corpses, even those of Rhaenys and Aegon, were perversely presented to King Robert by Tywin Lannister. A show of his fealty.

More than you could ever bear, you came to the swift decision to leave the whole of Westeros. Going back to Dorne was not far enough for you. Still too close to the land that had taken a gentle soul like Elia from the many who loved her.

You sold what little jewelry you had, you boarded a small vessel from Gulltown. You didn’t care where it was going, distance was what mattered.

***

Arthur Dayne, Dorne’s Sword of the Morning, lifts the toddler from his bed; positioning him comfortably in the crook of his arm. A domestic life had never been in the cards for him before. Perhaps once upon a time, before the war, before he took his vows that sworn him into the Kingsguard. Forbidding him from taking a wife or having children. That didn’t stop him from envisioning an imaginary family if he had taken a different path. In those daydreams, hiss wife constantly had thee face of (y/n), one of Princess Elia’s ladies-in-waiting.

(Y/n) was one of those enigmas that would show up in his life every once in a while. Short occurrences that never satisfied Arthur for he was smitten. Each time they would see one another, she took a large piece of Arthur’s heart.

When Elia left Dorne, (y/n) went with her. All the better for Arthurl; he’d be able to see her almost every day if she moved to the Red Keep.

She returned every gentlemanly gesture he babe with a coy flutter of her lashes in reciprocation.

Sometimes they would even sneak away from their charges for privacy. Nothing too salacious. Holding of hands. The lingering of fingers. Innocent enough, but each rendezvous had his heart titillated in excitement.

Feelings of desire or romance were never discussed. Both of them had their own duties, someone to watch over for and couldn’t afford love to get in the way. That was a boundary neither dared to cross.

(Y/n) didn’t come from a highly influential family. Here house was a small one, but for being handpicked as Elia’s lady-in-waiting, her family revered her. This elevated status she found herself in would ensure better picks for her future husband. Ultimately that would be her fate as any woman in their society. Dorne was undoubtedly more foreword thinking than Westeros, but no matter what, the best occupation for any woman would always be wife and breeder.

Arthur tried deceiving himself on a daily basis that he would be able to relinquish (y/n) when the time came for her to wed. Fooled into thinking that he could ever let her go.

Now though, he found himself the caretaker of a small boy who hadn’t even reached his second nameday. Rhaegar’s secret son with Lyanna Stark. This baby that posed a threat to Robert’s position if he ever discovered his existence.

He gave him the strong, simple name of Jon. Partially in memory of Jon Connington. There was still no news to be heard of what become of Griff.

Arthur, Oswell Whent and Gerold Hightower’s had been given a special task in defending the entrance to the Tower of Joy. More specifically, protecting Lyanna Stark. Her screams could be heard penetrating past the thick stone walls, rendering the men who guarded her feel a heavy pit in their stomach. None of them could comprehend the pain that went into childbirth. It was not something they would wish upon their worst enemy from the sounds of it.

The moment the babe was pushed out of her, Lyanna Stark died.

The knights who were gathered acknowledged that the newborn couldn't stay in Westeros. Especially not while Robert was reigning king. Being the youngest of the three and the best swordsman in the country, Arthur was chosen to be the one to get the child far away from Westeros and it's court. Only they knew of the baby's existence and each would take the secret to their grave.

Arthur and Jon hopped on the next available ship that was crossing the sea to Essos. That was where all the exiles went to after all.

He vowed to protect Rhaegar's son and raise him to be a good man with the hopes that he'd lead a happy and prosperous life. This boy had only Arthur in the entire world.

Jon cooed, bringing Arthur back to the here and now. His smile broadens as he jostled the toddler in his arms. A giggle emits from Jon's gummy mouth.

"Shall we go out for some fresh air, my little lord?" In the security of their home, Arthur liked calling him 'little lord'. The title made the baby laugh in return. If fate had been kinder, he would have been a princeling of the Seven Kingdoms. Jon took after his mother Lyanna, her Stark genetics overwhelming any Targaryen characteristics he would have received from Rhaegar. Dark curls framed his rosy cheeks and gray eyes engulf the world around him with curiosity.

With a sweet, chubby hand, Jon grips at the front of Arthur's tunic as both leave through their front door. Outside was the quiet hill village located on the outer rim of Selhorys' gates. Both Arthur and Jon preferred the quiet country life opposed to the hustle and bustle of big cities.

On occasion though they would have to make the walk to the city. Arthur tried not to make it a habit on the off chance someone recognized either himself or his familial sword 'Dawn'. Far into the vast continent of Essos, Arthur's worries were considerably eased but his guard would always be up.

From their house to Selhorys, they made the venture entirely on foot. Arthur didn't mind the workout. Jon, growing as fast as he was made for an excellent training partner. His weight really did help Arthur get a sweat going.

The market center was the only thing worth stepping into the city for. There, Arthur could find just about anything. Even the ingredients from Dorne he dearly missed. Plus he could find information on what become of not just Westeros after Robert's Rebellion, but what became of Dorne and Starfall. Were there any repercussions for the death of Princess Elia and her children? Surely they wouldn't let her death go unpunished even if it meant starting another war between Westeros and Dorne.

Jon's wide eyes aimlessly gawk at the crowded streets, not used to being around so many people that his little lips wobble like he's about to cry.

Arthur holds him closer to his chest. "I agree. But you'll learn one day that sometimes you have to do things that you don't want to do."

Like leaving (y/n) without any form of a goodbye.

She must have thought he was dead. (y/n) had been stuck in King's Landing, so far away from the Tower of Joy.

Arthur spent many sleepless nights wondering if she was still even alive or perished during the siege of King's Landing. While everyone knew the gory details of Elia and her children's murder, no one knew the fate of her lady-in-waiting.

A whisper from his heart told Arthur that she was alive; somewhere out there. Hopefully she was happy and found someone who treated her like a treasure. (y/n) deserved all the happiness in the world.

He turned a corner and was hit by the sound of her long desired voice tinkling from one of the stalls selling their goods.

Arthur stopped in his path and did a double take, unwilling to believe it as her until he saw her face himself.

Her head and hair was hidden by a poppy red beaded veil. The sun catching on one of the jewels sewn into the delicate fabric, nearly blinding him and reducing Arthur to squint his lilac eyes.

She's laughing at something the stall owner said. Her signature laugh. One he had heard many times yet never grew tired of it. Arthur heard through all the phases of her life. From a young girl at the age of nine to ten and two when she was experiencing her moon's first blood to standing by Elia's side at the sweet age of ten and six. Up to the last time he saw her, he remembered her laugh.

Immense self control was required to not grab the woman and spin her around.

A tanned hand reaches out, handing the merchant a few coins before gathering her goods and finally turning on her heel only to bump straight into Arthur.

(y/n) hadn't aged a day although a weary energy lingered in her aura.

The alarm on her face was palpable for Arthur felt the exact same. Standing there staring at one another, little Jon was the one to break the sharp silence with his baby babbles.

(y/n) registers the baby in his arms. He wanted to tell her that Jon wasn't his but she was already speeding away.

"(y/n)!!" He ran after her, trying not to upset Jon too much. Arthur refused to let her go, not when he finally knew that she was alive.

She’d always been a fast runner. Could have outrun him too until a cart filed to the brim with wooden crates of fresh produce cut her off abruptly.

In her attempt to stop before the cart hit her, she stumbled backwards and lost her balance.

With his free hand Arthur stopped her descent to the ground.

She stared up at him owlishly before righting herself back to her feet. (Y/n) took two wide steps away from him and stabbed him with a menacing glare. Arthur didn’t understand why she was being this evasive. Both were alive and should be happy to reunite.

“I don’t understand.” Arthur quietly said.

Fury flames her face. Lips curl into a snarl, each word paining her a she hissed out “You. You left us defenseless. You and Rhaegar an everyone else who served under him and knew of his adultery.”

He was at a loss for all you foamed out was true. Rhaegar was the entire cause of Robert’s Rebellion. Why Elia had to die.

Tears she refused to shed in front of him bubbled on here bottom lashes. (Y/n) would never tarnish her dignity while a man was present.

“Stay away from me.” An order before she swiftly melts into the crowd.

*

Arthur was never known for giving up easily. He may no longer have an illustrious title to get him what he needed instantaneously, but he still knew how to get information. All major cities worked relatively in the same way.

Days after, he would leave Jon with the elderly neighbor couple who lived right next to him and make the walk to the city. He hid mainly in the shadows in case he had spooked (y/n) into coming back.

He found the same merchant she had been speaking with. According to him, (y/n) must have been living in the city for about two months now. She stopped by his stall every other week for a bag of sweet, candied nuts. But (y/n) never spoke about her past.

“She’s a nice girl.” The Merchant concludes. “Always asks how my wife and daughter are. She even gave my wife flowers when I told her that she was feeling ill.”

That was all he was able to give Arthur. That was plenty for him to work off of. Three days of sleuthing and he caught another moment with her. Her name was the only words he was able to get out before (y/n) fled again.

This continued for two more weeks until one day he found (y/n) waiting for him at the same market place, arms crossed in front of her chest to protect herself.

She began speaking before Arthur could open his mouth. “You’re not going to stop pestering me, that much is clear. So hurry up and say whatever you need to. But after that I guarantee you will never find me in Selhorys again.”

He couldn’t ruin this opportunity. Arthur looked around them, pedestrians paying no minds to their quarreling but he was still nervous of eyes and ears reporting back to Robert. “Let’s go somewhere more private.”

Warily (y/n) followed him to where he leads her into a small storefront that sold specialty spices, coffee beans and teas from around the known world. Upstairs are balcony alcoves where special guests could enjoy brews that weren’t on the menu downstairs.

He must have been a very special guest for how happy the proprietor was to see him. Immediately they’re taken to an empty alcove covered by a lovely mauve curtain.

Waiting for their drinks, Arthur thoroughly examined her . It was clear from her posture that she was ready to leave at any minute. Wanting nothing more than to get away from Arthur.

Most of the talking would have to come from him.

Drinks were brought to them and this granted the former knight a moment to collect his thoughts.

(Y/n)’s finger nails drum against the sides of the cup before bringing it to her lips. Her gaze didn’t waver from Arthur. She must have had plenty of questions herself.

