#a sad kind of defeated understanding acceptance of the situation

[starpros-sunshine]

Pls i cant stop thinking about the 5 eccentrics finding out (well, minus wataru) Rei calling Shu like hey, did you hear that eichi got married. And shu being upset wataru didnt tell him, i mean, yes they wanted a private wedding maybe but at least let HIM kno- "no, not to wataru" "......oh tenshouin must have a deathwish then". So it's bad as it is but then they find out wataru didnt know either and ensemble square needs to up its security because theres nothing that can protect eichi from their wrath. I like the idea of passive aggressive rei because he Knows what the others have in store

I think even in that case Wataru would still be like "well...you know, it's a shame but it couldn't be helped" and he'd put such an effort into pretending he's fine but one look at him and it's obvious he's been crying

#and that's the moment Shu decides that he doesn't care about the consequences he just walks up to that dorm room #and Rei and Aira and Mika have to physically restrain him from committing actual murder. #but I think the tragic things is that Eichi would also feel horrible #he would feel so so so bad #because it's true he does love Wataru a whole lot so I think he would be just as heartbroken about tha whole thing #my main gripe I have with him isn't even that he's engaged it's just #you could've at least told him.... #like. thats the Bare Minimum #maybe it's because he was scared of losing Wataru if he tells him or something because that would make it realy but just #the bar wasn't high Eichi.....the bar was on the ground.....the bar was almost six feet under #and you still managed to screw it up #I don't even think Wataru would've been angry with him he would've just been sad but I think he'd get it #a sad kind of defeated understanding acceptance of the situation #but at least he would've known #because I mean. what would this entire thing even tell him #Yeah sorry dude he got married to another girl behind your back yes he's been engaged for a year yes he didn't tell you #sorry my condolences seems you weren't important enough to him seems he wasn't as serious about this as you were #seems he saw no issue with that whatsoever seems be was planning to discard you anyways and you were just his bit on the side to pass time #seems you didn't mean enough to him to give you a choice in the matter #looks like he didn't care about how you would feel about this #oh you thought you were partners? oh you thought you would talk to each other about importnat things? sorry. afraid not. #and you're an idiot for thinking so #Eichi Tenshouin you might not be able to fix this one if you don't grow a backbone and communicate. Think wisely if it's worth the losses. #cobalt🐍 #wataei #<- I feel like being a little mean

[shiplessoceans]

Good Omens S2 Episode 6 confession scene speculation:

Aziraphale didn't respond to the love confession from Crowley because he didn't realise it was one until Crowley mentioned the Nightingale and kissed him.

Allow me to explain.

---

Aziraphale interrupted Crowley to give him the news from Metatron, so when Crowley starts his spiel:

"We've been together a long time, I could always rely on you...we're a group....we've spent our existence pretending we aren't...if Gabriel and Beelzebub can go off together then we can...we don't need heaven/hell they're toxic...you and me whatya say?"

Aziraphale interprets everything Crowley is saying as his rebuttal to the 'good news', not a separate declaration of his feelings.

What Aziraphale just told him shaped Crowley's confession, instead of finally telling Aziraphale how he feels about him, he's now backed into a corner and trying to change Aziraphales mind. Offering to run off with him as the alternative to the Metatron's offer.

The repetition of the phrase: "go off together" from the bandstand fight in season one feels very intentional here. It would be easy for Aziraphale to think 'this is just Crowley's response when the divine plan interferes, he always wants to run away'.

Aziraphale believes that he just needs to make Crowley understand the situation and opportunity that this is and everything will be alright:

"Come with me! To heaven, I can run it, you can be my second in command. We can make a difference!"

Crowley is looking defeated already, in his mind he's bared his soul and Aziraphale is a brick wall. So if he can't tempt the angel into staying with the love he has for him (which Crowley thinks he's declared but he really hasn't), he'll get him to change his mind by evoking something else he loves:

"You can't leave this bookshop."

Aziraphale scoffs fondly. 'Silly demon, you were just suggesting we run off together and abandon it only a moment ago!' He thinks Crowley is trying to 'work' him here and the old serpent might even be selflessly trying to spare the angel the loss of his beloved bookshop in order to restore Crowley and help the world, which would be just like him to be so covertly protective. So Aziraphale reassures him, a bookshop doesn't matter to him as much as Crowley and the world. It's just a collection of objects really. Humanity is more important. Crowley is far more important.

"Oh Crowley, nothing lasts forever."

Crowley is crushed. Nothing lasts forever. Not even the two of them. So he covers his sadness with his glasses, walls back up, and he tries to leave.

Aziraphale is baffled. He just reassured Crowley that he was alright with change if it means things could be better. Why is Crowley leaving? Is he worried that they won't spend time together anymore? That he won't have time for his friend as a supreme archangel?

"Crowley come back!....we can be together, angels!...I need you!"

Crowley can't even look at him in that moment. Why would Aziraphale say that? The two of them together only if he accepts heaven again? Conditional love? That's not fair. It hurts.

Aziraphale meanwhile is hurt by Crowley's turning away, his silence and a bit incensed at what he perceives as ingratitude. Aziraphale didn't really want to go back to heaven, but he'd do it if it meant Crowley could be happy and safe and Crowley doesn't seem to appreciate that:

"I don't think you understand what I'm offering you."

Crowley went through the fall. He asked the questions. Did his best to protect humanity and it has brought him nothing but suffering. He's well aware what's on offer. He's seen heavens cruelty and capriciousness firsthand and been burned by it repeatedly. How can Aziraphale choose them over him and still think everything will work out?

"I understand. I think I understand a whole lot better than you do."

Crowley loves Aziraphale's big foolish optimism and kind heart and he thinks it's the very thing taking the angel away from him. This isn't how it was supposed to go. It's all slipping away from him.

"Listen. You hear that?"

Aziraphale can't even keep up at this point.

This is what comes of thousands of years of 'not talking about it' and living under threat of holy retribution if they are discovered. They're talking past each other, having two different conversations. Obfuscation and code has become their communication medium by necessity and it's failing them.

It's frustrating Aziraphale that he can't get a grip on this conversation:

"I don't hear anything!"

And Crowley drops the bomb.

"That's the point. No Nightingale's."

Oh. Suddenly we're on the same page. You can see from Aziraphale's face that he understands to what Crowley's referring. The Nightingale in Berkely square. Angels dining at the Ritz...

"You idiot! We could have been... us."

Crowley's talking about the big unspoken thing between them. Their relationship, thousands of years of dancing around each other like binary stars gravitationally and inexorably drawn together over and over. The thing Aziraphale was beginning to be bold about, (dancing notwithstanding) before Metatron came along and distracted him.

And it seems to Aziraphale that gut-wrenchingly, Crowley is finally acknowledging their mutual love only to point out that it's gone. Lost. They could have finally been together, an us, but Aziraphale ruined it because he's an 'idiot'.

After being quietly in love with Crowley for years, for Aziraphale to have his offer to return to heaven together and his unspoken love rejected in one fell swoop is devastating.

Overcome, he begins to cry and turns away, not wanting Crowley to see how hurt he is.

Crowley for his part is desperate. He has to do something. Maybe Aziraphale doesn't understand what Crowley is offering him! One fabulous kiss and va-voom right?

In a final desperate act, he kisses Aziraphale. Tries for passionate. Tries to show him that he loves him and show him what they could be because his words clearly aren't working.

Aziraphale is shocked and angry. He wants to kiss Crowley of course. But not like this. Not as a taunt. Crowley just told him their chance is over so what else could this be but a final insult. A kiss to punish the angel. It's a cruelty he didn't believe Crowley capable of.

And despite how mean it is. It's also what Aziraphale has wanted for so long he can't help but melt into it for a brief moment. Allow himself to feel what it would have been like to be that close before losing it forever.

Then Crowley lets go and Aziraphale breaks away on a sob, feeling wounded. Hurt beyond words that Crowley would use his feelings against him like this, gutted to be losing the man he loves and not understanding why.

The worst part is that Aziraphale doesn't have it in him to hate Crowley, even if he thinks the kiss was a cruel gesture. He still loves him. So he gathers himself and does what Aziraphale does when someone hurts him.

He forgives.

"I forgive you."

I forgive you for rejecting my attempt to restore you and make you happy, I forgive you for rejecting God and heaven yet again, I forgive you for acknowledging our love and then rejecting it. I forgive you for kissing me, giving me a fleeting glimpse of what we could have been to each other. I love you and I forgive you all that.

Crowley is done. Breath knocked out of him on a last sigh. He tried. And the Angel forgave him yet again for something he never asked or wanted forgiveness for. He doesn't want to be penitent for loving Aziraphale. Shouldn't have to apologise or regret wanting them to be together.

"Don't bother."

Aziraphale looks surprised Crowley is leaving because he genuinely is. He can't understand how it's all gone so horribly wrong. He gasps, shocked and can't even call out to him to stop, come back.

He cries, touches his lips where Crowley had kissed him. Tries to gather himself and barely has 10 seconds before Metatron is back.

At the end of that scene:

Crowley thinks he confessed his love and Aziraphale chose heaven over him because he didn't want to stop being a demon.

Aziraphale thinks Crowley rejected heaven, then rejected Aziraphale and threw their love back in his face as a final unkindness.

Aziraphale leaves and goes to heaven anyway because in his mind he's already lost Crowley and there is nothing left to stay for. If he doesn't have Crowley he needs a new purpose and it's going to be saving the world. He'll convince himself of it. And he'll push that broken heart down and the pain will fade if he just smiles through it. It will be enough, to make heaven better. It has to be. Maybe if he proves that he can make a difference Crowley might see the error of his ways and speak to him again? Surely. Hopefully.

---

Both of them are hurt and confused and lost and oh dear hell I really feel for them.

#good omens meta #good omens 2 meta #good omens s2e6 #gos2 spoilers #good omens 2 #good omens 2 analysis #gos2 meta #ineffable #ineffable husbands #aziraphale #crowley #good omens spoilers #gos2

[starberry-cupcake]

We are done with book 1, folks!!!

previously, in gideon the ninth

this happened

also, I was proven right about dulcinea (kind of)

just pointing that out again

final update of this book, it's gonna be a bit of a long one, folks (gideon, from inside my mind, where she is now living rent-free: "that's what she said!"):

we left off in the fight against not!dulcinea

yandere simulator twin w/inner chad was being used as a battery pad

regina george twin is at an unknown location

la gideon and my qp wife are fighting

harrowcita passed out

so basically not!dulcinea unlocks the big magnus archives entity monster harrowbean had previously locked

harrow wakes up to make a bone dome

for scale, this is the dome and mickey is gideon, but she's inside the thing

magnus archives junji ito monster keeps beating the dome from outside to crack it open like an egg

harrowbean starts to disintegrate from the inside because it's hard to make a bone spaceship earth and keep it up

camilla is accepting fate at this point, my poor beloved qp wife

but la gideon is not gonna give up

she's never gonna give you up

never gonna let you down

never gonna...

so harrow starts making a goodbye speech

reminding gideon to take care of the ninth and the barbie in the freezer

for the barbie reference, please go to this recap

but gideon is determined to come up with a plan

*very niche reference but "bien warrior" by miss bolivia plays in the background*

we all know this is a terrible idea because gideon's plans are always "punch really hard" and, in this case, that's a wild thing to do

but she does that

a metal version of that

she decides to, if I understand correctly (because description is scarce for various acceptable reasons) impale herself on the iron spikes inside the dome, to force Harrow to slurp her soul

so this is the situation

absolutely heartbreaking stuff

she's sort of ghost-placing herself behind Harrow to guide her using the sword

like this

and being all silly and gideon-esque and harrow is heartbroken and sad and it's all very very heartbreaking and I'm suffering

I'm ANGRY, OK????

IT'S NOT FAIR

I didn't even like gideon at the start

I complained about her for like a good first chunk of this book

I got mad at her for being dense and not following through with things

I got angry at her way of approaching situations and trusting people I didn't trust

I didn't totally vibe with her vibe most times

and then she made me like her and grow attached and NOW I HAVE TO SUFFER???

what's the point????? you make me like you and then you SACRIFICE YOURSELF?????

WHY??????

footage of me

anyway, it's fine, we're fine, everything's FINE

harrow and force-ghost gideon defeat not!dulcinea by aiming at the "issue" palmolive started

( @lady-harrowhark "paramedics" is actually a much better nickname, why didn't I think of that)

not!dulcinea crosses the veil, hopefully forever, good riddance bitch, you really did fuck everything up for petty reasons

harrow passes out

afterwards, harrow wakes up in like a sort of hospital situation or something like that

the space version of that

there's a man reading stuff in a tablet and a paper

a "flimsy", which I didn't know was something before this book (again, not a native English speaker, doing my best here)

the man has very specific eyes which I imagined in a way that I'm not sure is what it's supposed to be, but I'm gonna keep my version for now

this is the man of the hour, the emperor, many other titles I can't remember, the reason we all got together in the first place

harrow is upset, I'm upset, we're all upset

emperor sama over here can't do shit about it

according to him

which, what are you, the wizard of oz?

he's also like "forgive not!dulcinea, it was my bad" I WILL FORGIVE NOTHING

he says he can't bring gideon back without risking harrowbean as well

very limited for a man who claims to be god

who seems to have beef with a barbie in an ice cube

idk about this guy

so he tells harrow that he's gonna protect the ninth if she becomes lyctor because the universe is going to shit and he can't handle everything on his own anymore

you know what could have helped, my man? COMMUNICATION

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING AT ANY GIVEN POINT

anyway, harrow is, at this point, tired and sad and grieving for everything so she says ok

according to this guy, the only other survivor is yandere simulator twin w/inner chad who is missing an arm

very convenient for him, who needs lyctors

an didn't, at any point, explain anything

but they "haven't been able" to find the bodies of: la gideon, my wife and regina george twin

everyone else was, at least, partially recovered, as far as I remember he said

they're probably gathering pieces of palmolive from every carpet and piece of wallpaper

I am reluctantly gonna miss that guy

so there is hope that I'm not a qp widow yet and that la gideon might come back in some capacity, which I MEAN, COME ON

also, I don't know if people would be making such a fuss about her arms if her body wasn't of consequence anymore

because I don't know much about these books but I did know that coming in, that and skull make up were my two clues

and we still don't know where she came from and if she's a demigod

and why her hair and eyes are that color

I don't know, I'm unsure about this

I hold hope

keeeeeeep hoooooolding ooooooon ♪

I am sure regina george twin will be back because people have been cryptic about her in replies to my updates

and I hope camilla comes back because right now I'm like a victorian wife, standing at a lighthouse, waiting for her sailor to come back from the depths of the sea, throwing messages in bottles

final extra notes:

THERE WAS A GLOSSARY ALL ALONG

I COULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT IT

maybe it was better this way, though, but WHY DIDN'T I LOOK PROPERLY

PALMOLIVE WOULD KILL ME FOR THIS OVERSIGHT

now I know what thanergy is, what thalergy is, what bone magic and flesh magic differ in, can you believe???

I can summon my own construct and everything

it's the only way to make friends as an adult, after all

there is a guide for the names and I have been pronouncing more things right than I thought because many of these are based in Latin and I'm a Spanish speaker so maybe if I had just pronounced them as they sounded to me I could have remembered more names

there is also a list of salseo/tea from judith

I kept making comments while reading them

she was acting like camilla was of no consequence from the start

ALSO PROTOZOA HAD KIDS?????? WHAT????

man, poor dude, rip this guy we never really knew

she did read chad for filth, which is correct

but they were off about absolutely everything else

important ending commentary of the book:

as an ending side note

I'm going to just point this out, with kindness and utmost respect

like, much love and respect and warm regards

don't kill me for this

as an editor

I am enraged with the tagline they have in the cover of this book, now that I've finished it

the quote that's in the cover about lesbian necromancers in a victorian mansion in space and whatnot

it sells the book incredibly short and also tells you things you shouldn't be told because a) they aren't as clear cut as they make them out to be and b) you should be told none of that entering this book

best experience is to know absolutely nothing

like gideon

and since I have an ebook, I see that quote more prominently than any blurb

it reads like the short summary of a fic and it doesn't do it justice one bit

now that I've finished the book, I think this post was about it and I didn't know at the time, because that's fair

this book is very difficult to categorize because it seems to be using a lot of different references and mixing them together in a very personal and unique way to the author

but, because of that, it's a very unique take on different things

I think it stands very aligned with both core classics and more contemporary foundations, at the same time

and the narrative point of view is a bit at-odds with the complexity of the lore, which makes it a very brave first part of a bigger thing for an author to throw out there

and it works, as it is

it actually works well like that

however, as difficult as it can be to explain it, that tagline really flattens it to something that I don't think favors how much more of that it is???

I don't know, that's just my personal & professional opinion, but anyway

I need to go find the next one

you haven't seen the last of me!!!!!

#luly reacts to tlt #gideon the ninth #tlt #tlt spoilers #gideon the ninth spoilers #gif cw #long post #trying not to do literary analysis at the end there #and editing analysis #for all of our sakes

[defrosted69]

"The Unseen Pages of Bridging Time and Hearts"

{This is the longest fic I have ever written and I blame it all on you guys lol. So this fic took a long time to make as I already have it made around when it was just 2k words but you''ll see how long it took. anyway, Here's what I promised, A New Jeans Danielle one shot}

[word count: 12k words]

New Jeans Danielle x Reader.

.

.

"Hey do you think this is a joke? What do you think this is? A fanfiction?"

"But sir I-"

"Enough. I don't like this script. Get out."

"But Sir-"

"Get out!"

He threw the paper that you worked hours on and even loss sleep on. It broke your heart how he just simply threw the paper to the trash bin with no consideration on the effort you exhilarated on. You sighed and just took the crumbled paper at the trashbin and walked away. It has always been like this with you.

Countless times of trying to get into the scriptwriting scene was your lifetime goal but the ultimate dream was to bring that original story of yours to life. But reality keeps slapping you in the face of harsh truth. It's like nobody understands your creativity. Your genre was simple, it was romance. No harem, no love triangle, just pure romance and character development yet director's and companies prefer romance that focuses on toxic relationships and red flags. Sometimes you question how people like this kind of things when in reality, it's pathetic and just straight up self suffering.

Their perception wasn't what you liked but you wouldn't dare to shift your genre to that. You were an old head type of writer but the struggles are real. Your legs made you arrive at your sanctuary, the cafe library of the old maiden. Yup, that was the name of the establishment considering it was the oldest building in the city. As you pushed through the door, you were immediately greeted by the aroma of the books and coffee. But seeing the sign that has been plastered on the walls once again reminded him of how cruel life is.

"Hey, So hows the interview? Did your story got accepted?"

In the counter of the cafe stood one the barista and librarian of the place. She was also a good friend to you as you sat down to your usual seat with a frown on your face.

"Like the usual Yuqi. nothing, they hated it and even crumbled it straight to the trash."

Your devastate look and sadness was evident from a far. Yuqi being the best friend she is, made your favorite drink, a latte as she grabbed it and sat opposite to you handing you your drink.

"You seem like you need a pick-me-up today Y/n, so here's your favorite drink, a steaming hot latte. Don't worry about it, it's on the house."

Your eyes flickered with gratitude as you took a sip from the steamy hot drink. Its flavor never fails to give him a semblance of comfort and calmness.

"So, on a scale of 1 to Yuqi, how bad was it?"

"Umm if Yuqi is the worst then it's Yuqi-"

"Do you wanna get beat up nerd?"

You chuckled as your raised your arms up in defeat at her. Song Yuqi was older than you but she felt like a friend of your age. Despite the opposite of your personalities, both you and her were able to bond together without any problem. If your gonna add helping her get home after getting drunk is not a problem then yeah, no problem at all.

"Say Yuqi"

"Yeah?"

"Is this place really closing down?"

Yuqi saw the sadness and pain in your eyes as she knows how precious this place was to you. It was your second after all. Since elementary, this has always been your go to place to escape reality and it's harsh situation given to you. You basically know this place at the back of your head or even if someone was to give you a blind fold, you'll easily navigate each part of the place without stumbling or even injuring yourself. This place has become a part of you and knowing that the place is closing made you feel like a piece of you was being torn apart forcefully.

"Yeah, Boss JYP said that the talk with that greedy fat ass didn't work out. And now we only have a month left before this place gets demolishes."

Hearing the word demolished really broke your heart. You weren't ready to say goodbye to the place you call home but life has always been like that to you all the time, unfair. Seeing talented people on TV or on the streets, you couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by their talents. They were gifted to have such talent and what about you? Life didn't give you anything except the ability to keep failing writing a good story. Perhaps it was your talent to keep failing and failing and never succeeding.

"Honestly Speaking Yuqi, I feel tired already."

Yuqi knows what your pertaining to wasn't physical exhaustion but rather emotional and mental exhaustion. Yuqi stood up and sat next to you patting your head. Her presence alone was enough to calm you down as Yuqi just have that touch that keeps you hold it. But imagine a life without her. It was scary but you had to move on. Yuqi has her own life too and You also have a life to venture out too. Nothing last forever after all.

