#why not get in a twist over that since it certainly causes a lot more harm

[elephantbitterhead]

"Shinty provides a positive alternative to drug use."

Hmm . . . I'm thinking no it does not.

[gurugirl]

The Ranch Hand | cowboy!harry - Patreon One Shot

2.5k word preview below the cut

Your boyfriend, Jessie, sat down a bucket of beer on the table you were sitting at and pulled his stool up as you grabbed a cold one for yourself and twisted the cap off.

You didn’t know the band that was playing but they sounded pretty good, especially for a Friday night with a cold beer in your favorite little rowdy country bar.

Jessie hated the bar. He was more into cocktail joints with white tablecloths and live classical piano. The kind of place you had to dress up to go into. You didn’t blame him. He didn’t come from where you came from. You two had only a couple of things in common.

The first was that you were both from wealthy families. Your dad was a rancher and he owned half the county. You’d never hurt for anything. Jessie’s family ran the county and were all involved in politics. He went to some fancy school in a different state and only came back because his father wanted him to step into the role of prosecuting attorney.

The second thing you had in common was that you lived in the same town.

That was probably where your similarities ended. You liked Jessie. Mostly. He was usually pretty nice, if not boring, and your parents liked him so that was a plus. In fact, they set up your first date with him and it was easier to just keep things going to make your mom and dad happy.

“You look uncomfortable,” you spoke as you kept your eyes on the band and Jessie struggled to pull the metal cap from his bottle.

“I’m just… there’s peanut shells all over the floor and everyone’s staring at us.”

You laughed and shook your head. You were gonna have to break up with the guy. He couldn’t handle you and you knew that was the truth. He hated getting his hands dirty and even though he looked like he should be able to remove a bottle cap, it wasn’t the first time you had to do it for him.

Taking his beer you looked directly at him and twisted the cap off, dropping it to the floor before handing it back to him.

“I never drink beer. Not used to taking caps off…” he spoke as he took a sip. Shitty excuse.

You noticed that some of the workers from your dad’s ranch were in the bar. Probably causing trouble. The guys who worked for your dad could be rough around the edges but they were always nice to you. Just a bunch of cowboys looking to make ends meet. They all had a place to stay on the ranch at the bunkhouse provided and they were also paid pretty well. So on almost any given Friday and Saturday night, you could find some of them at the bar picking up local women, dancing, fighting, drinking…

This was your scene. This was what you enjoyed most. The rough and gritty. Salt of the earth. Phonies were quickly sniffed out in a place like this. It was why people were staring at Jessie.

You took another gulp of your beer and then you caught sight of one of the ranch hands already looking at you from across the room. Harry. He was very easy on the eyes. He’d been working at your dad’s ranch since he was 19. He’d earned a spot of trust with your father after all his years of hard work and now he had quite a lot of responsibility given to him. He had his own small cabin out of the way of the bunkhouse. He made a lot of financial decisions for your father as well. Negotiated prices for cattle sales, went to auctions to buy large equipment, handled the daily goings on of the newbie ranch hands, and did all the hiring and firing. But he also still worked his ass off. He’d pick up slack when the other workers needed help or couldn’t do the job. You imagined he was at the bar to keep the guys in line and make sure they didn’t land themselves in jail.

You and Harry were close from the beginning. You always went out of your way to meet every new worker that came on but Harry was a little different because he’d been around for almost ten years. You certainly favored him over all the others.

“Why’s he coming over here?” Jessie whined as Harry walked through the crowd with his eyes on you and a mischievous grin on his face. You just knew he was bout to do something to piss Jessie off, which was easy to do.

“Cause he’s comin’ to say hello.” You smiled at Harry as he tipped his cowboy hat to you, stepping between you and Jessie, and reaching in to grab a bottle of beer from the bucket your boyfriend bought.

“Uh, that’s ours,” Jessie sat up straight in his stool as he watched Harry uncap the bottle and take a swig, ignoring him completely, jade eyes still on yours.

Harry placed his elbow on the table and leaned in close to you, those handsome green eyes running over the features on your face, “Hi.”

You felt yourself heat up and kept your eyes on his, “Hi.”

You would have forgotten all about Jessie but then…

“Excuse me. Is this for real? That’s our beer,” Jessie reminded the cowboy.

Harry rolled his eyes and stood up with his hand on your shoulder, softly squeezing before he looked at your boyfriend, “Sorry about that bud,” and then he looked back down at you, “Okay if I have this, sweetheart?” He lifted the bottle of beer upward.

You nodded, “Of course you can have it, Harry.”

Harry’s grin widened as he took another drink and Jessie stood up to move in front of Harry. Maybe in an attempt to intimidate him? You weren’t sure exactly. But one thing you knew was that Harry would put Jessie down in the blink of an eye. Jessie wasn’t a small man but Harry was scrappy and liked to get dirty. Didn’t mind a scuffle when the moment called for it either. You’d seen him put a lot of men in their place.

“Next time you ask before you take.” Jessie pointed. You snickered to yourself. It was a good attempt at least.

Harry laughed and dragged his eyes down your body before he tipped his hat again and walked right into Jessie’s shoulder, making him stumble into the table. Harry looked back in faux surprise at Jessie and then at you with a wink before he went back to where he’d been before with the other guys.

Okay, so maybe Harry was a bit of a dick. But he’d never been rude to you. And you liked him, unfortunately for Jessie. Harry was not a fan of your boyfriends. He’d made that clear since Jessie started coming around four months ago.

“You just let him take a beer like that?” Jessie gestured toward where Harry had gone.

“I did. What’s the problem? I know this bucket wasn’t expensive so you’re not hurtin’ for the money.”

He took a deep breath and looked off toward where the cowboys were drinking, “Do you like him, Y/n?”

You pursed your lips to the side in thought as you watched people line dancing and stomping on the peanut-covered wood floors in their cowboy boots. Now you didn’t really need to think much about that question. Because you did like Harry, and he liked you the same. All the stolen kisses and sneaky moments you two had… it’s just that that could never happen out in the open. Your dad would never go for it and Harry might lose his job if your parents ever caught wind of anything happening between you two. So you’d always kept your distance because that was the most practical option.

But you couldn’t lie and say you didn’t like the man. Anyone with two eyes could see how handsome he was.

“Sure,” you shrugged and looked at Jessie.

“Like him, like him?” Jessie looked back toward you across the table.

“Why are you worried about it, Jes? Even if I did, it’s not a good match. My dad would kill him.”

He shook his head and watched the people on the floor dancing with their big, shiny belt buckles glistening under the shoddy lights, the strum of guitars, and a twangy voice singing an old Garth Brooks song.

You got up and waved when you saw your friend Chelle. She was among those dancing and you weren’t going to miss it, “You coming with me or not?” You looked back at the dud sitting on his stool with a scowl.

“Go on ahead. I’ll be right here.”

You rolled your eyes. There was only so much more you could take of Jessie. If he had even shown an ounce of something that looked like fun you might want to stick around longer. Hell, if he even would have just stood up to Harry about the way he had been very clearly flirting with you in front of him (rather than get so worked up over the beer Harry took) that could even be something for you to think about. But the man wouldn’t dance with you, he wouldn’t ride horses on the ranch, he wouldn’t go to rodeos, and he most certainly didn’t want to do anything that could sully up his nice clothes once in a while. Stepping over peanut shells was his limit. If it weren’t for your parents you’d never have considered him in the first place.

“Y/n!” Chelle pulled you in next to her and you began moving yourself in line in a weave; right, back, front… You always felt like an idiot when you joined in on line dancing but that was part of the fun. Everyone looked like hillbillies and idiots out there and it was a blast.

The music, the atmosphere, the raucous noise from everyone laughing, singing, shouting, stomping… your country girl roots were in full bloom that night. And beer after beer then a couple shots of whisky probably did you no good but you were going to enjoy your night with or without your boyfriend who did not move from the spot where you left him. Part of you, at one point, hoped he’d just go. He was uncomfortable and not having fun. You knew the only reason he was there was to keep an eye on you to make sure you didn’t do anything dumb.

And the later it got the more wild the bar became. More people filled in the small space, the music was louder, some of the lights at the edge of the room were dimmed, and the line for the bathroom grew longer.

“He gonna sit over there watching me all night?” You heard Harry from behind you as he moved in step, a bottle of beer in his big hand you noted as you turned to look up at him.

You laughed, “Probably. He’s jealous.”

Harry licked his pink lips and tampered what you knew was a big grin, “Oh yeah? Why’s he jealous?”

You both did a clumsy pivot turn together and you just smiled up at the handsome cowboy and shook your head.

There was no need to answer Harry. He knew what was going on. He knew you liked him just the same as he liked you. It had always been something secret between you two but it was obvious to almost everyone around. Except for your father. That was one time when you were both on your best behavior.

“Surprised you’re still here. Don’t you have an early morning tomorrow?” You asked.

He nodded, “Sure do. Just keeping an eye on everything going on here is all. I’ve got a responsibility for most of the people in this bar right now.”

“Oh yeah? All the guys seem to be doing okay. No one’s getting too crazy tonight it seems,” you looked around at the other workers, and most of them were two sheets to the wind but they were tame and having fun.

“Still my responsibility. Plus you’re still here.”

You grinned, “That I am. Figured I’d close the place down tonight.”

Harry laughed, “You usually do anyway. Always have been like one of the boys. Just as rowdy as the rest of us.”

You loved it when you got to talk to Harry. Loved how he looked at you and how he’d say your name. Loved how so many times you’d done just this and it felt exactly like what you wanted.

Another shot of whisky at the bar with Harry and you started to feel woozy. Your world was spinning but you were still having too much fun to call it a night.

“I should take you home,” Jessie appeared, taking you by your shoulders and pulling you away from Harry. For a short time, you’d forgotten he was still there.

“No, I think Harry’s gonna take me home.” You looked up at Harry.

“That’s right. Was just about to take her home.” Harry spoke as he stepped in closer to Jessie.

Jessie laughed and you felt his firm grip moving you away but you were too drunk to really put up any kind of fight.

“Nah, just stay here with the rest of the drunk cowboys. I got her.”

Harry followed you and Jessie out the front of the bar as Jessie opened up the passenger door of his nice car.

“You gonna be all right sweetheart?” Harry ducked down to ask you before Jessie could close the door – Harry blocking the space so he could look at you as he reached up for your face and softly turned your head to look at him.

You nodded, “It’s fine. I just need to go to bed.”

“That’s enough. She’s fine,” Jessie closed the door.

Your memory was only clear in bits and pieces as Jessie drove you home. You remembered him berating you for acting like a clown and then when he brought you to your room the memory of him kissing you and taking your hand to cup over his crotch was vivid. You remember telling him you had to go to sleep but he was angry at you. You could feel that too. You remembered his anger and how he shoved you down into your bed before he was hovered over you.

But then you remembered being on your knees in front of your toilet and expelling the contents of your stomach furiously. Jessie’s words rang in your ears about how you were gross and just as nasty as all the cowboys on the ranch. How he didn’t want to fuck you anyway when you were drunk.

You woke up on your bathroom floor and Jessie was long gone.

NOTE: This is a 15k+ Patreon-only one shot. If you'd like to read more consider signing up!

xoxo

[seishinnookami]

chapter one; Yuu’s sibling!?

Twisted wonderland x Obey me

Yuu’s pronouns; They/ them for now

not on a canon time line

perspective: second “as they turned around.”

It was a warm day, the sun shining through the classroom windows, the teacher’s beloved voice calling out;

”Now, remember to only put one of these into your pot, unkess you want to end up covered in dust from head to toe!”

He warned, dropping the some sort of plant like ingredient into the potion, which glowed int a soft hue, barely visible in the light of the warm sun. Then the colour shifted into a mint green colour.

Yuu stood beside Deuce, nervously following after the instructions. They gently dropped it inside as professor Crewel showed. They let out a sigh when the colour changed into that pretty green. The tense atmosphere of danger Yuu has surround themselves with suddenly broke when the door of the classroom was bursted open.

“It is I~!”

The voice of the headmaster called out, smirking proudly as Crewel send him an unamused glance.

“Don’t worry, I’m only here for the Prefect!”

He trotted over to them, grabbing them by the wrist. 

“Because I am oh so gracious you have been excused this day to help me!” 

The headmaster said, dramatically as always. He turned around and pulled Yuu with himself, but as he did so, the rest of the ingredient fell from his hands, making them pale as they watched two more fall into the pot. 

“The potion-“ 

They tried to warn Deuce, only to Crowley to cut them off again. 

“Haha! Don’t worry about your potion!” 

He rushed them down the hallway, the sound of something blowing up could be heard, making Yuu more willing to follow the man than before. 

“So.. why do you need me exactly, headmaster?” 

They asked in an unsure manner, mostly because whenever Crowley needed them, they most certainly got into danger or almost killed. 

“Someone came appeared on school grounds, they have no magic, just like you! The mirror said that they have no where to return to, just like you! What a coincidence!” 

He laughed nervously, clearing his throat. 

“But why I called you is because I can’t talk to them, they are rambling on about something, shouting at me if I get too close. Even after I so kindly brought them in!” 

He huffed, raising his nose high, clearly offended, but he silently prayed the human didn’t cause too much trouble while he was away. 

“I hoped that you could talk to them, since you were once in the same place.” 

He finally explained why he dragged Yuu out, just as they reached the mirror’s gorgeous hall. 

As the doors opened, Yuu had found themselves watching an another human pacing up and down and just as Crowley said; angrily mumbling to themselves. 