“I’m sorry.”

The bottom of her cup clatters against it’s saucer and she pursed her lips in agitation. She didn’t want to hear anymore of his apologies.

So he attempts to back track to teh very moment he left the Red Keep with Rhaegar, not telling a soul where he would be going. “When we first left it was truly because we were planning a coup against Aerys, But then. . . Then Lyanna came in. There was no rape or kidnapping like everyone said-“

“I don’t care about Lyanna Stark.” She spat out the northern girl’s name like a curse. “I don’t care what reason you have. You and Rhaegar left the rest of us for Aerys.”

Her knuckles turn white as she clenched down tightly with her jaw. “He betrayed Elia and Rhaenys and Aegon and those who loved her. For some girl he hardly knew. Did he really think no one else would face repercussions for his actions? How could you follow that man after all the death he has caused?”

His drink curdled in his stomach, the previously delicious taste in his mouth turned rancid. The Silver Prince, while he was alive, had been his closest friend. He took the sting of (y/n) condemning him personally but didn’t argue with her. Again she was right about Rhaegar. Rhaegar had been selfish. He’d gone behind Arthur and Griff’s back to secretly wed Lyanna Stark. Countless times Arthur tired himself out from trying to dissuade Rhaegar from the match. He was married to Elia after all.

"I wanted to believe in the good in him." Arthur quietly murmured. "He was my prince and my friend after all."

"What was I to you then? Was I not worth you sticking around in King's Landing?" (y/n) heaved.

His breathing is ragged. "You. . . Oh (y/n)-"

She furiously shook her head. "Do you know how terrified we all were? We didn't know if Aerys was going to have us killed just because of association. All of Elia's entourage was shut out of the Keep. We didn't know what was going to happen to ourselves let alone to Elia and her children."

Pain struck him as he couldn't imagine what she had gone through. What (y/n) had to do to get out of the capital in her self exile. Arthur had failed her greatly. He hated himself for it. As much as Rhaegar had been selfish, Arthur was just the same.

"Do you remember your first event as Elia's lady-in-waiting?"

For a moment her brows pinch together in a frown but she hesitantly nods. "Of course. It was the greatest honor."

"I've never forgotten how you looked that day. You were sitting straight, so prim and proper that I forgot it was Elia who was the princess. I. . . I couldn’t take my eyes off of you." Arthur dashes his tongue across his dry bottom lip. “(Y/n), you have to know that I’ve been in love with you from the very beginning.”

(Y/n) scoffed. “Of course I’ve known that you idiot. Why else would either of us find asinine reasons to sneak away. You weren’t exactly subtle either. Simpering boy that you were.”

“Ha. . . I haven’t heard you call me that since we were kids.” The smile that peaked through shyly couldn’t be helped. Secretly he’d liked it when she called him a simpering boy. Insurmountable affection were thick in each word when she said them.

Closing her eyes, she releases an exhausted sigh. She wrests her chin on her palm, her elbow planted on the table. A brief quiet moment rolled by before (y/n) looked at Arthur again. “There was never stopping Rhaegar once he got an idea in his head. Elia told me that after she heard about Rhaegar abducting the northern girl. She was devastated but. . . She’d felt something was off with him after the birth of Aegon.”

Arthur knowingly nods. “Lord Whent’s great tourney at Harrenhal.”

“Elia noticed a change in him after he came back from the great tourney.” (Y/n) draws a sip from her cup, mouth growing dry.

“That marked the beginning of the end.”

She stared at him under long lashes. The faintest hint of a smile. “Yes.”

Hours were spent catching up. Neither (y/n) or Arthur were the same people they used to be. Both changed from their experience during and after the war. Yet that connection they shared was still there.

Until she brings up the matter of Jon. Right away Arthur explains that he is not his actual son to clear up any misunderstandings she would have. It may have been easier just having (y/n) believe that it was his child. But he wanted to be truthful and never tell her any lies.

Her face became stoic once he told her of the baby's parents. Jon was evidence of Rhaegar's betrayal. Natural for her to be conflicted over the fact, both he and Jon were a package deal now. Arthur would never leave Jon to the care of anyone else. If (y/n) did want to continue a life with him, she would have to get used to Jon.

(y/n) pondered over what he'd divulged and Arthur feared she would reject the both of them.

"Well. . . I suppose we'll raise Jon to be a better man than Rhaegar ever was."

Arthur's eyes widen in pure shock. (y/n) grinned in return.

The duo of exiles became a trio that day.

[erenaeoth]

i apologise for clogging your asks with this nonsense but the plotbunnies will not leave me. i must know - per the T7 retcon, heihachi is already trying to destroy/control/understand devil as early as pre-T1. yeeting kazuya, fathering lars, etc. With this context, I have an AU-style question - what would Heihachi do if he knew Jun existed during or immediately after T2? What would he do if he knew she was carrying Kazuya's son (and devil's heir?) i need jun and heihachi interactions, stat

Devil Lore In Early Games

I'm not a fan of treating additional information added late into the story as conflicting with previous lore, and since all we have to go on are the canonicity of the main games and their manuals etc, I take as a given that there are no retcons.

In Tekken 7 it's revealed that Heihachi saw Kazumi fall prey to a series of illnesses in which she often became violent. She recovered from these, until one day she didn't, and transformed and attacked Heihachi.

Heihachi at this point has no clue what this 'illness' is, other than that it seemed to cause some kind of transformation in his wife. He doesn't know if its transmissable, he doesn't know who has it or why it happened.

We know that young Kazuya held Heihachi responsible for Kazumi's death. And that Heihachi responded by throwing his son off a cliff. He seems to have been concerned that his son too had this 'illness', and likely was deeply paranoid after Kazumi's attack. He also just thinks Kazuya is weak and detests this weakness. Throwing Kazuya off a cliff serves all Heihachi's interests. When Kazuya climbs back up he confirms two important things for Heihachi: 1) Heihachi is right to be suspicious about supernatural power in his son 2) Kazuya is not weak, and is therefore worthy of being his heir. The second of these is more important to Heihachi. He will raise Kazuya even if it's only to kill him later.

Cue some years later and Heihachi still is unsure what Kazumi's illness is. Kazuya's devil form likely never manifested in his childhood, since he seems to have been able to surprise Heihachi with it in the first Iron Fist Tournament. Heihachi presumabley continues to torment himself over his wife's betrayal and decides to see if he too has been 'infected' or something has passed from Kazumi to him the way it may have done to Kazuya. He's not going to put himself on the line, so instead he fathers a child. Lars presumably undergoes some kind of life-threatening experience and Heihachi sees he does not have the same power Kazuya does.

All through the games, Heihachi continues narrowing down and seeking to understand what the nature of this 'illness' is and how it affects those infected by it. Not until Tekken 4 is it isolated as a genetic trait passed down by blood.

Because of the way the 'illness' passed between Kazumi and Kazuya, Heihachi was likely suspicious of Jin as soon as he came to him. He needs evidence however, but he also needs and heir, someone to adore him and look up to him, and someone to use as bait. The threat of the Devil Gene is always treated as of secondary importance to Heihachi until later games where he becomes more anxious about his old age and starts to seek power like that of the devil for himself.

What if Heihachi knew of Jin immediately post Tekken 2?

So if Heihachi had known of Jin earlier, I doubt much would have changed. He would have pressured Jun to come and live with her son on the Mishima Estate and he wouldn't have taken no for an answer. He would have had Jin nomatter what, even if it meant resorting to kidnapping. Heihachi loves the idea of family and legacy, and as far as he's concerned, Jin is his, and belongs on the Mishima Estate growing into his inheritance. Jun would have had an extremely difficult time keeping Heihachi from Jin if he found out about them. Perhaps she would have conceded to live on the estate in a small hut like Wang, and tried to cut her losses.

Heihachi would have continued on exactly as he did for Kazuya and exactly as he did for Jin - raise them, teach them his martial art, test them, then try to kill them. He takes pride in the strength of his heirs and this sits alongside his desire to destroy them as threats. Really the Devil Gene is a convenient excuse. Heihachi destroys those close to him regardless of whether they're devils or not. He humiliated and abandoned Lee and he abandoned Lars only to try and manipulate him when he was of use to him later. There's no one in Heihachi's family more important to him than himself.

[fantasyinvader]

I'm watching V, the 1983 miniseries, right now after having finished the book it was based on, It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis.

The book was based on Lewis's wife's experiences in Germany during the rise of Hitler. She saw him come into power and how quickly he changed the nation. She also saw what was happening in Italy and Lewis compared it to some of the things being said in America during the Great Depression. It was written before WWII came about, and was meant to serve as a warning. A warning about the threat of charismatic leaders who use the system to empower themselves, as well as the importance of fighting such figures. President Buzz Windrip manages to win the 1936 election through promises of aid, fixing the economy, and a lot of prejudice against blacks and Jews. His followers are organized into his own militia, and using them he quickly concentrates all power on himself. He betrays his allies, gets people to turn on their neighbours who criticize him, turns people against learning, causes a lot of people to flee to Canada and other countries (where the population begins getting sick of taking in refugees), even sets up work and concentration camps. His supporters even begin arguing that democracy was an old-fashioned system and that America needs to get with the times and have a dictator. Towards the end, his regime begins making moves to conquer Mexico, he believes that the Americas are his by right of manifest destiny and that he'll be their emperor, before his strategist turns on him, leading to America going into another civil war. It also heavily goes into the nature of propaganda and information control.

V is a spiritual successor to the original story, and kinda reads like a wet dream for Edelgard's supporters. Human-looking aliens arrive, make themselves out to be benevolent, really begin taking over in the shadows while making themselves out to be the victims, turns out they're lizard people seeking to enslave/destroy humanity. While the themes of resisting totalitarian forces is still there, the threat switches from an internal one to an external one and brings with it it's own connotations. Rather that the fragility of democracy and how it can be abused to put the wrong people into power, instead it's an alien invasion story but there are also genuinely good aliens as well who help humanity so it's not complete xenophobia. But it's also very on the nose with it's allusions to Hitler. There's the good resistance, and the humans who collaborate with the aliens.