"Y/n, don't ever look down on yourself. You're a great writer and everyone working here knows that. Heck your high school story about the romance of Jisoo Unnie and her husband was such a good story that the couple have your story in a book. That's how talented you are Y/n. Don't ever keep telling yourself that someone is better than this, or that. Everyone is unique Y/n. "

"But being a writer is harder than it looks Yuqi. I always get looked down upon, people keeps telling me that writing will not lead me to success and more importantly, Writing made me feel like the perfect target for bullies and people who has strong connections. Who am I to stop that when I myself is just a piss poor no good writer who-"

Yuqi flickered your forehead with her fingers as a stinging pain ran across your head. You placed a hand on your forehead.

"Ouch…"

"You deserve that cause you're doubting yourself again. How many times do I have to tell you that you shouldn't feel worried about what other think of you. If you happy doing what you love then nothing else matters."

Her words pierced through you. You have always loved writing because your imagination can cover up the reality that you hate. It becomes a gateway to happiness for you but writing haven't really loved you like how much you love it. Sometimes the things that you love really just don't love you back. And this rejection you experience was really the end of writing. Perhap writing wasn't really up for you at all. Maybe your just not cut out for it and you're just what people call as "average joe".

"I don't know Yuqi, this rejection really felt heavy to me honestly speaking. Maybe… Maybe writing really isn't it for me."

Yuqi was really now getting to start feel worried for you. She has never seen you this heartbroken before and worse, you seemed like you're ready to give up wiriting as a whole. The whole thing that made you who are today and you're thinking about quitting. Yuqi sighed as she hugged you. Her embrace was warm and protective of you as you couldn't help but tear up.

"Y/n, life hasn't always been preety fair to everyone for us. But believe me, when shit happens, it happens for a reason. You got rejected not because your a terrible writer but the director just doesn't see your vision. The lines don't connect, you get what I'm saying? "

"Y-Yeah…"

"Y/n, I have known you since you were high school and giving up isn't your thing. You even finished reading a novel worth 780 pages in a month. Some people would have given up by that amount of pages but you didn't. Remember that?"

A small smile appeared on your face recalling the time you finished that book. The memories of Yuqi, Jisoo and Jackson all smiling and celebrating your accomplishment on finishing that book made you smile. The good times was still there and it all happened in this establishment.

"Y-Yeah I do.."

"No can do that except you Y/n. Sometimes, doing what you like and love isn't always a guarantee to be successfull. You have to fall to realize how much you want that goal is. I trust you Y/n, I know, in my heart that you'll get that Story that everyone will talk about for the ages. "

This is the magic of Yuqi. This is what she always do to you. Keeping you motivated and keeping that fire rolling in you but deep down, this was one of the reason why you liked her romantically. But despite that, the fear of rejection and realizing her desire guy was the complete opposite of you. That day was still fresh from your memory as you will never ever forget that day.

You were in highschool that day was the day you were visiting the Cafe like usual. At that point, books and Yuqi was the reason why you keep visiting that place unlike today where the cafe was your second home. During that day, Yuqi decided to do her usual teasing with you as both you watches the TV. The TV was one of the features of the Cafe before to attract customers and your eyes widen in surprise to see your favorite Author on screen. A big smile appeared on your face but then it was suddenly replaced by shock, surprised, and horror.

His once popular image to the public suddenly turned sour immediately after revealing that he was dating someone so young at the age of 20 when he himself is 38 years old. The TV anchors display the dissapointment of his fans showing disgust and anger towards this Action. But what really caught your attention is the disgusted expression of Yuqi on your favorite Author who you considered as your idol. Yuqi clearly show her disgust as she looked at you and asked you a question you weren't prepared to answer.

"Is he one of those authors you admire?"

Honestly speaking, you are a big fan of his but saying that infront of Yuqi, the person that you liked would surely create a bridge between you two. Not only that people all over the café library show their disagreement on this one.

"N-No, Why would I support someone who's dating someone so young."

"Exactly right? Like I wouldn't date anyone younger than me even if it's just one year."

That was the bullet that really shot your heart. Yuqi was 6 years older than you and hearing those words come out of her mouth really made you think if you should continue this kind of admiration. But perhaps the most important here that happened is how you realized that in love, the view of society also plays a part.

Going back to the past was always fun but not this. You sighed and pulled away from Yuqi as you gave her a smile. Despite you smiling, you were still confused and lost on what you need to do now.

"Thank you Yuqi. You really know how to keep me motivated"

Yuqi, feeling proud of herself chuckled as she stood up from your side and returned to the counter as customers began to pile up. With your mind still clouded with so many thoughts, you decided to leave your sanctuary and walk wherever your feet takes you. The rumbling and dark clouds tells you what was next to come. You pulled out your umbrella on your small sling bag as you walked. The rain poured down leaving people in shambles yet you were unbothered as you walked with no goal destination.

.

.

.

.

"Damn it Hanni, you really have to be absent today just when you have my umbrella huh?"

Danielle said to herself as she began to run away from the rain with her red filecase covering her but that wasn't enough to really cover her from the rain. But fortune was on her side as she was able to create a few space before the rain drops on her. Even though with her legs, mother nature proved why she's a force to be wreckon with. The rain poured down all at once suprising Danielle as this caught her off guard.

"Fucking hell! Argh, just why-ah? Is that Sunjun? Thank god he has an umbrella."

Danielle spotted a familiar guy as she rushed towards the guy as she placed an arm around his shoulder. As she smiled happily finally getting cover against the rain.

"Good thing you're here Sunjun-eh?"

Danielle stop midway seeing that her so though friend was you all along. A blush of embarrassment appeared on her face as she realized that she embarrassed herself big time.

"You're so screwed Danielle. You big dumbass! How can you not tell this guy wasn't Sunjun!"

She was cursing herself in her mind as you notice the blush on her cheeks and her weird facial expression that you couldn't describe but was funny. But what caught your eyes are the wetness of her hair and uniform indicating that she was soaked by the rain. Being the timid person, you were the first one to apologize as you wanted to get out of this awkward situation.

"I'm s-sorry."

You said to which Danielle apologized as well.

"N-No, I should be the one apologizing. I mistook you for someone."

You kinda felt sad for the girl since it was raining as it was apparent that she forgot her umbrella. Your heart beat raced in nervousness as you decided to offer your umbrella on her instead.

"Y-You can have my umbrella."

"Huh?"

Using the confusion of Danielle, you gave her your umbrella as both of you looked at each other eye to eye. There, Danielle felt a strange spark that traveled through her eyes and through her brain. You were the same and it was really strange. But not wanting to make things more awkward, you used your shoulder bag to cover your head as you walked away. Danielle felt surprised by your action as there wasn't many people who would do such kindness to a stranger especially her who made a huge embarrassing mistake on you. She felt both a mix of happiness and guilt as before she could lose sight of you, she called you out.

"Hey"

You stopped on your tracks as Danielle approached you covering you with your own umbrella as Danielle said

"Let's share your umbrella instead? I…I feel bad seeing you get soaked because of me."

You weren't really expecting this kind of gesture from a stranger as you haven't encountered people who was actually kind to you Considering your timid nature. But Danielle's sincere smile was honest and declining her offer wouldn't only bring problems for you. So you nodded your head as Danielle closed the gap between you two. Amidst the rain, you were sharing an umbrella with someone and it was quite uncomfortable with you.

But it seems like fate has more plans for you. The drizzle that was happening only got stronger as Danielle immediately noticed this.

"Ah Damn rain. Come on Oppa, let's hurry up and take cover on a shelter."

Danielle grabbed your hand surprising you. You couldn't say a thing as Danielle dragged you quicker than you could react to it. It was quite funny how a High schooler like Danielle, was able to push you around despite you being older. But you brushed that though aside for now as your goal was to find a shelter in the rain. But it wasn't that long when the two of you took shelter on a convince store.

The cashier didn't mind your two entering the store at this kind of weather as it was understandable given by the current situation both you and Danielle had. Danielle, a little soaked in the water couldn't help but chuckle in dismay for her clothes.

"Welp, there goes tomorrow's uniform."

Her accent gave way to you that she wasn't a fully fluent korean speaker but guessing her accent, you were for sure she was Australian.

"Ah, by the way Oppa, I'm grateful for you sharing your umbrella with me"

She bowed towards you to which you just waved off.

"I-It's nothing really. I mean, both of us don't want to get wet right?"

You chuckled awkwardly not knowing if what you said was the correct one but your gaze captured the cashier giving you a weird look. You immediately shook your head at him hoping that he'll realized that you were not doing anything malicious to the girl. After all, You promised yourself that you wouldn't date any girl younger than you as Society wouldn't approve it and you didn't want your reputation, who's already at a bad one, go down further in the drain.

"I mean I guess your right about that Oppa. Hmmm, I am in debt to you after all so….."

Danielle looked around the convinient store and realized that she could pay her debt to you immediately. She wasn't found of being in debt to others as she would rather pay them immediately as soon as possible and right now, she was at the right time and right place.

"So why don't I treat right here Oppa? I don't the rain would stop soon anyway."

You wanted to refuse knowing that the stare of the cashier only got sharper as sweats began to form on your forehead. The words "No" was right infront of your tounge ready to be spoken yet seeing the bright smile and sincerity behind Danielle made your heart battle for what to do. Accepting her offer would only make the Cashier suspicious of you and you don't want anymore weird gazes from people around you, but rejecting her offer wouldnt definitely crush those weird accusations from the cashier but it will definetly crush the poor girls heart in half, or even more.

As you sigh, you made up your mind that Danielle was just too much of a poor soul to make her heart broken in half.

"Sure but let's keep the budg-"

"Yey! Alright, let's grab some cup noodles and some triangle kimbap!"

Danielle energetically went through the aile searching for her favorite Noodles while your trail behind her. Being a college Student, Cup noodles was your go to food with a few occasion of kimbap or Tofu soup but most of the time, it's Cup noodles against the world.

"Sooo.. Oppa, what's your name?"

"Ah, It's Y/n Roh."

"Ohhh, cool name. Mine's Danielle Marsh. Or you can call me Mo Jihye"

"Ah, I see.."

"So what school do you attend to?"

Danielle opened up the conversation between the two of you as you weren't the person to start a converse to begin with.

"Oh, Umm, I study at Tokki University"

"Oh wow My dream University! So what course are you on?"

"Ummm..Business Management.."

"Ohhh, So Oppa wants to run a drug empire?"

You widen your eyes as your mouth hanged open by the words spoken by Danielle. Seeing your face made the girl laigh her ass out.

"Hahaha, Did I leave you 'asking for more?' get it? Cause drug addicts tends to ask more if there's no more drugs. Get it?"

She smiled innocently as your thoughts began to ask if Danielle's humor was the humor of the youth. If so, then a small shiver ran down your spine as imagining the youth to be like this scares you. In fact, in general, teenagers scare the living shit out of you.

"Y-Yeah, I get it."

"Hehehe~"

Danielle happily took 2 cup of noddles with her and 2 triangle kimbap as she hummed her favorite song which you immediately recognize. It was the same song that you listen to when wiriting your storeis. Maybe there is a way where the two of you can connect somehow despite the difference of personality.

"That song. That's the song "Hurt" by New Jeans right?"

Danielle smiled brightly and nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Yup, are you a fellow cultured man too?"

"Oh umm. Well I'm not a big fan and all, but I do listen to them time to time especially when I'm writing my stories."

You gasp as your heart starts to beat quicker after realizing what you just uttered. You anticipate seeing embarrassment and a disgusted expression. You were terrified by the numerous occasions when others looked down on you whenever you mentioned your passion, and the only places where you actually felt safe from everyone were with Yuqi and the library cafe. But now that your tongue slipped and, it will be added to the collection of never-ending disgust-

"Woah, an Author. That's so cool!!"

Danielle's sudden enthusiasm made you suprised as you saw her genuine smile and shine on her eyes. You weren't sure if she was acting to not feel weirded by you but observing that spark in her eyes, she was genuinely amazed.

"I-I'm not an author, just a wannabe one.."

"So? That's still cool! I think writing a story based out of your imagination is cool as it is to other amazing sport out there. It's like your living out your fantasies in a book, I personally like that."

Danielle chuckled before heading into the cashier who has been observing your interaction with her. So far, his suspicions has calmed down after seeing how Danielle was enthusiastic to talking with you. Danielle paid for the food and bought her own umbrella now as the two of you took your seat watching the rain infront of the store. You thanked Danielle by her action towards you as Danielle just shrugged it off. She wanted to just say that it was nothing but then a light bulb entered her head. An idea arrived and she was smiling just by thinking of the idea.

"Well Oppa, You can thank me by, letting me see your story. Hehehe."

Danielle was really the opposite of you and perhaps more evil than you thought. Her bright smile turned to a more mischievous one and if you really want to feel gratitude by her action, you have to comply. But there was a dilemma, your book full of stories was left at your apartment and the only story you have is the one that was crumbled down and throwen to the trash earlier. A sense of dissapointment once again appeared on your face and Danielle immediately noticed this.

"I-I mean if you don't wan to then it's okay-"

"No, I'm sorry, I must have shown a depressed expression just now right?"

Danielle nodded her head as her thoughts began to pick up the pieces for what kind of person you are but she can't really build it just yet. The founds for your character in her mind was completely empty from the inside and she needs to find that out more.

"Y-Yeah, Kinda Oppa."

"It's just today, My story was dumped and was simply set aside by the director. Of course submitting a story will always have consequences like this but being constantly getting rejected left and right. It takes a toll on you."

Danielle was quiet as she observes and listens to your ranting. You took a bite of your cup noddles and the warmness of the food really pluck a string on your heart as you bit your lips avoiding yourself from tearing up.

"Sorry, I sounded weird just now."

"Oppa."

"Yeah?"

"Can I see it?"

Danielle expression changed to a more serious expression which was so different from what she was earlier. Somehow, you were getting the director's vibe from her and whenever you were face to face with a director, it always scares you as cold sweat would form on your forehead and hands. You gulped and despite you not wanting to show it after hearing the feedback earlier, you still pulled out your story on your bag and handed it to Danielle.

"I'll read this for the meantime, Oppa, just eat okay?"

Her words didn't felt like her usual giddy tone and it was more like an authoritarian one. You just nodded your head as you ate your cup noddles and Kimbap as your eyes would glance at Danielle who was seriously reading the script of the story with a visible fire in her eyes. After 10 minutes of finishing your food and her seriously reading it throughly, she placed the script down as she glared at you.

"You…."

You gulped in fear as Danielle's sharp gaze shot through your heart. If looks can kill then you would have died on the spot.

"D-Danielle I-"

"You Writing Genius!! How could you make such a fluffy story! Oh my god. The way you wrote the characthers and their own traits-eh? Oppa, are you… Crying?"

You touched your face, and before you knew it, tears were streaming down your cheeks. Perhaps your heart and head joined forces when you realized Danielle had expressed what you had hoped to hear from different directors.

It was so unexpected that you weren't even able to react appropriately before additional tears started to fall and you started to cry with delight. Danielle finally caused the sadness and disappointment that had been building up inside of you to release.

"Ah,umm…what do I do… Think Danielle, Think!"

Danielle was thinking on what she should do to comfort you but her brain ended up giving her two options. One is to give him tissues and let you be or get closer to her you and hug you. Yes, the 2nd option was weird considering that the two of you haven't known each other that long. Going for the first option was the safest option for Danielle but it just didn't sit well with her. She can tell that you have been facing rejection, after rejection, and probably dissapointment too and this just makes her more sadder for you.

"Oh screw it. I'm Danielle Marsh damn it!"

Danielle stood up from her seat as she went to your side pulled you close to her as she hugged you patting your back. You were momentarily surprised by this but the feeling of comfort and warmth from her touch engulf you. You felt safe and protected around her and this somehow calmed you down. Danielle on the other hand couldn't help but feel so sorry for you. Despite you being a college student, in her eyes, you looked like a pure innocent kid who's really genuine with your hobby.

The silence that you two shared was so powerful that you felt a heavy weight off your shoulder dissappear. Danielle on the other hand found you adorable in her embrace as you pulled away wiping a few tears in your eyes. At this point, embarrassment has crept up your mind realizing that you cried into someone's arms without permission as a blush appeared on your cheeks.

"I'm so-sorry Danielle. I didn't mean to suddenly break down infront of you. I just-"

"No need to explain Oppa. It must be hard being a writer huh?"

You nodded your head at her as Danielle chuckled and pulled her chair closer to you with a smile.

"You know Oppa, maybe I can help you create a story that will blow those jerks-I mean directors off the face of the planet."

You blinked your eyes a couple of times after hearing what you just heard from her. Surely she's just telling this to cheer you up-

"And no, I'm not doing this to cheer you up. I genuinely want to help you out Oppa. This is also a way for us to be friends."

"Friends?"

You asked. You genuinely have no friends except Yuqi and the people at the Cafe library. It was hard for you to socialize since nobody was interested in your hobby or you specifically so having someone say they want to be your friend is an experience.

"Umm.. Danielle, I'm not really a good social person and-"

"What are you talking about? We have been literally been talking since earlier. I dont see you being an unsociable person at all."

She was right. You and Danielle were talking for such quite time now and it felt all so natural talking to her. Maybe saying that you were unsociable is just a way to keep people out since Danielle was able to jump her way past that. And perhaps this could be a sign that things would be great moving forward.

"I guess your right Danielle. But, I'm 3 years older than you. Are you sure you wanna be friends with me?"

"What does age have to do with me being your friend? I choose who I wanna be friends with anyway. And I choose you, Y/n Roh Oppa, to be my first College friend. Hehehe~"

Her smile really was full of warmth and if sunshine had a smile, then Danielle have it. Pulling out her phone, she showed her number as you immediately got what she was trying to do. Both of you exchange phone numbers and returned the phone. You checked your contacts and you contact numbers had 1 new one and it's labeled as..

"Danielle the sunshine girl? Why did you write that down?"

"Cause its fun Oppa. Look, I wrote yours as the Y/n Oppa the soon to be star author. See? It's fun cause I believe it."

You chuckled at her as the two of you continued to converse like you two have met in a long time as the rain slowly dissappear. Once it had dissappeared, both you and Danielle left the store as she smiled back at you.

"Well, I'll see you around Oppa. Ah by the way, I might or could possibly send you good morning text or good night text just to make sure your alive. I have a fear that if you don't reply, then that means your dead."

You couldn't help but laugh at her words.

"I don't mind it at all Danielle."

"Great, see you around Oppa, hopefully tomorrow. Bye bye~"

She waved you goodbye as she happily skipped away as you were left confused by the words that came out of her mouth.

"Tommorow? Well, I'm preety much sure I won't meet her until then right?"

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.

Danielle really sticked by her word as she would never miss a day messaging you sending Goodnights and Goodmorning text. Honestly speaking, you overwhelmed by this type of behavior as you really don't know what to reply to her after she send those messages. But beside that, Danielle was actually a very good friend to you.

A week has passed since that encounter and you two would occasionally meet at the convenient store discussing a new story and if your being honest, Danielle's suggestion was really out of this world and really a Challenge to write in general. But her ideas were those typical romance stories but it's twist and plot progression was really interesting that can keep any readers intrigued of the story. But staying at the convenient store wasn't really ideal for you because of 2 reasons.

The first reason is that the place was very far away from your University and also your apartment. Staying there longer means walking a long time and making you exhausted. Being exhausted makes your body and mind tired to do anything and that wouldn't help you in writing a new story.

The second reason is that the eyes of the people entering the place. You were already afraid of the weird stare the cashier gave you before so having multiple stares at you only makes your more anxious and it also didn't help that Danielle was wearing her uniform and you were wearing your College ID. It really makes you overthink if you were getting canceled but most importantly, you were afraid of what people would think of Danielle. You weren't afraid of your own image but for Danielle? She has a bright future ahead for her and you didn't want to harm that.

So instead of staying at that store, you instead suggested to meet up in your sanctuary, the Cafe library to which Danielle agreed on. She didn't really know where the place was but using Google maps, she memorized where she should go. During the morning of her typical day, Danielle was approached by her 2 friends, Kim Minji and Pham Hanni who wore a mischievous smile on their face.

"So, Danielle, you didn't told us you were into Older guys?"

"Excuse me?"

Danielle was surprised by the question Hanni said as Minji playful nudge Danielle.

"Oh come on. Don't act like you didn't know."

"I'm sorry. But what are you two talking about?"

Danielle was really confused on what her two friends were talking as Hanni and Minji shared a look before they sigh.

"Well, students say that you were seen talking to a college guy in the nearby store in our school"

"And words spread out saying you were dating him"

Both Minji and Hanni said respectively as Danielle realized that they were pertaining to you to which she laughed out loud confusing her two friends.

"Damn, so that's what they say? He's actually a friend of mine and isn't it cool that I have a college friend? It makes me closer to being an adult!"

Danielle's smile made her two friend sigh realizing how pure hearted Danielle once. But that's the reason why many guys want her. She's just really pure at heart and very kind. Some people would say that foreigners wouldn't be able to blend well with locals but Danielle proved them all wrong.

"Well, I mean is he treating you right?"

Minji asked as Danielle nodded her head. The trio were walking home now leaving past the school gate.

"Yup, He's kind of awkward at times but I think it's because of him being just socially awkward. But he's a good guy who likes writing. Isn't that cool? Hsi stories is actually good too."

Hanni chuckled at her remark as she crossed her arms near her chest.