“No! I did not survive those troublesome demons to get dragged- kidnapped AGAIN?! Haha! No way! I’m not going to start a new school, leave all things behind again?! I’m not going through that, AGAIN!” 

They huffed, stopping as they started to feel dizzy. Mc sighed, out of breath, turned towards the stupid bird man who dragged them inside. 

Their eyes land on Yuu. 

“… Yuu?” 

They whispered, eyes wide while a small droplet of tear cascades down their cheeks. They seemed to recognise Tuu, whispering their name in disbelief. Their eyes swam with a lot of emotion inside, some of them unrecognisable.  

Mc’s could help but step closer to the two, cheeks drenched in salty tears.

“I’m sorry.. do i know you?” 

Their step falters, eyes wide as they fall onto their knees. 

“W-what?” 

They sound lost, breathless and confused.

“Yuu? This isn’t funny!” 

Yuu looks apologetic, the person before them looked familiar, but they did not remember them. No matter how hard they tried, there was no memory. They was hit by a sense of longing, missing this person. But there was no reason for them to feel like this. 

This person was a stranger, right?

“Yuu! It’s me, (om)y/n!”

They cried out, hoping this was all just a cruel joke.

“I-i am truly sorry, but I don’t know you.”

Yuu repeated, their voice sounding empty in the air against the cries of the stranger front of them.

they felt sorry for the stranger, how did they knew they name?

they was confused, the sunny day that they had woken up to no longer looking so sweet, seeing the broken person before them. Maybe they wasn’t the one they was looking for? They knew the feeling of stress of the unknown, being woken up in a coffin isn’t funny. They thought about it for a moment, maybe they did know them, but they don’t remember anything from the time before getting here…

the soft steps of Yuu’s shoe could be heard as it echoed through the hall. It danced with the echo of the stranger’s sobs, almost like a dark lullaby, trying to lull someone to eternal sleep.

“I may not know you…”

they whispered, kneeling down before the broken looking body of trembling sobs . Who looked up at them with- lashes sticking together from their tears. (-their skin sparkling with the salty, sad liquid) [< for those who don’t have hair]

“But.. could you tell me who you are? To me?”

“I’m your sibling..”

They answered softly, as their eyes met, Crowley silently made a comment to himself, their eyes were the same shade of colour. The stranger’s uniform was unknown to him, trying to locate any school that had similar uniform.

Yuu was surprised by their answer, their eyes wide in confusion. They did look.. familiar, almost identical.

“… I’m sorry for not remembering you…”

“Why?… Why don’t you remember?”

They questioned whether this was even real, finding their sibling, only for them to not remember.

“I don’t remember anything that happened before coming here..”

Yuu revealed, sighing as they was about to explain, Crowley’s loud voice cut throughout the soft, broken atmosphere that settled on the two siblings.

“You can all talk this out at Ramshackle!”

he decided, grabbing both, which earned him a slap on the hand from MC. Giving him a glare that said “touch me and i’ll bite off your hand.”

Crowley quickly backed off, not liking this more feral version of Yuu. He cleared his throat, putting a hand over his chest, the other onto his hip.

“Because i’m so kind, i’ll let you, an another magicless human stay here! Aren’t I just the best?”

He laughed, turning around and walking away while singing praises to himself.

“Yeah, the best at being the worse… He’s like a worse version of Mammon…”

Mc mumbles, making Yuu chuckle softly. “You’ll get used to it after a while. C’mon, i’ll being you to your dormitory.. if you can call it that.” “Oh dear…”

Yuu chuckled, standing up and offering a hand down to them. “Shall we?”

they looked at their hand, a soft smile edging onto their lips. “You haven’t changed a bit..”

they chuckle, putting their hand into Yuu’s palm.

“We shall.”

With that, the story of the two siblings have begin..

(This is a small part because this is more of a starter than anything. Never the less, i hope you enjoyed it, Reader!)

[azaarchiive]

holiday girlfriend; semi eita

chapter four

- daddies home

note: guys i’m so sorry 🤣 i’ve litch been trapped in the wicked a level scheme that i completely forgot. i’ll try to do a double update as an apology

it has only been a day and your head was swirling with all the possibilities that could uncover itself if you chose to live with semi.

on the one hand, that man had money. you would be thoroughly supported if you were to stay with him. you wouldn’t need to work and it’s not as if semi would mind spending heaps amounts of money.

on the other hand, he left once, he could very much leave again due to stress, him getting bored, ex-girlfriend drama and the list goes on. he hurt you in ways you could have never even imagined. going back to him, even for support, would feel like you are cheating yourself.

not to mention, leaving a whole country - your homeland to be exact - would be extremely difficult. despite how lonely you are here with your low paying job, lack of friends or supportive relatives (after they found out about the pregnancy, they shunned you for being unmarried with a child at 24 with no father figure) it was still home to you in some twisted way.

you sat sluggishly on the couch, watching some crappy reality tv show that for some reason has captured your attention when the door bell rung.

“daddy’s home!” an all too familiar voice rang through, too be fair it could only be semi eita since (as mentioned prior) you had no one that visited you.

“don’t call yourself that” you rolled your eyes as you got up slowly, hand rubbing your stomach instinctively, to open the door for the musician himself.

as you opened the door, semi’s wide smile was displayed while he clutched onto a very extravagant bouquet of glittered roses. a basket of various sweets and chocolates were in his other hand, the basket enticed you a lot more.

“as the dutiful father i am-“

“you ran away once i told you i was pregnant-“

“minor details honey, anyways, i decided to treat you!” semi let himself into your house to put down his treats for you.

“oh wow, thank you for these gifts that clearly match up to the 6 months i spent carrying your daughter.” you sighed before digging into the basket he placed on your table.

“she’s a girl?” he replied all to quickly, his eyes darting between your face and your bulging stomach.

“oh, yeah.” you casually said, sitting down on your couch as you pulled your slipping bonnet down slightly.

semi’s eyes swirled with what you think was regret, he obviously knew that’s he missed quite a bit in terms of this pregnancy but fuck- he didn’t even know the gender of the baby till now.

remorse slightly took over you, it must be hard coming from japan to here only to see that everything that was once one thing has completely inverted into something else unrecognisable. then again, if he stayed then he could’ve been a part of this- he could’ve been recognisable.

“anyways, you’ve given your gifts. feel free to leave” you broke the awkward silence.

“hold up sweetheart-“

“respect yourself-“

“let’s catch up a little, in case you choose not to come live with me, then i want to at least know what state you’ll be in.” semi smiled, sitting across you on the opposite couch.

why is he so hard to get rid of?

“so yeah, that’s why i was beefing jungkook for a bit, but we cool now i just got off a call with him for a collab’ idea.” semi popped a price of chocolate in his mouth whilst you looked at him in disbelief.

you knew semi was the type of guy that got into heaps of scandals without a care in the world but wow. the stories he was telling were beyond your wildest imagination.

“what is wrong with you?” you chuckled.

“excuse me- for your information, it was him who started it by copying my music video!” semi huffed childishly which caused you to snort.

“oh my god, did i tell you about mika?” he rushed out.

“nope but if it’s about one of your sex scandals, then i certainly do not want to hear it.” you rolled your eyes.

“oh not in the slightest, so basically, i had posted a video of someone doing my makeup and nails for jokes, right? the whole of japan was hating on me, calling me disgusting for ‘acting gay’ and whatnot. then, i made a little rap that was practically talking about my fat ass. it started trending online then everyone told me to release it. so i released an album in my alter ego mika talking about sucking dick and shit and titled it ‘pissing off japan’ and it charted to the point where i won a grammy for it.” semi burst out into laughter seeing your shocked expression.

“so you had a whole country against you and you still won a grammy?” you raised an eyebrow.

“what can i say? im one of a kind” he winked at you before biting down in his chocolate piece. you bashfully looked away, you sometimes forget how truly attractive this man is.

“anyways, enough about me, what about you?” semi asked, looking at you expectantly.

you dreaded this question, you truly had nothing. the most exciting thing you’ve done while he was away was discover a new imessage feature that you couldn’t even use since your phone was dryer than your bosses hands.

and they were extremely dry.

“nothing, sadly, i have no stories to tell you.” you sighed.

“oh come on, there has to be something that has happened since i’ve left!” semi tried to pry.

“i’m serious, i mean- oh! i found out how to make the tv louder, because basically it used to always be so quiet until recently i’ve discovered that there is two speakers and it was connected to the wrong one- why are you laughing this is literally the highlight of my life?” you slightly chuckled along with semi who was loudly cackling.

“i’ve got abs- oh my god, i can’t breathe?” semi calmed down his laughter soon enough.

“wait so there has been nothing interesting? at all?” semi questioned once again.

“nothing, why do you think that when we used to fuck i would be so silent when you were talking about your life? you were the most interesting thing happening for me, not like i could tell anyone anyways.” you pitifully sighed.

“wait, you didn’t even tell your friends about me?” semi looked at you confused.

“are these said friends in the room with us? eita, you were my one and only friend, i truly had -well have- no one.” you said nonchalantly.

“don’t say that, everyone has at least one person.” semi replied.

“no eita, not everyone, only the lucky do. if you don’t believe me check my phone, i only have like 7 contacts and 4 of them are for work.” you handed semi your phone.

semi looked though your contacts and you were completely right, 4 of them were random names and the other three was ‘mother’ ‘father’ and ‘cousin.’

“then you must be close with your family right?” semi asked desperately, he couldn’t bare to think that he left you all alone with absolutely no one beside you out of his own selfish fears.

“not really, we used to talk once in a while but after they found out i was pregnant they completely cut all contact since it was out of wedlock and the father wasn’t present. so, it’s just been me and my little one.” you patted your belly smiling fondly while you looked down, you truly couldn’t wait to meet her.

semi looked at you distraught. he couldn’t imagine a life like yours, alone with no help at all, family members deserting you, it seemed terrible. to top it off, the one person you thought would be with you left without ever looking back.

“stop looking at me like that, i get it isn’t idea but it is peaceful. no friendship dramas or unnecessary interactions between family members. just us two against the world- swear that’s the name of your album?” you asked mindlessly.

“yes, actually it is- wait you still listen to my music?” semi’s head tilted to the side.

“well not me specifically, this little one does. i heard that it’s good for babies to listen to music so i thought that she should at least hear what her emo ass dad sounds like- she really likes it and starts kicking around when she listens to you.” you giggled.

semi was truly speechless, all this time he had been barely thinking about you and his daughter. going in tours, starting random drama while you had been adulting all by yourself. looking after the two of you despite all odds being against you.

“please move in with me-“

“eita please-“

“no seriously, this is not fair at all. look at how you have been managing, don’t get me wrong your doing amazing but you’re all alone.” semi pleaded.

“and what, when i move to japan ill suddenly have 100 friends and my family will love me? eita, it’s just not fair that you get to come here and decide everything here is unfit to your liking when you haven’t been around for two thirds of your daughters development.” you stated calmly

semi then got onto his knees and crawled in front of you, propping himself onto your knees.

“bro, get the hell up-“

“y/n l/n, i understand i don’t deserve you but you deserve to be spoiled. you deserve a solid support system, the best of the best food and pampering and to be showered with happiness and care. surprisingly enough, i can provide all of that for you and then some. please think about my baby girl, think about how she would want to know her father-“

“who walked out semi? not me. don’t bring my child into this as a way to guilt trip me into coming to japan. i’ve heard of all the stories- the way they treat foreigners and all- why should i put myself through that for you?”

“it’s not for me but for you y/n, for her. you know i have more money than i know what to do with and i would spend it all on you, for you. i fucked up, 100 percent but allow me to make amends, baby? please?” semi’s eyes were brimming with tears, you honestly never lived to see the day that would happen. to say you weren’t the slightest bit happy would be a lie.

to be frank, the pros outweigh the cons. it’s mostly your pride stopping you from going, however, you do agree that your baby has a right to know her father as well as be taken care of by him. if she likes his music, then she sure hell is going to love him when she pops out. semi is very on brand with his online ‘persona.’

“… fine, only for my daughter. you better act right because one wrong move and i will come right back to (country) in an instant.” semi jumped up with excitement and immediately started hugging you tightly.

“calm down, your gonna squeeze your daughter to death!” you struggled to get out as you slapped his back manically.

“oh im so sorry, im just so excited. i swear im going to treat you so well! i just can’t wait to show you japan! oh you can see tokyo, my favourite restaurant, oh my god you get to meet my friends and you have to meet my therapist! we are gonna do everything together!” semi cuddled up next to you as he laid his hand on your belly, rubbing it comfortingly.

“is it too late to back out now?” you muttered and he nodded his head frantically and giggled.

it was cute seeing how excited he was to take you to japan, you just hoped japan itself carried that same energy for you.

[pandenewie]

17 - Stuco Rizz

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“You’re ignoring me.”

“I’m not ignoring you.”

“That’s exactly what someone who is ignoring me would say.”

Jungwon finds himself once again cornered by Y/n - although this time, in an empty classroom. It’s a common enough occurrence now that Jungwon wasn’t even shocked when he saw Y/n bouncing towards his desk after class had finished.

“You have another class now.” Jungwon points out, looking at the clock to see that class starts in less than 5 minutes. Y/n simply shrugs. “And you don’t?” Jungwon shakes his head at this. “I’ve got a study break, Mr Jung lets me use his room when it’s free.” Jungwon states, attempting to get back to his work. “That’s nice. Why are you ignoring me?”