But, if we look at Houses it feels like a spirtiual successor to the original novel as well as a flip on V. As the creators said, the world of Fodlan was made to support Silver Snow's story. The resistance group isn't the humans fighting the alien lizard people, those guys are the imperialists seeking to conquer the entire continent under a flimsy pretense of liberation. Edelgard is charismatic, with symbols tying her to the idea of attraction, yet her victory is supposed to be the one leading Fodlan to tyranny. She's the one collaborating with the shadowy evil group that are really behind the world's problems, and makes use of propaganda. The twist on V, however, is that the game goes the same route as the original story, the threat is not an external invader (except if you play VW or AM, where Imperial forces try to conquer other nations and the player's army has nobles who collaborated with Edelgard's forces for their own benefit). The threat is HUMAN, and the aliens are actually benevolent however they are used as scapegoats, othered by those who view them as lesser animals to themselves, much like how V used scientists as the scapegoats or It Can't Happen Here is not subtle that Windrip will basically reenslave black people while going after the Jewish community.

Of course, you can always be a collaborator yourself in Houses. Buy into the propaganda, side with Edelgard because her path looks attractive, believe her empty promises and ignore the evidence that you've been played. Houses gives you that experience as well, though this was undermined by the translation.

Our society has warned about potential Edelgards time and time again. It's nothing new. I mean, ffs we just had a two-movie adaptation of Dune for crying out loud. Yet people think they're punk rock for joining her, not understanding that they've become puppets of the system.

[sapphyreopal5]

Not an ask, just an opinion.

Personally, I think Jensen has been in love with Jared the whole filming of SPN and Jared and he were involved all that time. When Jared decided to try to make his marriage with Gen work, broke up with Jensen and wanted to leave SPN, it devastated Jensen to the point where he wanted to hurt Jared very badly, by stealing the legacy they created together and making the Prequel. That would explain the anger exhibited by those videos/pictures he posted of him body building during The Boys, the refusing to take responsibility for his own actions and blaming Jared, the bad decisions, the sadness and self-loathing he exhibits whenever he is around his wife, the self-aggrandizing (to get Jared's attention) and why he only looks alive and happy when he's with Jared. The supposed women he is having affairs with are just for cover, to appease his ego and stroke his soul, which is probably the only thing keeping him going right now, underneath the swagger of ego. He's an unhappy, jilted, ex who met his soul mate and now has to live without him. I don't see his unhappiness ending anytime soon.

Hmm interesting opinion/ask you shared with me here, Anon. I see you are a so called "tin hatter" who has managed to find my blog. Thank you for stopping by to share your thoughts with me. So, I am going to begin by saying that I will admit I myself have had some questions about some things I've learned and noticed myself with what I have seen, heard, etc. I do think a lot of what you're saying here has some truth to it. However, it is not as simple as them being exes or in a secret relationship or in love with each other and I highly suspect things are one sided. I don't know if you've read much about my blog or if you've just seen certain anti Danneel posts of mine but my blog is mainly about the SPN cast along with spirituality related topics, particularly divination. For that reason, I am going to share with you a reading I did about this topic back on October 4, 2023 after a friend of mine and I have been seeing some things while dreamwalking, and noticing some things that have manifested after seeing said things.

In the Tarot, The Hierophant who is said to be the masculine counterpart to The High Priestess represents spiritual wisdom, religious beliefs, conformity, tradition, institutions, personal beliefs, freedom, and sometimes on the contrary challenging the status quo. The 3 of Cups is said to be a card of celebration, friendship, creativity, collaborations, independence, alone time, hardcore partying, and sometimes even the notion that ‘three’s a crowd’. The King of Pentacles is symbolic of wealth, business, leadership, security, discipline, abundance, or on the opposite end of things being financially inept, obsessed with wealth and status, and also a stubborn personality. The Page of Wands represents inspiration, ideas, discovery, limitless potential, a free spirit, newly-formed ideas, redirecting energy, self-limiting beliefs, and a spiritual path being presented. The 7 of Swords (a card I admittedly am not liking in this reading I did) is a card that stands for betrayal, deception, getting away with something, acting strategically, imposter syndrome, self-deceit, and states someone is keeping secrets. Death in the Tarot may sound self-explanatory as to its meaning but is not always meant to be telling of a literal death. In the Tarot, Death is about endings, change (and resistance to), transformation (internal and external), transition, and inner purging. Lastly, The Emperor in this deck ties in somewhat with The Hierophant with some similar meanings and what the card represents, which include authority, establishment, structure, a father figure, domination, excessive control, lack of discipline, and generally being inflexible.

So, I post an extremely small fraction of the things I receive divination readings about and post things with the direction of my guides. Some of my guides include the higher selves (in Jensen's case, former higher selves [currently a "dumped" incarnation]) of both Jensen's and Jared's. Some of the things I have not posted on here involve the true nature of their relationship, which again is not as straight forward or as simple as a said secret relationship between them or both being in love with each other. I do agree with you that Jensen seems to feel some hurt from some thing(s) Jared has done (or not) behind closed doors. After watching some old interview clips, con videos, etc., I do notice some interesting looks and behaviors coming from Jensen's direction (body language, how he looks at Jared compared to other people, etc.).

The King of Pentacles being diagonal from the Page of Wands (which I feel symbolizes Jared in this particular case) and also the 7 of Swords is very interesting (and concerning as I'll explain why). The Hierophant and The Emperor (boot looking card) paired in present in this reading together states there is an authoritative father figure that's fairly religious (Jensen's father who Jared reportedly called "Papa Ackles") involved that is a big reason why Jensen is in the closet. However, the 2 cards that tinhatters are probably not gonna like seeing the explanation for here are Death and 7 of Swords. As I'll explain below, these 2 cards are setting half the tone in this reading with . I am not here to appease to people with what I write and such. If it resonates okay if not then it doesn't, simple as that. The card in the center (Page of Wands) curiously is the same card I feel represents Jared. This to me confirms that Jared is more or less on the receiving end of things and isn't so much "giving" out as much as some think but instead "goes with the flow". I also believe greatly that Jared doubts himself a lot and seems to put himself down a lot when praising Gen and others, which is part of what's called Imposter Syndrome.

Based on what I know of his dad Alan and have seen in some YouTube videos (like this one, [trigger warning: this is a Pro Life related video so if this is a trigger do not watch!]), I do believe now based on what I've learned about his past, have observed both on and off camera with women versus Jared say, and even his actions (or inactions) that Jensen is not of the straight orientation. I believe also his dad is a big reason for this, as I think he is afraid of not getting approval from his dad should he not conform to the Christian family man image Jensen to this day tries to sell (and is failing at doing so more and more as the days go on). The Emperor (authoritative father figure) and The Hierophant (religious, institutional, and traditional ways of being) I believe tie in strongly with the dynamic between Jensen and his dad. Is Jensen afraid of "getting the boot" (The Emperor) from his religious dad (The Hierophant) and therefore his family? You mentioned the women/woman Jensen's sleeping with is all for cover and even his marriage with Danneel, or the so called "bearding". I have been wondering if this is why Jensen has never once that I can recall shown Danneel any real affection publicly (and vice versa). You can talk all you want about feeling this and that about her Jensen at cons but those of us who pay attention know better. Actions (and inactions) speak much louder than words. The 3 of Cups in this reading seems to point to what you are suggesting here.

With regards to the King of Pentacles representing Jensen, he likes to dress "nicer" (personally, I want to burn the green shirt he wore to the Charlotte con a couple months back), is VERY big on personal image and sticks with the Christian family man persona that clearly isn't working out. However, I believe he makes a lot of very poor decisions both from a business aspect (thus the "financially inept" tidbit from the King of Pentacles description coming into play here) AND in his personal life. I also elaborated a good deal here on the King of Pentacles representing Jensen in this reading I did a few months ago regarding Drake and Jensen's relationship dynamic (Drake being a so called "mini Jared" or "Jared 2.0). I also mentioned in that post things about Jensen wearing green velvet to interviews before The Winchesters aired. Rumors have been going around for a while that Family Business Beer Company is doing badly but I believe it's becoming more apparent in recent months. They are aggressively trying to expand the distribution of their beers yet their location hours remain at a solid 30 hours, which in itself is a troubling sign (as is being closed for 3 days of the week). Recently I've read a couple posts here on Tumblr mentioning possible layoffs have happened at FBBC in the last couple weeks, which is also always a troubling sign things aren't going so well. With respect to his personal life, whew I think that's just a downright hot mess. The lawsuit that was announced at the end of August with Jensen and Danneel Ackles named certainly will impact both their personal and business lives.

The house that Jensen bought back in July is surrounded by cemeteries (aka marked graves, who knows about unmarked graves), as I posted about here. I'll make another post about this but some speculated it was for business ventures aka a business investment to which my guides say "not quite, more like a real estate investment period". I agree with my guides 100% for multiple reasons and trust they are right. If Jensen intends on using this giant mansion for purposes remotely related to business investments, he and Danneel will be very unpleasantly surprised for multiple reasons. There is understandably some doubt about whether Jensen actually moved to Connecticut at all, due to several sightings of him in Texas at different times after he and Danneel were announced as the new owners of their CT mansion back in July 2023. Regardless of whether Jensen is fully living there, lives there part of the year, just bought it for a vacation home or whatever the story is, the fact is the Ackles don't seem to have had any strong ties to the state prior to them buying this house. Why buy a house on the other side of the country where you've barely visited previously if everything good going on for Jensen is in Austin, including Jensen's said best friend Jared?

I hate the be the bearer of bad news here but if you all think this is merely a business investment and that this will be converted into a B&B or another brewery location, I'll point you to 3 sources that says to me any plans Danneel and Jensen may have like this are extremely likely gonna get foiled real fast (type of zone their house is in, what you can and can't do in different zones in Connecticut, and oh my someone tried to petition to allow B&Bs in residential zones over 10 years in a house that's not even 4 miles away from the mansion and DENIED). Oh, and when signing the papers for buying the house, the lines indicating the purposes of buying the house per the online deeds records did not include any commercial purposes, only personal residence purposes. Hmm.... I would call the mix of these things being financially inept.