"Sounds like a nerd to me who's not good with people. Dani, seriously, are you even sure that he's what you think he is? What if he's just lying to you pretending to act like that because he wants something more? Predators are a common thing right now and I'm worried for you. "

The words that Hanni said made Danielle stop on her tracks. Was what she said really true about you? Were you just faking it because you want something from her? She thought about it as she recalled all her memories with you and found absolutly nothing that comes to her mind whenever you act weird. Except when you shy away when saying a story idea as she would notice you blush in embarrassment and a small smile would appear on your face. That scene made her smile a little before facing Hanni.

"Hanni, I understand you worrying for me but I know Y/n Oppa isn't like that. He's a good guy. Perhaps too good for this world because of his soft heart and kind behavior. If I were to assume all what you said was true and act different towards him, wouldn't that make me a terrible friend just because I listened and believed to something fake where I clearly know what's right?"

Minji smirked feeling proud of Danielle as she playfully shoved the shoulder of Hanni as Hanni sigh seeing the smirk on Minji's face. If there was one thing that Hanni couldn't stand is seeing Minji with her smug face.

"I'm just saying Dani, I'm not telling you to act differently at him. Just be cautious, that's all I'm saying."

"Well, Honestly speaking, I would rather trust Y/n Oppa than Johan, the uhhh… Star player of our school. And that says a lot cause I have been friends with Johan since freshmen and I just can't trust him than Y/n Oppa. If you would meet him and spend time with him, you'll realize that being simple is fun."

Danielle smiled before continuing to walk ahead as Minji shook her head at Hanni.

"You know that Danielle is a good judge of character right?"

"Yeah, I know that girl, it's just that I'm worried for her."

Hanni was a great friend with Danielle as the trio would basically would do everything together and their bonds goes beyond friendship. It almost felt like they were real life siblings, taking care of each other, teasing each other, and always loving each other so of course, Hanni would be worried for her friend.

"Hanni, remember that time Danielle warned you about dating Jay Lee or even Theo Song even though she just saw them with one glance?"

"Well yeah, How could I forget that. If I didn't listen to Danielle then I would be doing drugs right now or even worse, a young mother."

"See, Danielle immediately saw those from afar just by seeing those guys. Trust her Hanni, She knows what she's doing and if she trust that Y/n guy, Then we should believe her."

Hanni, sighed as she looked over at Danielle who was a few feet ahead of them walking. She really loves Danielle and want nothing more for her happiness. So if Danielle thinks that your trust worthy then she will too.

"Alright, If Danielle says so then so be it."

"That's the spirit. Alright, let's catch up to Danielle."

The two girls caught up with Danielle as they began to talk about their school experience on this day as their day ended with smiles and laughter but for Danielle, her day ended with thrill and excitement as she was eager to meet you tomorrow on a great relaxing place. As if time was moving fast, the next day quicker than expected.

The duo of Minji and Hanni noticed the bored and exhausted look on Danielle as they approached her during their break time.

"Hey Dani, you seem out if it. You alright?"

Minji said with her soft voice to which Danielle respond with a soft chuckle.

"Yeah I'm fine. It's just that I couldn't sleep last night cause I was excited to meet him to that Cafe library in the city."

Hanni nodded her head but also was curious on why she would meet you there.

"Isn't that place gonna get demolished in a few weeks? Why there anyway?"

"Well it's what he says. Beside, I always wanted to visit that place in a long time now so yeah."

Hanni and Minji nodded their head as they were already familiar with that place anyway. There wasn't any suspicious activity there and it was rather calming there to any supposed any areas around the city.

Danielle wished nothing more for the final bell to ring as her bright smile was plastered on her face ready to beat anyone who leaves the school gate. As the final bell rang, Danielle bursted through the door leaving a few trails of smoke behind her as Hanni and Minji laughed seeing how Danielle acted. Danielle was the first to leave the school gate and as she was out of the gate, she catched her breath and began to walk towards the cafe library. The place wasn't that far from her school but she made sure to call you.

"Oppa, I'm already seeing the place. Where are you?

"Ah, just enter the cafe, you'll immediately see me

"Oh Okay, see you soon Oppa~

"Ah yeah see you-Yah, Yuqi. It's not like that!

The call ended leaving her in a state of confusion as she was able to hear a girl's voice through the phone. She questioned herself if you were with another person besides her but she just brush that off and thought that you had other friends there. But their was an uneasy feeling on her part that she can't clearly explain. Her smile that was present immedietly dissappearred when she heard you say Yuqi. A mix of sadness, dissapointment, curious, and worry was what the feeling was.

She arrived at the place and the first thing that caught her attention was the calming vibe the place had. It's ambience was out of this world as customers and students were in the place discussing something and at the same time reading books.

"Woah, this place is cool!"

"Ah, Danielle, over here."

She heard that familiar voice over and her smile was immediately back on her face as she saw you sitting on your favorite table but this time, there was an extra seat for her as she made her way towards you all smiles.

"Hey Y/n Oppa. Did you wait too long? I'm sorry I took my time it's just that I kinda got lost for a bit."

You chuckled at her words as she took a seat opposite to you. It wasn't your first time having someone to talk to in the cafe but it surely was your first time talking to a friend outside of the cafe infront of you.

"It's fine. I just got here as well. By the way, Do you drink coffee or you're to young for it-"

"Yah, Oppa. How many times do I have to tell you that I'm adult already."

You softly laughed and Danielle found it weird that for the first time, she heard you laugh without any awkwardness in them. It sounded so pure and happy like there was no lie in your laughter as this caught Danielle off guard. She was used to you being all shy and timid even when talking or laughing so being able to hear your true laugh really made her frozen to her feet.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. So what drink would you like?"

"O-oh Ummmm..do they have like a hot chocolate here?"

"Yup they do have. Should I order it to be the special type?"

Danielle turn her head to the side a bit as a look of confusion was written on her face.

"Special type? What's that?"

"Well it's like the drink got upgraded. Instead of a normal hot choco drink, they would add up whip cream, some marshmallows, and finally some crushed oreo cookies."

Just by hearing your words, Danielle's mouth was foaming that she had to gulp down her saliva to control herself.

"Yeah, I would like that."

"Alright, Let me order it real quick. Hold on."

You left your table to order your drink as Danielle looked around the place. She found the place really relaxing an it's aesthethics were really her taste. She really doesn't understand why someone would demolish this place when it's better than any cafe she visited before. But as much as she wants to admire the place, her eyes landed on you talking, smiling and even laughing whole heartedly to a small girl on the counter. That mixture of feelings was once again in the pits of her stomach and she didn't like it one bit.

Her eyes tried to look away from it but it felt like her eyes just keeps on locking gazes with you and that girl. She spent a few good chunks of minutes staring at you and the girl but immediately looked away when you walked back at the table with your orders at hand. You handed Danielle her drink as you sat back on your seat.

"You seem like a regular here Oppa. You seem close with the staff here."

Danielle said as you nodded your head. The proud feeling took over your body knowing this place was your second home and everyone here was like a family to you.

"Yeah, you could say this is my second home and silent sanctuary. I have been here since the start of the place. I'm gonna miss them when this place gets shut down"

"Even the girl?…."

"Huh?"

Danielle widen her eyes realizing that her mouth just went into pilot mode saying that stuff that was on her mind. You on the other hand didn't really hear what she said so were confused on what she was saying.

"What are you talking about Danielle?"

"Oh uh.. Umm.. I.. I was talking about the book! Y-Yeah the book here. T-The girl who missed the book."

"There's a book like that?"

You asked as Danielle gulped a little trying desperately to escaped her situation she placed herself in. She nodded her head but at the same time, stirred the conversation to another direction hoping to bury this one in the dirt.

"A-Anyway Oppa. Any ideas you have for your new story?"

You smiled happily and took out your notebook showing her the titles you had in mind and it's plot. You explained each story and so far, Danielle all loved it but one story is what really got her hooked up.

"This story about a girl in the past and a boy in the present meeting up in the present timeline. I like this one. It's unique, it's interesting and the ending is quite realistic. I love this one. Shall I give you some possible plot Ideas Oppa?"

"I would love to Danielle."

Your genuine smile caught her off guard as she looked down, a small tint of pinkness appearing there as she tries to contain her happiness. This afternoon spending time with you was so different than the times you would meet up with her in the store. She wasn't sure if it was because of your in a familiar territory or if it's because you're really just shining whenever your doing your hobby.

Danielle began writing down her plots as Yuqi arrived smiling and greeting the two of you.

"So how's the drink Y/n?"

"Oh Yuqi, it's the best ever, like always."

Danielle looked up and she saw the girl that you were talking to and she can tell that she was the same girl earlier on the call as her voice has been imprinted on her mind. She noticed how the two of you acted so close and that mix feeling again appeared but this time, it annoyed her.

"Ah, by the way Yuqi, this is Danielle. A friend of mine."

Danielle looked up smiling as usual as Yuqi smiled and greeted her as well.

"Nice to meet you Danielle. A friend of Y/n is also a friend of mine. So make yourself at home okay?"

"Ah, Yes Unnie."

But as soon as the greetings ended, Danielle couldn't help but glance up her notebook seeing how comfortable, happy, and bright you were talking to Yuqi and seeing the response of Yuqi towards you, it made her feel more annoyed and confused. This feeling was such a mystery for her and it also intrigues her. Whenever you would talk about Yuqi, Danielle just stop functioning and her grip on the pen would tighten up and it eventually broke in half snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Oh no my pen…."

"It's alright Danielle, I have mine right here."

You pulled out one of your ballpen towards her but instead of just handing it to her, your hand touched with hers as you gave the ballpen.

"You really need to be careful Danielle, Ballpen lives matter too."

You softly chuckled at your words yet Danielle was lost staring at your hand. It was her first time having someone else hold her hand like this and it send Shockwave all over her Body. That mix feeling she was feeling immediately dissappeared in an instant when you're hand touched hers. She noticed her heart beating faster now and she could feel her cheeks turning hotter by the second.

Was she sick?

Did she get an unknown sickness along the way?

Is she gonna be alright?

These questions appeared on her head making her unable to focus on the plots anymore. It also didn't help that time moved faster as they left the cafe with Danielle dissapointed in herself not being able to be productive with you.

"I'm sorry Y/n Oppa, I couldn't focus much today"

She looked down embarrassed but you just smiled softly and patted her head. Just like how your hand touches hers earlier, her heart began to beat faster and this got her excited somehow.

"It's fine Danielle. What's important is that we were able to start a story together. So I don't think this day was wasted."

Your bright smile really can captive even the strongest warrior's as Danielle was that warrior. Now she was weak towards you. You picked up a taxi for her as she was suprised.

"Oppa, I can walk."

"No can do Danielle, It's night time now and I won't risk you walking away in this time. I would rather want to send you home safe. Don't worry, I already paid the taxi on my phone so just messaged me when you arrive home okay?"

Danielle was now confused. Were you really the same timid Y/n she met a week ago cause right now, you were stirring her heart and thoughts out of control. She thanked you as you wathc her leave the scene with you waving at her goodbye. Today's meeting really left you wondering if Danielle's pick was the best story for you.

"I better review the plot she made tonight."

You trusted Danielle after all so you have full trust that this story of yours will work out in the end. As you walked home, Danielle was at the taxi cab thinking of what feeling her heart was feeling when you offered her a taxi home. It was weird, it was confusing and at the same time, it was a nice feeling to have.

"I gotta ask Minji and Hanni tomorrow, I'm sure they have an answer to that"

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.

.

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"You're Jealous."

"What?"

Hanni clarified herself after Danielle described what she felt yesterday on seeing you interacting with Song Yuqi. Minji chocked on her drink after she heard Hanni said those words.

"Hanni, That's impossible. Danielle just met the guy a week ago. There's no way Danielle likes him that quick. Right Danielle?"

"Y-Yeah. Isn't love suppose to take time?"

Hanni sighed and shook her head. If there was someone who has expertise when it comes to love then Hanni was that person.

"Haven't you been spending every afternoon with him since meeting him? Don't tell me that isn't enough time for something to develop? Love sometimes can be unexpected at times and right now, Danielle, Your in love with him."

Danielle gulped down her anxiety. Hanni can be crazy at times but surely, she's wrong right?

"N-No, that's impossible Hanni.."

"Dani, face it. Your in the stage of denial right now. But if you really wanna know. Why don't you go and visit him and see what you feel when he interact with that friend of his."

Danielle is no longer able to talk. Hanni's explanation of her feelings helped her to come to the correct conclusion. Love is a complicated emotion that differs from person to person, and Danielle isn't sure what type of love she is feeling for you right now. Was that love? Pity? Inspiration? Or the most straightforward: She loves you. As the day went by, her thoughts kept returning to those queries. As she walked out of the school, she felt as like she was wandering aimlessly, wondering herself, "Do I really love him?" But as she turned to face the cafe library, she began to feel as though her legs had a consciousness of their own.

"Why am I even here-"

Her words was stopped when she saw you smiling, laughing with Yuqi. The two of you felt like the world was only yours and nothing else mattered. Danielle's gaze was just focused on that one person, You.

She had her palm firmly clutched on the hem of her skirt and her eyes were more alert than usual because she could see how tactile Yuqi was with you, and the worst part was that you seemed to be loving it. Naturally, Yuqi was introduced to her as one of your pals as well, but their bond was worlds apart from hers. In contrast to her, Yuqi seems like a girl who fits you. Danielle, on the other hand, was still a student, young, occasionally immature, and kidding about.

It hurt her to experience this kind of emotion since her heart was being yanked back. It might have hurt earlier to have such a large cut on her, but this was worse. Her mind rang with the earlier remarks of Hanni. She eventually caught a glimpse of you and another girl. She…

"I hate it…."

Danielle softly said as she took a deep breath in. And entered the cafe. She didn't want to lose and she was a competitive girl. Once she focused on something, she won't ever stop until she achieved it. And right now, her goal is have your attention, just for her. Only her.

"Oh Y/n. That plot is really good. But do you-"

"Hey Y/n Oppa~"

Danielle entered their chat as you and Yuqi both turned to see the smiling Danielle. You waved your hand at her while returning her smile. You weren't actually expecting her, but now that you've shown her around, it was only a matter of time until she started coming here more frequently. But this time, something about Danielle was different. She chose to sit next to you rather than across from you, purposely cutting Yuqi off and surprising her.

"O-Oh, Well I gotta do my shift now Y/n. See you two later."

You laughed and nodded your head at Yuqi as she went away with a wink. Danielle was enraged to witness Yuqi flirting with you as her love for you burned hot. She was filled with jealousy and want your undivided attention. Danielle closes the distance between you by doing something unconventional, surprising you in the process.

"W-Woah, is there something on my face Danielle?"

"Clean face, no lipstick on your neck, your perfume seems like your perfume, no female hair on your clothes. Your cleared."

Danielle sat back as you blinked twice not knowing why Danielle suddenly got close to your face. It was weird seeing Danielle up close as she kinda looks preety.

You slapped your mental self just by thinking that thought.

"Have you gone mad Y/n!?! That's Danielle! An 18 year old girl! You're 21 and you shouldn't say those stuff! You disgusting fteak!"

You tormented yourself but even before you can curse yourself up, Danielle once again got closer to you and this time, she grabbed your hand and asked a silly question that got your wondering. What is Danielle doing?

"Oppa, my hand kinda hurts. Can you guide my hand in writing the plot? I really want to finish this chapter 2 summary."

"A-Ah, Su-Sure…"

With your hand above hers, you felt a sense of warmth and softness from her hand and this got you blushing a little. It was your first time holding a girl's hand and it made your heart beat faster. But that was shut down immediately as you again realized that Society will label you as a disgusting bastard since Danielle is still young and you're an adult.

You chose to ignore this, but as the days passed, Danielle's aggressive devotion for you only became more overt. Sometimes Danielle's teasing makes you blush, other times she holds your hand just because she thinks it's cold when it's warm, other times she sends you good morning messages with heart emojis instead of the usual sun set or sunrise, and lastly there are the times she purposefully cuts off Yuqi with her usual antics, which makes you feel both relieved and worried. You were relieved that Yuqi wouldn't have to disturb your writing flow on a regular basis, but you were also concerned about how Danielle's combative behavior may irritate Yuqi. But that wasn't the case at all.

With the sudden change of Behavior from Danielle, you had to ask her why she's being like this because right now, you were touching dangerous waters. You don't want Danielle to do something she will or you will regret. So meeting up with her on the Cafe like usual, You waited for her but you were also anxious about what would happen to your friendship with her. You didn't want it to end here nor do you also want to change the relationship you have now.

It wasn't that long when Danielle arrived and her attire caught you off guard. Something about her made you stare at her as it wasn't just you who were captivated. Multiple guys and girls were also in awe with how Danielle presented herself. Her usual long hair was cut off to a medium length, a small bun was at the back of her hair and her ends were curled abit showcasing her different beauty. A mature concept if what you call it.

"Oppa~"

Danielle with her signature smile went to you as the stare of the people went to you. You gulped in fear as you always don't feel comfortable with many eyes on you and with Danielle's presence, brought audience. She sat opposite to you but you can see how preety and beautiful Danielle is right now and this really got you nervous. Your mind and heart was torn into two sides on what to pick.

"Danielle, did you cut your hair?"

"Oh, yup. My hair was kinda getting too long and now. I look ugly huh?"

Oh ugly was sure in her dictionary of things as she was looking like a princess unworthy of your time. You ended up gazing on her as Danielle smiled softly with a little blush on her cheeks. This was her plan all along after all. She wants to captivate you and make sure that your attention will only be for her. Taking this opportunity, she changed her seat to be with you as your heart began racing faster and your cheeks was turning redder.

"Say Oppa."

"Y-Yeah?"

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

You shook your head at her question. Having a hard time communicating with other people was already harder and confessing to Yuqi was close to impossible, so why did she think you even have a slight chance to even have a girlfriend.

"Danielle I need to tell you-"

"Oppa can I go first?"

Danielle's expression changed from her usual bright demeanor to a more anxious and worried expression. You haven't seen this side of Danielle before and somehow, this made you feel bad for her.

"Oppa, ever since I met you, I entered a new world that I didn't know that I would enjoy. Honestly speaking, I wasn't into books and all that but you, you Oppa changed my perspective and I realized how much amazing it is. You helped me enter a new world I would cherish forever. "

The words spoken by Danielle touched your heart. It wasn't everyday that you get complimented by your hobby as most people would just look down on you.

"Danielle, that means a lot to me."

Danielle smiled for a few second before she showed her anxious expression once again. Her hands were sweating bullets but she has to say it now and make her plan to action. With a deep breath she stared at your eyes.

"And I found an amazing friend with me who would show me the beauty of stories and with how the imagination can be used so well for amazing scenarios. I'm forever thankful for you Oppa but, there's a bump, well it was my on bump…"

"Danielle…."

"Oppa, the time we spent together, I'm thankful for that. The times where you would motivate me to do my homework, were you would buy me hot choco for my scores, for always reminding me to do my best but also relax, all of this, made me feel…. Loved."

Her eyes soften and her stare at you wasn't anxious or her usual bright aura. It was something new and your eyes widen in realization that what Danielle is showing to you is the climax expression of your character confessing. In your perspective, this was bad. The dangerous water you desperately want avoid has now entered your space.

"Danielle I-"

"I know Oppa. Your scared of what society would say if you date me right?"

Your soul left your body as Danielle immediately caught your intentions. You didn't know how to react as Danielle chuckled and leaned in closer to you. She caressed your cheeks as her look of love was still plastered on her face but you can also see in her eyes that there was sadness in them.

"I know you wouldn't agree with me and I already know that. But at least for now you know what I feel. Just this once, let me feel happiness."

Danielle closed in on you kissing your forehead. Your heart fluttered not because of the sudden kiss but rather by where she kissed you. She knows that kissing your lips was still an x mark for you so kissing your forehead was the best she can give you. After all, she's gonna leave this place and return to Australia and might not even see you anymore.

Despite how difficult it is for her, she felt powerless over her fate because her objective was home rather than here. She initially detested it and want to leave this location. Her friends have become her haven, you have become her lighthouse of joy, and this has become her home. She made the decision to end on a high note since she didn't want to leave with a shattered heart. She gave her hair a more moderately short haircut to demonstrate that she is prepared to let go and embark on a new life. When they realized their time was short, Minji and Hanni sobbed bitterly, but what about you? None of this was known to you.

Danielle pulled away from you as she wore a bittersweet smile hiding her tears from falling. She knows that this was goodbye and the painful thing for her is that, she couldn't even finish the story with you.

"Goodbye, Oppa."

Danielle stood up and began walking away from the door as you were staring at her picking up the pieces together. Something wasn't adding up with this meeting. Danielle left the Cafe as her tears began to form on her eyes but she kept a strong face as she walked away, biting her lips not wanting to cry out loud.

You were left unable to speak and in a precarious situation. Has Danielle just abandoned you? Has your friendship with her ended? And what did she say as she bid goodbye? All of this was going through your mind, with no answer as Yuqi sat opposite to you with a dissapointed face.

"So why did you make Danielle cry?"

You looked perplexed as you looked up and saw Yuqi.

"What?"

While shaking her head, Yuqi sighed. She had a burning want to punch you right now.

"Danielle just confessed to you right? But to me, that felt like a goodbye gift than a confession."