Jungwon lets out a sigh before looking up at Y/n once more. “I’m not ignoring you.” He says simply. They’re starting to sound like a broken record at this point, just repeating the same thing over and over again.

“Well if you’re not ignoring me then why haven’t we kissed again?” Y/n asks, their abrupt question causing Jungwon to almost choke on the air in his lungs. “I… what?” Jungwon asks, baffled. “You heard me.” Y/n smirks before turning their attention to the book Jungwon is writing in. 

“What’s this?” They ask, picking the book up from the desk to read. “Council work. Nothing that concerns you.” Jungwon replies, attempting to take the book back. Y/n however, is quicker, taking a step back so that the book is out of Jungwon’s reach. “You write a lot.” Y/n says, flicking through the pages of the book. Their eyes light up as they suddenly land on planning for the senior trip - something that is supposed to be top secret.

Jungwon is quick to notice and immediately gets up from his chair. “Okay, no more snooping.” He says, attempting to grab the book back for a second time. Y/n however turns around so their back is facing him, cradling the book tightly against their chest.

The sound of the bell blares through the classroom, signalling that class has officially started. “Come on Y/n, give me my book and go to class.” Jungwon tries to reason, though his pleas fall on deaf ears. “This is more fun though.” Y/n shrugs, that familiar playful glimmer in their eyes causing Jungwon to sigh once more.

“Okay, what do I have to do? Promise to stop ignoring you?” He asks, taking a step towards Y/n. Rather than stepping back, Y/n protectively holds the book behind their back - welcoming Jungwon into their personal bubble. “Hmm… I wonder what you could do? Maybe I asked for something earlier? I don’t know though…” Y/n trails off.

Jungwon racks his brain for a second before he realises… is Y/n asking him to kiss them? Surely not… that’s just his dumb crush on them twisting their words. But… they did ask why they hadn’t kissed since the last time… right?

Y/n breaks Jungwon out of his thoughts with a sigh. “I guess I’ll just miss class then… get another detention.” Jungwon’s eyes widen. He knows it’s a manipulation tactic (although he doesn’t exactly know what for) but whatever it is, it’s working.

Before he knows it, Jungwon is pulling Y/n in by the waist and pressing their lips together in a kiss. He doesn’t bother deepening the kiss, knowing that Y/n certainly won’t go to class if he does. So instead, he settles for pressing multiple longer pecks against Y/n’s lips.

The kiss is stopped as Jungwon feels Y/n push his book into his chest. Once they pull away completely, they poke Jungwon’s cheek affectionately. “If I have to wait a week to do that again, I’m kicking your ass.” Y/n threatens, before going off to class - making sure to blow Jungwon a playful kiss on the way out.

If he wasn't confused before, he certainly is now.

“Again?” Jongseob asks in shock after Jungwon finished recounting his story to the guys. "Why the hell would Y/n kiss you twice?" Niki asks, speaking as if it were the craziest thing in the world. "Did you not listen? I kissed them." Jungwon rolls his eyes. "Yeah, I just don't believe you." Niki shrugs. If Jungwon knows anything, it’s that there’s no use arguing with Niki.

"Whatever, I'm going to the vending machine. You guys coming?" Jungwon asks. "If you're paying." Shota smiles. The other two boys follow their friends as they get up from the table and walk out of the cafeteria.

“Dude, I said $3.50! Do you think I’m made of money?” Jungwon whines, pushing Niki’s hand away from the buttons. “He’s never gonna get you the Doritos bro; stop being difficult.” Jongseob rolls his eyes, having watched this argument happen several times throughout their time as a group. “One day.” Niki mumbles before sulkily picking something else from the machine.

“Y/n, 12 o’clock.” Shota whispers, albeit too late. Before they know it, a pair of arms are wrapped securely around Jungwon’s waist - spinning him around as a head is shoved into his chest. Jungwon looks down confused - immediately recognising the head to be Y/n’s.

“Uh… hi?” Jungwon asks, carefully poking the crown of Y/n’s head in an attempt to get their attention. Y/n appears to mumble something back - although the sound of their voice is muffled by Jungwon’s chest. “Everything okay?” Jungwon tries again, this time getting a bigger reaction from Y/n.

They raise their head slightly, looking up to make eye contact with Jungwon. “I’m good… just hiding.” Y/n shrugs. The way they are ducking makes their height difference more apparent than normal - and the sight causes Jungwon’s heart to flutter.

Jungwon looks to his friends for help - only to find them stifling laughs as they watch the pair in amusement. “Picked a great hiding spot, Y/n.” Niki jokes, getting nothing but a middle finger as a reply. “Who are you even hiding from?” Jongseob asks, earning a sigh from Y/n. “Mr Jeon. He was gonna write me up for not following the dress code.”

Jungwon has to hold himself back from rolling his eyes. “You could always… I don’t know… listen to the dress code?” He suggests. “Or you could… I don’t know… change it?” Y/n replies playfully. This earns another sigh from Jungwon. “Y/n…” He trails off, the volume of his voice dipping slightly as he rests his hands gently on top of Y/n’s arms. The same arms that are still wrapped securely around his waist.

The remaining three boys decide to take this as their cue to leave, thanking Jungwon for the food before walking back towards the cafeteria. Niki makes sure to pull kissy faces as he leaves - quickly getting slapped over the head by Jongseob.

“What’s up with the dress code, hmm? Is it that hard to wear a full-length top and jeans?” Jungwon asks. He knows he’s had this conversation with Y/n before but perhaps with their newfound… closeness… he’ll be able to get through to them this time. Y/n lets out a groan at the question, hiding their face in his chest once again.

“You know it’s not just about the clothes, Wonnie. It’s about expression. Why do I have to change the way I present myself because a bunch of old people find it distracting?” Y/n complains. It makes sense, Jungwon knows that. But he also knows that the world isn’t perfect and that people have to pick their battles.

“So I’m old now?” He jokes, attempting to lighten up the souring mood. His words earn a quiet laugh from Y/n; one that would have gone unnoticed if not for the way their body gently shook in his hold. “I wasn’t talking about you in particular… although it’s nice to know you find me distracting.” Their signature smirk is back and Jungwon can’t help but smile in return.

“You know, I don’t think Mr Jeon is coming this way.” Jungwon points out. They’ve been standing in the corridor for a good 5 minutes now, without one sign of the teacher. “Oh, he wasn’t. I just wanted an excuse to hug you.” Y/n shrugs. This causes Jungwon’s eyebrows to furrow in confusion. “Wait… so he’s not giving you detention?” He asks.

Y/n shakes their head before pulling away from Jungwon’s embrace and grabbing a slip of paper out of their back pocket. “Already got it.” They smile, holding the detention slip out to Jungwon. They almost look proud, like a child showing their parents their report card. Jungwon visibly deflates at the detention slip - their 2nd this week and god knows how many this month.

“You’re upset.” Y/n points out. “I don’t like seeing you get all these detentions. They’ll consider suspending you soon.” Jungwon mumbles. Y/n is clearly unfazed by this, which only adds to the confusion in Jungwon’s mind. “Is that what you want?” Jungwon asks with wide eyes.

Y/n sighs at Jungwon’s words. They feel like they’re being scolded. “I want to be able to dress in a way that is true to me. And if I get suspended for that then… I guess I’m okay with it.” Y/n shrugs. “And what if I’m not?” Jungwon asks, causing Y/n to look up at him confused. 

“I don’t want you getting any more detentions, Y/n. And I certainly don't want you getting expelled.” Jungwon states. By the tone of his voice and the look on his face, Y/n can tell that he is being completely serious. “Look, Won. If this is about your whole ‘every senior will be graduating’ thing… I’m not gonna let it affect my grades or-”

“-This isn’t about that, Y/n. It’s about you.”

The two are silent for a moment as Jungwon takes a second to look around the corridor - checking to see if anyone is eavesdropping on their conversation. Once deciding the coast is clear he lets out a sigh, taking a step towards Y/n.

“You make school… fun. Other than the guys, I don’t have anyone here who sees me as someone other than the stupid council president. You don’t treat me like I’m some genius or some king and… I really like that. I really like you, Y/n.” His voice is hushed, almost like he didn’t even want Y/n to hear him. But they did. Every word. And they can’t help the smile that slowly spreads across their lips as the confession fully sinks in.

“Then date me.”

Jungwon is dreaming. Either that or hallucinating. Because there is no way that Y/n, the Y/n that hates his guts and teases him for being lame, the same Y/n that he has a major crush on, just told him to date them.

“You there, Wonnie?” Y/n asks, poking his dimple to snap him out of his thoughts. Jungwon nods quietly, not trusting his brain to form a coherent response. “You didn’t answer my question.” Y/n pouts. Jungwon gulps at this before muttering out a small “okay”.

“Okay, what?” Y/n teases. They want to hear him say it. And so Jungwon takes a deep breath, coughing slightly to clear his throat before whispering:

“Okay… I’ll date you.”

“You’re fucking with me!” Hikaru screams, the sudden noise causing Bahhiyih to almost swerve lanes. “No sudden yelling! If I crash this car again, Kai’s gonna kill me for real.” She scolds, though her plea falls on deaf ears. “Our Y/nnie’s got a boyfriend!” Hikaru exclaims excitedly, hitting the back of Y/n’s seat for emphasis.

“It’s not a big deal. The relationship isn’t even real.” Y/n rolls their eyes, earning a chorus of boos from the girls. “It’s real to Jungwon.” Eunchae points out. “Don’t mention that, it makes me feel bad.” Bahiyyih shudders. “At least one of us has empathy.” Hikaru jokes, patting Bahiyyih’s shoulder a few times in support.

“I told you, Hiyyih, I’m not gonna break his heart. As soon as he changes the dress code, I’ll go back to my usual self and he’ll dump me.” Y/n attempts to reason. “What if he doesn’t change the dress code?” Eunchae asks curiously. “They get married, duh.” Hikaru says sarcastically. Although none of the girls would be opposed to that outcome.

Y/n hadn’t thought that far ahead honestly. The whole point of dating Jungwon is so that they’ll get special treatment aka he changes the dress code… but what if he doesn’t? Are they really going to potentially break his heart all for nothing?

Y/n pushes that thought down deep into their subconscious - not even wanting to think about upsetting Jungwon. They don’t want to be responsible for anyone’s heartbreak. It has nothing to do with Jungwon in particular.

“It’s gonna work, guys.” Y/n rolls their eyes. The girls have absolutely nothing to worry about. It’s going to work.

TAG LIST (closed): @kang-yeosangs-initials @kpopstanmeg @b1ndignity @soobiverse @dudufodd @mikadorbs @pagesofmiracles @tya0 @ilovewonyo @bringer-ofchaos @huening-ly @ifearjwn @callmeblondie @run2min @straykids-riley (can't tag) @rikimylove @chaechae-23 @lacimolela @n1ght-maring (can't tag) @luvvsjungwonn @yenqa @tzuyusluv @viyqe @vocaloshin @deadgirlwalking3 @flamiricky @hanniesss @grayscorner @wonqr @neozon3nha @beomgyusonlywife @ahnneyong @lani-heart @jayujus @str4wb3rizz @yunwonie

[daemon-in-my-head]

Hey modern AU people from yday, here have a treat (and cuz idk when I start working on it again, so at least it's out there):

"Any luck here?" A man donning a dark vest and an obscenely long coat seated himself beside him at the blackjack table.

"Luck," the other man scoffed, "why bother with something as fickle if you can rely on skill?"

"Oh?" The stranger raised a brow, "you sound quite confident. You wouldn't mind me joining in on the fun then?"

"Be my guest-" a wicked grin crowned the man's lips in response mere seconds before the stranger threw one of the elaborately crafted yellow chips on the table.

While an uncommon sight in most other dens, in this particular establishment, one might still consider the stranger's bet to be on the lower end. Peccatum capitale - one of the most infamous gambling halls within this rotten city and a place where all sorts of colourful creatures gathered to wager unholy sums, amongst other things. In other words, it was the prime spot for those who sought to network within the twisted underworld this region had to offer. Which just so happened to be the exact same reason the man known as Enver Gortash had found his way inside this unsavoury, decadent place.

"Your bet?" The dealer looked up to Gortash, interrupting whatever thoughts he was getting lost in. The man's face had been relatively blank, devoid of any strong emotions, yet a hint of anticipation remained in his eyes as the house continued to shuffle his cards.

Facing the stranger with one of the most devious, haughty smirks one could imagine, he threw one of the chips towards the middle of the table himself. The golden engravings of another yellow chip gleamed in the dim light. "Small bets as a warm-up, I assume?"

He taunted the stranger, or at least attempted to—one of his usual tactics that had yet to fail him.

Seemingly unfazed by his challenges however, the stranger cooed, "solely to prolong the fun, wouldn't want to leave you ruined so soon."

"Certainly, let us thoroughly enjoy this then." A curt, uncomplicated response, much unlike the storm brewing within.

Gortash couldn't tell what exactly, but something about that man seemed to catch his interest, making him long to eradicate the awfully sweet smile looking back at him. And since he needed to wait for his contact anyway, he might as well play wholeheartedly with the little mouse that so graciously offered up itself for a while.

"Gentlemen-" the dealer addressed the two men to garner their attention before beginning his handy work, slipping a card to everyone at the table.

The depiction of a dame soon stared back at the man trying to hide his confidence, a good start, no matter how you turned or twisted it, Gortash thought. His playmate, on the other hand, didn't seem as lucky, seeing how three crimson hearts lay on the velvet in front of him. But before anyone could boast or lament whatever fortune may have befallen them, the representation of the house distributed one more card to each participant, only hiding what the dealer himself had drawn.