Jared on the other hand I wholeheartedly believe is represented by the Page of Wands in this particular reading. While both of them own businesses, are obviously wealthy, and both have refered to themselves along with Jeffrey Dean Morgan "the three kings", I believe that Jared has a more youthful spirit and can be more free-spirited than Jensen by a long shot. Generally, Pages cards represent either children, the younger self of a person in question, or in my opinion someone who has a youthful spirit (can be full of energy, enthusiasm for new ideas, is playful, etc.). Although the description of this card doesn't directly say it on the link I provided I always think of a youthful or playful soul when I see the Page of Wands. The Page of Wands in my deck has 3 peppers on it. It has been said that Jared switched out the prop Ghost Pepper jerky Dean ate in Season 15 Episode 5 "Proverbs 17:3" (scene clip from YouTube below) with real Ghost Pepper Jerky as a prank. Sam and Dean in Season 1 Episode 17 "Hell House" (which happens to be playing on my new TV in my room now as I'm writing this) also pulled quite a few pranks on each other going back and forth, and also reportedly did so in real life on the set but off camera. Jared I noticed also tends to dress more casually or if he dresses up more nicely it's not in elaborate outfits unlike Jensen. I mean also the second clip I shared from YouTube below says it all for me with regards to this card representing Jared in this reading from a youthful spirit point of view.

I also recall reading about how Jared explored Epcot Center and Universal Studios for a day by himself when he was just 8 years old, scaring his grandfather nearly to death who was crying when Jared walked out of the gates of Disney World. This to me shows that Jared is indeed a free-spirited soul who isn't afraid of embarking on new journeys alone (even if others don't like it and Jared doesn't end up liking what follows, thus at times does challenge the status quo even if he and others don't like the outcome), and seems to value novelty or discovering new things and even has more of a creative streak than Jensen if we're to be frank. It was also stated in this article I linked to earlier in this paragraph that Kripke felt that Jared's soulfulness and likeability would be more suitable for Sam Winchester while Jensen's more "charismatic" character would better fit Dean Winchester. Therefore it seems that Kripke and others just might agree with my statements about Jared's personality and that the Page of Wands represents Jared in this particular case.

If you notice in this reading, The Hierophant (the card that looks like a hand) is pointing down towards the 7 of Swords. Along with the 3 of cups being next to The Hierophant, this suggests that secrets are being kept hidden from the public's ears regarding sexual orientation and feelings overall (many signs point to it... literally). I'm not going to go digging through the tinhatters stuff because there's frankly way too much of it ha ha, and I'm sure you Anon are aware of at least a lot of it (and others who are coming across this will probably know some things). It's interesting going across the reading on the other side is the King of Pentacles above The Emperor which to me points to Jensen and his dad, along with society's expectations of men like Jensen as a whole (thus the whole Christian family man image Jensen's trying to uphold versus the reality of things).

Now, onto the part where at least a lot of tinhatters are likely not going to believe what I say or will like me less for it. I'm not here to appease people's beliefs or tell them what they want to hear but I'm instead here to simply state what I've observed, my interpretation of this tarot reading, etc. If someone resonates with this cool but if not, well that's on them not me. The 7 of Swords card is one of the most dominant cards in this entire reading and very much sets the tone. This card as I mentioned earlier speaks of things such as betrayal, deception, keeping secrets, ulterior motives, and even getting away with something. Jensen has been called homophobic for multiple reasons, including his remarks regarding how Brokeback Mountain ruined western films for himself and also saying that Destiel is not a thing. I have heard of the saying that the most homophobic men are in fact in the closet and trying to compensate. As Dean Winchester once said "Of course, the most troubling question is: "Why do these people assume we're gay?" and Sam Winchester said "Well, you are kinda butch, probably think you're overcompensating." (interestingly the website however says "but I just think you're overcompensating). People also do say art imitates life (and sometimes seems to predict things), which I won't fully explain here why that is the truth with Supernatural and Jensen and Jared holistically, not just in a tinhatter's kind of way. It seems Supernatural really did model Jensen and Jared's relationship in many ways... at least, that's what we're supposed to believe.

Based on what I've been observing myself, have been learning via divination (and watching manifest), and what another friend and I have been learning via dreamwalking, a lot of what we're all seeing publicly is in fact smoke and mirrors. I do believe that some of the negative things that have happened between them did manifest in part as a result of Jensen acting upon hurt emotions, but also due to more self-serving ulterior motives on his part. I believe Prequel Gate (along with The Winchesters related posts happening while Walker was airing on multiple occasions) and YANA ring a bell for some people.

Regarding Prequelgate, I saw a Tweet of an old clip where Jensen specifically said "hell no" about doing a reboot as Dean after Supernatural ends and Jared confidently says "I'll answer that for him... NO". I agree with the OP that this didn't age well... This goes back to the 7 of Swords card. I agree with Jensen's critics, that Jensen is an opportunist who looks at every chance he can get to make money. Did Jensen genuinely believe he'd never consider making a SPN reboot as Dean, or did he intend to do so in the back of his mind all along? Clearly The Winchesters became the Dean Winchester show. I was given an interesting nudge a couple weeks ago to watch the movie Jennifer's Body in my divine hearing. I realized there are many parallels between Jensen and Jared, and Jennifer and Anita "Needy. In fact, I have concluded that the relationship dynamic between Jennifer/Anita and Jensen/Jared is in fact 100% identical behind closed doors.

Something else that's been bothering me lately as I'm doing this research. Now, I'm not sure what Jared's views were when Jensen decided to open the Family Business Beer Company physically in 2018 given the name was clearly a nod to SPN, 2 years after Jared opened San Jac Saloon in 2016. However, the FBBC LLC itself was filed and therefore was actually born November 5, 2014, which was 2 years before San Jac Saloon was opened. Did Jensen have plans of essentially "taking over" the Supernatural brand possibly for years and cashing in on it without Jared?

With regards to YANA, I noticed also in my research that Jared wanted to end SPN multiple times (from what I understand 2 of these times took place in 2008 and 2015) but was stopped from doing so by Jensen and perhaps others chimed in as well. Was Jensen truly concerned about Jared's well-being and just enjoyed working with Jared so much he doesn't want to stop and that continuing SPN (and therefore those big paychecks) was just an added bonus... or was Jensen simply acting concerned about Jared's well-being while having ulterior motives up his sleeve the entire time? Also why, just why would Jensen and Misha even go with the YANA nonsense? I mean some of the posts correlated with things like Jared announcing his return to Gilmore Girls, Jared's McDonald's commercial airing the same day a YANA video gets released, Jared getting his 3rd national corporate sponsor from Chevy again on the same day a YANA video gets released, etc. Honestly, this YANA businesses sounds an awful lot to me like another money grab. And don't sit there and say this was all the studio making them do it. At the end of the day, we all have choices. You can't really force people to do things they don't want to. Instead of choosing to say no to making YANA a thing, Jensen and Misha still went about it. Conforming to an authoritative institution's wishes (The Hierophant and The Emperor) for self-serving business and therefore financial purposes (King of Pentacles), eh Jensen?

I'm also interested in hearing from anyone why exactly Jensen reportedly made 50% more than Jared per SPN episode in later seasons (100k for Jared versus 150k for Jensen). The most logical explanation I could come up with based on research was Jensen got a director title attached to his paygrade after season 5, even if he wasn't actually directing the episode in question (directed 6 episodes in all). I suspect some favoritism may also have played a role, even if no one is saying it. I especially find it interesting that Kripke who was the original Show Runner for Supernatural initially didn't think Jared was smart enough to play the role of Sam Winchester. Sure, Jared certainly may have proven he is intelligent and therefore Kripke stood corrected on that tidbit; however, Kripke has repeatedly praised Jensen for things like his charisma (riiiight, go watch any interview of Jensen and you'll hear lots of umms, uhhs, and even inconsistencies between what he says from interview to interview), looks, charm, etc. It can't just be feeling overwhelmed or burned out with work as to why Jared wanted to leave SPN multiple times but didn't, nor does it explain why Jared had the breakdowns that he did in the past and why he was diagnosed with depression to begin with.

Edit: Adding this in because I believe it's very important to note here with the suspected favoritism and hostility on the set of SPN. Now, if this is remotely true at all, that Kripke got onto Jared's case "for having a bad day" and essentially holding production up over what some called "a hissy fit" back when he had his breakdown in 2007, oh boy am I now a big time Kripke critic. Also, Kripke overly praising Jensen as seen here is just absurd. Get it together Kripke, you're embarrassing yourself.

Now, for the other part of this reading the tinhatters are probably REALLY not gonna like... the Death card. Like I mentioned before, Death in the tarot isn't always about a literal death but is often times about the death of something and following that, the birth of another. This translates to things like transformation, change (and resistance to), inner purging, and endings. *Shudders* ENDINGS?! Like the so called "Jivorce" is really happening?! THIS CAN'T BE OMG! Chill out all... just a bit. I don't believe as Poseidon said that they will completely drift apart. However, there are only so many chances someone like Jensen will get from Jared as far as maintaining friendships and such goes. I also believe that with the physical distance that is presenting itself, a distance between them on a spiritual, psychological and emotional level will follow suit if it hasn't started already.

I briefly touched onto Jared's playful, youthful personality earlier when I explained my interpretation as the Page of Wands representing Jared and how this card has 3 peppers on it. I also touched onto Jared pranking Jensen by switching out the prop Ghost Pepper jerky with real Ghost Pepper jerky. The title of this episode is "Proverbs 17:3". The ESV Biblical verse says "The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tests hearts." According to bibleref.com, the meaning of this verse says: "Scripture often uses the metaphor of a crucible: a container used to heat metals to burn off impurities. Passages frequently apply this in the context of God testing, purifying, cleansing, or providing loving correction to His people (Malachi 3:3; Zechariah 13:9; Jeremiah 9:7; 1 Corinthians 3:11–15). The "fire" of hardships, persecution, or God's testing proves what parts of a person's life are godly and which are not". Interestingly, Jensen eating real Ghost Pepper jerky could in a metaphorical sense be compared to "turning up the heat" physically and is therefore the "crucible" here. I believe however with the way things did go for Jared with regards to the set of SPN, YANA, Prequelgate, etc. that it is Jared's heart that is being tested and that Jensen (equivalent to crucible here) is being tested physically.