Your heart sanked hearing what Yuqi said. Was that the missing piece on why nothing added up on Danielle's action? But it's still felt like you're missing something. Something that will connecting everything.

"Listen Y/n. I know Danielle is like 3 years younger than you but are you really going to break her heart just because your afraid of what people will say? Is that it?"

Frustration was evident on Yuqi's voice as you couldn't answer properly. Danielle had always brought a smile to your face no matter what and it was because of her that you felt like your were an important person to someone. It felt like someone cared for you wholeheartedly and accepting who you are as a person.

"I have seen it with my eyes how Danielle really loved you. And you also showed how much you cared for her, more than a friend would do."

Yuqi's comments just keep coming while your head is filled with recollections. As soon as Danielle's warmth and smile entered your mind, your heart began to beat more rapidly. The innumerable occasions when Danielle would reassure you, tease you, motivate you, and even show you that she cared. Did Danielle care about what other people thought after showing you all that?

Absolutely not

The memories you shared with her flooded your memory, making your heart beat more quickly and more quickly. You were only fooled by what people would say; that risky river you keep claiming to avoid isn't actually dangerous; yet in love, love isn't just about doing things. It has to do with the language that the two of you used to express your feelings, and that was the story that both of you created. That was the symbol of your love.

Your long-built wall of defense was breached not by force but rather by Danielle's warm presence in your life. Everything fell into place at this point; you, not Danielle, were the missing link. Everything that transpired in this story was due to your actions, and you now have a significant decision to make.

"Yuqi, I'm sorry for being an idiot. But I gotta go."

Standing up, You dashed away from the door as Yuqi smiled proudly and chuckled.

"When did that guy grow up so fast?"

.

.

.

Passing by many people, your eyes were just looking for a specific girl. An Australian sunshine girl. You didn't know where to look for her but your heart believed that she was just close by. You don't want to end the story like this. This wasn't what you want the script to end just like. This was the biggest leap of your life and you were gonna make the most of it.

"Danielle! Where are you-"

An angelic soft voice resonated with your ears as the familiar tone got you walking towards that direction. With every step you took, the more your heart was beating louder and her soft voice has gotten louder. You weren't sure what to say as you stopped on your tracks as you saw the girl who wrote your story, Standing over by the old oak tree observing the sun go down. You were scared, but you were also determined to finish the story so you walked towards her as she was unaware of your presence.

"Goodbye… My sweet home.."

Danielle said as she looked down and finally let her tears fall down her face. She has been holding this emotions since earlier and right now, she couldn't hold on anymore as she cried her heart out.

"Minji, Hanni, I'll miss you… Oppa, I'll still love you-"

A sudden embrace got her suprised but the familiar heartbeat that she has accustomed to was beating loudly for her. Your hand patted her back as Danielle sat there in shock. It felt like a dejavu for her. Before, she was the one that hugged you when you broke down and now, it was you who was comforting her as she broke down in tears.

"There, there Danielle, it must be hard loving an idiot right?"

"O-Oppa?"

Danielle looked up and saw you with warm smile as you wiped away her tears with your thumb. It broke your heart seeing your sunshine look so devastated because of your stupid belief.

"Danielle, I have always been cautious about liking someone older or younger than me because of what society will say. But you, you showed me that walking away from my comfort zone for the sake of love is worth it."

Danielle widen her eyes as you continued.

"I may not be able to say I love you that quick or confidently kiss you or even hug you but I am willing to go to lengths that will make me show how much I appriciate you. And even show why I love you-"

Danielle couldn't hold it anymore as she tackled you to the ground hugging you with her tears but instead of sadness, it was happiness as Danielle wore a bright smile and kept repeating the words

"I love you, I love you."

You just chuckled as you held Danielle on your arms. You felt like a heavy burden out of your chest as Danielle spend a few minutes on your chest before speaking the words that you needed to hear.

"Oppa, I'm leaving Korea and returning to Australia to start my college there and get a job. I-It might take some time for me to return here. Will you still wait for me?"

You smiled and this time, instead of feeling worried, you were confident that she will be in your arms again.

"Danielle, my love for you will remain until how long. Because I know you'll return to my arms."

As she hugged you more tightly, Danielle flushed. Even if it hurts, Danielle has her own life to live and you must temporarily let her go since your hearts still belong to each other.

7 year later.

Countless of reporters have been surrounding a black car as they anticipate the hot and famous author in korea. The young author who took the world by storm with his poetic and amazing books. When the people needed new love stories, he delivered and now his 2nd best selling book become a movie and it has been a hit. His works never failed to miss as countless famous actors want to partake in his story to bringing into life. As the door opened, their cameras showed it's bright flash.

You stepped out of your limousine smiling and waving your hand at the people around. You didn't expect your success to be this huge just because of that story you and Danielle worked on. After you finished that story, a famous director entered the cafe and found your story interesting. From there on, your life went upwards and never slowed down.

"Ah, madame sunshine, did you wait for me?"

You held out to the world's rising and famous actress, Danielle Marsh. As she held your hand out with her astonishing red dress as her beauty showed. Camera's took pictures of you and Danielle. Her life also went to an uprise after returning to Australia. Of course she really missed you a lot and would often call you every night but with the difference of time, it was hard to adjust but both of you had a strong relationship. Danielle entered the college of musical and arts and her acting was spotted by many directors. From there, she started as small roles in drama and movies but she always stood out despite being a minor character. Soon her role was promoted until she was the main lead and her fame sky rocketed.

Hanni and Minji became her personal managers and also her tea friends where Hanni and Minji would share Danielle the latest gossip in town or in the world. Overall, the three of them become successful together. But the world was shook when you and Daniele decided to show the world that both of you were dating. You were ready to face the backlash of society but instead, you were poured with praise.

"It still feels surreal to be walking in the red carpet with my beloved author. Hehehe~"

Danielle poked your cheeks as you couldn't help but smile at her answer.

"Well I wouldn't be here if my Sunshine didn't share an umbrella with me."

"Hehehe~ I love you so much Y/n."

"And I love you where words isn't enough to write it. So I'll do this instead."

"What do you-"

You kissed Danielle by her lips as the reporters didn't hesitate to take the photo of the hottest couple in the world. Danielle giggled as she pulled away from you. Both yours reflected with each other as your story with Danielle was just starting.

#fluff #kpop #new jeans #kpop fanfic #newjeans danielle #danielle

[kaymarie-bell]

Ignihyde Chapter Spoilers: a brief summary of how the students are doing

[pomefiore side translation]

Pometrio + MC:

we've been trying to get down to Tartarus but the elevador is out of service until Ortho decides to make his move

his move: declare this situation as a Quest, RPG-style

the students have to play Star Rogue to please Ortho so he can let them use the elevator

once we're alone again Vil decides to speak about Rook, Epel, and MC coming to the Island of Woe on their own

he scolds Rook for being a terrible vice-leader by abandoning the dorm when it needed him the most. Rook says he'll accept being dismissed from his position as soon as they get back

Epel tries to protest but Vil turns his anger at him and MC. He says that we have no business playing hero when we don't have enough ability to follow through

Everyone is kind of sad but then Vil says that's all he had to say as "Pomefiore's Dorm Leader," and he will now speak as "just Vil"

He smiles and says he was very happy when Idia told them about us breaking in, and he has been holding back since he saw our faces

he gives everyone a hug and a kiss as a thank you for chasing after him

he promises he will get everyone back to school safety, and Rook says he stole his line

Epel promises he won't lose this time, especially because he has awoken his unique magic

Vil is surprised. Rook praises Epel and says he wishes he could record with his eyes so Vil could've seen it too. Vil gets serious and says that he probably will get to see it soon. Rook understands what he means and turns serious as well.

Epel is confused, but then Vil announces that something is coming at us from below.

first attack from the phantoms. Vil warns us to not touch the leftover blot since it could cause an OB

they keep following the map. MC says they're worried about more enemies bit Epel is confident about his UM. Vil is proud of him

We go into the [Asylum] and have to fight the phantoms trapped in the boxes(?) in order to clear the "2nd stage"

we fight a bunch of phantoms (including the OB'ed Pain and Panic from Hercules)

They realize that the reason the Shrouds are making them do this as if they're playing a game is that they want to buy time for the phantoms to unfreeze

I will Not perceive the Shrouds' angst atm

Vil thinks Ortho would be a great actor, he says Ortho should become a child actor focused on playing villain roles since he's very convincing. Rook wants him to join the film club when they get back (😭)

Rook tells MC they should trim Grim's nails since big cats like him need it. Vil starts talking about manicures.

Rook had cracked nails and calloused fingers due to his archery, but didn't care about it because he wears gloves. He started taking better care of himself after meeting Vil.

We almost get a RookVil backstory but we get interrupted because we find the door. Epel and MC are disappointed (me too)

I only have some highlights for the other teams because I was focused on Pometrio, I'll try to make individual posts for them later

Leona + Jamil:

Leona asks Jamil for one of his hair ornaments, then he proceeds to yeet it down the tower to see how deep it is

Jamil: dude wtf why did it have to be something of mine

They get to play the Hydra's Counterattack game

Leona is either taking everything as a game or being annoyed over Jamil's warnings of "stay behind me" or "don't go too far away from me"

Jamil is kinda worried about NRC since Kalim and Malleus are the only dorm leaders left (😭) but Leona insists he's not worried about Savanaclaw

Leona is annoyed over Jamil acting like his mom, Jamil is annoyed by Leona telling him he's like Azul 😭😭😭

Riddle + Azul

they have to play the Ferry game. Riddle is about to either knock the door down on his own or have an aneurysm

if saving the world depended on these two alone everyone would be dead tbh

they're five seconds away from throwing hands

girl help the nerds are fighting

this exactly why NRC always loses against RSA smh

that's all for now because I gotta level my cards up to defeat the Titan rip

some spoilers I saw on twt:

apparently Leona has a mega chad moment where he is the only one capable of using the weapon to defeat the Titans on his own. Vil and Riddle have to ask the others for help.

Azul and Riddle finally remember their house training after defeating their titan. They even high five each other.

now we just have to wait a bit more until we can finally see the Shrouds again

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst spoilers #ignihyde translations #Ignihyde chapter spoilers #twst chapter 6 spoilers #the contrast between the Pomefiore side vs the other two is so funny help #Vil is so happy I love him #kay shouts into the void

[veliseraptor]

@mayedays replied to your post “Sometimes I get immensely sad that you're not in...”:

What do you see as the other options? Bc the alternatives to defanging or death that I can see are (1) the author subjecting the antagonist to serious suffering/punishment (up to and including 'fate worse than death') to appease readers' sense of justice or (2) the fandom becoming so much more toxic towards the character (and their fans) bc of rage that justice (read: punishment) "wasn't served". (And I hate those options too! This feels like a no-win situation!)

​I feel like you are talking about something a little different than I am, first of all, in that you seem to be talking about the canon fate of characters in-universe whereas I was specifically (in this post) talking about the way characters get written in fandom. But since I'm here and this does feel relevant to my interests, I'll take it!

Firstly, I don't think that avoiding a storytelling choice because "readers/fans will react poorly" is...a good way to do writing. An understandable way in this day and age, certainly! But I also think it's generative of...well, you know how people talk about the phenomenon of media being bleached of its color for the sake of not offending potential advertisers? That's what I see happening as a result of this kind of implied emotional terrorism, or fear of emotional terrorism on the part of writers.

Like I said, I think it's understandable to be scared of how people are going to react to something you write, whether that is for your own sake or the sake of a hypothetical reader - it's human to want to avoid unpleasant experiences. But I think caving to that fear, or accepting that as a stifling force on the creative decisions a writer feels at liberty to make, is neither desirable nor inevitable.

Secondly - it is relevant that I was talking about fandom here, because in a canon setting the antagonist is probably going, in some form, to have to lose. But if I'm engaging with this purely on the personal level of "how do I like to see writers handle their antagonists," there is a wide variety of ways for a narrative to treat its antagonists with grace. Even if an antagonist dies horribly, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's a narrative decision that I by nature have a problem with. (I have discussed before the internal conflict for me between 'but I want this character to live :(' vs. 'it makes for a better narrative if they die', including with several of my own original projects.) But the way that defeat or death is handled can make a world of difference in my (personal) response to a text.

I have read books where it feels like the aim of the text is specifically punitive: it wants to punish the bad character, it wants to make them suffer, it wants to illustrate that they deserve it. I tend to not enjoy that. It's not the only way to write an antagonist's defeat, and not even the only way to write an antagonist's death. It feels miles better to me, as someone who tends to get invested in antagonists, to read a text that doesn't come with a punitive mindset baked in. (Punitive texts aren't inherently bad, they just tend to not be for me.)

But that isn't the only way to write a conclusion, and there are ways of hurting or even killing an antagonist that don't have to feel like the goal of the narrative is specifically to punish them. (I wrote a whole essay about an example of this! There were footnotes and everything.)

But I think the bigger thing here, that is perhaps just a distinction between the way I approach this question and the way you seem to be, is that the question you're asking is predicated on the understanding that the question of "how a text handles its villain" is a matter of how readers/fans will react to a text, and that is a major determining factor in how a story should be told. I just fundamentally disagree with that, and I think a story that is written under those premises is going to suffer.

#mayedays #lise has opinions #christ that got long #i need to eat dinner #i wrote this instead of doing havdalah whoops #actual english major lise #does this make sense? i hope so

[crowning-art]

TGCF SPOILERS FINALE!

Me and 10 cuties who have been keeping up with my crazy TGCF journey after i finally finished it 2 years later lmaoo

*Note that clown in the center is me and everyone knows why after seeing my wonderful, beautiful, RIDICULOUS AND OUTLANDISH theories throughout the read lmaoo

Without further ado...the finale!!

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

Goushi really swooped in during the LAST TWO SECONDS of this huge novel and really just stole everyone's heart, huh? I love this dude

In the last second, a hand caught Feng Xin’s boot, and Feng Xin caught Mu Qing’s boot. When he looked up, he cried, “WHAT THE FUCK!!! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!!! GUOSHI OLD SIR, PLEASE DON’T EVER LET GO, ALRIGHT!!!”

YOOO FENG XIN ACCEPTED HIS CHILD OH MY GODDD DJJDJDJDJF T-T THE CHARACTER GROWTH

THE WAY THE TABLES HAVE TURNED AHHHHH its now Xie Lian who has Jun Wu pinned and nailed down to the ground with a sword djdjdjjdjjd low key, Xie Lian really needed to do that....yknow....therapeutically lol

I love this so much cuz ya, at the end of the day, it's tiring, it's exhausting keeping up a facade and forcing yourself to be someone who u know really isn't you and I feel Jun Wu despite all he's done was very heavily a product of his situation.

“I just genuinely really miss Your Highness,” Guoshi said. “I miss the once-Kingdom of Wuyong,

I miss our people, and I miss the days before we ascended. That’s all.”

“…”

Guoshi then added, “It’s been so many years, Your Highness. Just watching you makes me tired. Very tired. How about you? Are you not exhausted?”

And yes, I get that there was still a bit of inherit evil within him which got amplified thanks to the wuyong problems but like at the end of the day, he's just a sad little meow meow

AND THEN

AND THEN

“…Have I been defeated?” Jun Wu sounded a little lost.

After a moment of silence, Xie Lian took off the bamboo hat carried on his back, took it in his hand, and covered it over Jun Wu’s face.

DJDIFNIFJFJFJFJ DO I EVEN HAVE TO SAY IT AGAIN??? HJDHDHFHFHF U KNOW WHAT IM GONNA SAY AND UGH ITS ALWAYS BACK TO THE ✨️THEMES OF KINDNESS AND LOVE✨️ BRB gonna cry some more AGAIN

Ahh I remember pointing this out a while back but Hua Cheng was always the ONLY one who really helped ground Xie Lian when he was lost and confused. Like the split emotions he kept feeling of not knowing whether to laugh or cry, all gone even when he's told the craziest news yet, aka Wu Ming identity

All of a sudden, thousands of emotions, millions of words swarmed into his head. There was gratefulness, there was shame, there was heartache, there was wild joy, but above all else, there was incurable love.

Lol u guys don't even get it, there were so many parts that were my fave here and I was trying my best to not post the whole chapter here cuz i loved EVERY part, the way Xie Lian leaped into Hua Chengs arm at the end, the cute Xianle trio bickering, just everything T-T

WTF U MEAN LIL BREAK I DO NOT NEED THIS RN PLZ DONT OH MY GODOHMYGODOHMYGOS HUA CHENG DONT U DARE DIE OH MYGOD

All of this:

Hua Cheng’s long and slender fingers gently combed through Xie Lian’s mussed hair. “Then, Your Highness, do you know why I refuse to leave this world?”

Xie Lian couldn’t understand why Hua Cheng could still be so calm at a time like this, as he was panicking so hard he was trembling. But, while feeling lost, he still simple-mindedly asked,

“Why?”

Hua Cheng replied quietly, “Because I have a beloved who is still in this world.”

Hua Cheng said quietly, “Your Highness, I understand your everything.

“Your courage, your despair; your kindness, your pain; your resentment, your hate; your intelligence, your foolishness.

“If I could, I would have you use me as your stepping stone, the bridge you take apart after crossing, the corpse bones you need to trample to climb up, the sinner who deserved the butchering of a million knives. But, I know you wouldn’t allow it.”

They really did invent love, I can't think of anything else to say to this 😭

HIS EXPRESSION MY HEART CRACKED INTO A MILLION PIECES AT THIS WHOLE SCENE BUT ESPECIALLY AT THIS LINE

Hua Cheng’s gaze was gentle and blazing, that remaining eye filled with love, and it gazed at him silently.

He's gonna be back for sure. The red string and the ashes are still there....but it's still soooo saaad

LMAOOO the heavenly officials became homeless fr I'm dying lmaoooo

ROUYE IS BACK YESSSS!!! AND UGHH XIANLE TRIO!! IM SO HAPPY THEY R TOGETHER AGAIN!! I MISSED THIER SHENANIGENS SO MUCH

Xie Lian rummaged around his sleeve and fumbled out a white silk band that was torn in half, and said joyously, “Yeah, finally, the material to fix Ruoye is found! I’ll go patch it up right now!”

However, Feng Xin stopped him. “Patch it up? You?! Forget it, what can you patch? Ask someone else to help you.” Then he turned his head and shouted, “MU QING! COME GET TO WORK!”

Pei Su and Banyue were really an underrated duo this whole book, especially with the way they guarded Ke Mo and the other ghosts lol

Pei Su and Banyue were sitting at the entrance, both of their expressions blank.

Feng Xin divorce arc lmaooo Finally it came to an end...and in a really nice and mature way. I really appreciated the way MXTX wrote Jian Lan's whole character, like she also grew as a person and is def underappreciated

However, Jian Lan withdrew her smile. “What you’ve said are all things of the past. What was love once doesn’t mean it’ll last. I’m not interested in being a charity case and a nuisance.”

And Xuan Ji! Everyone really grew up huh? (*sobbing incontrollably*)

Still don't like Pei Ming smh overgrown man child fr U go Yushi Huang for showing him whose boss!!

GUZIIII MY HEART NOOOOO I really respect LQQ for doing this

so I could only…gather a bit of the soul particles of the Green Ghost and keep them in a lamp. Now he shows up in front of me every day hugging that lamp, asking when the soul within the lamp will grow bigger! I really…”

And Guzi! Fret not! Qi Rong will be back cuz his ashes aren't destroyed!!

THE PEARLS ARE BASICALLY A GIFT FROM THE INLAWS THAT HUA CHENG HAS NOW DJJDJDJDJDJDJFJDJD

A moment later, Xie Lian nodded slowly. “It’s mine. It’s a pair of pearls my father and mother gave me when I was young.”

Lol Ling Wen's punishment thooo and the subtle hint that Ling Wen may have acc cared for the dude despite everything kinda warms my heart

Ling Wen gave a small laugh. “Your Highness, don’t say it like I would do anything for him. After all, I’m cold-blooded and recognize no loved ones, so why would I do anything like that?”

“Is that right?”

“Let it be.

I love love love the way the passage of time was described here God I don't know how to explain it but I love it

People came like the tide, then left like the tide. Mount Taicang regained its deserted lonesomeness.

Atop Mount Taicang, there used to be an enormous field of maple trees. They were all burnt down by that massive fire, but reborn after a thousand years. They were no longer the same ones Xie Lian leapt through to train once upon a time, but the landscape was the same.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASAASASSMXKXKXJXNCJXNX AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

With three thousand Blessings Lanterns rising along with the night behind him, that man turned back and gazed at him. Robes redder than maple, skin as white as snow; between the brows of a face so handsome it couldn’t be stared at, there was still that wildness and a feral aura, a proudness that couldn’t be cut down.

There were no words. Both started walking towards the other.

A step, another step, each step faster than the next, then finally, they started running.

He ran forward whilst tears fell and stayed behind him. Xie Lian voiced this in his heart: he believed.

He believed that this man would die for him again and again, and would be reborn for him over and over. Even if he fell into the depths of hell, he would break through the abyss for his “belief”.

Last time, they spent eight hundred years running towards each other.

This time, it only took an instant to fall into each other’s embrace.