"Stand," Gortash said as he turned towards his companion, not even bothering to grace his cards with more than a single glance. Gortash knew his dame and 8 of diamonds would be tough to beat, Seeing how the game hadn't ended yet.

The other man, however, simply scratched the table in a motion towards himself, causing the dealer to slide yet another card towards him. A four of spades revealed itself before the expectant onlookers, his companion had truly drawn a horrible lot the man thought as delight flickered over his face.

The joy of seeing someone lose their precious belongings wasn't lost on him.

[the-evil-lovable-simp]

Big Jack Horner x reader

Part 1

Tw: possibly bad for some audiences maybe

You're sat on a log in an enchanted forest, getting away from all the chaos in the town, Puss doesn't mind, he likes all the attention anyway. You inwardly cried you hated all the attention you got from your stupid fairytale, you wish you were a nursery rhyme or even better, neither. Your fairytale was a creepy one, not horror, just twisted and sad, you had gained the sympathy of death himself, that and the fact he can't kill you. You looked at your hands, stitches, not lots, but noticeable. you sighed, wondering when you'll get new ones. You were taken out of your thoughts when you got hit in the back of the head, this caused your right eye to pop out of its socket.

"Aawwughh..." you groaned sadly, leaning forward and grabbing it, plopping it back in. You look to the side to discover a bowling ball had hit you. You hear someone approaching, this scared you since a lot of people like to see if your abilities are true, you got up to see who is quickly getting closer. When you did, you made eye contact with a huge man, in almost all purple, with a pink bob, and he was on the heavier side. He grimaced at the stitches but then looked as if he was thinking. He went to grab the bowling ball like it weighed nothing, putting it in his weird handbag.

He looked at you with mischievous child-like glee.

"Say, are you magic?" He asked waiting for an answer as he watched you lower your head in sorrow.

"I guess you could call it that..." You answered sorrowfully, hoping that was the end of the conversation. He chuckled darkly.

"Great!" Grabbing your waist, as he did so, you felt something pop, it might have been one of your organs again.

"Mhm, not even fighting against it? Pathetic,". He scoffed acting like you weren't a person and just a mere object, I mean, you didn't really feel like a person most of the time, more like a living doll. But what happened next you certainly didn't expect, he opened up his bag and shoved you inside.

You fell through the darkness, watching different objects fly by you, hey this is like that little girl you know, Alice. Oh, you imagined how nice it would be to have that story instead of your own. You then realised that you had stopped floating and there was peace and quiet, no one to look at you funny or even just thinking you looked cool, just you, your thoughts and random floating objects. Closing your eyes and drifting off trying to ignore existence. That's when something gently tapped your face, you opened your eyes to a jar with what you thought was a bug inside. You felt bad, so you softly grabbed the jar and lightly pulled on the cork to set it free. You watched it fly out and glow, satisfied, you closed your eyes again trying to finally sleep.

"Excuse me, do you know where we are?" someone asked, without opening your eyes again you nonchalantly answered.

"In some guy's magic bag,"

"Oh......Well, while we're here how about we get acquainted," your eyes snapped open finally wondering who was speaking, only to see the bug.

"What would be the point?" you said leaning back, making yourself slightly float away from the little bug.

"It's healthy to talk to people, especially in stressful situations," he answered as he flew up to you and landing on your shoulder.

"This isn't stressful though," you sighed opening your eyes.

"Oh and why's that?" he asked quietly.

"It gives me a chance to know what death might be like," you said looking at the tiny bug on your shoulder.

"Oh..." the bug states, shocked. That's when the bug notices the stitches all over your arms.

"Let's talk about something else, like maybe your childhood," the bug encouraged, although you really didn't want to talk about that.

Your eyes became lifeless as they started to leak.

"What's wrong?" the bug asked worried. You turned your head to him.

"Thinking about my childhood," you said simply, although the bug looked as though it was a puzzle.

"Listen..." the bug stayed silent, "I, can't die...".

"I can't count how many times, I 'should' have died..." You turn to the bug, making eye contact, his antennas are lowered. You floated there together until the silence was broken, you coughed, your body reminding you one of your organs had popped. You closed your eyes to rest and the bug didn't stop you this time.

——————

Ta da!!!!! Hopefully bits didn't go missing while pasting it on here 🤪

[smallraindrops-blog]

Phobetor being the largest in the family a n d being a copy and paste of Y/N got me fucked up.

Imagine like, Theseus, seeing who he thinks is Y/N in the distance and marching up to demand a battle since his Father keeps rejecting him. However, the closer the he get the bigger Y/N gets, yes he tall but not that tall, and he's never seen Y/N in so much black, and oh god, that's not Y/N. That's his spooky ass son Phobetor staring straight at him.

Theseus probably complained to Zagreaus during their next battle about how the Nightmare Fiend tricked him and how he plans on getting back at the Godling for scaring him. (Phobetor is confused as to why Theseus wants to fight, lasttime he was in Elysium, he was visiting his grandfathers.)

Omg anon, ‘spooky ass son’ got me rolling on the floor. 😂 😂 Unfortunately for Phobetor, this kinda thing happens to him a lot. I hc that he and Odysseus meet at some point and it went like this:

Odysseus (visibly pale but trying to keep his cool): good gods, I thought Y/N got bigger. My lad, what the hell did your parents feed you?

Phobetor: …Food?

Odysseus: yeah that would do it, huh?

Here u go have a fun little short. I hope you guys like teenage Phobetor. I place him at the mental age of 16/17 here.

~

Elysium was beautiful as always, the fields were quiet and peaceful with the gentle rustle of grass. The river lethe drifted on, the mist trailing over the rocks. It was one of Phobetor’s favorite places.

if he was a mere shade, he certainly wouldn’t mind settling in here. 

He shifted the box of goods in his arms, all gifts for his grandparents. Dad had given it to Phobetor before shooing him out of the home, lecturing how he needed to visit his grandparents more.

With a grimace, Phobetor did have to admit it had been a while. His duties had increased and time had slipped away from him. 

Maybe he should offer to treat them to lunch, he mused as he went down the beaten path. Phobetor won’t be able to join since every time he had gone to the marketplace he caused a panic merely by walking in. 

He winced at the memory of making a sweet old lady pass out when he picked up her dropped bag of food for her. He still felt bad about that one even though his family had assured him it wasn’t his fault.

It was so faint he wasn’t sure if he actually heard anything, then it came again. it was his father’s name and Phobetor sighed when he realized what was happening. He twisted around, spying a blonde shade in the far distance. 

The man was very loud, his voice carrying over Elysium.

Whoever this was, he was not the first nor would he be the last to mistake Phobetor for his Father. There had been an unpleasant run in with Lord Ares when the new war began.  

“ -you coward!” The shade called out, getting Phobetor’s attention once more, lifting his beefy arms as he gestured wildly, still ranting. Phobetor kept his eyes locked on the man as he vanished the box away. It wouldn’t do for the gifts to get damaged.

Lost valor, impotent, heights.

The sensations, the weight of the shade’s fear bloomed on his tongue like fine wine. None of the fears were unusual but his mouth watered at the taste anyway. Darkness shifted around his chest, little sharp claws digging into his stomach, pleading for a meal. 

Phobetor ignored it. This wasn’t the time or place.

“You own another battle and as the champion of Elysium-“

Champion?

It clicked suddenly. This must be Theseus.

Phobetor glanced past Theseus, hoping for a glimpse of the infamous Minotaur that haunted countless mortals’ dreams and huffed when he realized it just was the shade.

Theseus stopped, staring at Phobetor with narrowed eyes. Phobetor met Theseus’ stare, keeping his own expression polite. Then Theseus’ blue eyes widened. He didn’t move nor did Phobetor for a long moment.

Phobetor decided he had no choice but to meet Theseus part way, anything else would be rude of him. He vanished for a moment then reappeared right in front of the Champion of Elysium, looming over him.

Before he could greet the shade, Theseus stumbled back, his skin gone a pale gray. Without missing a beat, the shade promptly turned around and took off.

“Ah.” Phobetor realized that he might have gotten too close to the shade. Personal bubbles and all that. Phobetor watched in mild amusement for a moment then cupped a hand around his mouth.

”I shall inform my father you wish to battle him, Great Champion of Elysium,” His voice echoed ominously over the landscape. A few nearby pink butterflies froze in the air before dropping dead, vanishing in a burst of pale light.

“Oops.” Phobetor muttered with a guilty glance toward the burnt grass, summoning the box once more. He resumed his walk, humming Morpheus’ newest song to himself.

He hoped Grandpa and Grandfather had some treats for him. Maybe some hard honey.

~~

“Looks like his highness found us.” Father commented, holding up his hand as a sign to pause their fight. Phobetor rocked on his feet, watching as the prince of the underworld ran up toward them.

Out of all of his uncles and aunts, Zagreus was Phobetor’s favorite. 

He never seemed to mind him or the fear and panic he caused. One time, when the family was staying at the House of Hades and he was very small, Uncle Zagreus had taken him on an escape run.

Although Zagreus did get chewed out by Phobetor’s parents afterward when Zagreus died and left Phobetor alone. 

Uncle Zagreus was grinning when he made it over, his sword on his shoulder. “You should be aware that Theseus got his eye on you.”

”Me?” Phobetor blinked, pointing at himself. Father lifted an eyebrow, quietly waiting for Zagreus to explain.

”Yup. He kept calling you The Nightmare Fiend and blaming me for some reason.” Zagreus laughed, slapping Phobetor on his back. “Good job!”

”Why me? I was just visiting Grandpa and Grandfather.” Phobetor glanced at his Father who merely shrugged.

”Who knows with that fool.” Father grumbled. “Just ignored him. That's what your Grandfather and I do.”

”Or you could fight him, I would pay good money for that. Tell the others I said ‘hi’. ” Zagreus said before he took off.

Phobetor mused over it, thinking about how Theseus had run for his life during their first meeting and decided it would be unkind to scare the poor thing like that again. 

[pixelgrotto]

Dogmatic Dungeon Master

The last four weeks of my gaming time were consumed by Dragon's Dogma 2, an extravagana that's something like experiencing a wild D&D campaign that keeps going off the rails over and over again. (I'm pretty sure Capcom would be pleased with this comparison, seeing that they released promo art heavily based on AD&D's classic Red Box.)

DD2 has been a delight to devote 100+ hours to, and I find myself wishing I'd bought its predecessor ages ago, especially during those Steam sales where it sold for ridiculous prices like three or four dollars. I never did because I thought it looked sort of generic. Joke's on me! To be fair, this second one could also be described as looking generic upon first glance (though Capcom's RE Engine is certainly proving that it's got legs since Resident Evil 7), but I feel like that was an intentional decision. The goal here was clearly to create something with the trappings of the iconic Western fantasy setting (plus the inclusion of cat people, AKA Beastren) to draw players in and get 'em comfortable before presenting them with one of the most wacky open worlds in recent memory.

How's it wacky? Well, DD2 has a billion different systems under the hood, all colliding with each other. There are the systems that dictate the schedules of NPCs, who you can find wandering roads and getting into fights with enemies. Said enemies have their own systems, and on more than one occasion when I was fighting one of the game's huge bosses (drakes, golems, minotaurs, ogres and the like), that fight spilled over into the territory of another boss, who proceeded to attack both me and the first boss. A kaiju rumble ensued as the systems of both bosses collided with each other, and sometimes this rumble veered too close to the borders of a settlement, attracting the attention of pawns, which are basically the sidekicks assisting the game's main character, the Arisen.

If you're playing online, pawns created by other players can randomly appear in your game, and there were many special moments when I ran into a bizarrely off-proportion thief with the incredible name "Frog Nasty" and a half-naked mage dubbed "Lucy Liu." On one such occasion, Frog and Lucy joined my ever-evolving kaiju battle, and the incredible chaos continued until a griffin just happened to swoop down from the sky to snatch me up in its arms. As I went in the sky, I proceeded to climb atop that griffin’s head and smacked it silly with my mace until it dropped me into the ocean where I was devoured by Brine, AKA DD2’s in-world explanation for why you can’t just swim everywhere.

My description of this incident is no exaggeration. Unscripted mischief of this ilk happens every five minutes in this game, and it's the result of all those systems smashing into each other with delicious gusto. That said, not all of the systems work as well as they should, and some are half-baked. For instance, there's a romance/affinity system that's a carryover from the first Dragon's Dogma. The affinity levels of characters are never truly explained, and you can unexpectedly cause random people to fall in love with you by giving them the right gifts again and again, or completing their sidequests at the expense of others. This means that the Vernworth tavern keeper, who plays no important role at all, can suddenly show up in the final cutscene as your true heart's desire, in the clutches of your mortal enemy. I guess even when DD2's systems are half-baked, they still yield entertaining results.

As someone who runs a lot of tabletop RPGs (but often doesn't get the chance to act as a player), Dragon's Dogma 2 truly reminds me of a dedicated Game Master who doesn't mind when players test limits. This is a GM who clearly loves madcap battles full of unexpected twists that can take up an entire gaming session, as well as expansive side quests with more flavor than anything else in the campaign. The main story is not said Game Master's preference, which serves as a handy explanation on why you can find many Reddit threads decrying DD2's plot as kinda blah.