I mentioned the 3 of cups earlier having a possible interpretation that "3's a crowd". Interestingly, the Page of Wands happens to have 3 peppers on it. Often times this card is a very positive one and indicates a time of celebration, friendship, creativity, and even hardcore partying. I believe however that while this card offers a silver lining in that things will turn out okay overall for all parties involved, it won't be the happy ending certain parties involved are hoping for. In this case, the said wishes for Jensen of being involved with Jared as more than friends, and also any and all current lovers and relationships. I personally think that it's partially true what tinhatters believe but it's alot more complicated than what people want to believe. I've generally held more positive views of Jensen in previous posts. I still believe there is some goodness in Jensen somewhere. However, based on learning more things about Jensen, looking at his mannerisms and especially when I went to the main panel physically at the Charlotte convention earlier this year, my views of him have admittedly shifted some. After noticing some things personally, what I felt in the room during the main panel along with what I've learned about their dynamic, I believe Jensen has a so called "dark personality" for multiple reasons that in itself is for another possible post. Jensen can advocate for Jared all he wants with words BUTt based on the events and funny timing of when things were announced/aired surrounding The Winchesters versus Walker and YANA, along with other things, his actions sing a very different tune...

I mentioned earlier that I believe Jared struggles with Imposter Syndrome with regards to the 7 of Swords card, which is apparently common in people who have anxiety and depression. Jared was diagnosed with depression as many of us here know. I believe the one who is transforming and changing here is Jared, and Jensen is who is resisting these changes. Provided that Jared's been given the greenlight for a fourth season while Jensen's The Winchesters was cancelled (and not to mention a lawsuit naming Jensen and Danneel came out of it), it seems Jensen did not listen to signs pointing to no (and therefore resisted changing his ways). I do believe that the way things went with The Winchesters being criticized heavily was the death of Jensen's life as he knows it... Given the Page of Wands is in the center of this reading, it seems many signs and things in this reading point to Jensen and in this case ultimately going back to Jared. According to this Tumblr post, Jared took with him from the set of SPN the fact it's not necessary to work 14 hour days. Based on how this post was written, from my understanding of things it was suggested that Jared wanted it to be clear that people can joke around with him and be comfortable around him despite being the boss. I may be misreading this but to me, this does imply that there could've been some mistreatment or passive aggressive type of behaviors on the set of Supernatural... or just like I said earlier in one sweet word, favoritism.

On a final note, I noticed that timing is everything just as Jared knew while timing his announcements with the AKF versus YANA business. The Emperor in my tarot deck is the boot looking card and the 7 of Swords card is depicted as a mouse holding knives. The day I did this reading (October 4, 2023) I happened to watch "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1" a couple hours before I did this tarot reading. In the first scene of the movie after the title screen and Peter is no longer a citizen of Earth, he is seen putting his headphones on and starts kicking around small creatures that stand only a little above his ankles (equivalent to the mouse in this tarot reading in the sense of being smaller than we are and both being seen as "pests") while wearing what appears to be rain boots prior to stealing The Orb from Morag. Peter Quill aka Star-Lord is certainly no conformist, loves his freedom, is obviously free-spirited, creative, and is highly receptive to changing for the better. On a perhaps more odd note, my guides have told me for a while now that I am essentially the real life female Star Lord (personalities being very similar, some intimate life details, many encounters with "other kinds", issues with educational institutions, leaving Earth [in my case via dreamwalking many nights, almost crossing over aka "ascending" off Earth multiple times, and almost physically once too over 10 years ago], problems with authority figures and discipline, and more). I'm not sure if this is true or not but as an added bonus, some websites including this one stated that Jensen auditioned for the role of Star-Lord/Peter Quill.

How interesting, given I received this particular reading on the same day I watched this movie for the first time since I finally understood why my guides kept saying "nope" for me screwing or fucking around", and would instead consistently say "you Fooled Around and Fell in Love"....

[unproduciblesmackdown]

oh, Mordecai having some romantic feeling about Atlas is so delicious. Adds inherent internal conflict -- Mordecai's dad is dead, Atlas may have thought of himself as stepping into a pseudo parental role (even if it was only as a manipulation tactic). Mitzi helping Mordecai with new clothing is an almost familial act, but also he's competing with her for atlas's attention (which is romantic attention for mitzi)! Very fucked up, I love it. thinking about it feels like getting tazed.

right! all about the Drama and that [lol that would be very fucked up. i love it] element

like we Could just suppose mordecai peaced (violenced) out of lackadaisy based just on the Business considerations of marigold now being the sole large & relatively stable operation around, and that he's now moved to dig into things only because he's worried about, what, arrest for murder (which would have Been a concern re: "murder is a not insubstantial part of your job" the whole time, but)....but it's more Enriching if he gets personal character motivations that aren't solely practical concerns, so you gotta imagine that's how it really is

and like what's (so likely i just assume it's true, and) important is just that mordecai has some kind of very motivating emotional attachment to atlas out here, and given that he's not forthcoming about that and atlas is (a) dead and (b) also not forthcoming in his fleeting, mysterious appearances, any details have to be speculation, but aren't Needed to suppose that that emotional significance is there....i assume the most common theory re: wondering what atlas meant to mordecai is that mordecai was like "that's my dad" and ofc with the lack of specific info we can't say that's Not the case lol. it would also be hilarious anytime there's like unilateral [that's my dad] that is never acknowledged / taken on by that would-be dad lmfao....and ofc it's possible that atlas is the one with the unilateral [that's my son] especially by virtue of assuming the figurative role of Patriarch as less mere "is this my begotten son" and more "i'm a Man who is In Charge of this group of people. meanwhile mitzi and mordecai truly can get in on some "familial" dynamic like particularly on the basis of "people who are stuck together (in this house, in this job, in this group you're supposed to belong to all your life)" and their being Rivals re: atlas in one way or another making them like frenemies out here is great, and that now they are plausibly frenemies who are also the only people who can understand each other's depression is even better lmfao. still thinking it was mitzi (wife) asa (friend) and mordecai (???) at atlas's funeral for sure

meanwhile it's really not difficult to imagine that mordecai could feel some type of way about atlas when it's like, people are gay, it also Is difficult to imagine a More emotionally impactful introduction to someone / establishment of their role in your life than "thinking your own murder is imminent and even that atlas was someone about to kill you Now but then it turns out that this guy absolutely out of nowhere basically saves your life even though he just spared you a revolver"....i do generally assume that atlas related to most everyone around him in that opportunistic way, that, like in taking on viktor, atlas sees someone backed against a wall here, and if they can shoot their way out of it then he has this potential hire who now owes him their life and has that ability to fight their way out of a situation in which others are trying to kill them and still doesn't have any other options, and, like pretty much everyone, continues to have few options as they get involved in the organized bootlegging world, the other paths are closed to you....but, of course, mordecai may not have ever been confronted with that hypothetical reality of how atlas related to Him, and not really have pushed to make his Own hypothetical feelings about atlas manifest as more than like, being that ferocious little shadow, nbd just an important, fave employee, and of course there's atlas being married not long after....not some amazing situation, but regardless of any further specifics, we can presume that it's as big a deal as anything to mordecai that Someone is on his side at all and helping him out, even just on the level of like, on his side of "not dying" and helping him with "not dying," and he's taking what he can get out here, aren't they all

and just some more "wow. wild" visuals like, such as The Following peak dramatic introduction and how it's like okay you could at least imagine it Could be the kind of thing mordecai feels differently about than like [literally dadcore] lol

meanwhile always going "wow....wild" about this bit

just before he's also like "i'll kill you" at the suggestion that he was Romantically Involved with mitzi lmao....i do not imagine that mordecai was ever living with atlas but it's like, how much bodyguarding was done, to what extents. certainly could imagine him getting close enough to escort people to their homes, doors of apartments or hotel rooms, could imagine sometimes staying in those places too....real "why are you, as a man, aware of another man's living situation and the status of his marriage's deterioration" moments lmao. even when it's like, well yeah he's quite literally Close to atlas whenever being like a personal guard type situation, and presumably being privy to a lot re: business, and even some of the personal. and it's also a question of, supposing atlas did have a part in his own death, What atlas's motivations would be....evidently it wasn't great for lackadaisy that he died, or for mitzi, and what benefits could atlas reap directly by his dying when yknow then that'd mean that he was dead....gotta suppose if he Did go "look, most trusted employee who's already privy to a lot and maybe i also trust b/c i know you Care A Lot: you gotta kill me" it's more likely that he Was motivated more sentimentally than like ruthless business boy style out here. maybe mitzi wasn't living with him after some opportunity she pursued too far evidently fucked some things up, but atlas would still be like "well the things are already fucked up, and also i'll die to get mitzi out of some impending further consequences of it" maybe. maybe it was that atlas was just Sure he'd be killed, and so he had mordecai be the one to do it rather than live in suspense and not get to pick the time and place and be killed right off rather than hoping that enemies lurking around every corner both can & will make it a quicker less painful death

and it's like, hand to forehead, oh lord The Drama to suppose atlas told mordecai "okay. you gotta kill me :/" and mordecai is kind of in love with him or something and yet still has to go "okay :/" and then do it and then he and atlas's now-widow, who he kind of hates and is now the one other person who knows what went down and who he'll attend the funeral with, can be [hand to forehead] about it together....not like there's no drama in mordecai going "i have the worst luck re: my dads dying, ugh" in this scenario either lmao but it Could instead be like This and it Would be all the more agonizing. gotta kill this guy you love who you knew was never exactly gonna return that even beyond "i mean, to what extent did he Love his actual wife, even if it's a [nonzero] answer" and who would entrust you with this task b/c he not only knows you Could do it but that you Would....which also leads me to the postscript of this theory, that atlas also could've just leveraged that "however anyone felt about it presumably mordecai was Technically only ever Officially: atlas's employee of the month" and also basically made it a Professional Order to be the one to kill him. sure thinking about how mordecai repeatedly, including in his introduction, goes "it's really important for me to have a consistent and rigorous approach to Doing My Job that isn't based on going 'yahoo wippee i'm having so much fun' b/c I'm Really Not, i do not like any of this" like hmmm! might be the kind of important, emphasized perspective of a character who was like "yeah i had to kill my boss who i loved and i deal with that by being all-in on 'i don't do this because i enjoy it'" while others are like wow mordecai why don't you Seem to enjoy this either way more or way less? what a weirdo. and he's like, literally i just work here. anyways imagining the like "mitzi and mordecai hanging out in silent crisis together in the Depression Café immediately after mordecai killed atlas b/c atlas arranged that and both of them were aware of this and mitzi was married to him and mordecai was his right hand man and now their frenemies forever competitive status is that classic 'we might never even talk now but we'll just share a lifelong secret maybe, you know how it is' and in this scenario i also do imagine mitzi would be aware how mordecai felt, gayly. a ton of fun"

[dadumtss]

Slenderman Headcanons: Magic Skills

In order of most skilled in Magic to the least:

Father/Cabadath

Extremely skilled and knowledgeable in magic. One of the most magically talented slenderbeings in existence. 