DID I CRY HERE? U BET YOUR FUNKY LIL BEAN I DID And u don't get get AGUHH it took 1000 pages for them to get to where they were AND ONLY ONE PAGE TO MEET AGAIN THE ABSOLUTE POETIC METAPHOR HAS ME LOSING MY MIND u have to read through 244 chaps to see them trying to get to each other and when they finally do..it takes less than a page for them to reunite again I AM CRYING RN

The grand final banquet in Puqi shrine, with windmaster and the fellow beggars, he xuan secretly eating with them, fengqing arguing and bantering (flirting basically -_-), heaven's eye, hualian, the heavenly officials dropping by, just everyone finally living a happy life

What a story! Like what a story! Unbelievable!

This is how it started and this is how it ended

However, if people worship the divine statues of this one god and one ghost together, then there will be a miracle

Cuz their whole story is a miracle but that's the point! U can't give up! Xie Lian's story IS inspirational despite being fictional! Believing in your principles and doing the right thing, showing kindness no matter the circumstance, and growing from adversities, honestly I had so much to say but I read the post script and lmao MXTX said EVERYTHING I wanted to say!

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

I'm always the kind to finish books within a day or two but I really didn't want this one to end (hence two years to read it) but God the whole experience was so incredible and tbh, I started documenting my thoughts for myself just so I can reread them later and laugh lmao but then a bunch of you guys kept up with it and it genuinely became such an exciting thing to look forward to after reading as well!!

Special shout out to @silvia-moon and @maause who were there from the beginning!! I loved every comment of yours and had a blast reading them every time 🥰

Ahhhh IM GETTING SO EMOTIONAL LIKE THIS LONG WINDING JOURNEY HAS FINALLY COME TO AN END 😭 (borderline tearing up while writing this post) but alas! Every banquet must come to an end (haha see what I did there? Hahaha....😭😭😭)

And of course there are the extras! But those shall be read some other day! In the meantime, I'm so so excited to get to drawing all my fave scenes!! I can't wait to get to that!

Until then,

Farewell 😊

#tian guan ci fu #tgcf #heaven’s official blessings #hua cheng #heaven's official blessings spoilers #tgcf spoilers #tgcf journey #xie lian #hualian #ch 240-end #Acc tho #what a journey #i cant wait for a reread #i wont be documenting that tho lol #ahhhh i know i already said this but thanks to all the cute ppl who kept up with this!! #i seriously had such a delightful time! #to the repeat likers of my posts #the commenters #the private messagers #silent readers #i love you all #wow #just a perfect finale #now i just gotta patiently wait for the final few vols to get the physical copies! #gotta pass this down to MY future generation some way lmao

[evyisaks]

Imagine years into the future- Will is out to his friends and family. The gates are closed. They have defeated Henry.

When Will came out to his friends, they all accepted him. Although, he thought that most of them were still scared for him - especially his mom, brother, and Hopper. He knew, because he had seen it, that they would kill for him but they worried because the world was not ready for a man loving another man. And during conversations with Robin, the world wasn't ready for a woman loving another woman. It was unfair because they all said that love was this beautiful thing and that everyone deserved to have and experience it, but that was only if you weren't different. If you didn't fit with what society thought was "normal," then you were not deserving of it.

Will knew better though. Will had fought creatures from another world. Creatures that were created by a man who was told that he was different and never felt like fitting in, so much that he had to create monsters to have everyone experience the same world that he did.

//

The gang was in college now. Will had met a blue-eyed boy. He wasn't Mike, but he made him laugh and he was interesting and kind. He had never played D&D before, but he listened attentively when Will explained it all.

Will wished with everything he had; he wished to be able to fall in love with this amazing blue-eyed boy. He was wonderful. He loved photography almost as much as Jonathan did. He listened to Hopper and challenged him without sounding aggressive. He made El laugh and complimented her storytelling. Everyone loved him it seemed, everyone but Joyce- and Will couldn't understand why.

He couldn't understand why until he asked her one day, and she told him that it was the opposite. She told him that she thought he was wonderful and amazing, and she was happy that Will had found an amazing friend in him - but that she knew; she knew, because a mother always knows, that Will wasn't in love with him. That his heart was still with someone else.

Nothing happened between him and the blue-eyed boy. Will knew that he was creating fiction, but he couldn't help but wonder if there was some relief in Mike’s eyes when it was confirmed.

It all came down as they were all in Mike’s basement, eyes glued to the screen that was playing "The Breakfast Club." It was the last day of summer break before they had to go their separate ways again back to college.

That night caused Will to toss and turn, unable to fall asleep. Perhaps it was the pain of having to be away from his friends and family again, or perhaps it was just the feeling of loneliness, and that's how Will ended up where he was now - at Lovers Lake.

At Lovers Lake, where he was not alone at all. Mike was there too, throwing stones in the water.

"You couldn't sleep either?" he asked, making Mike turn around and notice him there.

"No. Every time I get back home, I forget how difficult leaving is.”

There was something in his voice that made Will relate to him, in a way that he didn't expect to.

It seemed as though Mike didn't want to keep that conversation going, as he moved on to say, "But hey, I'm sorry about you and Andrew," which honestly brought confusion to Will’s face, and it seemed like Mike picked up on that. "It just sounds like you two hit it off and he seems amazing. So I'm sorry if it makes you sad that you two aren't more than friends.”

"I'm not sad," Will clarified. His voice was firm to make sure that Mike got it. "Yes, he's amazing but I don't like him like that."

And there it was again, that look of relief that made Will question everything. Mike picked up more rocks to throw before nonchalantly saying ”So there's not anyone that you like? No other cute boy from class?” He asked, and gave some of the rocks to Will.

The whole situation made Will laugh because there was no way that he saw this coming. "What? Since when are you so interested in my love life?"

"I don't know," Mike said with a shrug. "I guess that I just want you to know that I support you, and we don't talk much about this. It’s usually me complaining and telling about my latest failed relationships."

Ah, there it is Will thought.

"That's true," Will acknowledged, his eyes scanning Mike’s face. "How's Stacy, by the way?”

Mike shook his head, his expression solemn. "We broke up a few weeks ago.”

"I'm sorry to hear that," Will said, trying his best to sound honest about it even if he never liked Stacy.

Mike shrugged. "There's no need to be sorry. We had nothing in common, and she was kind of mean.”

Will smiled, while throwing a rock into the water "Well, I didn't want to be the one who said it.”

Mike didn't seem to be listening anymore and instead asked again, ”But is there really not anyone else you like?”

Will felt a twinge in his chest at the question. He wasn't sure why Mike was being so persistent. There was wishful thinking, but again, he wasn't sure if it was him imagining it. "No," he replied slowly. "Or well, maybe, but he doesn't see me in that way.”

"Have you told him?" Mike asked.

”Well, no," Will admitted, his gaze falling to the ground. "But it was a long time ago, and I just know. Can we talk about something else?”

"If that's what you want," Mike replied, though his tone was tinged with disappointment. "But I do think that it's a bit unfair if you haven't told him, and you are putting words into his mouth.”

"Mike, stop," Will said firmly, his voice laced with frustration.

"It's just that how are you saying that he doesn't feel the same, if you haven't even told or asked him," Mike pressed, his eyes locked onto Will’s.

"Mike, I said stop," Will repeated, his voice rising in annoyance.

"I'm just so tired of you putting words into others' mouths. Like about El feelings for me years ago," Mike continued, his voice growing heated.

"So this is about you and El? Are you still mad about that?" Will asked, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"No! It's not about El. It's about me. It's about us!" Mike exclaimed, his fists clenching at his sides. "My feelings are mine. Not yours. You have no right!”

Will fell silent, unsure of what to say next.

"You are standing here saying how you like someone, knowing damn well that you haven't given that person the chance," Mike said, his voice changing from anger to sadness. "And it's been years, Will. Years! And I've tried to forget it. I have tried to buy into the lies about why you said that the painting was from El. But you keep lying to me and I’m supposed to be your best friend, and you say that you like me but you have never been honest with me.”

Will looked away, unable to meet Mike’s gaze. He knew. This wasn’t fiction or something that Will was imagining. Mike knew about everything. ”I’m sorry, Mike. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just didn't know how to tell you.”

”How about you tell me now? No lies. No secrets. It’s just you and me here, please.”

Will shifted uncomfortably as Mike’s words sunk in. He knew he had been avoiding the conversation for too long, but he knew that it was now or never. That if they didn’t have this conversation now then his friendship with Mike would never be the same.

”Yes okay, let's talk,” he let out but refused to meet Mike’s eyes. The rocks that he was holding were painful to hold, so he threw them all into the lake before finding somewhere to sit. Mike followed his lead and they sat there in silence for what felt like hours.

”I know that I messed up. I should have been honest with you from the start about the painting-”

”It’s not about the painting-”

”Yeah I know but I think that all of it started there; the lies. It was easier, even if selfish, to use El’s name as a shelter for my feelings. Back when I gave you the painting I wasn’t ready to admit that I was gay. I wasn’t even ready to admit it to myself. And it wasn’t because I didn’t see you as someone worthy of that truth, but I was scared of losing you; I was scared of what saying it out loud meant.”

"You could never lose me, Will. You should know that" he said softly.

Will nodded, surprised that he was still holding it strong. ”I know that now, but it's not that simple," he said, his voice trembling. "It's one thing to come out, and even that was the most difficult thing that I have ever done. Everything that we faced with Henry and with the upside down, all of it felt easy compared to getting the courage to come out. So then to tell your best friend that you have feelings for them, now that is unbearable. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Years ago, I wanted to be brave and rip off the band-aid because I wanted you to be happy and you were that with El. You loved her and she loved you. I wasn’t wrong about that.”

Letting it all out was terrifying and yet it also felt like the weight was lifted off his shoulder. When he finally got the courage to meet Mike’s eyes, he noticed that Mike didn’t look any different than himself. It was almost like looking in a mirror, and then the hope was back. That wishful thinking, so he continued to be brave. "Would things have been different if I told you that the painting was from me? Would my confession have changed the outcome?" Will asked, hoping for some clarity.

 ”Hearing about the new friend that you made and how great he was, I couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. And the way everyone joked about you two getting together, that made me realize I wasn't just jealous of losing a friend, but of losing the chance to be something more with you. And now that I know, I can't help but wonder what could have been.”

Mike was standing in front of him now, making Will believe that he was put back in a trance by Henry. "I'm sorry for pushing you into telling me," he continued, his voice softening. "I understand that it's not easy, and I don't want you to feel pressured. I'm sorry if I made you feel that way.

But Will, if you had told me the truth back then, it would have changed everything. You admitting your feelings for me after you came out, and telling me that the painting came from you, would have meant the world to me. Maybe things could have been different if we had been honest with each other."

The tears that Will was trying to delay had now a life of their own and they wouldn’t stop coming down. It was like his heart finally understood what had been going on; Mike liked him back. All of this because Mike liked him back, and wanted to be sure that his own suspicion about Will was true. ”Well maybe...how about we start being honest with each other now?” He asked, this time standing up so that was facing Mike.

”I would really like that.”

And then the confessions started as they were standing there at lovers lake.

"I made that painting for you because that’s how I see you. Because you carry people; you carry me."

"I wrote you letters that I never sent”

He leaned in, intrigued. "Letters you never sent? Why not?" he asked.

"I guess that I was afraid of how they be seen.”

Will took a deep breath and confessed, "I’m so in love with you, and it scares me because I don’t want to lose your friendship.”

Mike’s eyes widened as a smile formed on his face. "I’m in love with you too," he whispered, "and it’s terrifying because I don’t know what it means.”

Will then reached out his hand and said, "How about we figure it out together? I think that everything is better when we do it as a team."

Mike smiled and took his hand, "Yeah," he said softly, "Together."

#byler #this sucks so much but it's been in my drafts for days and if I don’t post it now i never will #read it or don't

[ikilledamanforthisurl]

Minami anon x5 YEAH FOR REAL to everything….. The way Majima treats his men is very. Hrm. I saw a good essay about it before regarding how Majima after going through the abuse he's faced only Knows / understands how to project that same sentiment with the most obvious example being Nishida who has almost like a looney tunes esque dynamic with him. And how that later goes on to talk about Majima associating Minami who is extremely clearly trying to emulate him with Sagawa + Shimano which led to like the disconnect in their relationship. Idk if ive tldlred that very well but yeah. It was very Majima centric though which makes me wish it talked abt more how Minami views the situation because again I do very much think it’s just a case of Minami wanted to do Somebody and he ultra latched onto the first person he saw that was That. Very like duckling following the leader. He most likely has no idea what the hell baggage Majima has and just continues viewing this act he's put on in such a glamourised revered light. The Cycle Of hell continues and continues forever. I feel like you could even make an argument Abt the like never wanting to accept defeat thing as another emulation of Majima who like very famously Just Keeps Trucking Along and Never Lets Up. Also so real about the tidbit abt the junior leader like it really just feels like something they made up out of the blue but it’s fine it’s just his now……. I agree that Minami very much does not give me like patriarch vibes I feel like nothing about him screams a person who wants to *the* most important- Its why I word it as like Minami wants to be SOMEBODY, but not the somebody who has all of the responsibilities and the stress that comes with being in the super hardcore major leagues- again, going back, a very sort of Immature or Young person kind of attitude to have. Also okay I thought it was both kinda hilarious and sad How the guys in the karaoke scene didnt want to be there 😭😭😭 really just feels like they were Dragged along because “why not” / because Minami is seemingly more carefree about things. I'd love to see him interact w just like the normal ppl of kamurocho or if he like worked at the construction site with his fellow coworkers like are they immediately put off or find him annoyingly pleasant enough. Idk if i have anythin to say abt it but i also LOVE ur tags and the idea of Minami putting himself through hell willingly to be as strong as majima garghghgghghg….. also its okay if ur actually sick for real like w a cold I hope u get better soon !!! Ironically i also have a minor cold so JWJJDJDEJ

we are so back......... you and me anon... we are both sick in the exact same ways (brainrot included)

I looooove the terrible recycling dynamic of abuse from Majima to his men and that sounds really evil but i mean like. its an extremely interesting and Real Thing to portray (completely on accident!) and explore. and i can't even act like i'd be better if i were him sometimes. i know damn well his boys are incompetent (everyone on earth is) and/or pains in the ass (definitely Aratani, probably Minami, but he dont mean it) and physical violence is part of their way of life in this fictionalised mega-gang. in a twisted way violence is more than just that, it's the solution to everything, it's the crux of everything, it's care for those who need to be able to stick up for themselves to survive and it's also a burden by way of Fighting Game Protagonist Syndrome. at the end of the day the abuse is still abuse, but you see some interesting perspectives with this kind of framework in that world..... including folks who'd enthusiastically participate in the looney-tunes Slapsticked role, like my take on Minami. Nishida too, but i don't think he's enthusiastic, just begrudgingly accepting of things...

i know the EXACT post youre talking about and i completely understand being Majima-focused in these kinds of rants cause he's the one with all the interesting shit going on and yknow. canonical character depth...... i try my best to not get sidetracked but Majima intrigues me as much as the people around him.... they made him and his relationships both fun and fascinating. to keep it Minami ways you'd probably be saying some real no-shit-sherlock shit "wow that's so tragic for him" or you'd get into HC and made up shit territory, like me ^_^ teehee

Speaking of Aratani, i think he's a good example of someone who actually wants the patriarch seat. the pursuit of power is like his whole deal. Gets considerable focus and text(dialogue) acknowledgement. Minami's whole deal is being goofy, he just also so happens to have considerable power both physically and in the yakuza hierarchy..... bullshit as his role may very well be......... and it's only barely noticed. the pros of being a joke i spose. he's treated, and acts, too nonchalant to give me the impression of gunning for the top. with the existence of other Majimagumi men like Aratani to compare, that just exasperates it for me. he wants to be cool, and that's all

and yknow what..... the fun thing is...... is that Majima gets stories told about him. they get told all over. so much so that resident under-rock-dweller Kiryu hears about them. Minami doesn't know shit from fuck about his boss but i bet he eats those stories the fuck up. true or not, Majima's prowess speaks volumes on it's own... he's the Boss for a Reason..... stories get told about people who Matter. he'd totally be all over that. Wanna Be Somebodyism is terminal and it's got him by the balls. too bad he's not destined to be anybody more than a side character in this series!

oh well..... that's what i'm here for. side characters come get your heads smacked hands kissed and existence acknowledged, possibly all three if you're silly enough

#ikildaman shut the fuck up #sorry i dint get to this for a couple days! #i knew itd be long i needed a little recharge #and i knew that if i opened this and read it i wouldnt be able to control myself id sit down for at least twenty minutes making a response #anon youve double convinced me. is there a word for being convinced of something you already believe #anyway youve convinced me hes soooooo got rockstar wannabe syndrome #i wanna be some-body 🎵🎵🎵 be somebody soon!!!! 🎵🎵🎵 #speaking of WASP half of my minami writing is based on their song Arena of Pleasure #one of the lines from that is so minami..... is also my display name cause felt..... #that's homework for folks at home who are metalt inclined....... #i said somewhere months ago about making a Minami playlist and i need to get on that

[tomesandrosebud]

CHAPTER 4: DANCES WITH WOLVES! - My Babysitter’s A Vampire (MBAV)! FANFIC!

Courtney seemed to be finding herself caught up in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, torn between the teachings of her upbringing and the reality she was experiencing. Her mother's adamant lessons had always painted vampires as natural adversaries to her kind. Yet, so far, as she navigated this new world. Her convictions wavered. Rory, with his genuine sweetness and efforts to be helpful, had her questioning the rigid lines drawn by her mother's teachings. His kindness conflicted with everything she’d ever known. On the other hand, Erica seemed to confirm her mother's warnings. Erica's immediate disdain based solely on their respective natures aligned with Courtney's preconceived notions. And then there was Sarah, occupying a middle ground, seemingly withholding judgment but making it obvious with the looks that she’d given Courtney that she didn’t necessarily like her either. She’d grown up thinking it was all so black and white, but maybe it’d actually been so much more complex than that? And it almost got her re-thinking a little bit of the elements about her own kind? 

“HEY!” A shout in the distance saves Courtney from this definitely pretty awkward situation.

“CRAP!” Rory is back to attention and it’s as if the moment is immediately forgotten as he goes to grab onto Courtney’s arm and pull her away to run with him, but she wasn’t really moving.

“What?” She questions not really understanding. Not really with the time to be able to sit here and explain to her but also not wanting to leave her behind either, Rory accepts their defeat as they are met with Mr. G.

Thankfully though he was never really an overly mean teacher. Not really giving out many punishments unless it was really deserved. He was always busy doing various odd jobs at the school, but the most notable being the gym teacher and sport’s coach. 

“What are you kids doing out here? Rory, are you skipping again?” 

“No, no Mr. G. I was just trying to help Courtney. She’s new.” Rory tried to come up with a reasonably understandable excuse. 

“Well...Rory I guess I can give you an exception this time for trying to help a new student but that doesn’t mean you can just get away with doing whatever you want to understand?” Mr. G. Pointed towards the blonde vampire to which Rory just nodded,

“How about you run along to class, and I can help her out okay?” 

“But...” Rory tried to argue but the teacher just gave him a look and so he felt kind of just defenseless and decided on listening and going back into the school building, but he would definitely have to tell Benny when he saw him. 

“Now miss, what was your name again?” Mr. G. Asked her very politely.

“It’s Courtney, Courtney Sage.” 

Mr. G. Put his hand out to shake hers but she didn’t understand and just copied which he found kind of weird but just ignored as he just switched hands in order to shake her outstretched one.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you Miss Sage, are you new to the area?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Oh, that’s great. Welcome to White Chapel. Have you been to the front office yet?” 

Courtney shook her head and told him that Rory had said something about showing her where it was but that she hadn’t gotten there yet, so Mr. G. Offered to take her there himself. He tried to make a little bit more small talk that Courtney didn't always know how to respond to but for the most part it was nice, she felt kind of warm at how kind all the adults had been to her so far. 

Once they’d gotten to the office, he stood with her as she talked to the receptionists and upon telling the woman her name, she tried to find it but nothing came up on the screen. 

“Are you sure you were registered in our system dear?” 

Courtney was absolutely lost for words not knowing what anything meant, she shook her head unsure to which then the girl asked her if she had a number for a parent that she could talk to or a guardian and with the look of sadness that immediately read upon her face in talking about the idea of parents the receptionist just apologized and handed her a packet.

“I’m sorry dear, unless we can talk to an adult and get this sorted out it looks like you aren’t a student at this school. Just tell your guardian to give us a call, okay? Are you able to get home by yourself?” 

“Benny.” 

“What about Benny dear? Benny who?” She asked her.

“I’m here with Benny Weir. He’s my cousin. I live with him now.” 

Courtney answered just as he’d directed her to do earlier and at this Mr. G. Perked up again and rejoined the conversation.

“Oh, I know Benny, would, you like to come with me until Benny gets out of class?” 

Courtney nodded at this and followed Mr. G. out as she didn’t want to be left alone wandering around looking for him or Rory. 

“I’m the gym teacher so you can just come sit in on my class, okay?” She nods appreciatively.

“Thank you.”

“Of course, and if we’re lucky, you’ll come to school here and I can see you in my class.” Courtney smiled at his kindness, and they got back to the gym. 

