#one day i will legitimately beat the answer

[shadowtriovibes]

Hi! I absolutely love your fics! I have a little request/idea. Sebastian finds out that MC has a little crush on professor sharp and all of a sudden can’t stand his favorite professor. (His small crush on professor garlick is totally different and super justified)

jealousy, you got me somehow

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!MC

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 1.7K

Summary: Sebastian finds out about your little crush on a certain Potions master and all of a sudden can’t stand the man. (His small crush on Professor Garlick is, of course totally different and super justified.)

“You’re sure you won’t become too affected by Sharp’s dulcet tones and neglect something important?” he asks with a smirk. Annoyed, you huff and abandon your notes at your side. “You’ve been waiting several days to bring this up again,” you grumble. “I should’ve known I wasn’t safe.”

Sebastian first finds out about your little preoccupation when he innocently stumbles upon you studying with a group of your fellow Slytherin girls in a quiet corner of the library. Or at least, it was quiet until Nerida Roberts had started to derail your entirely legitimate conversation about the uses of Dittany for an upcoming Potions exam by bringing up Professor Sharp himself.

“He’s just so handsome,” she sighs dreamily. “How am I supposed to focus on what’s going on in my cauldron when he’s standing right across the room looking all brooding and roguish?”

Violet McDowell giggles and adds, “I could listen to him talk all afternoon and I wouldn’t learn a single thing!”

“I suppose that’s why so many seventh-year girls are still taking Potions even if they don’t need it for their N.E.W.T.s,” you murmur.

“Can you blame us?” Violet sighs. “You must admit, he’s quite nice to look at.”

“Of course I think he’s handsome,” you say with a scoff. “Just because I have a boyfriend doesn’t mean I can’t see the man.”

As if on cue, Sebastian comes around the corner carrying a large stack of books on defensive magic and spots the three of you huddled around your Potions notes.

“Good afternoon, ladies,” he says with an easy smile.

Sebastian sets his books on the edge of the table and leans down next to you to steal a chaste kiss while he can. He’s seen relatively little of you this week while you both prepare for exams in classes the other doesn’t have, so not even your late-night study sessions have overlapped.

“Speak of the devil,” Nerida teases.

“Shh!” you whisper. “Enough now.”

“Not keeping secrets from me, are you?” Sebastian asks teasingly as he snags one of the empty seats.

“Of course not,” you demur. “By the way, have you got my Potions notes from last week? I think I mixed them up with yours from Ancient Runes.”

Sebastian chuckles and asks, “Trying to change the subject? I must have walked into something quite scandalous.”

“It’s nothing bad,” Nerida says teasingly. “We were just chatting about Professor Sharp.”

“Oh?” Sebastian asks, surprised. “What’s he done now?”

“Nothing,” Violet McDowell answers. “We were just saying that he’s easily the most handsome professor at Hogwarts.”

“He’s certainly your girlfriend’s favorite,” Nerida says with a smirk.

Sebastian raises a skeptical eyebrow at you, and sure enough, you’re blushing.

“Really?” he drawls. “You have a thing for Sharp?”

“No!” you whine. “I just – I really like Potions class, that’s all.”

“Of course you do,” Violet taunts. “So you can moon over Sharp during his lectures!”

You shoot Violet a threatening look and not-so-gently kick the toe of your boot against her shin underneath the table. She yelps and curses under her breath before indignantly burying her face behind her Potions textbook, and Nerida wisely avoids eye contact and doesn’t offer anything further.

After a beat, Sebastian clears his throat and says, “Well then, I, er… suppose I’ll leave you girls to it.”

He helps himself to one more kiss goodbye and you can tell by the significant look he gives you before leaving that this is not the last you’ll hear from him about your crush.

Sure enough, a few nights later the two of you manage to claim a loveseat by the fire in your common room where you can curl up against his side and revise your Potions notes one last time before your exam while Sebastian dutifully transcribes runic diagrams onto lengths of parchment.

“Are you feeling prepared for your exam tomorrow?” he asks you casually.

“I think so,” you answer. “It’s not a practical, so I can’t imagine it will be too challenging.”

“You’re sure you won’t become too affected by Sharp’s dulcet tones and neglect something important?” he asks with a smirk.

Annoyed, you huff and abandon your notes at your side.

“You’ve been waiting several days to bring this up again,” you grumble. “I should’ve known I wasn’t safe.”

“What?” he laughs. “I’m just teasing you, love.”

You narrow your eyes at him skeptically. “I’m not sure I believe you.”