He’s very aware that he has very little physical fighting prowess. Instead he spent much of his energies in his youth learning magic to make up for that. 

He had both a natural talent and a strong dedication to learning which made his advancements in the magical arts rapid. 

When he met his wife she was stronger, faster and much more talented in combat than he was and even with all his magics she bested him in any fight they had.

He made sure to teach all his children at least the basics in magic. 

Nowadays most of his magic goes towards maintaining the pocket dimension that holds The Slender Forest and The Slender Mansion. Because of that he doesn’t use magic as casually as he does in the past. 

Splendorman

 The most naturally talented in magic of the brothers. 

A sign of this is how much easier he finds manifesting things with color, like his polka-dot suit. Most slenderbeings find it extremely difficult to change the color of their magic when manifesting things.  

He doesn’t pay much attention to combat magics but he’s so adept at magic that it’s not difficult for him to improvise or defend himself from magic meant to harm. However, he rarely uses magic this way because of his pacifism.

He uses his magic the most for maintaining his meadow and forest. He also seems to be able to pull anything he or anyone else needs out of his coat pocket. 

Sometimes he throws sparkling magic in the air like glitter, just because. 

He is capable of doing much more but because he refuses to eat because of his love of all living things it’s getting harder and harder for him to use his magic. 

These days just teleporting to The City knocks the wind out of him.  

Slenderman

 The most studious of the brothers in magic. Even though he doesn’t have the same natural talent as Splendor, he probably knows the most about magic out of all the brothers and isn’t afraid to delve into some pretty dark and complex stuff.

He is also the most adept at combat magic. 

He can teleport crazy distances, across continents and seas even, without a care in the world.

He tends to be very secretive in his magic, he prefers others not know what he is fully capable of so he doesn’t use magic casually. 

He’s really, really bad at manifesting different colors of magic. 

Trenderman 

Only knows as much as he needs, which is just how to protect his lair / sewing room , how to preserve and color his tendril-threads which he uses in his projects and how to prepare his mannequins.

He also knows some combat magics from childhood instructions from his father but that’s pretty much it. 

No one’s absolutely sure, but there’s talk that he uses magic to keep his glasses up without ears and a nose.    

He can teleport great distances as well but going from one continent to another would use up so much energy that he’s need a break before moving again. 

Offenderman

He’s really good at manifesting his roses in all sorts of colors. It took him a long time to perfect it though. 

The roses effectively mark his targets, basically linking him to anyone that takes it. Each brother has a way of marking others but Offender’s is the most elaborate. 

He can manifest a tiny pocket dimension that he can stuff his coat and hat into quickly to undress, but it’s nothing as complicated as his father’s Forest, the stairs at Slender’s home, Trender’s corridors or Splendor’s meadow. 

He hates studying and never really paid any attention to his father’s magic lessons. 

He knows more combat magic than Trender but nowhere near as much as Slender. He doesn’t seem to use it much, however, as he has amazing fighting prowess.    

Like Trender, teleporting great distances would require him to take a break to get his energy back. 

Willow

She was never instructed in the ways of advanced magic by her parents, who died when she was young and Junior was a baby. 

She can do magics that come naturally to slenderbeings like teleporting shorter distances. And her parents did live long enough to teach her how to manifest clothing in black and white. 

She is adept and noticing the presence of magic, however. She can pick up when a place is enchanted, an object was created from magic or if someone is using or about to use magic. 

Junior

He’s still very young as far as slenderbeings go, young enough that teaching him magic would be dangerous.  

Teleporting comes naturally to him as it does to all slenderbeings, and Willow often tells him that he can go much further than she could at his age. 

He doesn’t have the same talent as Willow in noticing the presence of magic, however. 

[lumilasi]

Proper ref for Spider family grandpa. He's not really a full on goth like his son, IDK what to call his style tbh lmao. His weirdly colored hand relates to a curse he has btw

I'll do Yui sometime later, RN I have no ideas for her.

.......IDK if he looks much older than Jurou tbh. he does have more lines on his face, but I'm still bad at drawing older looking people OTL (TBF, as a Soul eater, he's not gonna age like humans anyway, but still)

bio below:

Name: Harrow Araknos

Nicknames: Grandpa Harrow/Grandpa/Gramps (his grandkids), Father No/Dad no/goddammit dad (Jurou) Love/my rebel (Yui) Dad/Captain (Late meredith) That Weird Old Guy/Enigma/Guardian Angel/Steel Gramps/Mirror Dude (Various people he's helped in human realm)

Age: around 230, he'd be the equal of someone in their 70ties as a human (though he'd be a very fit grandpa/his kind when translated to human ages would still regularly live past 100)

Height: 190 cm

Occupation: Former Overshadower Council member, now a fugitive of the law

Family: wife Yui (A spiderwoman spirit/popular jazz singer) son Jurou (A tattoo artist/protagonist of this story) late daughter Meredith, grandson Ichirou, adoptive grandson Caelan, granddaughter Hitomi.

Friends: His manor staff Thalia, Mihail, Scarlet, and Aiden.

Love interest: Wife Yui

Abilities:

Soul Devouring: As a soul eater, he can devour the souls of anything that has one. He's also naturally very resistant to possession as a Soul eater, and can devour any soul trying to do so.

Inhuman body: He is incredibly durable and can basically only be damaged by light magic based weapons and attacks. He's also physically strong, able to tear people to pieces with his bare hands if he wants to, even now despite his age.

Shadow Magic: Since he is specifically a "Sorcerer" type soul eater, instead of transforming into a more powerful form, he has a full grasp of shadow element magic and is able to manipulate it at will in any way he likes, from changing its shape and composition from solid, to liquid, to gas. He can also use it to traverse/phase through walls and hide from people.

Soul Link: Like most Soul eaters, he can create mental links with people he trusts, and sense if they are in trouble. Soul eaters do this automatically with family, unless the said family didn't grow up with them; he had to establish Soul Links retroactively with Hitomi and Caelan for example.

Summoning Stone: Like most soul eaters, he creates "summoning stones" naturally, that appear in random places in human realm. He has no control over this process, apart from occasionally willing for one to appear in a specific place.

Demon knowledge: He is very familiar with demonic magic of all sorts and knows how to utilize or counter it.

Curse of Shadow: Harrow had a curse placed on him during the conflict, which was meant to essentially take him over and turn him against his own kind via madness of sorts. He however was too mentally resilient for that, so instead he's able to control the curse's powers to an extent; he's basically able to transform into a shadow (solid/liquid-like/seemingly normal one) and change his size and shape however he wants, essentially granting him the transformation ability he normally doesn't have. This comes with a great risk however.

Weaknesses:

Since he is not Spirit type like his children, Harrow doesn't naturally have a demonic form and is generally seen as a "weaker" Soul eater type; this means he's even more vulnerable to light magic than his son, where it can completely cripple his powers and seal them away.

What shapeshifting he CAN do comes from his curse, which mainly manifests as his blackened right hand in passive state. While the power is helpful, if he uses it too much he risks losing control of it, being unable to return back to his more physical, normal form. He could end up literally evaporating himself into nothing but a shadow.

He's impulsive and doesn't always consider what others might think of his choices/what the full consequences may be, even if he always means well. This has resulted in strained relationship with his son, difficulty meeting his grand-kids, and missing his beloved daughter's death. Given he's already lost one family, he really hates being apart from them, but doesn't want to go back to prison, or put them at risk for secretly hiding him from the law.

Personality:

Harrow is quite eccentric character who prefers doing things his way, and isn't afraid to speak his mind. He's always been somebody who wants to have influence in a larger scale to be able to aid those weaker than him, given what he went through as a child.

While intelligent, his impulsive nature sometimes prevents him from fully thinking things through, and while Harrow has +20 charisma and charm, it doesn't always save him from getting into trouble. He does also have the "goofy eccentric grandpa" vibe to him, which also can help him deal with sticky situations, or just make his grand-kids laugh or in Hitomi's case, feel more confident and comfortable.

He's willing to do ANYTHING to protect his family, even things his family may not agree with/wouldn't necessarily want him doing, like murder. He's kind of a stubborn man and doesn't always listen to those he really should, although he is willing to admit if he fucks up, and apologize. He tends to not regret his actions though, only if the said actions hurt someone he cares for.

BG Story Summary

When Harrow was a child, there was a growing conflict between Soul Eaters and Demons on the isle his family lived in, eventually turning into a full blown conflict/civil war of sorts. Eventually the conflict was resolved by the Overshadowers council from Chrysalis city, but it was mostly too late for his family, as all of them had perished in the battle.

Harrow hadn't even reached his maturity age yet, where his aging would slow at the time, so he was put under the watch of the Council given S.E powers tended to be unpredictable at this stage. He did eventually get access to his late family's belongings once he became a proper adult, but did not want to move back to the isle where his trauma and horrors originated from.

Instead, he used his family's wealth to buy himself a humbler home within Chrysalis, though he spend little time there initially, preferring to travel around the human realm, wanting to understand why beings that were all essentially the same still fought each other needlessly, similarly to how demons and Soul Eaters were distant cousins.

He met Yui during his travels, and helped her save her villagers from a natural disaster. Her former home was destroyed by it though, so Harrow asked if she'd like to come stay in his realm until they could find her a new lake to reside in, which was admittedly difficult given the turbulent time the human world was in at the time (world wars). She ended up falling in love - both with him and a music type from human world that was becoming popular among the Mirror world citizens, Jazz - and decided to stay with him.