Turns out when the bell rang, that gym ended up being Rory, Sarah and Erica’s next class anyways. Courtney waved to him when she sees him walk in and doing their stretches for participation points. 

“Okay guys, today you're going to pair into groups of 4, we’re just going to play some light touch football. No tackling or anything like that but just tossing the ball back and forth and trying to get the ball back from each other almost like basketball, okay? I don’t want to have to send anyone to the nurse again.” Mr. G. Announced to the class as they finished stretching, the class broke up into their teams and it turns out that Rory, Erica and Sarah, were one teammate short due to an unexpected call in for the day. And so, Rory got the idea and tried to talk the girls into asking the couch if Courtney could play with them. 

Erica wasn’t for it and Sarah indifferent, but they did need another person and Rory had started to annoy Erica so much that she just shrugged it off and started to give in, she would do really almost anything if it would shut him up. 

“Okay fine, but if she’s playing, I cannot promise there won’t be any tackling.” Erica seethed. And so, Rory ran up and begged Mr. G. That Courtney could play with them, he on the other hand was pretty easy, giving in to the idea if it was something Courtney wanted to do of course. 

She was nervous about being in the group of vamps, but she was getting along with Rory really well so far. Courtney contemplated the idea, she glanced over at the trio. Rory caught her eye and gave her a warm smile, making her feel a bit more at ease. She thought about Benny, the boy she was now living with and supposedly destined to be with. She realized that getting along with Benny's friends was important, and perhaps this was a chance to bridge the gap between them. Taking a deep breath, Courtney nodded. "Okay, I'll give it a try." She just figured she just had to be careful to stay on Erica’s good side.

***

It was around lunch time that Mr. G. let Courtney go with Rory long enough to get something to eat with him. And it’s also when she ran into Benny again.

Rory led her to the table that he normally sits at with the boys, and sometimes the girls join. It didn't seem like they were going to today.

“Hey, muchachos!” An excited Rory exclaims to greet his friends while the wolf girl just follows a little shyly behind, a little embarrassed with earlier events, as she approaches the two brunettes.

"Hey." Ethan greets back quietly staring at the new guests, Benny nodding beside him to her.

"You guys really missed Courtney! She was so awesome!"

Rory didn't read the awkwardness within the group at all, he was just still feeling so amped up with what had just happened back there in the gym. Benny was still kind of feeling weird towards Courtney after what happened between them earlier but at seeing how excited Rory was and it being something apparently so great that his new roommate had done, he definitely couldn't say he wasn't intrigued to see where Rory was going to go with this. Or it was almost possible that Rory was over exaggerating as he does tend to do that. But with the blush that was starting to appear on her cheeks as she looked at her lap sitting across from Benny, he'd guessed that probably wasn’t the case. 

Rory started to get into the story about gym class and Courtney just seemed redder with almost every word.

Was she just embarrassed for the attention or did she like Rory? Benny wondered.

Benny was half listening as inside he was kind of letting his own selfish thought get the better of him, kinda not liking the idea of her being into the blonde, but he let that thought slip when out the corner of his eye he sees another certain blonde entering the cafeteria and looking saddened with her friends.

Della...

Benny cut Rory off before they even really heard anything of his story, getting up to go approach Della and remembering that while yes, he did meet Courtney last night but that wasn't the only thing that happened.

Oh yeah, he'd brought Puffles back to life meaning to give him to her to gain her affections…but it just didn't work.

Courtney became disappointed at Benny leaving again and against all logic found her eyes following his form and even though it really didn't make any sense she still found that it hurt her a little bit at seeing him talking to the other pretty girl. And that they both seemed to be laughing, her pushing a piece of hair behind her ear when talking to him. That smile on her face. 

If they weren't in public, she'd be growling but instead she just looked back down pretty shyly. It completely deflated Courtney’s mood, no longer really feeling any excitement towards Rory’s story. 

And then came the screams….

Suddenly everyone in the cafeteria was breaking out into various fits of screams and jumping out of their seats and starting to run out of the room. Courtney couldn't understand why but it didn't take Ethan and Benny too long to put it together once they got a glimpse of a small little rat running around the cafeteria. One turning into a small group of rats running around the cafeteria and chasing the other students.

Benny came racing back to his friends table when Della ran off terrified and screaming in the middle of their conversation. He grabbed Courtney's arm as Benny and Ethan gave each other an understanding look. 

"Come on, we gotta get out of here!"

"What's happening?" Courtney had to raise her voice really high to be heard over all the other frantic students. 

"We'll tell you on the way."

Yeah, trying to bring Puffles back to life might've been another really stupid idea…

"ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS! WITH RECENT OUTBURSTS OF RABID ANIMAL ATTACKS, WE ADVISE YOU ALL TO RETURN TO YOUR HOMES AND STAY IN DOORS! ALL CLASSES ARE CANCELED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!" 

***

"SO. YOU'RE TELLING ME? YOU BROUGHT A DOG BACK TO LIFE JUST TO TRY AND IMPRESS SOME GIRL AND NOW ALL THE DEAD ANIMALS AROUND TOWN ARE TRYING TO KILL EVERYONE?" 

"Yes?" Benny answers as if it were even a question.

"AND YOU WERE SO UPSET THAT I EMBARRASSED YOU TODAY?" Courtney was obviously very frustrated, for reasons she couldn't even entirely completely piece together herself…yet. She punched him a little in the arm for his actions and huffed down on Benny's couch.

"I'M SORRY," Benny whines and she just glare at him. 

"But if the potion did cause this then it'll probably run out of juice or something, the worst is probably over!" The boys slumped down equal to how Courtney had before and then the TV turned on.

Yeah, the worst is definitely not over! Turning on the tv there was a new segment about all this on the news where the anchor almost got his eyes eaten by a pet turtle that Ethan feels pretty certain to be his old pet from when he was 8.

"This is bad, " Ethan responds.

"No kidding!" The 3 got scared from their attention towards the television set and each other by grandma standing in the next room.

"Do you twits have something to tell me?" Benny's grandma stands back from her trip holding a half empty yellow potion vial.

Okay. Yeah, Grandma is incredible! Benny explained his story and she just gave Courtney a knowing look during the part when he admitted the reasoning behind impressing this girl.

The boys both saw it but didn't know what it meant, mistaking it as them agreeing to him being a complete idiot, innocent enough!

Grandma Weir immediately started putting together a batch of anti-potion to spray on all the creatures brought back.

"But why are they so evil?" Ethan asked.

"You reanimated the bodies, but the souls have moved on, and a body with no soul is a demon's playground."

And so, they made a plan.

Grandma gave the boys a flute, supposed to play this magical tune to draw all the animals back to it, but she warned how fast the demons would arrive, attracted to the sound so they better be prepared for it.

Benny was all willing and ready to do it but Grandma turned him down in favor of Ethan. Said she'd needed Courtney and Benny to both stay and help her make the brew. Courtney just smiled and chuckled at this because with a wink and nudge from Grandma she knew this was just a ploy to try to get them closer together. Again, the boys were lost.

But Ethan also said he couldn't due to some important family, dinner, thing that his dad was throwing and so they came up with the idea for Rory to do it.

And Courtney could kinda understand now why they didn't seem to love including him in important things like this so much. 

When Rory arrived Benny and Courtney had just a little earlier shown up, Sarah was there playing waitress for the dinner and Ethan was there for the obvious reasons.

Turns out that Rory is kind and funny but definitely not the smartest, at least not all the way through, he'd had this great idea about playing the tune on a loop through a speaker in order to draw more to them, great in theory but of course he has to screw it up somewhere so instead of drawing them to Benny's backyard like planned, so Courtney and Benny could easily take them out, he accidentally dropped it down the Morgan's chimney drawing all of their attention to the dinner…

So now the music's in the house meaning the demons would be pretty soon too…

Or more like right now when you could hear a small yelp from the living room, and it turns out Della's family is who Ethan's are having the dinner with. Something crawled on her leg and Courtney almost wanted to find it funny. When Sarah had to catch the creature on a dish tray Benny shut her up with the look, he gave Rory…if looks were enough to kill, he'd definitely be dead again…

Ethan went to get the player out of the chimney but to no avail and now it was time! All the animals were everywhere crawling around in the kitchen.

Sarah came back in and threw little rodents and such around. Benny, Courtney and now a returned Ethan spraying them until they disintegrated. But it was almost as if it was worthless. Once one disappeared another would arrive, they didn't know what to do. The group was starting to get surrounded to the point of not being able to keep up and it would absolutely run the dinner, if that was even all it would.

As the first wave of creatures stormed the kitchen, panic set in. Courtney attempted to fight valiantly alongside the others. But she was beginning to pretty easily become overwhelmed by the sheer number of creatures and how it seemed they all had been ganging up on her. 

Their bony, clawed paws scratched at her, and their jaws snapped dangerously close.

Realizing they were quickly losing ground, Courtney dashed outside in a desperate bid to draw the horde away. With a defiant growl, she attempted to harness her latent powers, striving to call upon her wolf form but it seemed having yet to learn to master her new abilities, they betrayed her as she didn’t know how to grasp hold of them just yet. She even tried for at the very least her razor-sharp claws that she knows she should also have, but still nothing.

Courtney was quickly attacked as what looked to be a little gray squirrel, jumped up and started attacking Courtney’s legs, scratching and biting at her and as much as she would swat at it it was relentless to holding on, and in turn allowing a few more other rabid animals trying to do the same thing. Knocking her over and approaching her face and trying to tear out her eyes. She screamed and screamed, writhed and flung trying to get them off but they just wouldn’t let up.

But thankfully what she hadn’t noticed was that almost as quickly as she’d gotten out there Rory had made way to following after her, worrying for her safety. Watching her body be knocked down her immediately sprang into action to rush to her side and spray the creatures off her. 

The creatures hissed and recoiled, their forms sizzling and dissipating into smoke as the liquid hit them. Courtney managed to scramble to her feet, panting heavily, her heart racing.

"Rory!" Courtney cried out in relief as he helped her to her feet.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern etched across his features. 

Courtney's heart raced, a mix of surprise and gratitude filling her. "Yeah, Thanks!"

Rory's water gun danced in his hands as he sprayed the creatures with precision. Courtney followed suit, the initial fear giving way to a newfound determination. The creatures howled and screeched, their ranks thinning as the water took its toll. But Courtney was forced to retreat, dodging a lunging creature.

As she stumbled backward, her water gun dropped from her hand and fell to the grass a short distance away. She growled under her breath as it clashed to the ground leaving her defenseless. Rory effortlessly dispatched the creature and saw her predicament. Without missing a beat, Rory reached to where it had been slung over his shoulder, tossing his flute to her. 

"Catch!" he yelled, his voice a mix of urgency and exhilaration. Courtney caught the flute in surprise, her fingers wrapping around the cool metal. The creatures were closing in, but Rory was already on the move. In a fluid motion using his super speed, he picked up her water gun and now held two weapons in his hands. Dispatching another creature. 

Courtney took a deep breath, her fingers trembling as she raised the flute to her lips. She blew a series of notes, a haunting melody that echoed through the night. The reanimated animals turned their attention towards her, drawn by the sound.

Rory took advantage of the distraction and sprayed the potion with precision, one after the other. They convulsed and disintegrated into dust, leaving behind only a sense of relief.

Courtney lowered the flute, her heart still racing. "Did… did we do it?"

As it seemed that the coast was clear the night's horrors seemed to fade away. Courtney and Rory stood together, Courtney catching her breath.  Rory, with his vampire abilities, recovered quickly, his breath steady and his eyes still filled with the fire of the fight. He turned to Courtney, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

"We make a pretty great team, don't we? We just kicked some serious furry butt." 

Courtney hesitated for a moment, still skeptical of vampires, despite the days recent events. 

But Rory had been different. He'd been kind to her, and after starting her life over in a new town, the idea of having a friend was strangely appealing.

She finally managed a small, appreciative smile and nodded. "Yeah, I guess we do. Thanks for helping me out, Rory."

Rory's grin widened, and he took a step closer to her, his crimson eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "Anytime, Courtney. Friends stick together, right?"

Courtney's heart skipped a beat at the word 'friends.' She hadn't ever had one before, there was never anyone around her own age and she was the only girl. She looked at Rory, weighing her options. Despite her reservations, she couldn't deny that he had been there for her when she needed it most. Maybe it was time to let go of her preconceived notions, at least a little.

Rory took a small step forward, his arms outstretched as if expecting a hug. "So, how about that hug?" he asked with a warm, inviting smile.

Courtney hesitated once more. The thought of embracing a vampire was still unsettling, she took a step back, wrapping her arms around herself as if to shield herself from the vulnerability of physical contact. "I'm not sure I'm ready for that," she admitted, her voice soft. 

Rory's shoulders slumped slightly, but he quickly recovered, his trademark grin returning. "No worries. I get it. We’ll go in baby steps. How about a fist bump instead?" 

Courtney raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite herself. "What do you mean?"  She tilted her head, her ears perked up in curiosity.

Rory playfully held out his fist. "Fist bump? It's a way for humans to greet each other or show friendship. You just bump your fist against mine, like this." He demonstrated, extending his fist toward her.

Courtney stared at his fist, then back at his face, a puzzled expression on her features.

Rory chuckled warmly. "It's just a fun way for humans to connect. It's like a secret handshake, but simpler. Here, let me teach you."

Rory extended his fist again, patiently waiting for Courtney to mimic his actions. Courtney hesitated for a moment, tilted her head, studying Rory's hand. She extended her hand tentatively and tried to imitate his fist. But her werewolf strength caused her to accidentally hit his hand with a bit more force than intended. Rory laughed. "You're strong, Courtney! But we need to make it a bit gentler."

Courtney blinked, her ears drooping in embarrassment. "Oh, sorry. Like this?" She attempted the fist bump again, this time with less force, but it still came across a tad too strong.

Rory smiled reassuringly. "You're getting there! Just a little less power. Imagine you're tapping a friend's hand, not trying to knock it away."

Taking a deep breath, Courtney focused on her own strength, toning it down a notch. She offered her fist again, this time with a softer touch. Her knuckles met Rory's in a perfect, gentle bump.

"Perfect!" Rory exclaimed, genuinely impressed. "You've got it, Courtney!"

A shy grin spread across Courtney's face as she exchanged another successful fist bump with Rory. "I'm learning, aren't I?"

Rory nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely!” 

As the night wore on, Rory helped Courtney continue to practice her fist bumps under the silver glow of the moon. Courtney's excitement and curiosity about the human world grew with each passing moment. She was still very scared and sad about being separated from her family, but she also couldn’t lie that she was becoming very hopeful for learning more about the customs of people that she’d been deprived of up until this point. 

#mbav #mbav ethan #mbav rory #my babysitter's a vampire #my babysitters a vampire x reader #mbav benny #mbav erica #mbav fanfic #mbav sarah #mbav stuff

[puffinpastry]

Hello!! I adore your writing, by the way, both fics from you I've read!! I had a hard time deciding between asking about New Growth and Cryptobotany, but!! In New Growth, what does Wolfwood think of what's going on between Knives and Vash? Like he was technically a part of the Eye and has got to have some complicated feelings on Knives himself, but he's still trying to play mediator himself. He seems pretty chill with Knives, all things considered, but he also yelled at him pretty quick when he set off a panic attack in Vash on accident. So I'm really curious on what Wolfwood is thinking through all of it!

First off:

Thank you SO much! Both Cryptobotany and New Growth have been so much fun to write and I had no idea that they'd get as much traction as they have.

Secondly! Answer under a cut here! I got a little (very) long winded.

OKAY SO!

There are a few reasons that he's so relaxed about Knives hanging around and it really boils down to three things.

First: Knives isn't the only one here that's chilled out since the end of trimax. This version of Wolfwood has had the time he needed to do some inward thinking and more or less come to terms with at least some of the suffering that he'd been subjected to and the actions that he was forced to take to keep himself alive and the orphanage safe. Less of the kind of healing that actual therapy sort of help would do for him and more the result of there no longer being a constant threat and end goal to keep his mind too busy to stop and go 'Man. Was that fucked or what?' But the peace made him have to address it on his own. (Mostly on his own. Ofc he had support from Vash, it would've been impossible for him to miss.) He was able to accept what had happened and that very little of it, if any, had been his own fault. None of that is to say that he no longer feels any guilt over what had happened or that it doesn't still keep him up at night from time to time, but he has healed from it enough that he no longer has nightmares about leaving bloody hand prints on anyone and anything he touches.

All of that is to say that he recognizes Knives and his influence and responsibility for the things that the Eye did, either directly or in a more roundabout way, but at the same time the Eye is gone, LivRaz is free from their influence, the kids in the orphanage are safe from the possibility of having to go through the same things that he did, and Chapel is dead. All that's left of it is Knives and, well... The first thing he saw when he tracked Knives down was this man that was so clearly exhausted and beaten down. There was no fight left in him at all, and it almost reminded him of when he'd finally found Vash hiding out in a little town and calling himself Eriks. Except Knives didn't even have that little town or a Sheryl or a Lina to lean on or give himself some semblance of purpose.

So he went looking for Knives he'd only seen a few times before. The Knives he'd once pointed a gun at and feared too much to pull the trigger. He knew that this Knives was de-powered and defeated, but he still wasn't prepared for the sad wet beast born in a cardboard box all alone version that he found. He didn't even know that was possible… and kicking that when he was already down would have felt shitty to say the least. It was a version that was a lot harder to dredge up any fear for.

Second: This one is simpler. He knows that despite everything that has been done to him that Vash still has some deep rooted desire to have his entire family back, even if that isn't possible for one reason (dead) or another (tree-d and disappeared). He understands Vash's complicated feelings on it to some degree from his own experiences with the orphanage after he left and for the extended period of time where he thought he would never be able to go home. Their situations weren't the same, but they were just close enough for him to empathize with Vash. But then there Knives is all of a sudden, and even if it isn't going to fit in with or match up to the sort of impossible, idealized, shameful daydreams that Vash has to have from time to time, it's suddenly possible for there to be some kind of reconcilliation and even if they try and fail then there's more closure there than there would be if Knives was chased off and Vash was left to wonder what-if for the rest of his life. So even if he still does rightfully hate Knives... He hates the idea of Vash suffering another regret and having to cope with another source of misplaced guilt more.

And he wasn't lying when he told Knives that he wanted the twins to have more family and more support in their lives. Yeah, they've got him and Vash, and they've got Meryl and Milly and LivRaz. They've got the help of Melanie and they've visited the kids in the orphanage before, and they even have a few of the townsfolk, but Knives would be an important addition for the fact that he is a plant, and the twins are going to need some sort of guidance and Vash can only offer so much of that himself. Especially as he is now without powers and after a lifetime of trying to distance himself from what he was and after receiving no guidance of his own. They each had to figure out everything as they grew and between the both of them then the girls might not have to struggle as much as they did.

Third: this is the most important point. In New Growth Wolfwood knows about Tesla. I'll actually be getting more into this and why Vash chose to actually share something THAT personal later on because the idea of a short Wolfwood focused prequel planted itself into my head recently and I'm going to be doing something about that as soon as New Growth is finished. But anyway! Wolfwood knows about Tesla, and he knows about how both Knives and Vash reacted to their discovery of her. He knows why Knives made the choices he did, and he understands why he made them. Knowing that all of his actions came from fear and exactly what caused it gave him everything he needed to know to feel safe in believing it when Knives says that he's done.

So he is more comfortable with Knives around than he would have been without that knowledge, without needing him around for the girls' sake, and if Vash didn't want anything to do with him, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't still hold any uncertainty about having him in their home. He's still worried about the very real possibility of the whole thing falling apart and going wrong. Accidents still happen, and the panic attack that Knives triggered is a perfect example of that.

Even if the mistake that triggered that whole thing was pretty much harmless, the picture it made was still startling enough that it set off some of those fears. His reaction wasn't warranted but it wasn't exactly unwarranted at the same time. Does he really think that Knives is a danger/is going to do something to hurt anyone there? No. But the anxiety is there and he's spent the whole time feeling like he's juggling the temperaments and the potential for violence of two pretty much wild animals, even if those wild animals are busy playing house.

So in short... outwardly he's pretty calm, and he's having a good time pretending that he's all chilled out and in total control of the situation (and he kind of is, Vash and Knives are struggling but he's really doing the best he can for them and it's working) but internally he's shaking like a nervous chihuahua.

#my fic #trigun fic #fic: new growth #vashwood #asks #thanks for the ask!!! I love talking about this fic it's been eating my brain since I started it #I hope that answered your question I feel like I just went off topic and rambled for ages haha #the prequel is going to be shorter if i can stick to the plan I have in mind... maybe 5 chapters. 6 or 7 maximum. can't wait to start it! #prequel is only going to exist because I've spent the entirety of new growth wishing I could dip into wolfwoods pov but i must refrain. #we'll get his and vash's panic and their whole angst nonsense later! #i've got a bang fic taking up most of my time rn tho so new growth creechur and cryptobotany are taking a backseat until it's done but- #the next new growth chapter SHOULD be done within the next week or so. it's all mapped out I just have to make it presentable

[sireditsalot4]

The Countdown

Warning: Character death, sadness

You looked around and saw everyone talking about how to save the world from The Master, the Doctor's old academy friend. The only person to really know who the Doctor is. "I don't think that's going to work, he's taken almost half of the military out, soon all," Jack Harkness explains. Sarah Jane Smith shakes her head in disagreement. You look over at the other side of the center piece to see Martha Jones, Rose Tyler and Donna Noble and Mickey Smith putting a timey-wimey, space galactic device together. With DoctorDonna on their side, they got it done in a few minutes. The first time you met all of them was when the war between the Daleks happened, and you were glad you met all of them.