“Well, it’s just… I don’t really know what you see in him, that’s all,” he murmurs, lazily turning a page in his Ancient Runes textbook.

You frown. “What do you mean?”

“I just think he’s rather foul,” Sebastian says plainly. “He’s impatient, meticulous, he’s clearly got a dark past and I truly don’t understand why all you girls think he’s obviously the most handsome man at Hogwarts. To me, he’s simply average.”

Merlin’s beard, you think. You knew Sebastian wasn’t a fan of Hogwarts’ Potions master, but you had no idea his dislike ran so deep.

“I think he’s a good professor,” you offer quietly. “He’s always been quite helpful to me, especially when I needed to master healing potions, and he saved my life in the Repository.”

“How generous of him,” Sebastian mumbles.

Angrily, you sit up a little straighter and pluck Sebastian’s quill out of his hand so he’ll look at you.

“And what about you?” you demand indignantly. “While we’re on the subject of good-looking professors, I happen to know that you turn into a stammering, blushing fool whenever Professor Garlick is nearby.”

You know for a fact that Sebastian Sallow is not an idiot, which is why it’s all the more frustrating when he tries to deny something you’ve known about for months.

“I do not!” Sebastian protests. “That’s – that’s ridiculous.”

You scoff and roll your eyes. “You are not a subtle person, Sebastian, nor are you particularly good at being punctual, yet somehow you’re never late to the greenhouses.”

“W-well, I’m rubbish at Herbology so I like to make sure I won’t miss anything important,” he lies.

“Maybe you wouldn’t be quite so rubbish if you actually listened to the professor instead of staring at her chest for the entire lesson,” you grumble.

Sebastian goes bright red. Clearly, he had no idea you could see him doing that.

“Look,” he whines. “It doesn’t mean anything, I just think she’s nice to look at is all.”

“And I’m not allowed to think Professor Sharp is handsome?” you counter.

“It’s different,” he insists. “You actually like him, it’s not just an attraction.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” you hiss.

“It means he’s a powerful wizard, a brilliant duellist and he’s a former Auror for Merlin’s sake,” Sebastian angrily confesses. “I couldn’t possibly measure up to that.”

You feel your heart break a little when you realize what this is truly all about – your love’s relentless insecurities, the same ones he’s battled for many years now.

Softly, you ask Sebastian, “Do you actually feel threatened that I might leave you for a professor? We’re seventeen, Seb.”

“It’s preposterous, I know,” he sighs. “But I just… I feel like I could never compete with him.”

“Sebastian,” you croon as you take your hand in his lap. “I want you to listen to me very clearly, alright?”

You wait patiently for him to meet your gaze before you continue.

“As you said, Professor Sharp is impatient,” you agree. “He’s also meticulous, and maybe he does have some darkness in his past. But you also said that he’s a brilliant duelist and a powerful wizard. Do you know who else has all those traits?”

Sebastian swallows nervously and squeezes your hand a little tighter.

“You do, love,” you say softly. “So perhaps the reason I’m fond of him is that he reminds me of you.”

“I’m not an Auror,” he points out a little sullenly. “And I’ve never saved your life.”

“Not yet you aren’t, but we both know that’s why you’re studying for Ancient Runes so much lately,” you say with a fond smirk. “And since I’ve saved your life plenty of times, I’m sure you’ll return the favor someday.”

Wordlessly, Sebastian tugs you against his chest and presses a soft kiss to the top of your head.

“I love you so much,” he murmurs into your hair. “I’m sorry for being such a prat.”

“Apology accepted,” you whisper into his chest. “And I love you too, you fool.”

He holds you close for a while after that, nose buried in your hair while you listen to his slow, even heartbeat through his uniform shirt. When he finally lets you sit up so that he can kiss you properly – not one of those chaste ones from the library – you find yourself halfway in his lap before you even realize you’ve shifted.

For Merlin’s sake, your notes are in a messy pile on the floor now.

You huff and try to climb off of him to gather them up, but Sebastian coaxes you back to him with a single finger on your chin, his eyes firmly fixed on your lips. By the time he’s kissed your frustration away, you can’t even remember what you were supposed to be studying for.

“We should bicker more often,” Sebastian says with a satisfied grin, his lips slightly swollen.

“On that subject, I was just wondering…” you ask him with a teasing smile. “Is there anything Professor Garlick has that I don’t? Should I be worried?”

“Absolutely not,” he murmurs as he flicks open the top button of your shirt. “Truthfully, you both have two very nice things in common.”

“You’re foul,” you tell him simply.