I get these complaints. The game's main missions are not terribly long - 40 or so hours, probably - and the clear meat of DD2 is in the exploration and combat. This isn't to say that the story's total rubbish, as it does have poignant moments in its cyclical, meta take on an Arisen who rises up every couple of years to complete a destiny of fighting the titular dragon. There's a secret endgame that also delves even farther into the tabletop RPG comparisons, giving you the chance to "defy the Dungeon Master," if you will, sending the campaign even further off the rails as you potentially see what happens when the GM just has no shits left to give and decides to turn the world into an apocalypse.

All of this makes DD2 probably one of my favorite open world games. I've been thinking a lot about what sort of open worlds attract me, since I'm a firm believer that more often than not, video games don't need to go all massive. (Give me a small-scale, well-developed area over a massive map filled with junky quest markers.) That said, I've noticed that I like open worlds that buck the Ubisoft-style trend of having busywork for really good writing (The Witcher 3 comes to mind) or simply invest in their mechanics to the point that everything fills up like a wonderful sandbox, with lots of bits and bobs to play with (that would be The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild).

Dragon's Dogma 2 is definitely more on the kooky sandbox side of things, with its oversized monsters at every turn and wonderous pawn shenanigans. The true appeal of this game, however, lies in the little stories that you create with your main pawn and other pawns along the trail. There's something special in the relationship you forge with these AI allies, who aren't real in the slightest, but bring forth that feeling of being a Game Master yourself as you corral them into taking down a drake. I was downright emotional when I said farewell to my main pawn at the end of the game (okay, the fact that I designed her to look like my wife probably helped, but still).

So here's to Dragon's Dogma 2, a wild piece of entertainment commandeered by a Game Master who clearly loves the journey more than the destination. Here's to those moments when you and your loyal pawns are facing down an ogre in its lair, or just barely survive a golem's laser beam after a series of hobgoblins stunlocked you into low health over and over again. Here's to sitting by a campfire, enjoying an unpredictable open world, and realizing the grand truth that comes with all tabletop RPGs - that the unscripted moments truly are the best part of the adventure.

[bohemian-nights]

You want to self-insert to Netty so badly you want to put a brown teen girl to be groomed and be placed in between an ongoing marital dispute. It's disgusting how you talk about her. You want her to "save" some evil man from evil "dumbnyra" liek your misogyny is so transparent. You sound like every delusional 'i can fix him' stan. You hate this character so much you weaponize another woman for it. If you don't see the racial and social undertones in the way daemon grooms her (e.g. teaching her about hygiene and manners) there is something wrong with you for you to want this pairing. Some of us netty enjoyers like her because she's an underdog claiming a wild dragon. We don't want to see her as a prop to some man's "redemption" like you so want here.

One, you won’t even acknowledge that Netty is Black. Why am I going to take your claims of misogyny seriously when you and yours perpetuate Black erasure and misogynoir?

Two, Nettles is an adult by Westeros standards.

Three, I have stated numerous times I don’t believe someone who could tame a wild dragon didn’t know how to bathe herself(and if you believe she could not bathe herself yet she could claim Sheepstealer that’s a reflection on your perception of a character like Netty. You can drop the I’m a fan of Netty act).

Nettles was a homeless young woman. She didn’t have access to bathing facilities, but she definitely knew how soap and water worked 🙃Daemon more than likely taught her etiquette for court life and he gifted her things that she didn’t have because again she was freaking homeless 🤦🏽‍♀️ He did what he did because he loved her and wanted to make sure that she’d be able to navigate in her new life. Not because he was grooming her.

Daemon isn’t a good person. He’s selfish and he commits some of the most heinous acts during the Dance. However, he isn’t a total monster. He has his moments and Netty is one of them.

If he had actually groomed her and didn’t genuinely love her he would've let Rhaenyra’s orders be carried out(or he would’ve gone back “home”) because she had become an inconvenience.

Four, Netty more than likely will be aged up on the show. So since you won’t be able to say but but 17 isn’t legal in our world, you guys will need to come up with a better excuse not to ship Dettles than “OMG you want her to be groomed.”

Five, do I have to quote myself again🙃 You want to talk about racial undertones yet you won’t acknowledge that the one who abused/tried to abuse Nettles was Rhaenyra. She’s the one who tries to commit a racially motivated hate crime after saying her husband can sleep around(see Mysaria whose white in the books), but just not with Black women and he most certainly can’t fall in love with them. I don’t have to make Rhaenyra into a villain. She is one when it comes to Netty 🤷🏽‍♀️

White women can be just as harmful to Black women as men(Rhaenyra shows that). The sisterhood often doesn't extend to us so miss me with the misogyny crap when there is a white woman calling a Black woman a “low creature” and trying to murder a her(when she’s possibly pregnant) in her sleep all over sleeping with her husband who she has an open relationship with.

So let’s not get it twisted, I’m not weaponizing my fave to attack yours. I’m pointing out the wrongdoings of your fave to mine. Wrongdoings which you ignore because pointing out even a fictional white woman’s racism makes you uncomfortable.

Lastly, I care about Nettles as a whole. I’m constantly talking about her, creating gifs and moodboards for her, and speculating on her casting(which is a whole other fiasco), but you people always zero in on me shipping her with her Daemon (which is canon, but you people want to ignore it cause it makes your self-insert look like she’s not the end all be all).

Nettles story is more than just her relationship with Daemon(and I don’t think she “fixes him,” he comes to realize a lot of stuff himself of what is and isn’t important during the Dance), but he’s very much a part of that story, and as I’ve said before, showing Black women in romantic relationships in media is important.

We don’t need any more strong independent Black women who don’t need a man stereotypes perpetuated. So if you want to ignore that to try and make their relationship abusive(when it isn’t), or make her into a sexless Mammy who only lives to serve Rhaenyra because that’s the position you are comfortable with Black women being in, that’s a you and your inherent biases issue.

You guys refuse to acknowledge the importance of her relationship with Daemon because you don’t and never will identify with or self-insert into Black characters. You’re never forced to see Black character's humanity. You just see them as accessories to your actual self-inserts and since Nettles isn’t a stereotype(she’s objectively one of the more interesting characters in the Dance and she's the girl getting rescued) you want to make her into one.

Don’t get mad at me for recognizing and calling out you people on your crap. Do better.

[moodymelanist]

Where The Light Won't Find You Chapter Seven

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I wanted to try and wait to post until Wednesday, but this chapter was so exciting I wanted to post now hehe. Hope you all enjoy xoxo

Read on AO3 here!

✵✵✵✵✵✵

Nesta

Having Elain by her side again was easily one of the best decisions Nesta had ever made. It had only been a week since they'd been reunited, but things had been running more smoothly than even Nesta could have anticipated. Not only was Elain a calming presence in the Hewn City, with her pretty dresses and easy smiles, but she’d been practicing her own magic as of late. She’d gotten much better at controlling her visions, even if she didn’t always understand them, and was more than willing to share the interesting ones with Nesta. 

“Did you See anything of note today?” Nesta asked once they’d sat down for breakfast. They were eating in one of the rooms closer to the top of the mountain today, both of them vastly preferring being as close to natural light as possible. 

“I’ll tell you about it later,” Elain answered vaguely, smoothing down the fabric of her dress before reaching for a pastry. She had on a pretty green number today, complementing the much darker shade of Nesta’s own gown, and half of her hair was pinned back from her face using what must have been new pins. Elain had been getting little gifts from the servants for days now, and she made a point to show her appreciation as often as she could. “Besides, we’ll have our own guest soon.”

Considering her sister was wearing the pearl earrings that Lucien had gifted her last Solstice, Nesta wasn’t particularly surprised when the spirits whispered that he’d entered the Hewn City. When he strode into the room a few minutes later, she looked up to greet him. “Hello, Lucien.”

“Your Grace,” he replied, inclining his head toward Nesta. His eyes fell on Elain and he paused, clearly unsure of how to greet her for a few moments, but he continued onward nonetheless. “My lady.”

“My lord,” Elain responded with a smile. “Please, sit with us. You must be starving.”

Lucien only hesitated for a moment before pulling up a chair and sitting between them. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

“If you were, we wouldn’t have told you to sit,” Nesta told him with a roll of her eyes. She turned and faced Elain next, cocking an eyebrow as she said, “At least now I know why there’s so much extra food.”

Elain went a little pink, but they were all too busy piling food onto their plates for Nesta to call her out on it. Once they’d all gotten something in their stomachs, Nesta turned her attention to Lucien. He looked handsome as always, wearing an all-black ensemble threaded with green that made his red hair even more striking than usual, but he was so busy sneaking glances at her sister that he didn’t even notice Nesta looking him over. 

“Did you get that book I asked you about?” Nesta asked, thoroughly enjoying the way he had to force his attention back to her. She supposed he and Elain had never had time to themselves before all this — and she was partly to blame for that, she knew — but that only made it more fun to witness it now. 

“I did,” Lucien answered. He twisted his hand through the air and her book appeared in a flash of golden light. “It certainly caused a lot of fuss, so I hope it was worth it.”

“Fuss how?” Nesta followed up. She took the book from him without comment, copying his gesture to perform the same trick he’d just done but in reverse. “Did anyone try to hurt you?”

“Gods, no,” he responded with a snort. “I mean, I saw Cassian, but I left before anything really happened.”

“They all thought you took me from Velaris,” Elain chimed in, playfully rolling her eyes before her expression turned serious. “I’m sorry for putting you in the middle of that.”

“It’s alright,” he replied softly. “I didn’t mind.”

Nesta allowed them a few moments of charged silence before she cleared her throat. “Have you made up your mind yet, Lucien?”

“My answer is yes,” he told her, managing to tear his eyes away from Elain long enough to focus on Nesta. “I’d been thinking about leaving for a while, but… that gave me the push I needed.”

“Good,” Nesta replied, pleased. She’d have to write Eris to update him on the good news, and more importantly, gather Lucien’s thoughts on a number of things going on at court. “I’m happy to have you on our side.”

“As am I,” Elain chimed in with a pretty smile. 

Lucien’s cheeks flushed slightly, but he managed to continue the conversation without giving in to being flustered. “Should I just pick a room in the mountain then, or…?”

“Mhmm…” Elain trailed off. Her eyes went a little vacant as she tapped into her powers right in front of them. “Not here. I think it’s high time for a proper upgrade.”

“Are you going to tell me what that means, or are we supposed to just follow your lead?” Nesta asked, teasing. 

“You’d follow me anyway,” Elain teased right back. “But I won’t make you guess. It’s time we take up residence in the moonstone palace.”

“Rhys did give it to Keir,” Lucien informed them. “There’s a strong argument it’s now yours.”

“Do you think it would anger anyone if we moved up there?” Nesta asked, biting her lip. She’d gotten used to sleeping in her cavernous bedroom, but she wouldn’t lie — it would be nice to sleep in a palace where she could go outside freely. “Anyone at court, that is. I don’t care what Rhysand and the rest have to say about it.”

“As long as you keep spending the majority of your days in the Hewn City, I don’t see why anyone would be too bothered about where you lay your head at night,” Lucien answered with a shrug. “Besides, I’m sure there’s some way to go back and forth without too much fuss. If not, we can always create one.”

Nesta nodded, taking it all in. “You’ll help with checking the wards?” 

“Of course,” Lucien agreed. “I’ll be sleeping there too. Believe me, I don’t want to wake up to unwanted guests any more than you do.”

“Then it’s settled,” Elain decided. She turned back to Nesta as she speared an apple slice on her fork. “We’ll claim the palace tonight after all your meetings for the day?”

“That’s fine with me,” Nesta replied with a smile. She liked seeing this more assertive side of Elain, and based on the way Lucien could hardly take his eyes off her, he did too. “I’ll find you when I’m done for the day.”

✵✵✵✵✵✵

True to her word, Nesta found Elain in the study the moment she was done meeting with some of the Hewn City’s merchants. They’d been annoyed with some of Keir’s old policies on trading with outside courts, but the issue had been quickly resolved with Lucien’s expertise. 

Elain was lounging across one of the couches, reading what looked like an old tome about Day Court magic.  She must have picked it up during her brief trip to Helion’s court, but Nesta didn’t know why it would interest her. Elain was crafty enough to have her own reasons, though, and they’d both had enough choices taken away from them that Nesta wouldn’t begrudge her this. 

“Are you ready?” Nesta asked, keeping her voice soft so she wouldn’t startle her sister.

“As ever,” Elain replied sweetly. She marked her place in the book and used the same trick Lucien had performed earlier, her magic glowing nearly the same pale green as her dress as the book vanished. “Is Lucien winnowing us?”

“Yes, since I haven’t been before,” Nesta answered. She waited for Elain to stand up so they could start walking toward where Lucien was likely already waiting for them. “You should have him teach you how to winnow. You never know when you might need it.”

“I don’t have to make up reasons to spend time with him,” Elain responded, rolling her eyes. “If I wanted to see him, I’d just ask.”

Nesta just poked her sister in the side. “I never said you did. I’m just saying it’s a useful skill to have, and it would make me feel better if you knew how.” 

“Fine,” Elain promised with a put-upon sigh. “I’ll ask him, but only if you get to work on your magic too.”

“What do you think I’ve been doing all this time?” Nesta asked dryly, motioning to the spirits silently accompanying them. 

“I mean proper training, Nesta,” Elain replied with a knowing look. “There are things those books of yours won’t be able to teach you. Things you really should have guidance on before you just… try them.”

“Fine,” Nesta agreed, rolling her eyes. She knew Elain was just trying to be helpful, and even she could admit there was too much to learn on her own. Raw power could only get her so far, after all. “I’ll examine my options.”

“Wonderful.” As they rounded the corner, Elain flashed a smile at Nesta before turning the full force of it on Lucien. “Ready?”