Due to the knowledge he'd gained from his travels, and his general power and family's past influence, Harrow was eventually asked to join the Overshadowers Council. He was hesitant at first, but accepted figuring he could perhaps have more influence through it.

During his time there, he didn't have much time for his kids, something he's rather mournful about even today, but did his best to spend time with both anytime he could, being especially close with his daughter Meredith.

Things would change soon however, as he realizes that his son was born with an ancient, forbidden power, and what's more, the Council knew it too, and some members were planning on kidnapping his child and trying to erase his power out of fear towards the ability. Overhearing this, Harrow ends up confronting the two, the resulting fight ending with the pair's death.

He was sent in prison because of this crime, with his family not knowing why he did something so drastic until after his escape years later, as the new Council member and the leader of the infamous Shadowless, Kenzo, revealed them the truth he'd learned from Harrow shortly before his escape. Harrow did keep in contact with his son during this time via the mental link, but has been unable to return to the Mirror World physically.

During his second time travelling in the human realm, he did eventually run across his son's human lover, but chose to stay away from her to respect his son's desire to not involve her in his world, which Jurou perceived as too dangerous for her. Unknowingly to Jurou she'd had his daughter, but Harrow chose not to tell his son about it, again, to respect his son's wishes.

It is one of those incidents where he wishes he'd actually gone with his usual style of talking to the two, rather than try to make amends to his son; ironically him doing what he was asked this one time, led to a sad outcome with his granddaughter losing her mother....

Fun Facts:

He's pansexual, and he and Yui often had discussions of which celebrity/public figure/widely known human they both found attractive. Or their confusion and disdain towards human world's homophobia, which to them sounds ludicrous thing to hate someone over (its not a thing in Mirror world, there's other things to discriminate people against.....)

Soul eaters generally fall under the 2 categories, with elemental types being "Sorcerers" and beast types being "Spirits" though this can vary. Harrows birth family had a Spider Soul eater father, and Shadow soul eater mother, resulting in his elemental power with Spider motifs

During his time in human realm after his escape, Harrow has ended up parenting quite a few people, and still keeps in touch with some of them. Some know he's Not Human, others don't.

Many of the people he met was because they either accidentally or purposefully used his summoning stone to bring him there. There are few cases where this meeting was more organic though

Since he can't visit his daughter's memorial in Mirror world, he tends to pay his respects to her by visiting whatever place dedicated to mourning exists within the region he's currently in. Temple, graveyard, church, etc.

He likes to pull the "old man" act around people who don't realize how strong and fit he actually is, to get away with things or catch people off-guard. He's used this to save the humans he's currently looking after, or just used it to not have to do chores. He jokingly does this with his family too, though they don't buy it, obviously.

Kenzo is actually secretly working to try and dig out the evidence needed/convince the Council to get his sentencing pardoned, which isn't the easiest task given the severity of the crime and the fear towards the God Eater ability that Jurou has, which led to those two members getting killed by Harrow for trying to take his son and render him powerless.

His main reason of trying to understand the nature of conflict through humans is due to a lot of the aspects that lead to fighting having come from them; plenty of beings in his world either originate from humans, or regularly interact with them (without the humans knowing necessarily) so he figured perhaps it was influence from them, that even his kind fall into this behavior.

His conclusion from these travels at the time was, that humans and his kin aren't that different, and it seems to be something inherent in all living beings to be complicated, messy and overall prone to both good and bad things to varying levels.

As a child he actually used to look down on humans/beings directly born from humans (like half-bloods such as his granddaughter) somewhat, just like the rest of his family, before his travels.

Needless to say, he absolutely adores all of his grand-kids, regardless of how they became part of his family.

His hat belonged to Harrow's father, which is why it still has their family insignia, despite it not being really used by rest of his current family.

[428-05-3221]

oliver bird - as a mutant, oliver is a powerful psychic, as a telepath he is able to the minds and memories of others. he is also able to speak to others by manifesting into their dreams. oliver's other notable abilities are : astral projection, astral manipulation and illusion manipulation. oliver is a mutant activist, a beat poet, and a scientist. he crafted summerland as a safe haven for mutants, somewhere they could flourish, could learn to use their abilities freely and connect with others like them.

oliver spend quite a lot of time in the astral plane, using it both to search for mutants, and as an escape from the world around them, somewhere he could create a world of his own, somewhere he had control. but he wandered too far and lost himself into the void of consciousness.

summerland - a horse ranch inherited by oliver bird in the 40s, when oliver began converting it into a facility to shelter mutants. summerland was founded by oliver, and cary loudermilk as well as oliver's wife melanie. summerland is meant to be a safe haven for mutants to explore and learn about their abilities, as well as somewhere meant to keep them safe from persecution.

- melanie bird - oliver's partner and wife, she is not a mutant, however she took over summerland in oliver's place. building it up as a safe haven and training facility. she had practice with this with oliver himself. helping with his 'proclivity' helping him to learn how to channel his powers, and 'tune in or out' of the people around him. oliver ( within the main verse ) does not remember her name, nor her face, but he does remember her thoughts, the way she would memorize things, and will often use the memory of her mind - sunflowers - to calm or collect himself. - cary loudermilk - a mutation or mutant, it’s hard to tell. cary is a scientist and host/protector to a girl who can only be described as his sister : the two sharing a body and headspace when connected. when separated they share injuries but are independent people. they are two parts of the same person, and from an outside perspective could be considered opposites : impulse and consideration, anger and clam, brute and brain. cary is an old friend of oliver’s and helped him to found summerland.

not long after it's founding, oliver lost himself in the astral plane and summerland fell into the care of melanie bird. though his voice can still be heard within the facility, quite literally, as the announcements, coffee pot and other robotics have oliver's voice.

divisions ( division three ) - after an event known as "the Lazarus Affair" the united states government began funding an organization to deal with 'mutant threats' the divisions work alongside one another within the organization as well as with other government agencies. the divisions are as follows :

- division one : global command and communications - division two : science, genetics, and technology - division three : identification, study and elimination of mutant “threats”

division three is of the mind “if you are not with us, you’re against us” and are not afraid to use extreme force or torture to gain information both from mutants and their loved ones, imprisoning or killing them. they are the parallel to summerland.

after the shadow king's escape, summerland was merged with division three, shared resources allowing both sides to widen the scope of the man hunt for oliver b.ird and the newly acquired parasite.

the shadow king - amahl farouk, the demon with the yellow eyes, the angriest boy in the world : once an extremely powerful mutant, now a parasite. after he was separated from his body, the shadow king escaped death by hiding within the mind of david haller* ( the legion / the worldbreaker. ) when cast from david, the shadow king sought out the next most viable host, though he did not hide within oliver's self conscious, instead possessing oliver, taking control of his body not to hide, but to escape. oliver is held captive within his own mind alongside lenny busker.** while the shadowking was possessing him, oliver came in and out of consciousness, sometimes aware of the atrocities he was forced to enact, and others not.

* david haller - the worldbreaker / the legion . an extremely powerful mutant used to harbor the shadow king's spirit after his death. he was meant to be the vessel the shadow king used to find his body, or perhaps was meant to be the vessel the shadow king took. farouk tormented david since birth. ** lenny busker - a friend of circumstance, their face was the mask the shadow king would often wear to terrorize david. after their death lenny was held captive by the shadow king, pulled alongside him into oliver's mind until farouk found a suitable host to twist into a new body for her.

the astral plane - often considered the place between life and death, where the spirit goes when dying or entering the world. this is a reality where you can imaginify a kingdom, but nothing is ever real. oliver wandered too far into the make believe, an escape from the world, ( more often than not, oliver will say he did so as an attempt to find other mutants. let the truth be what you believe. ) oliver would best explain the astral plane as the neural network beneath the soil that connects fungi. it exists for everyone, the thing that connects all beings, whether they know it or not. things are only real here, if you believe them to be.

the ice cube - while his consciousness was lost to the astral plane, oliver's body was cryogenically frozen by cary upon melanie's request, this tethering to the 'real world' and keeping oliver from wandering deeper into the stream. this condition manifested in the form of a giant hollow ice cube where oliver existed. ( the icecube is an extension of oliver's consciousness and abilities, it comes in many forms and is well protected. no one can enter or leave without oliver's assistance, however oliver himself is also unable to alter the exterior or the temperature within )

[onmyoji-posting]

Ahhhh.. just played the War of Mt Oe again and now I extra sad about Yorimitsu/Onikiri (tho Yorimitsu still be a dick)... so can I request yandere!Onikiri falling for yandere!Yorimitsu's darling? Like, Yorimitsu prob bought darling from her family (into marriage or otherwise) and Onikiri fell for his master's wife? And how that pans out after Onikiri finds out about what Yorimitsu did to him? Love <3

I left it half way through for almost a year lmao i finished it before writing the request so i can be more accurate but yeah im with you on this it left me devastated and Yorimitsu makes me want to kick him so bad

I may have gotten a bit carried away when writing this, and to be honest I could write a lengthy fic with this if anyone is interested because I would like to go into even more detail lol

Also the S/O's pronouns are she/her for this one!

Onikiri falling for Yorimitsu's S/O (Yandere)

Ever since her arrival, she looked absolutely miserable. It was clear she did not want to be with Yorimitsu and if it hadn't been for the fact that he bought her, she wouldn't have been here. But unfortunately her fate was to become his wife. And to make matters worse, Yorimitsu was quite possessive over them so much so that he preferred to keep her hidden so no other man would dare to look at his wife except for the instances that it was obligatory for her to be seen in public with Yorimitsu. Except for the exception of Onikiri who had been tasked to watch over her and protect her whenever Yorimitsu was away.

In the beginning he did as he was tasked and barely spoke to his master's wife, but as time passed they both grew closer. So much so that Onikiri became her only friend and confidant. During one of the occasions when Yorimitsu was away, she confided in him that she was absolutely miserable living with Yorimitsu and wished she wasn't his wife. She also told him that he meant a lot to her and he was the only one he trusted in this clan and made her feel safe.