The first person who met you was Sarah, and her K-9 who talked, that surprised the hell out of you. The doctor brought her on board the TARDIS and immediately introduced you two. Sarah looked between you and the Doctor, her expression changing from friendly to something you didn't like. You straightened up, understanding the situation. That didn't bother you. You two spent time apart, or should I say she stayed apart from you. Of course, you two would exchange due to the current situation, but that was it. Finally, after a long day of preparing and running you were free. "Y/N," someone calls. You turn to see who it was calling and see Sarah standing there, guilt visible. "I just want to say how sorry I am for the way I've been treating you. It was childish and not so kind. I feel ashamed," She came forward. You didn't answer her right away, making sure she felt every second of discomfort waiting for a response. "I accept your apology." You offered her to help you with what you were working on.

The obstacles the doctor brings with him everywhere is what got you to stay with him through everything. The weeping angels, the Cyberman, the Master. He even told you himself that you lasted longer than any of his companions. You knew of some of their fates, you prayed everyday not to have the same. Something inside of you, something in your heart told you that it will eventually have to come to an end.

You shook the thought away and try your best to focus on what's happening in front of you.

"Hey," Jack comes up to you with a smile that looks like trouble and looks back at the crowed before ducking to your level. "I was thinking after we're done with this, we can...catch a drink?"

"Stop it!" The doctor yells.

"Can't I just have this?" He yells back, slightly serious. There banter made you chuckle, always. "I'd be happy to. I know a spot." You whispered.

You can see the doctor pop his head up from under the center piece.

The second person to meet you was Donna. You right away took her in as a friend, loving her wittiness. She was bold, fearless, and very pretty. "Donna! This is Y/N L/N. Y/N, this is Donna Noble." You smiled, looking from the doctor to the red head. "It's so nice to meet you. I heard a lot about you. You're my favorite." Donna's eyebrows raised, "Oh, really. I'm nothing special, I'm just a temp." You shook you head. "No. You're more than that." Donna's face dropped. You didn't see sadness, no it looked like a slight hint of glee.

“If we turn this vile here, it’ll give us a five second start, but it’ll delay us by 2 seconds.” The doctor explained. You shake your head, “It’s too risky.”

“We have no choice.” He says. His eyes boring into yours.

You look down in defeat. When the doctor says something, he sticks to it. Nothing to change his mind. “Let’s go.”

Everyone starts gathering their gear and heading out. You bend to pick up your gear when your heart starts beating fast. You stop and the beating spreads, plugging your ears and you become dizzy. Everything is moving so fast, the reality of losing the people you love and cherish kick in. “Are you okay?” Jack asks watching you stumble back. You shake your head, barely able to keep it together. Before you fall, Jack catches you, holding you tightly. The last thing you hear before blacking out was the doctor calling your name.

The third person you met was Rose, she immediately embraced you and the eye contact she had made you feel safe. "You are brilliant. The doctor told me the things you have done. Absolutely brilliant." Blush creeps up your cheeks from the praise. "I can also say the same about you. You practically saved the world," You praised back. The doctor smiled at your guy's conversation like a child with his favorite toy and went to help the crew.

The doctor stayed knelt by your side, fanning you with a metal lid from the Tardis's center. Everyone stood around, not knowing what to do, worriedness on their faces. Either stay down like a coward, or fight with your people. Your mind screamed. You inhaled deeply before opening your eyes, still affected by the fog. The doctor smiled greatly, showing his pearly whites.

The fourth person you met was Mickey, who wasn’t so friendly to begin with. He seemed distant and serious all the time. He would only speak to you if it involved something with the group but that’s about it. Until something changed. You two were working together alone on the bottom of the Tardis when you hurt your hand, splitting it open from the metal. It wasn’t deep for stitches, but enough to bleed badly, of course. “Wow, aye, be careful. Let me see,” he grabbed your wrist and gently flipped it over. “It’s not bad, but it’ll hurt like hell.” He opened his backpack up and took out surgical wrap. “Thank you.” He said nothing but smiled.

The fifth person you met was Martha, who you immediately took in as a sister. You have three of your own at home. Her personality reminded you of them all back home. "Hello, nice to meet you. The doctor already told me your name while we were out." Martha started.

You clutch your side where your wound is and can feel your blood seeping through your fingers. You look at the Dalek that did this to you and with all of your might, raised your weapon and pull the trigger, destroying the Dalek. If only you thought one second ahead of the machine. Then again, you're just a human.

The sixth person to meet you was Jack. He immediately greeted you with a flirty hello and instantly got yelled at by the doctor, which made you laugh. You two spent a lot of time together due to being put together. Jack told you about how he knew the doctor from the previous regeneration and told you that he once wore a leather jacket and had ears like flying saucers. You dread to wish to see the doc in a leather jacket.

“I’m sorry, but she’s not going to make it. Her wound is to fatal,” Martha says, looking at the doctor. The doctor holds you tighter to him, feeling if he did, he wouldn’t lose you.

“It’s okay, Doctor. It’s going to be alright.” You assure. The doctor looks into your eyes, the hurt and sorrow bare to be too much and you immediately start crying.

#doctor who #10th doctor #this one took longer than any fanfic I wrote

[genderqueeradrien]

same anon as earlier hi! something else i think is interesting is how mlb as a show views sacrifice and selfishness.

adrien agreste is incredibly selfless to harming degrees. getting killed as a hero. getting pushed around as a civilian. everything around what's best for him is decided by someone else. he has very few moments in the actual show where he's allowed to make the snap decision to be anything other than a self sacrificing doll. and this leads to harm of people other than him, too, like with how he decided to deal with lila. compared with marinette, who, time and time again has made selfish decisions that lead to harm in more direct ways.

but the thing is that neither of these traits are shown to be inherently bad by the show, which is SO fucking rare. marinette sacrifices more as a civilian, adrien sacrifices more as a hero. and they both have an excess of (respectively) selfishness and selflessness. THATS treated as wrong. its incredibly refreshing to see some kind of media that says "thinking only about yourself is wrong, but thinking only about others is wrong, too."

anyways i think a lot about the themes of balance in the show, creation and destruction are central but arent the only way that the show uses balance to compare and contrast characters and situations

sorry for rambling lol ! >u<

do not ever be sorry for rambling i love it. and god youre so right. like adrien is so self sacrificial and doesnt seem to care abt himself as much as he should- like my man has essentially killed himself (as chat noir) in front of ladybug multiple times to save her without understanding why that might be super upsetting for her. i think part of that comes from his insecurities abt not being needed or necessary which- to be fair. the ladybug miraculous is fundamentally necessary to defeat akumas. but weve seen time and time again that she cant defeat them without chat noir. like when he was cat walker and she couldnt figure out what to do with her lucky charm bc she needed the real chat noir. and adrien gave up his miraculous bc he didnt feel it was necessary and he thought she'd work better with someone else and. agghhhh it makes me so insane. hes always compromising and sacrificing and giving things for others and like . man its just so SAD. & im hoping he'll like. figure out his self worth anf that thinking abt himself is okay actually in later seasons but with the way kids shows work hes probably like. metatextually doomed to that pattern of behaviour for at least several more seasons if not forever<3

and marinette i feel tends to do more selfish things when shes emotional and not thinking thru her actions, & then realizes her mistakes and has to fix them later, but when shes thinking thru what she does before she does it shes also very selfless (but not to the worrying extent that adrien is). like all the times where shes making insane plans to try to stop chloe/lila/kagami in the earlier seasons/whoever from talking to adrien, or when tikki has to stop her from using being ladybug for personal reasons, giving adrien the snake miraculous (and accidentally locking him in a 5 minute long time loop for months tho she couldnt have known he was fucking crazyinsane in love with her lol) when luka was the one who needed to use it, all the times shes tried to expose lila.. its all in this like. rush of emotion and when she stops to go Hey. what if i actually did not do that . shes able to realize her mistakes and fix them and learn from them (until she also is doomed to repeat this forever due to being trapped in a kids cartoon lol)

though she also does show a similar tendency to adrien when she tries to take on being guardian and handing out miraculouses etc on her own when she is FOURTEEN YEARS OLD(!!!!!!!!!) and has geometry homework to worry about. bestie . bff. girlie. u do not have to do this alone !!!!!! u literally have a partner to help u please learn to accept help u r not burdening people u r not endangering them i prommy

#ask #ml #hope this makes sense+ that i didnt leaveany sentences unfinshed i have a tendency to do that when i getexcited

[crellanstein]

Prodigious

I find it odd how the fandom focuses so much on Aang’s childhood being ruined when he learned he was the Avatar at 12, but there’s very little talk about how discovering she was the Avatar as a toddler affected Korra’s life and how she was raised.

But we’ll circle back to that...

Because this is a good starting point to talk about one of the most prevalent themes in the story, which the mainstream discussion of tends to only focus on a few characters -- That is the Child Prodigy. 

We’ll start with the two most obvious. The ones we always talk about.

Azula.

The clearest example of your typical child prodigy (if there is anything typical about a prodigy). Azula showed early mastery of very advanced Fire-Bending techniques, and is the only Fire-Bender to use blue flames, which was intended to make her stand out amongst the other villains but is also indicative that her Fire-Bending is more pure and powerful (blue flame is produced when burning pure O2 or fuel without contaminant at a very high temperature). 

All this lead to her being praised and favored by Ozai as a child, but as double-edged swords go, this also meant she had a lot of pressure on her shoulders to never fail, and she rarely did. Her ego matched her talent, and let’s be honest she was the baddest bitch the show had ever seen. Conquering Ba Sing Se, defeating the Avatar in combat, and dropping some of the most devastating lines of dialogue in villain history; she was a force nobody wanted to reckon with. 

And that become a problem for one asshole in particular...

Being jealous of his own child is just one item on a laundry list of reasons why this guy is the worst father in the history of fathers. Azula had begun to outshine him with her victories, and Ozai’s maniacal ego couldn’t handle that, so he left her behind to babysit the Fire Nation while he went out to burn/conquer the world, which also was her idea.

And while this wasn’t the only thing that aided in her demise, it certainly was the final straw which sent her spiraling down into this...

In the end Azula is a sad example of how certain unfair expectations are placed upon talented children, and the more they succeed, the more these expectations grow and weigh on the them until they either disappoint those looking down on them or surpass and embarrass their elders.

It is a lose-lose situation which inevitably destroys them.

There is a similar example of the child prodigy, but his story goes a little different.

Aang.

Even as a twelve/thirteen year-old boy Aang by far has the most impressive stats among any character in the Avatar universe.

Basically mastering 3 of the 4 Elements in less than a year, after mastering Air by the time he is twelve (not to mention inventing his own Air-bending move, the Air scooter). 

Aang is an example of a child prodigy who had too much thrust onto him at too young an age because of the talent he showed; because of this he panicked and ran away, and the world was worse off for it. 

Aang/Sokka/Katara’s story is all about how in times of War, responsibilities normally handled by adults are pushed onto kids who then have to grow up very fast in order to deal with it all.

The message is clear. War robs the young of their childhoods. 

Now, let’s talk about a different kind of child prodigy.

The Unacknowledged. 

Yes, of course I’m talking about Toph, the greatest Earth-Bender to ever live.

Because of her blindness, Toph’s family tried to keep her sheltered and safe by hiding her from the world. Refusing to believe she could ever be more than helpless. Anyone who has seen the show knows that is far from the truth.

But because her potential went unseen, there were some negative effects to her personality. Initially, she resented her parents, and rebelled; which established a certain level of independence, a bad attitude, and a hot-headed streak. Over time spent with the Gaang these behaviors subsided because she finally had friends and they accepted her for who she was. By the end of the series she was fully willing to accept aid from them when she needed it, like holding on to Sokka’s arm in environment where her bending couldn’t help her “see”. 

Toph’s story is a foil to Azula’s, both showed immense talent and badassery, but while recognition of Azula lead to ever-mounting pressure for her to succeed; the lack of recognition for Toph created a need for her to be acknowledged and set an undercurrent of frustration which leads to her acting out in the ways she does.

The lesson to take from Toph’s story is not to shelter your kid from the world out of fear for their safety, and to be open to recognizing their talents, not shun them.

Next are two more Unacknowledged.

Katara and Sokka.       

Their story, and the reason behind their circumstances, is one of the more complicated and nuanced ones in the series, so here we’ll focus on how it fits into the subject of discussion.

Because of the War, Katara was robbed not only of her mother but also of any Southern Masters to train her, and any role models Sokka could have looked up to left with his father to fight. Because of this Katara’s potential and Sokka’s genius went unacknowledged not due to neglect but rather due to circumstance. (Yes, I think Sokka is a genius, how many 15 yr olds do you know that can plan an invasion, design submarines, and spit poetry off the cuff?).

This is a further example of how War robs kids of necessary childhood experiences, and these two robberies had particular effects on both Katara and Sokka’s character developments.

Sokka had the responsibility of protecting his home put upon him at a young age. The men of his tribe leaving prevented him from completing his rite of manhood until the Gaang ran into Bato of the Water Tribe, and early on Sokka was constantly trying to prove himself as a man and a leader. Sokka is one of the smarter characters of the series, but he rarely got credit for it until the third season. Not to mention that because he wasn’t a bender he often seemed less useful than the others. The circumstances of war made his talent go unnoticed and because of that he often was unsure of himself and overcompensated to prove something.

Speaking of talent going unnoticed.

Katara is definitely one of the more talented benders of the series. After training herself for years with little progress, she essentially mastered Water-Bending in a few weeks under Master Pakku. While her anger towards the Fire-Nation mostly centers around the loss of her mother, it can’t be ignored that the delay in her training was a direct result of the Fire-Nations’ actions.  Toph’s anger and frustration vented itself as rebellion. However, the same frustration and anger is within Katara, but because she wasn’t as natural a bender as Toph she sought to learn and be respected, and when that was denied to her is when that anger bubbled to the surface in some terrifying ways. 

While Toph’s talent went unnoticed because of her families neglect, Katara and Sokka’s wasn’t acknowledged because there was nobody to acknowledge it. Because of that both brother and sister wanted to prove themselves to the world.

And then there is Zuko.

I know what you’re thinking. Zuko wasn’t a prodigy, his Fire-Bending skill didn’t catch up with Azula’s until the finale and he never mastered Lightning-Bending, but this section is about the Unacknowledged.

Zuko had many other talents besides Fire-Bending, he was a master swordsmen, and was able to successfully break into every secure facility he attempted in the show (which was almost every secure facility the show featured).  Unfortunately, these talents were never recognized, because the only thing the royal family cared about was bending ability (It’s possible the reason he learned the sword was because he lacked skill in Fire-Bending). 

As per usual with Zuko, this part of his tale is quite sad. Many can relate to being outshined by a sibling, and when it becomes all too clear that one cannot match another’s talent it’s quite understandable to focus on what they do excel at, but even then there is no promise of recognition for their own talent. Zuko was even mocked by his father during the solar eclipse when Ozai tried baiting him into attacking with his swords. 

This lack of recognition is one of many sad aspects of Zuko’s early life, but it is a definitive example of one of the hardest unacknowledged prodigy’s cross to bear. The Outshone prodigy, one whose talents are never noticed because a bigger and brighter star stands in the way of such recognition, and arguably the most frustrating type mentioned here. Toph/Sokka/Katara all came from situations were there was no recognition being given to them or anyone, but Zuko had to bear watching massive amounts of praise be piled on to his sister while he and his accomplishments went by the way side.

Ozai summed up the situation best.

“Azula was born lucky, Zuko was lucky to be born”

Alright now where have I been going with all this?

So, far we’ve covered a lot of wrong ways to treat a child, whether they show talent or not, and how the circumstances of war can also take many things from children.

But what happened to Korra?

(Before we get into to this I should state that I like Korra, and the purpose of this is not to bash her as a character or her arc, but rather to give a little of my insight into it.)

It’s well established that Aang was told of his heritage too young, and that was a detriment on his development into an adult, but what would have happened if he realized his powers himself not long after he could walk? We’ll never know, but we do get to see the effects it had on Korra. 

When she revealed herself as the Avatar, Korra set her entire life in a new direction, and because Aang tasked the White Lotus with finding and training her that direction was out of her control. There are two key differences between Korras’ and other Avatars’ lives.

1. She grew up in isolation on a White Lotus compound.

Every Avatar before Korra we know of spent a portion of their early lives traveling the world in order to master the elements; along this journey they not only learned how to bend the other 3 elements, buy also many things about the 3 other nations and the world they are tasked to protect as a whole. By confining Korra in safety and bringing the masters to her the White Lotus deprived Korra of this opportunity to learn and grow and understand the world and the people within in. It also deprived her of learning modern bending styles until she reached Republic City.

While this might have kept Korra safe from the Red Lotus, it grew within her a naiveté about how the world worked, and because of this when she actually did venture out into the world she was terribly unprepared for it.

2.  She was trained and mastered 3 of the elements by the time she was 16.

Most Avatars don’t know they have this power until they reach 16 and then they spend several years learning to control it. Korra’s natural talent in the bending lead to her training being expedited not by necessity like Aang’s, but due to her talent and eagerness. Korra excelled at the physical part of being the Avatar and because of this by the time she reached maturity she had become over-confident in her abilities and true to what her Fire-Bending master said in Ep.1 she lacked restraint.

I’m not saying her bending isn’t great, but rather because it is so great it’s her go-to solution to anything, and she enjoys that so she uses it with enthusiastic gusto and not a lot of thinking before striking.

This overconfidence coupled with her naiveté of the world is what lead to many of her rash decisions and actions, most of which had negative consequences, and I believe are the reason behind some fan are dissatisfied with her. Aang had been almost the complete opposite, even by the age of twelve he was an experienced world traveler and an incredibly humble guy. 

Some may have been dissatisfied by these character decisions, but they served a purpose, they are only the beginning of her arc. The internal challenge Korra must overcome through 4 seasons is to humble herself before the world, and learn from it. This was finally achieved in the 4th season when the metal poisoning in her body forces her to face others in the world as equals, only then had she completed her journey.

And why did it all go this way?

Because she is a very unique child prodigy, what she demonstrates in the first episode of LOK would be akin to a toddler playing the violin or hitting a three-pointer; she could bend 3 elements close to just after learning to walk. That is the kind of prodigious talent rarely seen because it is mostly impossible. How does a rational person handle a child like that? 

It’s a tough question, and something this essay has been circling around the whole time. Each example here is the wrong way to handle talented and different children, but what is the right way?

As always look to Iroh.

Who treated his surrogate son Zuko with both respect and compassion. 

Unlike Toph’s parents, Iroh worried over Zuko’s well being, but also allowed him to be independent, make his own decisions, and take his own risks.

Unlike the Nomad Leaders, he didn’t want Zuko weighed down by his position in the world and the responsibility that came with, and always encouraged him relax and take advantage of the moment.

Unlike Ozai, Iroh would always be there to support Zuko in his victories and his failures. Iroh shows him the right path but does not force him down it.

And even after Zuko betrayed and abandoned him.

Iroh was never angry with him, and embraced him upon his return.

He wanted Zuko to grow and be a better man. Even if Zuko wasn’t a prodigy like his sister. 

And that is the answer here. The way to raise a prodigy is the same way anyone should raise any child. Love, Support, a Guiding Hand rather than a Forceful Shove, Recognition of What Makes Them Unique, and Forgiveness When They Falter. The problem comes along when you start treating children differently because you see them as different or special. All children are different, all children are special.

Kids are kids, and they all deserve a proper childhood.  

#lok #legend of korra #atla #Avatar The Last Airbender #korra #avatar korra #avatar aang #aang #toph #atla toph #katara #sokka #azula #the gaang #zuko #firelord zuko #poor zuko #atlazuko #fire lord ozai #phoenix king ozai #ozai #blue spirit #prodigy #white lotus #red lotus #waterbending #firebending #earthbending #airbending #appa

[theredflagsjustlooklikeflags]

20 with wilbur?? pls and thank you

Ahh I’m such a c! Wilbur simp!

Prompt: If you really are sorry then give me a kiss.”

TW: emotional manipulation, gaslighting and forced affection

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“Don’t you see (first name), “ The former leader of Lmanberg gazed out the window of his newly created country. One would think he held a solemn appearance but secretly he held a devilish expression and sinister thoughts. He then turned from the window and gazed at his lieutenant with a sad smile.``This is the only way to heal lmanberg once and for all.” he started walking closer. “We must destroy it” He rested his hand on her shoulder and glanced at them with an expression they couldn't recognize.

“T-thats not the answer..” They stuttered out, blushing heavily.

“Yes it is! “ He began gripping her arms a little too tightly for her liking.

“Why can't you just accept it's gone.” They yelled, staring him directly in the eyes.

Wilbur’s expression broke and he let go of them and stared at the floor.

“And here I thought you trusted me. Boy, what a fool I was.“

“But wil-” (reader) said, reaching a hand towards the man.