“Ready,” Lucien confirmed, shaking off his slightly dazed expression. He offered both his arms to them, and Nesta latched onto Lucien’s right elbow while Elain gently threaded her arm through his left one. “I don’t know if the dead can winnow, so you might want to leave them behind.”

Nesta used her free hand to send the ghostly guards away for now, barely even registering the rush of magic through her veins. “I’ll summon them again if we need them.”

“Alright,” Lucien answered slowly. “Well, let’s not waste any more time.”

Nesta let herself be yanked into nothing for a few moments before reappearing outside the familiar palace. After being inside the Hewn City for so long, it felt strange to be out in so much open air, though seeing the sun without barriers was certainly a nice change of pace. The moonstone palace glittered before them in all its glory, rising high above the gray mountains it was situated on top of, but even from outside Nesta could tell it was empty. 

“The wards might grant us access, but we’ll have to try and find out,” Lucien eventually said. His metal eye was whirring and clicking as he studied them, and Nesta watched it move, completely fascinated. She’d never seen anything like it, and she’d had such few chances to see it in action.

“Even though Keir is dead?” Nesta asked, shivering as a cold wind whipped right through the fabric of her dress. It was freezing up here, and they weren’t inside the wards that kept the palace warm. It was one of the few times in recent memory she found herself annoyed her flames didn’t burn hot, but not as annoyed as she was with herself for forgetting to bring one of the thick traveling cloaks hanging in her new wardrobe.

“The magic doesn’t flow the way you’re thinking,” Lucien explained. “There’s no power tied to the ruler of the Hewn City, at least not in the way High Lords are tied to their Courts, so there’s no telling if the wards will recognize your claim to the throne. We might have to force our way through the wards and change them from the inside.”

“I understand how the magic flows, Lucien,” Nesta countered with a roll of her eyes. “I was there when Keir died. I was just wondering if the wards would still be functional when they’re not tied to any specific person.”

“My apologies,” Lucien said. “They’re still functional. Rhys likely altered the wards to allow Keir access, but they’re still keyed to him.” 

“We’ll have to be quick,” Elain added suddenly, her eyes far away. “Their plans have changed.”

“Isn’t that just perfect,” Lucien muttered under his breath. He finally sighed and turned away from the palace to face Nesta. “I think I can unravel the wards in a few key places, help weaken them, but you’ll have to help me.”

“Whatever you need,” Nesta immediately agreed. Anything to get her out of this miserable weather sooner. 

Lucien took a few moments to conjure up a little fire to keep Nesta and Elain warm, the flames magically confined so no one would get burned. “Come closer.”

“Alright.” Nesta took a moment to warm herself before coming to stand next to Lucien. “What now?”

“When I say, you need to aim a blast right for the doors,” Lucien replied. “You’re going to have to hit it a few times, so don’t use all your magic up at once.”

“Okay,” Nesta agreed. She let her ironclad grip on her magic go slightly, just enough for her silver flames to come when she called. “And then?”

“And then we go inside,” Lucien answered with a shrug. “I don’t know what kinds of traps Rhys put up, so we should be prepared for anything.”

“I can do that,” Nesta said with a shrug of her own. She took a deep breath before reaching beneath the earth, searching for nearby spirits to help with their mission. She didn’t have to look particularly hard before they answered her call.

Lucien swore at the sheer number of spirits suddenly surrounding them, looking every bit like he wanted to take several steps back. “Mother help me. Can you… talk to them?”

“Yes,” Nesta answered. She couldn’t blame him for his reaction; the dead were eerie, especially if you couldn’t communicate with them like her. “What would you like me to ask them?”

“If they know anything about what’s inside,” Lucien told her. 

“Tell me what you know,” Nesta demanded of the nearest ghost.

There was an explosion of chatter, so chaotic that Nesta knew from the first few moments that none of them truly knew anything. They were all rushing to speak over one another, but even when she managed to sort through all the noise it was clear that none of them had been privy to the High Lord’s magical choices – neither Rhysand nor any of his predecessors. “Nothing helpful.”

“Fine,” Lucien said with a sigh. He raised his hands, his fingertips shining with gold as he started probing the wards for weak spots. “Let’s just do it, then. On my mark.”

Nesta waited with bated breath for Lucien’s permission, letting her power stir through her veins until he told her to strike. She held out her palms and aimed for the gleaming doors, the majority of her magic slamming against an invisible barrier while a small amount managed to actually penetrate. 

“Good,” Lucien complimented. “Ready to go again?”

“Yes,” Nesta answered, only the slightest bit out of breath. She’d gotten so used to using magic in her everyday life that expending a large blast like that didn’t completely deplete her energy anymore. “In the same spot?”

“No, go there,” Lucien instructed. He did a complicated motion with his hands and the air glimmered right where he wanted Nesta to aim, a little to the right from her first strike. “Now!”

Nesta aimed and fired before she could second-guess herself, immensely satisfied when most of her magic made it through to slam against the doors. The entire mountain seemed to shake for a few harrowing moments before settling, and she exchanged a wary glance with Elain before turning back to the task at hand. “Again?”

“One more should do it,” Lucien confirmed. “On my mark again.”

This time when Nesta hit her target, there was a sound like glass shattering as she finally broke through the wards completely. She commanded the spirits forward and they surged inside the palace, eagerly seeking out whatever lurked inside. 

“Amazing,” Elain murmured, making Nesta blush. “Let’s go inside. I’m freezing.”

Lucien extinguished the tiny fire at their feet before taking the lead, wreathing his palms in his autumn flames as they slowly made their way inside the palace. Nesta did the same, her hands burning cold with her silver flames, while Elain brought up the rear. Their steps echoed off the high, domed ceilings, and the fae lights glittered to life as they slowly made their way further inside. 

It was obvious that they were the only ones inside the palace — maybe even the first to come inside it for years. Although the palace was likely enchanted to remain clean, the air felt too still, like it had been too long since anyone had come inside. Nesta couldn’t smell any freshly-made scents, but just to be sure, she reached for more of her magic to sense if anything felt alive nearby. 

“There’s no one here but us,” Nesta whispered, feeling the urge to remain quiet even though she knew they were alone. “What do we do now?”

Lucien’s golden eye whirred as he looked around the palace, taking a few moments to check for any unfortunate surprises before he responded. “I suppose whatever we like. It’s ours now.”

✵✵✵✵✵✵

It didn’t take long to stake their claim on the moonstone palace. Lucien played around with the wards some more, keying them to Nesta’s blood as fast as he could before someone from Velaris showed up, while Elain did the sensible thing and actually locked the doors behind them. 

“I’ll show you how to do this yourself later, if you like,” Lucien promised once they were done. “It’s a useful skill to have.”

“I would,” Nesta agreed. “Elain, too, when you get the chance.”

They spent the rest of the day exploring the palace. Nesta had never been inside the giant structure, and she couldn’t believe Keir hadn’t taken advantage of such a lovely place. The moonstone shone even more beautifully after sunset, and the palace was clearly spelled to keep its inhabitants warm despite all the large, open windows. She didn’t have much interest in taking Rhysand’s family jewels — nor did she want to sleep in what was clearly his room — so she contented herself with choosing a room at the top of one of the domed spires on the opposite end of the palace. 

Beautiful patterns were carved right into the ceiling, and the large windows were covered with a similarly patterned lattice. There was an enormous bed pushed against the center of the wall complete with the largest canopy she’d ever seen, and she had her own private bathroom, closet, and sitting area. The view this high up was lovely, all snow-capped peaks and vast expanses of sky, and she let herself 

It might not have been the biggest room in the palace, but it was perfect for Nesta. 

After taking a much-needed bath, Nesta plaited her hair back from her face, rummaged around in the wardrobe for acceptable loungewear, and eventually found her way to the dining room. Lucien and Elain seemed to have a similar idea and were already waiting for her, the two of them chatting quietly before she came to join them. 

“I’m starving,” Nesta announced, unceremoniously plopping into the closest chair. “What is there to eat?”

“You do know the palace is enchanted to you now,” Lucien replied dryly. He’d taken off his black coat to reveal a white tunic underneath, and he’d rolled up his sleeves to reveal his golden-brown forearms. “Summon us up something, my lady.”

“Fine,” Nesta responded with a huff. She conjured up a steaming hot platter of rice, fish, and a vast assortment of vegetables. “Happy?”

“Thrilled,” Elain told her with a little smile. The ends of her hair were still damp from her bath, and she’d changed into a similar outfit as Nesta. “Thank you, Nesta.”

They fell into silence as they ate, Nesta feeling much better after her gnawing hunger was finally sated. “Have either of you explored the palace much?”

“The libraries here are beautiful,” Elain answered, her brown eyes twinkling with excitement. “And the courtyards here are stunning. I’m not sure what will grow this high up, but I’m sure my magic can help.”

“We can focus on the logistics of moving the servants and staff here tomorrow,” Lucien added. “Their quarters are much larger here than in the Hewn City, and I found an enchanted passageway while I was looking around the lower levels. It shouldn’t be too difficult to move back and forth once we figure out how it works.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful.” Elain smiled so sweetly at Lucien that even Nesta had to look away. “I don’t mind coordinating some of the logistics with the staff. I’ve gotten to know them a little since I left Velaris, and Nesta will be too busy to worry about it anyway.”

“Thank you,” Nesta replied gratefully. “That would be lovely.”

They talked amongst themselves for another quarter of an hour before Nesta started yawning. She excused herself and made her way back upstairs, pulling a few ghosts away from where they’d been standing guard so they could watch over her as she slept. It had been a long day, and while she trusted Lucien’s magical abilities, she could never be too careful. 

✵✵✵✵✵✵

The next morning, Nesta ate a quiet, solitary breakfast in the palace before winnowing directly into her chambers in the Hewn City. Eislyn and a few other handmaidens shrieked in surprise, and Nesta spent the next few moments apologizing profusely for the fright. 

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t think any of you would be in here,” she said as they helped her dress. Today’s outfit was another black gown, her sleeves delicately resting off her shoulders and revealing a good amount of her neck and collarbones. 

“It’s alright, my lady,” Eislyn answered. Her brown hands moved quickly and with certainty as she swept half of Nesta’s hair back into a series of loose braids. “We heard about the moonstone palace. It’s truly ours?”

“Yes,” Nesta confirmed with a smile. She couldn’t help it, especially not after she heard her other handmaidens’ excited whispers. “My sister will be coordinating the logistics. Would you mind assisting her?”

“Not at all, Your Grace,” Eislyn quickly agreed. “I’ve never left the Hewn City. It would be an honor to do it for you.”

Once Nesta was prepared for the day, Eislyn quickly took charge of the other handmaidens before leaving to find Elain. Caolàn was waiting for her outside her door, and he inclined his translucent head in her direction before they made their way toward the throne. 

So it’s true then? he asked. You’re opening up the palace to us all?

“Yes,” Nesta answered. “Did Keir never…?”

Caolàn snorted. He barely opened the Hewn City to us, let alone his prized palace. Most of us have never ventured far from this place.

“That will change, if I have anything to do with it,” she said decisively. 

They didn’t have time for any further conversation once they arrived in the throne room. Nesta waited for her full title to be announced before striding over to the new throne, thoroughly impressed by the snakes carved into it and their gleaming, emerald eyes. She’d been called a viper for so long that she figured she might as well own it, and it felt good to settle into the new seat knowing she was the first person on it. 

Her day passed in a blur of meetings, mostly soothing the merchants’ fears about trade arrangements now that Keir was gone. Lucien slipped in at one point and helped Nesta fend off the would-be replacement courtiers, already circling for their chance to replace the ones she’d beheaded, and before Nesta knew it, the sun was already low in the sky. 

She turned to say something to Lucien about retiring for dinner, but then she felt a little tug in her ribcage as someone new entered the Hewn City. Even if they didn’t have that strange connection between them, she was so attuned to the spirits here that they practically tripped over themselves to report Cassian’s presence. 

Nesta sighed, not sure what he wanted, but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt anyway. If this was some ploy on Rhysand’s behalf, he’d made a mistake sending his general here. If it wasn’t… well. She supposed she’d deal with that too. 

“That will be all for today,” she said to the various fae in the room. “Give me the room.”

Nesta caught Lucien’s eye and subtly shook her head. He bowed his head slightly and backed away from where he’d been standing next to her, moving into one of the corners of the room as the rest of the small crowd slowly cleared out. Her heart raced in her chest of its own accord; part of her couldn’t believe Cassian was really coming, but an even bigger part of her refused to let herself hope. He’d stood by all that time and allowed her to suffer — why would things be any different now?

Thankfully, it didn’t take much longer for him to appear. Caolàn had already disappeared to tell the rest of the guards to be on high alert, and he reappeared by her side moments before a living guard announced Cassian’s entrance into the throne room. 

Cassian’s eyes were wide as he took in the changes she’d made, but he eventually made his way closer to her. He had on a nicer set of leathers, his traditional Illyrian blade sheathed at his back, and even Nesta had to admit how handsome he looked with his hair curling loosely around his shoulders. His siphons gleamed ruby in the low light, but even that wasn’t enough to distract her from the angry bruising around his knuckles. 

“Cassian,” Nesta eventually said, tilting her head as she continued to study him. She didn’t know whether Lucien’s words had gotten to him or not, but there was only one way to find out. “Tell me. Have you come to bend the knee? Or did you want to die by my hand?”

Cassian didn’t answer right away, clearly taking a few moments to steel himself before speaking. “I…”

“Yes?” she prompted, leaning forward on her throne. A flash of silver caught her attention by the doors as she noticed Elain enter the room, but she didn’t let herself get distracted for long. 