That was when Onikiri's gears started turning, from the moment she had arrived he had seen her as his master's wife and his good friend. But he would be lying to himself if he didn't admit that he envied his master. Since for the first time Yorimitsu had something he wanted, and what irritates him the most is that he could treat his master's wife better. Though for now he would keep these thoughts to himself.

As time went on, the pair grew closer and she further confided in him that she felt like Yorimitsu was obsessed with her and that she feared him at times. She then added that she wished to experience true and genuine love and that she wished to live far away from the Minamoto clan and to be in peace. She had also jokingly mentioned that if he could go live with her it would be even better.

That's when his feelings intensified, but Onikiri was absolutely mortified since he couldn't bear betraying his master or even worse that due to his selfish feelings, she would end up getting hurt or taken away from him. And he couldn't bear to be separated from her. But for now, he had to keep doing his duties despite many feelings brewing inside of him. In one hand he felt respect, loyalty and gratitude towards Yorimitsu, and in the other his feelings of envy and jealousy were intensifying, as well as new feelings of resentment and helplessness started to manifest since he felt that he was stuck between a rock and a hard place but he deeply wanted to help his beloved to be free as she deserves and to relish that freedom with her.

During the time when the those feelings hit a breaking point was around the same time he regained his memories. Onikiri was in an absolute rage. Though Yorimitsu had already taken preventive measures in terms of keeping his wife "safe". Yorimitsu had already prepared plans in case a situation like this ever happened and had ordered his men to take his wife to an undisclosed location as far away from the clan as possible and to keep her under heavy supervision to ensure that no one dares to take her, especially Onikiri.

Once Onikiri made his way through Yorimitsu's army, his next goal was to take what was rightfully his and take her back to live with him anywhere she chose. Now it was the perfect time to free her, Onikiri thought to himself. It would be a big blow to Yorimitsu's ego and his influence. And as he approached to where Yorimitsu usually kept his S/O hidden he imagined his future with her, as it was now what breathed new hope and life into him. But once he opened the door, he was greeted with an unfamiliar silence, as his beloved was nowhere to be found. Onikiri scoured the entire place and found that most of her belonging were gone, and the remaining things were scattered as if everything was done in a hurry. This infuriated Onikiri even more since Yorimitsu had the audacity of hiding her somewhere else. Then he went though every single building of the clan, searching for her and when he couldn't find her anywhere his rage grew.

But for now he would face Yorimitsu first and then continue searching for her once he is done handling the bastard of a man he once respected and looked up to. The fight between the two was intense, and in the end Yorimitsu still refused to reveal where was keeping her captive. Despite this Onikiri kept demanding for the location, to which Yorimitsu asked about his insistence on finding her.

That's when Onikiri finally allowed himself to accept the intense feeling that were brewing in him, and like a volcano his mouth erupted all that he felt for her and the hatred he felt for Yorimitsu. Onikiri also said to Yorimitsu he would find her regardless and take her away and treat her right and that he would be a far better lover than Yorimitsu ever could. He then remarked that she trusted him more than her husband. At this point Onikiri had the idea that she loved him and not Yorimitsu, but in reality she just wanted to be his friend.

Once he was done with Yorimitsu, Onikiri went to interrogate some of Yorimitsu's servants, demanding them to reveal where she was, and the servants fearing for their lives told him where she was being kept. He didn't even hesitate and went to rescue her. The trip was a long one having been hidden far away from the clan, but with each step his heart filled with even more hope on having a peaceful life with his beloved. He would keep her as far away from anyone, she wouldn't need to rely on anyone but him and they would both be very happy. Thoughts like these kept him going day and night without resting. And once he got there he didn't even break a sweat taking down the countless guards that kept her imprisoned.

Finally, Onikiri felt that he had earned a well deserved reward and now it was time to relish the love she had to offer and once he was face to face with her, Onikiri finally confessed his feelings towards her. Eagerly he waited that she would feel the same way as him, but unfortunately it wasn't the case and Onikiri was devastated. After all he went through, and after all he did for her, the woman he adores didn't feel the same way. But Onikiri wasn't discouraged though, he assumed it was because she was scared that Yorimitsu would somehow hurt Onikiri if she told the truth. He assured her Yorimitsu would never bother her again and that he would keep her safe.

He then carried her in his arms, promising her a new life away from everyone and anyone that could bother them. Though despite her constant protests and claims that she did not love him, Onikiri assured her that she did in fact love him and that she could be honest now that Yorimitsu would not be with her anymore. And now they would start their new life together full of peace and joy like they both wanted.

[fclixofyrck]

━━  ⊰  [  patrick  gibson  ,  30  ,  cis  male  ,  he  /  him  ]  the  ton  is  buzzing  !  did  you  hear  ?felix  ,  the  duke  of  york  has  arrived  in  mayfair  !  i  have  been  told  that  he  is  quick  witted  &  sympathetic  but  is  also  self  serving  &  arrogant  but  we  shall  know  about  them  as  the  season  progresses  .  they  aim  to  claim  the  title  of  heir  and  unseat  his  brother  before  the  season  ends  .  we cannot  be  too  sure  but  it  is  said  that  their  loyalties  lie  with  the  crown  .  how  true  ?  we  are  yet  to  find  out  .

BIRTH NAME :  felix james of house hanover. ALIAS  /  NICKNAME :  little fox, in his youth. fee on occasion by his wife. TITLES :  duke of york, future king of england. AGE :  thirty years old. DATE  OF  BIRTH :  novermber 26th. PLACE OF BIRTH :  buckingham house, london, england, great britain

GENDER :   cis male , he/him pronouns. RELIGION :  church of england. SEXUALITY :  heterosexual, heteroromantic.

FACECLAIM :  patrick gibson. HAIR COLOR : blonde, lightening considerably in the summer. EYE  COLOR :  blue. HEIGHT :  5'11 | 178 cm.

PRIMARY  VICE :  envy. PRIMARY  VIRTUE :  diligence.

POSITIVE  TRAITS :  quick witted, sympathetic. NEGATIVE TRAITS :  self serving, arrogant.

FATHER :  george, king of great britain & ireland. MOTHER :  anne, queen of great britain & ireland. SIBLINGS :  william ( prince of wales ), duke of kent, sophia ( princess of great britain & ireland ). PARTNERS :  catherine grosvenor. CHILDREN :  none.

[    timeline    ]     ⸻  

1783 :  felix james is born, the second child & second son to the king and queen. in juxtaposition to his elder brother, felix was notably a very average child health-wise with few illnesses and injuries. however he was an annoyance to his tutors often as he had a habit of slipping away from lessons or talking his way out of attendance if there was something he felt more inclined to pursue.

1801  :  felix has a discrete, brief affair with a woman of a lower station that goes awry within a few months. after she makes a few threats, felix's father steps in before he is able to handle it himself & takes care of the situation. it remains unknown to the rest of the public, except for felix & his father. it places a wedge between the boy and his father, the king citing that felix lacks the maturity and wisdom of his brother.

1801 - 1808  :  discontentment begins to grow within felix at his allotment in life. like a rot slowly forming inside of a tree, felix begins to allow whispers and dream to manifest that convince him that he is meant for more than title of spare. while his brother marries, felix carefully begins to sow whispers of gossip an general displeasure.

1809  :  when the season arrives, catherine grosvenor is named diamond & felix's mother informs that her hope is for the young woman to marry one of his cousins or perhaps a younger brother. felix is intrigued by her beauty and poise, using his status to step ahead of her other suitors and declare his intentions swiftly. they end the season engaged & are married that winter.

1811  :  catherine becomes pregnant with their first child, felix is overjoyed at the prospect of being the first one with child as well with the prospect of fatherhood that is so near. despite it being early, felix secretly began to formulate his plan for taking back the heirdom. soon after informing him, catherine miscarries in their rooms - they do not inform anyone aside from the royal physician and felix's mother, the queen.

1812  :  in  october, the princess of wales passes away, robbing his brother of his beloved wife and his only heir.

1813  :  the  new  season  begins  & felix has every intention of garnering favor against william from the influential families of the ton.

[    notes    ]     ⸻  

this is a WIP still.

despite his current ambitions, felix cares deeply for his brother still - he more-so believes that if allowed to continue onward that this inheritance will kill william prematurely. in his eyes, the fates are attempting to convey the message that his eldest brother is not fit to one day rule & felix is merely pointing out the message. in his ideal, william does not die but rather abdicates his rank in succession to felix.

regarding his relationship with his wife, catherine: " love  was  a  slow  growing  thing  between  the  newlyweds  .  the  queen  and  her  father  both  had  meant  for  her  to  end  up  with  the  duke  of  kent  or  one  of  the  king’s  nephews  but  the  duke  of  york  had  happened  into  her  path  ,  charming  her  away  from  his  brother  and  his  cousins  though  catherine  knew  very  little  of  him  outside  of  what  he  had  first  shown  her  .  the  secrets  had  threatened  to  split  them  asunder  at  first  ,  his  displeasure  at  his  lot  in  life  placing  a  distance  between  them  but  catherine  had  persisted  ,  remaining  pliant  and  patience  ,  optimistic  that  she  would  find  companionship  in  her  marriage  ,  if  not  love  ,  and  was  rewarded  with  his  trust  for  her  efforts  . the  news  of  a  pregnancy  had  sweetened  the  relationship  further  as  she  fed  into  his  wish  to  produce  an  heir  before  his  brother  but  before  the  babe  could  taken  root  in  her  womb  ,  catherine  had  suffered  a  miscarriage  in  the  privacy  of  their  chambers  ─  a  fact  that  only  the  duke  of  york  and  the  royal  physician  know  .  what  progress  that  had  been  made  in  their  marriage  came  to  a  halt  as  he  comforted  her  for  their  lost  but  descended  deeper  into  his  study  and  his  plots  ,  and  the  news  of  the  princess  of  wales’  expectant  state  in  1812  further  added  more  pressure  onto  her  shoulders  as  she  tried  to  appease  her  husband  and  keep  him  calm  .  catherine  grew  reticent  ,  choosing  to  remain  in  their  country  home  during  the  1812  season  as  the  sight  of  the  princess  of  wales  ,  swollen  with  her  child  ,  was  too  much  for  her  to  bear  . "

more tba when i have internet later.