He took a step back. “No, I understand.”

“I'm sorry I didn't mean that.” They spoke, regretting the words that fell from their mouth.

“Prove it.” he spitted out, shooting his head up.

“What?” they asked, finally bringing their eyes to meet the male’s gaze.

“I said prove to me that you're sorry.”

“How?” They replied flabbergasted. The lieutenant couldn't think of any way to prove their dedication to their leader. I mean they could think of ways, but he's their superior and not a lover.

“Help me blow up Manberg.” There was that stupid smile again. This time it looked like a genuine smile. The kind of smile you'd give someone when they make you laugh. A pure innocent smile. His smile stunned them and they couldn't really process what he said initially.

“What! No!”

“You said you would do anything to show you were sorry for doubting me.” he said, crossing his arms and pouting like a child.

“I did?”

“You just did” putting on a serious face, he nodded his head up and down.

They signed and looked at the ground in defeat. “Fine. I will.” They didn't want to, but they couldn't let Wilbur down.

(reader) was about to turn to leave the man’s office but they once again heard his voice. “Once more thing” they turned to face him. “If you really are sorry then-” he smirked. “give me a kiss.”

Knowing they weren’t in a position to disobey him, they slowly headed over and gave him a short kiss on the cheek.

“That was adorable but wrong spot babe.”

A loud sigh escaped their lips but slowly they planted a kiss on his lips. As they started to pull away, he put his hands on the back of their head and forcefully held them in place.

Finally he broke away to catch a breath. Breathing heavily and blushing profusely , (reader) began to speed walk towards the door. They wanted to get out of this uncomfortable situation as fast as they could.

“One more thing.”

They stopped dead in their tracks, still breathing heavily.

“I'll see you on the battlefield lieutenant.”

As they walked out they couldn't help but think,

Fuck you Wilbur Soot.

#yandere writing #dsmp #yandere dsmp #dsmp x reader #dsmp x you #yandere wilbur soot #yandere wilbur #dream smp #wilbur #wilbur soot #c! wilbur #yandere c! wilbur #tw manipulation #tw gaslighting #tw focrced affection

[dailytatsu]

Hello! I love your writing and I recently saw a post of yours about the reader being the God Of Chaos and I was wondering if you could make a part two with characters of your choice, if it’s not that much of a trouble! Remember to drink water and rest well <3

Tysm! I’m really happy to see that a lot of you enjoyed it, and being honest, chaos reader now have a special place in my heart lol

Then let’s write a second part! Hope everyone likes these as well! ( ✌︎'. ')✌︎

Thanks for the request!✨

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[II - HC] God of Chaos! Reader & Genshin Characters

Characters: Bennett, Tartaglia, Scaramouche, Ganyu, Chongyun

Gn! Reader

Sorry for any mistakes!

Request are open!

Genshin Masterlist

<- First part

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BENNETT

First of all, how dare u

This boy already has a chaotic life for you to arrive and making it worse.

But being honest, it wasn’t intentional, just like always.

Besides he’s a kid. The chaos of a kid + chaos of his bad luck, I mean- how were you not supposed to meet him?

That day was really strange, for the very first time the chaos wasn’t attracted by you, but you were attracted to chaos. Like a moth following a lantern on the street, something that you felt like you had to do, some kind of childish curiosity that guide your way to find Bennett in the middle of his adventure.

Poor boy was charging his pyro attack to max until a barrel exploded near him, he flew in the air waiting for a rough landing before his trajectory sent him where you were standing, still looking for the origin of that uneasy sensation of curiosity.

Luckily for him you could see his shadow just in time to react. You looked up because of the strange silhouette on the ground next to you and there he was, surrounded by a cloud of smoke and fire, with his screams getting louder and louder as he falls.

You trapped him in your arms, with the situation turning even more strange when the first thing he said was “nice catch!” with the bright smile of his.

Like if his hair on fire wasn’t a big deal.

It’s raining men ig

Before you could ask anything, a crowd of angry hilichurls appeared from the same direction where Bennett came at first.

The white haired boy jumped off from your arms and tried to grasp your hand to run away together, but instead you pulled him near and then behind you before rising your hand to the front, pointing the stampede of furious creatures about to reach you both.

Not even a leaf fell from a tree before the hilichurls stopped, all of them felt your presence immediately, the primitive sensation of danger that meant a silent threat. Following the message that another camp of them told long ago, ‘get away from that stranger’.

Bennett was surprised, kind of scared at least. He wasn’t sure about how to call that feeling.

Are you a beast tamer?! Maybe an adventurer that discovered a secret about hilichurl’s behavior! Wait- where are you going? Don’t leave him behind, the doubt won’t let him sleep tonight!

You explained to him that it was dangerous for both to be near each other (more dangerous for him than for you), still you needed to get away. To protect Bennett and the other adventurers that were exploring nearby.

But why? He was so excited about meeting someone who could react that fast and precise! Like the heroes in the legends!

Please show him your ways, he’s begging you, how can you be rude to Bennett? That literally illegal.

When he heard that there was a God of Chaos exploring all over Teyvat like an errant he connected two points (even if there wasn’t a single thing to connect in first place).

You’re like him!

Hello ?? You’re literally ?? the most qualified to be part of Benny’s Adventure Team ??

Negative plus negative is positive, isn’t it? Maybe if you roam near Bennett his bad luck can collide with your chaos to neutralize each other!

You told him that you were leaving after that short conversation, but in reality you just hide from his sights and followed him from behind.

That kid really put you on your nerves, running into danger without knowing. Was that what Zhongli have to deal with every time you visit Liyue?

The old man really deserves an apology.

You’re not doing this an habit, of course not! You’re the all mighty God of Chaos, the ultimate troublemaker! How was even possible to think about wanting to protect a human just because he has bad luck? That’s ridic-

“Watch out!” You had to abandoned your hiding spot to reach Bennett again, pulling him away from the place where a bunch of hunter’s traps were. “Barbatos, why all your children have to be like this?…” You whispered for yourself, actually waiting for a answer, maybe a little too much because you didn’t free Bennett. His feet were just barely touching the ground.

“Oh, it’s you! Hello again!”

Enough of babysitting, that’s it, both of you are heading back to Mondstadt. This boy is a danger for himself, who allowed him to be an adventurer in first place?

After abandoned him in front of the city’s bridge you turn back to the forest, believing that it was the end, even if in the process your chaos took the life of some pigeons nearby.

Next morning you were sleeping peacefully on the branches of a huge old tree, feeling the wind of your bard friend greeting you from the distance.

Then a storm started out of nowhere; your fault.

And almost immediately you heard a cheerful voice below you, calling your name like a lost child searching for their parents.

As Bennett climbs the tree to talk with you a lightning strikes near enough to make both of you jump because of the surprise, falling from the branch and meeting each other on the mud below.

“Sorry, my bad.” Bennett and you said at the same time, to later laugh because of that.

It seems that both are more alike than you would expect

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TARTAGLIA

How do I explain that this guy already knew about you-

As you may suspect, yes, his only reason of wanting to meet you was to fight you.

The first step for taking the thrones of gods is beating one of the youngest, isn’t it? It would be a good start, and you’d be also one of the best opponents he ever fought! The only thing still needed was a way to make you accept his challenge.

Tartaglia’s first try was by attacking you without hesitation, not even a warning, just shooting an arrow for behind and waiting for you to counter. And yes, that didn’t go as planned, the rope of his bow snapped even before aiming.

It wouldn’t be that easy, the distance is always boring for a fight, why not just attacking directly?

Because you learned from Morax that you must not hurt mortals; the reason of your trip was for appreciate the human’s life, to understand why you exist, to have a reason to not end with everything that crosses your path.

To convince yourself that you’re not only destruction.

But it was hard to stay calm if he constantly provokes you to fight back. Always dodging, always running away, always breaking his weapons.

Barely holding yourself to not to break his Vision at this point.

Dodging one of his attacks again you ended up on top of a nearby structure by the side of the road, watching him from above and begging for him to stop for once.

Tartaglia clicked his tongue in annoyance, you would escape again. He was as sick as you of that senseless hunt. Maybe was the stress what impede him to think wisely, because his next strategy was like a death wish.

The water blades disappeared from his hands and, for the first time, he had a casual talk with you. Smiling and waving his hands to look relaxed.

Then he mentioned the incident with Osial, a event that almost became a tragedy. And the only reason you knew about that was because Morax told you about it, about his contract and the reason why he left his position as an Archon the next time you visited him.

It was your fault, isn’t it?

“… what?”

"As you heard! The conditions for summoning Osial was ideal, bringing back a sealed god filled with hatred and hungry for destruction couldn't have been possible if you hadn't been around Liyue that day.” His hand lifted to pointing at you, also smiling as your expression turned into a concerned one. “Oh, our God of Chaos, you were successfully satiated as the catastrophe filled the ocean! Bring us back the destruction, because it's the only thing you ever knew!”

He was obviously just mocking you, but still Tartaglia managed to actually make you think about it.

Your fault. Your chaos.

And even with that, Rex Lapis didn’t seal you or tried to eradicated you like the burden that you are for every nation.

It’s just a matter of time before you destroy all humane existence when you get bored of your fantasy of not being a spirit of chaos.

An infinity of negative and dark thoughts began to fill your mind.

It was sad, it was so sad that the erosion already began to have an effect on you being so young. You were afraid, you were concerned, the stress ate you inside while you tried to convince yourself that it wasn’t like he said.

Your mind collapsed, and you left the wrath take the control for the first time in centuries.

A fight? That’s all he wanted? Easy, that’s easy, just kill him and everything will end. His annoying voice won’t torment you ever again, his words won’t hurt ever again.

It’s easy, so easy. Mortal life is so easy to end.

He’ll defeat the gods, he’ll take their thrones and will witness the world’s end in the final battle he planned since his first encounter with the traveler.

But that day Tartaglia noticed the difference between your strength, it wasn’t huge, neither significant enough. But you were stronger, and it’s well known that wrath and despair can provide extra energy when it’s needed.

The perception of time disappeared, the world did too. Nature, men creation, everything will succumb against chaos, existence itself will be reduce to ashes.

That’s why you exist, to make sure there’s not too much heroes trying to make the nations a boring place. You just need to accept it!

But…

‘There’s no other way?’

The question sparkle inside your mind, bringing you back out of nowhere. There’s a lot of irregularities in the ground nearby, the land was broke for something that impacted with an inhuman strength, even the structure where you step on top was gone, just the remain of a building was left.

And your hands were holding something bland and soft, the warm sensation on your palms and the strange movements caught your attention to look down. Your hands were strangling Tartaglia.

From the other side his hands were trying to remove yours, his strength was minimal, not even able of closing his fingers around your wrist.

A expression full of pain and regretting of his decisions, question by question filling his mind while the air became harder to get.

A broken bow, his Vision has been thrown away. Now it was a human versus a god.

You took a step back, afraid of what you were about to do. You have to stay calm and quiet forever? To prevent catastrophe, to bring peace to mortals? Who’s the one you have to blame for creating you? How you could think that coexisting with humans was possible? Even if you say that you don’t want to make any problems you would stay near them.

“Just… leave me alone.”

Was the last thing you said, a whisper that wanted to apologize for a whole eternity, a regret that couldn’t be forgot. And then you left that place, escaping one last time.

But wait for him, Tartaglia thought, he didn’t need your compassion.

Sooner or later he would have his revenge.

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SCARAMOUCHE

Finally! With Shogun Raiden’s gnosis on his possession and the all mighty hero of Mondstadt weakened there’s no way things can go wrong for him!

A little delay in his plans, but still a smile remained on his face. Kunikuzushi couldn’t wish for anything else right now.

But you already know what is going to happen next.

In this world exist Murphy’s Law?, because anything that could go wrong went wrong after he claim for victory. Even being far away of the factory it seemed that the karma reached him immediately.

He just got his guard down for a couple seconds, and then, whoshh. Now you see it, now you don’t. The gnosis disappeared from his pocket, not here, not there. The annoyance filled his chest and then a irritated growl came from his throat.

What in the world happened?

Scaramouche looked to a huge tree in front of him, and there you were. On your favorite place to sit, above from everyone else in a branch. Holding the gnosis as the board piece it looks like, playing throwing it up a little and then catching it again and again.

Who you think you are to act that carefree on his presence? If you wanted to die so bad then you could just have asked for it.

Even if he called you and made a question first you counter it with another one, what was he doing with that thing?

You were sick of those who defy the gods thanks to his ‘workmate’.

Scaramouche ordered you to give him the gnosis back, threats and insults came out from his mouth as a distraction; in reality, he was just ready to set the first hit from behind.

But something made him stop just in time when you talked again.

“I don’t care what you are planning, but if it involves the ones who I’m in debt with, you will surely fail.”

“Another clairvoyant? Hah, your type are more words than an actual subject matter, but I have to admit it, they’re also very skill to escape.”

“It was a warning.” You said, throwing again the gnosis, this time to his direction.

Scaramouche reacted in time to rise his arms but in midair something caught the chess-like piece before his fingers. Surprising him again and making the irritation event more unbearable.

It was a tanuki. The same that looked behind a second before running even deeper in the forest.

The chaos isn’t necessary a huge disaster; a little accident, an inconvenient, a failure, it depends time and place to be considered like a catastrophe.

Scaramouche had a killer gaze just for you in his face, in respond you smiled at him, then covered your mouth with both hands to fake surprise.

“What a shame! Better luck next time, gods defier.” Your laugh could be heard all over the woods, like a spectral echo that chased him his way to get back the gnosis.

He got it back after a few minutes of a stressful walk through the forest, found the tanuki dancing on a stone before disappearing again. When he got closer he found that piece, making sure it was the real one and not just another trick.

The following days he received endless reports of Fatui soldiers and entire camps being reduced to rubble aside lost or destroyed materials; it was a higher level sabotage done by who they said was someone of relatively young appearance in strange clothes, the one that enjoyed staring at them until something goes wrong.

Nobody could defeat them, not even get closer. And with that, Scaramouche knew they were talking about you.

Was that what you meant with “warning”? Who are you exactly? Not even holding a Vision, how could you… ?

A quick order was enough to deliver him a book full of ancient legends, part of the Fatui private collection. Texts that were lost and the world had forgotten, his only hope was that you weren't exactly mortal, and if that was the case they could take advantage of your nature.

Hah, he found you.

God of Chaos, a body sculptured by the blood and bodies of the ones who died in middle of the wars. At first they were just a being full of anger and affinity for taking the life of every living being on earth, until the same hand that created them gave them a human heart of their own. Made without any prior basis, without being the remains of the deceased. Something one of a kind, the mortal heart of a god.

When human emotions filled the vessel they were released into the world, to mourn over the spilled blood and to know how everything of their existence originates. Born from the red that stained the fields and being the bud that seemed withered, the same that now has the deepest roots ever found.

Hmm, that brings back some memories…

But hey, that vital energy could be useful.

Don’t be surprised if one day you wake up chained and feeling dizzy as Scaramouche drains your life. You know what? Just wait for it! Running away as you did with that idiot won’t work this time.

Every possibility can be foreseen, every inconvenience can be solved. And if you think that you’re an exception then you’re stupider than you look.

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GANYU

Bold of you assume that Zhongli didn’t introduce you to everyone the first time you travel to Liyue.

The difference between your meeting was that it had to be really short. Ganyu is always busy so you couldn’t know her better before her duty called for her again.

Obviously you heard a lot of stories of her childhood thanks to Cloud Retainer. The day she knew about it Ganyu avoided you, next week she apologized with you about it. It was very rude, please pardon her.

Such a big sister vibes ngl

An Adeptus working that hard to human’s matters. It was so cool to follow her from a significant distance to see how was her routine.

If you could only live that peacefully near humans without causing any problem! What a dream! The envy was killing you.

Ganyu didn’t mind about you stalking her, the feeling of a companion was always present and she also knew that you had to keep some distance from everybody to not cause any accident. She appreciated your consideration.

Until a soldier from the millelith arrested you for harassment, wait- you’re innocent! Don’t get closer, hold on! Hold on!

The handcuffs broke almost immediately, though.

When Ganyu resolved the misunderstanding she hold your hands to apologize again, it had to be really stressful to be aware of any chaos you could create accidentally.

What if you… wait for her on the surroundings of the city?

Please, she have a lot of work, don’t interrupt her, she’s begging you.

Ganyu thought you heard her request, but she knew that you were just hiding when a window opened out of nowhere and a lot of documents flew away in the room.

You appeared hanging upside down from the other side of the window, jumped down and entered to pick up the documents. You hand her over all the pages and then you leave through the space on the wall.

“… I’ll be in Huaguang Stone Forest… ”

“Thank you.”

Even though you both agreed that you would return to the stone forest, she couldn't help but feel guilty as the hours passed, did you feel like a nuisance? Maybe she should apologize. Again.

When another successful day at work ended, she realized that repeating the same words over and over was not the best way to show her regret. That’s why a better idea formed in his head as she approached the abode of the rest of Adeptus.

Ganyu found you being scolded by Mountain Shaper for unintentionally releasing the trespassing intruders along with other creatures from their amber prisons.

After rescuing you again, she was able to propose her idea to you. With a calm and charming voice she asked you if you would like to learn about Liyue's traditions from the human perspective.

Sure, Zhongli could tell you about the beginning of traditions and festivities, but the way to celebrate them and pay tribute to the Adeptus was something that only a person who had lived among mortals for years could explain to you.

Your eyes shone in gratitude but no words really came out of your lips, kind of embarrassed you said some nonsensical things and then another amber cracked when you brushed its surface.

Mountain Shaper kicked you out without thinking twice.

But hey! The next day your classes on Culture from the Mortal Perspective began! A quick but calm walk through Liyue that got spread when a bunch of kids recognized you.

How could they not remember the person who plays with them every time they get a chance?

Ganyu sat by the side of the road on an empty bench, watching you scamper the children who seemed happy at your mere presence. Like the occasional accidents of a child, the curious and outlandish nature cannot be controlled, only accepted.

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CHONGYUN

Don’t move! The future best exorcist in the world, Chongyun, will put an end to your legacy of misdeeds and pranks! No evil specter that causes bad luck will survive to-!

Just by lightly tapping with your fingertips you were able to break the seal of the talismans that surrounded you out of nowhere. Pushing back the boy who was convinced that he had beaten his yang.

how dare u interrupt him.

Another of Xingqiu’s pranks? Isn’t this going a little to far? He hadn’t learn about not believing everything his friend says smh.

Let’s just mess with him a little.

‘Measure your words, human. In the presence of the God of Chaos, the first thought that should run through your mortal instinct is to beg for your life, since those who dare to defy them will be punished and displayed as a trophy in the infinity of the abyss from which the catastrophe came out.’

You took a few steps closer to him, while Chongyun kept backing away. The scene was so dramatic that you had to stop when the boy summoned his sword.

Haha jk, nice to meet u.

It's nice to know that there are still such dedicated exorcists out there.

But wait-, so you're not an evil spirit? A God? Why is there a god causing accidents all over Liyue!? That makes no sense! If you think you can deceive him by pretending to be a deity then he shall punish you severely for disrespecting them!

After a detailed explanation of your identity, Chongyun's mood plummeted again due to another failure as an exorcist.

He sat silently on a rock and remained silent, his expression showed so well his disappointed that it made you feel like it was your fault.

Ohno, a sad human child, your weakness-

At the end you sat next to him to listen to what he had to say.

Did he really want to see a spirit so badly? Those things are horrible, wearing strange clothes and yelling all the time, buagh! The thought of it gives you chills. But there's nothing you can do, after all they are drawn to your chaos.

When you finished talking so indifferently about what you lived through from day to day, you looked back at Chongyun, finding his expressive eyes filled with astonishment and disbelief.

Are you a magnet of evil? Chaos and destruction? Demons and spirits alike appear wherever you go?

Then you stopped him, it wasn't something to take so lightly; there’s also the chaos of the butterfly effect, natural disasters, unforeseen events, influencing the mood of evil people, losing your favorite pair of socks-

But you attract spirits, right!? You have to help him! How can you say ‘no’ to that face?

The next day he took you to one of his commissions as an exorcist, a house that had numerous reports from its previous tenants. He stayed outside and asked you to come in first, obviously you refused, if your chaos broke something inside you would have more problems besides the ghosts of the house.

He insisted a little more, it worked. Now you were waiting to feel the presence of some spirit trying to attack you. You could feel it, their energy was spread throughout the building, but still there was no movement. Neither hostility, neither terror, just the presence of a soul.

When it was Chongyun's turn to enter you explained this to him, his yang was also easy to perceive, you could describe it as a blizzard in the middle of the storm. But despite this, that presence didn’t react to his energy, nothing changed.

Then you understand it, your energies neutralized each other. Your chaos and his yang ended in a stalemate that went nowhere.

“I was really hoping to see an actual spirit and not only stay still in the middle of the entrance… “

“Well, I can still curse you. Want to try?” Chongyun crossed his arms, annoyed for your jokes.

“Maybe I should exorcize you instead… ”

“Ohh, so the little exorcist wants a deity to be his personal dummy? Let’s make a pact then. Promise me your soul.”

“I-I thought you said you weren’t actually a demon!”

When you stroked his hair he couldn't help but think about how much he still had to learn, so much so that even the gods were taking pity on him.

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