“I’ve come to bend the knee,” Cassian told her after a long few moments. He slowly made his way to the floor, his hands resting gently on his thighs as he bowed his head. “Your Grace.”

“How do I know this isn’t one of Rhysand’s little schemes?” she asked. She stood from her throne and descended from the raised platform, stopping right in front of him. “Look at me when I’m speaking to you, Cassian.”

“It’s not,” he replied. He snapped his head up to meet her gaze, his hazel eyes glittering with something she couldn’t place. “I promise.”

“You’ve made me lots of promises,” she countered with a tilt of her head. “You promised you’d protect me, and I was forced into the Cauldron. You promised me time, but you abandoned me the moment we returned to Velaris. I’m sure you can understand why your promises don’t mean much to me anymore.”

Cassian winced. “I know I’ve failed you, but I’m here because it’s going to be different this time. I want it to be different this time.” 

“You didn’t want things to be different before?” Nesta asked, raising an eyebrow. “Is that why you chose everyone else except me?”

“I don’t want anyone else,” he argued, his hands balling into fists against his thighs. “I want you , Nesta. It’s been you from the moment we met.”

“That’s not how everyone else sees it,” she countered. “Least of all Morrigan.”

“She shouldn’t have acted like that, and I shouldn’t have let her,” he responded emphatically. “I knew that — we both did — and I’m sorry. But I know what I want, and that’s you. However you’ll have me, whatever it takes.”

“Prove it,” she told him, heart pounding wildly in her chest. She didn’t know what he would do, what he could possibly say to ease the hurt of never choosing her, but she was curious to see how he would try.

Cassian didn’t hesitate to follow her command, his fingers moving quickly as he removed his siphons. Nesta had to force herself not to react; she’d never seen him without them, never presumed he’d allow himself to be so vulnerable. He placed six of them in a neat row at her feet before he removed the one in the center of his chest, raising it in cupped hands like an offering. 

“I know I don’t deserve any of your trust, given what I’ve done to you,” he began quietly. “I’ve treated you far, far worse than you’ve ever deserved, and I wouldn’t blame you if you decided to take my head for it now. But I want to be by your side in any way you’ll have me, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to earn that privilege. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to realize that.”

“That’s the only thing you’re sorry for?” she asked, her tone a little incredulous.

“No. No, it’s not.” He took a deep breath before continuing, his eyes wet with unshed tears. “I… I was so cruel to you, Nesta. I said horrible things to you, I didn’t listen to what you wanted, and I let my family make everything worse. You have no idea how sorry I am.”

It was everything she’d ever wanted to hear, and coupled with the image of Cassian on his knees before her, it was almost too much to bear. 

“Oh, Cassian,” Nesta eventually murmured, bringing a hand up to cup the side of his face. He leaned into her touch with a happy little noise, his eyes fluttering shut, and she allowed herself to enjoy that for the space of a breath before she leaned in close. “I’ll allow you the chance to prove yourself to me. But if this is some elaborate ruse, or you decide to betray me later… I won’t be the one who’s sorry. I will put your head on a spike and deliver it to Rhysand myself. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, Your Grace,” Cassian breathed. He raised his arms higher to offer his chest siphon to her once again. “If you’d have me, I’d pledge myself to you and only you.”

Nesta let go of his face and took the siphon from him without comment. It was larger than the other six and warm to the touch as she ran her fingers over it. “Do it, then.”

“I swear to ward the queen, with all my strength, and give my blood for hers,” he said. She didn’t recognize the words, but they sounded like something he’d memorized; perhaps the oath had come from Illyria, or maybe some other time he’d sworn fealty. “I— I shall guard her secrets. Obey her commands. Ride at her side and defend her name and honor.”

“I accept,” she said back. Her magic was roaring to be released, and she saw the perfect opportunity to free it. “In exchange, I’ll allow you to come and go from the Court of Nightmares freely. With your head intact.”

“I accept your bargain,” he told her. Magic flared hot between them as their promise to one another was inked onto their skin. She didn’t know where the ink had settled on him, but she felt the skin at the center of her back burn as the bargain marked her there. 

“Why did you stutter?” Nesta asked once the bargain between them had settled, curious. 

Cassian’s cheeks flushed. “There are… other lines I didn’t think were appropriate.”

“What are they?”

“To take no wife, hold no lands, or father any children.”

“I see.” Nesta couldn’t help her smirk, but there was no need to embarrass him further. She’d made her point. “Perhaps we’ll revisit those terms.”

“Thank you,” he responded, relieved. “I know I have a lot to make up for, but I hope one day…”

Cassian trailed off the moment Nesta raised an eyebrow. “Sorry. I don’t want to get ahead of myself.”

“A wise choice.” Nesta looked down at the siphon still in her hands, reflecting ruby light as she tilted it one way and then the other. She’d never had the opportunity to examine them up close before, and it gave off a faint glow even though it wasn’t physically on his body anymore. “Are these easily replaceable?”

“Yes,” Cassian answered slowly. “I can always get more from Illyria.”

“Put the rest of them back on and stand up,” she told him. She kept examining his siphon while he did what she asked, his hands refastening them onto his body with ease. “Let’s go.”

Nesta didn’t bother to check if Cassian was following her, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that he would. She let her feet guide her to one of the studies she favored because of the windows and stilled in the small patch of sunlight shining down from above. 

“My lady?” Cassian prompted from behind her after a few moments of silence. 

“Hush,” Nesta said, but she wasn’t harsh with the order.

Once she was satisfied that he would remain quiet, she looked down at the siphon in her hands. The red surface gleamed brightly in the sunlight, and she was struck suddenly by the urge to leave her mark on it somehow. She didn’t know much about how siphons worked other than channeling the Illyrians’ killing power, but she vaguely remembered hearing something about how not all magic could be harnessed with them. Feyre had mentioned a story once about Rhysand shattering several when he was still learning, and Nesta hoped that she would be able to accomplish yet another feat the High Lord couldn’t manage as she poured her magic into the gem. 

For a few moments nothing happened, and then Nesta gasped in wonder as the siphon was slowly overtaken by black. She had no idea what she was doing, but she knew she wanted everyone to know by looking at Cassian that he was hers , and this would serve as good a reminder as any. 

Once the siphon was wholly black, she turned around to face the newest member of her court. His eyes traveled over her face for a moment before snapping down to the siphon in her hands, shock lacing his features as he stared down at the jewel. “What…?”

“You’re sworn to me now,” Nesta said, reaching out with one hand to caress the empty spot where the siphon normally sat in the center of his chest. Cassian went so still under her touch that she idly wondered if he was still breathing. “Don’t you think everyone should know that?”

“You’re right,” he eventually said back. “They should.”

She allowed him to reach out and guide the hand holding his siphon to the empty spot on his chest, hardly breathing as they gently slid the siphon back into place. The rest of his siphons rumbled gently before settling into their usual calm state, and she felt her own magic stirring in her veins in response. 

“There,” Nesta whispered. She looked up at Cassian to see he was already looking at her, the intensity in those hazel eyes nearly too much to bear. “Now there’s no question of who you belong to.”

tag list: @perseusannabeth | @bookstantrash | @charming-butt-insane | @oversizedbats | @melphss | @sv0430 | @podemechamardek | @autumnbabylon | @live-the-fangirl-life | @julemmaes | @that-little-red-head | @jmoonjones | @sayosdreams | @thewayshedreamed | @hiimheresworld | @brieq | @houseofcalores | @swankii-art-teacher | @nerdperson524 | @snickerdoodlechittybangbang | @imsointobooks | @nesquik-arccheron | @sweet-pea1 | @champanheandluxxury | @dustjacketmusings | @mrs-shadowsinger04 | @unlikelypersonalknight1 | @goddess-aelin | @arinbelle | @talkfantasytome | @simpingfornestaarcheron | @duskandstarlight | @letstakethedawn | @vidalinav | @c-e-d-dreamer | @dealfea | @katekatpattywack

[mydarlingbat]

In this particular panel i don't truly feel like Bruce is trying to tell the Joker to kill his family, but in a way I do believe he's conflicted with his feelings and wants, and i certainly see it that that he misses the way things were. Batman does work better alone to me, since he does not have to worry about his allies. The robin's he bring out with him on patrol. He's got to make sure he  protects them, and that can be very stressing. Which can cause Bruce to get distracted. It causes him to slack up, and become stressed, so he's not exactly the best at what he does. This is how the Joker views it. Though Bruce does take a huge chance showing up, and letting the Joker know he has his card, especially as Bruce Wayne. He takes that chance anyways, risking his identity and his own family he's suppose to keep safe, and you can't tell me Bruce knew the Joker wasn't going to care, because he's stated in the end of death of the family that he knew then, so he wasn't sure if the Joker would acknowledge him. I don't think this is the only reason why the Joker decided to get rid of batman's family. There's a lot of reasons. Jealously, hate. i think the other reason was he wanted to make Batman like he was before. He wanted Batman to slip back into his stoic self, and be better than he is. The Joker really believes he's helping the Batman, and he really is though, but I do think there's jealously in entangled in the comic of death of the family. The Joker never just goes out and murder Bruce's whole family. He never killed Alfred once. He kidnapped him before. The Joker shot Barbara in the back, but didn't kill her.  Jason Todd he murdered. Though this particular moment. I think the joker does decides to eliminates Batman problems, or the Joker believes that what he wants. This is how the joker views the Batman's family as burdens. He sees them as destroying Batman, and not helping him at all. though he was just beginning his career and Alfred and barbs and dick was just in the picture. I do believe that the Joker waited for the right time to strike when his family grew, but yeah, The Joker definitely saw the bat family as a weakness, which is mention in the Arkham games, and some comics too.

In death of the family. The joker is trying to Also remind Bruce of the good old days the two of them shared, when he had no worries about other lives. It's the reason he shows him old memories of them, and maybe deep down Bruce actually does miss it. He tells Harley to also dress up as the Red hood. He wants Bruce to go back to where he was. Where it all started. He wants him to go back through the steps again to live them over. He wants him to be strong, and invincible. He wants him to be the man he fell in love with. He wants their game back. The days it was mostly just him and Batman. The days where it was a game for them, almost at least that's how he views it. The Joker does this in the wrong way of course, but the Joker resorts to violence, and expects that to solve everything, because Batman and Joker relationship is mostly based off of violence. The Joker does love Batman in his own twisted way of course, and i do think the Joker knew what he was doing when he was telling batman's family "he wants you dead. He leaves the door unlock for me to kill you all. He loves me more than you" I believe the Joker knew Batman was going to escape. It's the only reason I think he kept pressing theses things to his family, and telling them pretty harsh things. He was separating them without having to even kill them. Though it might be hard to believe. He could have just killed them.

Yes, it might be hard to believe, but the Joker has set up almost impossible death traps for Batman, and expected him to escape. The Joker does belive that Batman will always win, because that's how it goes right ? That's the reason he go to other superheroes to win sometimes. Though the Joker sees Batman as this invincible man. He's really not. It's also shown in going sane how the Joker views their relationship. He immediately kicks batman and tries everything to wake him up, because the Joker can't believe he's dead, so he continue to shout "get up." He even thinks Batman is pretending. The Joker does show happiness when Batman is dead, but for me i see it as  i am finally winning. He's not thinking about Batman's death right now. He's happy he's won. He finally killed the Batman, and that's one of his goals, but he's not thinking at the moment that he's really gone, and you got to understand that the Joker is insane, so the way he views things. It might be a lot different to us, as soon as he throws him into the water. There's nothing but sadness and misery on his face. He becomes depress, there's lot of indents we see the Joker killed the  Batman, but immediately becomes sad and regret that he's done it. but the overwhelming happiness he gets, I believe because he's finally won. He killed Batman, but then he remembers that he's really gone now.

Batman chooses his family over the Joker. This hurts the Joker deeply The Joker believe he's giving Batman what he wanted. What he needs to become the man he used to be, and now he's still choosing his family. The Joker shows signs of jealously when Bruce said "they make me stronger" Yes, the Batman probably do believe his family makes him stronger. I mean can they? Yes, it's very possible, but the Joker refuse to believe that. There was know need for Batman to worry about the Joker, because he knew the joker was still alive when he fell off the cliff. Batman knows the Joker loves him. He just try to ignore it.  His eyes only dilate the slightest when he's around Batman. Which tells me he's only in love with Batman. The Joker upright admits he's in love with batman in death of the family as well. The whole concept of this comic was for the Joker to help batman become good at what he was at before, and to remind Batman of  the Joker and him. Though this is a theory. I do believe the Joker had everything planned out. Let's move on to Batman only deserves the best. The Joker does think very highly of Batman. The joker isn't tying to hurt Batman when he's sending him up against all theses soldiers. He's tying to get him back. He's tying to make him strong again, and he believes that  Batman is capable of doing just that. He just need to be reminded why The Joker fell in love with him, and Batman does win. This does tell me that the Joker does in fact makes Batman stronger than his family. It's something Bruce won't admit.

The Joker continues to show Batman memories of them, and people that's even dressed up as him and Batman dancing. It really  gives me a clear picture of what the Joker is trying to accomplished here. He's tying to make him strong again, and he wants to fix their relationship also. He's tying to remind him of their relationship, while he's trying to make him the best hero too. He asking Batman is it possible for us to go back to theses days. All I have to do is get rid of your family. I don't have to kill them, and we can have this again. You don't have to be stress. You don't have to worry if something bad is going to happen to your family. You don't have to be so distracted with your family that your abandoning the Batman. That you're abandoning our relationship. I truly believe that the Joker did just plan to get rid of Batman's family, but without killing them. simply because he tells Batman aren't you  going to your family, so the Joker did his work already. Batman can go save his family, because the Joker separated them already. He's accomplished what he's wanted, though the ending wasn't what the Joker foresaw. He did ruin their relationship with Batman, but think about it guys when you're not around your family. It's much easier not to  be so worried about them, unless you know something happening to them, but anyways it's just a theory.

[silvertsundere]

Silver Talks AniManga (04/08/24)

Still feels unreal that MHA is actually over... and it's even worse cause there's no chaps next week either and there were a handful of cliffhangers wah

blue - finale/completed

Anime

Mayonaka Punch Ep4

I figured both the twists of the episode near the start when I saw the pic below and she invited Fu to sing with her but that doesn't make it hit any less hard 😭 I just wish they translated the lyrics for the song at the end cause it's very relevant and a nice little bow on the episode and it'll fly over a lot of people's head since they didn't anyway, good ep, didn't really expect to see something like this in the goofy vampire youtubers show which help it be even more effective

God. Had to come back a bit after writting that to add something. Like, I know the "immortal being outlives/loses a close mortal" plot line isn't anything new but it always gets my ass good every time. Despite knowing exactly why it always gets me, it's not like I can do anything about it so I just gotta go for the ride argh

Manga

My Hero Academia Ch430 (Finale)

Go ahead, think less of me, unfollow me, block me, do whatever you think you have to. Of course, if I had to give it an "objective" score it'd still be a 8, close to a 9 (prob a 9). But, personally, I can't give it anything but a 10. I've been with this series since the beggining, for TEN WHOLE YEARS!! That's a very long time, I was a completely different person when it started, but it kept it's heart through the whole run. It's like Matsui said in this week's author comments: "Your series was a perfect example of what a Jump work should be." and I agree with him wholeheartedly.

I won't yap much about it. Shocking, I know, considering I gave it a 10, but there's just not much I can say that other haven't or will say more eloquently. I'll miss the series a lot. From the start the art was incredible and it only got better and better over the years until Horikoshi was undisputedly the best artist in the magazine, even with all the health issues he had. More often than not me and Mega would spent some time every week praising it. It's always weird to see one of Jump's long time pillars leave but Hori certainly deserves to rest after giving us such a great story. I'd love to see him in a serialization once again (not weekly, mind you) in the future but if he decides to retire I completely understand too.

Thank you for the great 10 years Horikoshi, despite all the haters, your story will remain a seminal work of the genre and an inspiration for many generations of artists to come 🙏

Kindergarten WARS Ch85

this has been on the verge of happening multiple times over the course of the series but I STILL didn't expect it to happen now, even with all the build up in the previous few pages so good job to chiba for getting my ass. Excited to see them being cute together 👀

[yanderes-galore]

spare Atlas (Bioshock.) content? I'm totally cool with just a concept of base headcannons, I'm beginning to get into the series and uhhhh braincells go awoooga at Atlas. (i can thankfully blame you for getting me into a lot of media haha.)

Surprisingly never gave him a proper concept 💀 Here you go! I'm happy I got you into new media :)

Been awhile since I played Bioshock so I hope I didn't get him too OOC.

He's a handsome man, can't blame you for going awooga at him LOL.

Yandere! Atlas Concept

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Swearing, Deception, Manipulation, Obsession, Mentioned intimacy, Thoughts of murder/Murder mention, Possessive behavior, Biting/Marking mention, Threats, PDA, Kidnapping, Dubious relationship.

His personality is inconsistent between Bioshock and BaS.

He's supposed to be charismatic as he is a rebellion leader.

But he is also cold and cruel like his original identity.

Due to this I would probably write my Atlas trying to always hold a facade.

Yet as the obsession with his darling grows, the mask slips.

Atlas is the friendly persona created by Fontaine to get Andrew Ryan off his back and create trust among his followers.

He brought people together with his charming charisma and inspiring speeches.

He easily comes off as your pal... someone you can trust.

When in reality he's still twisted like Fontaine, willing to use people to get power.

Atlas would be Seemingly caring, Manipulative, Obsessive, Possessive, Controlling, Ruthless/Merciless, Deceptive, and a bit Sadistic.

His whole thing is lying.

His true nature is a megalomaniac who's greedy and selfish.

But as Atlas he can easily obtain his darling with just a few remarks.

Atlas could've met you as Fontaine or sometime during his campaign as Atlas.

As Fontaine, getting you to like him was harder.

He's an asshole... a bit of a creep back then too.

As this new persona, Atlas can flirt with his darling and maybe even get a reaction from you.

When you meet Atlas, interested in his cause or not, for some reason he gravitates to you.

Cigar in hand the leader grins towards you.

Like you're something special.

You feel special when he looks at you.

You have no idea he's planned everything when it comes to winning you over.

The moment he pulls you aside and speaks to you in a sultry tone... you're hooked.

Atlas talks to his darling in a caring demeanor.

He drinks up everything about you and listens to you speak.

You're the one person he can truly be invested in.

Atlas would do things such as take his darling out for dinner and compliment them.

He portrays himself as the dream man.

The moment he has his first intimate moment with you, he's caught you hook, line, and sinker.

Once Atlas knows he's an important part of his darling's life he starts to manipulate you more.

Atlas doesn't need to worry about jealousy if he has you wrapped around his finger so tightly.

If he sees you getting too friendly with someone else then he'll pull you over to him.

An arm around the waist with a kiss certainly gets the message across.

Atlas would tell you that he's the only one who cares for you this much.

He wants to break you down just enough to make you stuck to him like glue.

He's cruel like that... selfish to the core.

Even when Atlas is away from you, thoughts of you cling to his mind like rot.

He's obsessive and can't stay away from you for long.

He also seems to be the kind of guy that uses physical affection and PDA to send a message to those around him.

You're his and he won't mind killing anyone who thinks otherwise.

Atlas may even be a fan of biting your neck when kissing you to leave a mark.

He's selfish which is why he's so possessive.

He's always been a greedy man and you happen to be valuable to him.

Even more so if you've eluded him for so long when he was Fontaine.

If all that wasn't a red flag, what he does to others must be.

He'll kill others if he hates them around you.

Doesn't matter who they are either.

They'll be threatened as their first warning.

Some don't even get a warning, just a bullet lodged in their brain.

He finds it funny at times that someone could be so bold.

He may even ask for their torture first.

Atlas would "kidnap" but to keep up his facade he disguises it as something else.

Maybe he keeps things subtle?

After an intimate night he locks the door to your room, leaving a recording to tell you he's heading out for a bit and will be back later.

He wants you to stay in the room.

He does this so often but you love and trust him... so you stay.

Soon his facade will slip and you will see it.

You're going to know how much of a monster he is and try to flee from him.

But by that point it's too late... he's already trapped you in his twisted embrace.

[web-novel-polls]

Sorry for the confusion, what I meant was that I disagreed that Wei Wuxian's torture of Wen Chao was unjustified but agreed on all other points. And, yeah, as I mentioned, I think the novel is trying to convey how absolutely brutal and cruel his actions are, even if they are justified, and that's an important thing to understand when considering his character.

Also, I didn't know you were referring to people prioritizing characters over real people, which is just....why??? if someone feels a connection to a character, and they get some kind of enjoyment out of that, that's wonderful and people shouldn't come after them just because it doesn't agree with their interpretation. I mean, there are interpretations of MDZS that I think are more valid than others, and a lot of my issue is with people who read the novel but willfully ignore its themes. But Jiang Cheng being aro/ace is a valid interpretation, just as Jiang Cheng being gay is a valid interpretation. What we get (in the novel) is essentially that JC is not interested in women, which could lead to multiple interpretations. He's aro/ace, he's gay, he's too busy taking care of Jin Ling and sect leader business, he's scared to get close to anyone, etc., etc., etc. None of these go against canon and are perfectly valid interpretations. Also, even if they did "contradict" canon, there's plenty of coding and allegory in fictional works. If someone finds connection and comfort in a character, people should just leave them be. I'm sorry if I myself came off aggressive and wanting to argue, 'cause I really just wanted to agree with you about the MDZS fandom condemning other characters for their brutality while willfully ignoring our MC's own actions, but I do think that WWX's torture of Wen Chao is justified, even if it isn't right. But it most certainly isn't a "WOO! WE KILLED THE BAD GUY!" moment in the novel, even if we (and WWX) derive satisfaction from it. Also, I do think there is value in discussing different interpretations, but I mainly have an issue with how the fandom is so aggressive in trying to make WWX completely pure that they end up disrespecting his character and the themes of the novel, and especially the real people they're talking to. And, I mean, I also like to see him as pure sunshine boy when I choose to, but I can't understand people who put him on a pedestal while simultaneously condemning other characters for actions that are even quite similar to his.

Also, about my Xue Yang thing--- I don't think WWX would've turned into Xue Yang either, because WWX actually did experience happiness and family before his parents died, whereas Xue Yang never did (that we know of...I suppose he could've before he became a street orphan, but I don't get that impression). But Xue Yang's story clearly demonstrates that at one point he was naive and sweet, and he ended up so twisted and selfish specifically because he grew up an orphan on the streets, having to fight for survival against people who took advantage of him. If he had been saved by Jiang Fengmian like WWX was, it might've been an entirely different story. This is shown when Xue Yang actually is affected by Xiao Xingchen's kindness (he stopped the Night Hunts that resulted in Xiao Xingchen killing innocent humans), but at that point, it was too late. When Song Lan shows up, the progress is undone, because he'd already committed the crimes, and nobody is required to forgive him simply because he changed a little and stopped doing them.

So, I'm sorry if I came off kind of aggressive and rude, because I really didn't mean to, you just touched on something about the fandom that I have an issue with, and since I try to avoid the discourse, I really don't have any outlet. Didn't mean to actually start the discourse myself, lol. Thanks for your genuine reply, though!

Ask 1, Ask 2

First of all, I’m so sorry for leaving this ask in my inbox for so long, Anon… I wanted to answer properly and ended up psyching myself out 💀. But no, you definitely didn’t come off as aggressive and rude to me; in fact, your apology is what confused me lol.

Edit: I've deleted my response to "Wen Chao deserved it" since this isn't a conversation I can have in good faith. If anyone tries to discuss it again, I will just block them (not your fault, Anon)

[tribow]

I did it! I beat Violet Detector!

Honestly, I found it easier than Shoot the Bullet. I was expecting to get bullied more, but ZUN really toned down the difficulty of many patterns when two bosses were at play. Some of the fights against a solo boss were harder than any of the duo boss stages.

It was a tad bit of a shame that many spellcards were actually recycled from previous games, but now you gotta dodge them under a whole new context!

Bosses don't share health bars, so you have to figure out which one to defeat first. When one boss is down, the other increases the difficulty of their spellcard. Which boss would you want to deal with last? Maybe you can defeat both at the same time!

The score chasing could be pretty fun if I cared...but I don't. I just wanted to complete it.

Anyway, spoiler-y talk from here on out if you care

So the Sumireko you play as the entire game is actually the one from the dream world. What a twist! This does explain Doremy's dialogue with Sumireko. It makes her words seem a lot more genuine rather than sarcastic, especially since she made herself be the last obstacle to overcome before Dream Sumireko learns that she isn't even the real one.

However, Dream Sumireko takes this news like a champ and decides that she'll just defeat the real Sumireko and take over! I like how Real Sumireko compliments herself. The confidence is on full display, character development intact.

Now, to my knowledge, Sumireko ceases to be relevant after this game so this currently concludes her story with Gensokyo. I guess now that she has dealt with her doppelgangers and has even garnered a little occult following online her ability to easily enter Gensokyo is gone.

Correct me if I'm interpreting anything wrong, but it seems like Dream Sumireko was entering Gensokyo all the time after the events of Urban Legend in Limbo. Since she fully believed she was the real Sumireko it was as if the real Sumireko was really there.

This only became a problem when Antinomy of Common Flowers started and this resulted in ANOTHER clone. Perhaps Doremy could have solved Sumireko's problem herself if not for that incident, cause now Dream Sumireko doesn't even make it to Gensokyo, she just stays in the dream world while still fully believing she's real.

So....Sumireko can't enter Gensokyo by herself anymore. Even after she defeats herself and ends the nightmares her means of entering Gensokyo are now severed. She'll dream like a normal person now....right? (I'm aware she shows up in Curiosities of Lotus Asia so I need to catch up on those chapters and see if she appears after the events of Violet Detector)

That must be why she's irrelevant as a character as of now, but it's not like she isn't aware Gensokyo exists. There are still some Gensokyo characters that can contact her, like Yukari. In fact, Yukari is probably the only reason why Sumireko could enter the dream world to fight herself.

But then....what was Okina's motive? It certainly appears like she was just instigating the problem for her own amusement, but that can't be it right? Did she just want Sumireko to be aware of her? How was she even keeping tabs on Sumireko that closely? Was she using her as a backdoor to outside Gensokyo and the Dream World?

Strange. Okina's actions are strange, but very interesting.

I wonder who even told Yukari what was going on. She couldn't have known unless Doremy or Okina said something...or Yukari talked to Sumireko herself after noticing something was wrong with her in the outside world.

Well, regardless of how things played out, that's Violet Detector! I finally get to try Wily Beast and Weakest Creature now. I've been wanting to know what the deal is with those characters and I'll finally find out soon!