“I meant that you’re both kind-hearted and beautiful,” he says smoothly.

You’re positive that you know exactly what Sebastian meant and appreciate the compliment nonetheless. In fact, he’s being so sweet that you even let him undo a few more buttons while you can take advantage of your seclusion.

The next day during your Potions exam, while your female classmates are undoubtedly slipping in and out of pleasant daydreams about your alluring professor, all you can think about is Sebastian’s lips on your neck and his hand inside your shirt as he’d whispered all sorts of electrifying promises about what he’ll do to you after you turn in your parchment.

It’s a fierce struggle to focus on Dittany of all things with that in the back of your mind, but Professor Sharp is nevertheless pleased when you end up being the first to submit your completed exam and then promptly excuse yourself from the dungeons.

#hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy fic #sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow x mc #sebastian sallow x reader #sebastian x mc #sebastian x reader #professor sharp #aesop sharp #i know i'm supposed to be writing older requests and longer fics #but i was in a funk this weekend (hungover mostly lmao) so i needed to finish something short and sweet #so have some jealousy fluff!

[jrow]

May Prompts (19)

Day 18 here. Start from the beginning here.

Weather

They are talking about the bloody weather.

Sure, he is legitimately thrilled to be outside for the first time in days (even if he is stuck in a wheelchair) and it is unseasonably warm. But still, the weather hardly warrants 10 minutes of conversation. He knows that he and Molly are both avoiding having what might be a slightly uncomfortable conversation. It is so very British.

He sighs and looks at Molly, who is still talking about how Toby loves lying in the sun. Enough is enough.

“Molly,” he interrupts, “do you know if I gave Sherlock his birthday gift? Do you know if he opened it?” There is no point in beating around the bush.

Her shoulders tighten a bit but she lets out a sigh. It’s like she’s both relieved and anxious that they are having this conversation. “You definitely gave it to him. I guess you don’t remember but you were … determined when you went over there that night.” She smiles sadly. “It was about time, if you ask me.”

He takes a deep breath. “I don’t remember getting to Baker Street but … yeah, determined is the right word. I remember feeling that.” He closes his eyes. “Sherlock hasn’t said anything.”

Molly scooches down the bench so she’s closer to him. “He hasn’t opened it,” she stage whispers. She looks around the hospital garden as if making sure no one’s listening. “I popped by Baker Street yesterday—Mrs. Hudson let me in. I wasn’t snooping, I swear! Sherlock borrowed a few files from me last week and I needed them back. I didn’t have the heart to ask him to get them so I just did it myself.” She leans closer. “And your gift was still unwrapped on the coffee table.”

He rubs his hand over his face. “Okay, that answers one question. But why hasn’t he mentioned it at least? Even in his recounting of what happened that night?”

“John,” she says, reaching out and touching his leg. “He’s terrified. And, quite frankly, he has other things on his mind.”

“He feels guilty. It’s obvious.”

“Yes. Incredibly obvious.” She chuckles. “He feels guilty about your fall. You know how he can be. Somehow his silly little brain has decided it’s his fault. I suppose he thinks he should have caught you.”

She makes a good point, but he can’t help but worry it’s something else. “It could be about the gift, though. What if he deduced what’s in the box and feels guilty that he doesn’t want the same.”

She looks to the sky and sighs. “Boys,” she says quietly as if to herself before turning her gaze back towards him. “That’s stupid, John,” she says bluntly.

John leans back, a bit offended. “Come on, you know Sherlock can deduce anything.”

“Not about you!” she says, raising her hands in the air. “You’re his blindspot.” She puts her hands down and takes a deep breath. “And do you really think he’d spend time deducing a birthday gift while you were lying in a hospital bed? I saw him that morning, John. He was a mess. Kept it together on all things Rosie but all in all a mess. He’s not feeling guilty because he thinks he needs to let you down easy.”

John feels slightly chastised but also better. Molly isn’t lying about this. She believes what she’s saying. That’s the best he can hope for.

“Thanks, Molly,” he says, leaning forward to put a hand on her shoulder. “For everything.”

“I’m happy to help. I keep offering to do more with Rosie, but Sherlock refuses. At some point I do want to actually see her when she’s awake!”

He laughs. That all sounds about right.

She shrugs. “You know, I’m not sure Sherlock will get it anyways. When he opens the gift, I mean. You are trusting that present to explain quite a lot. Most people would just see it for what it is. A bit extravagant maybe, but that’s it.”

“He’ll take one look and put the pieces together.”

“Blind spot, John. And then you’ll be forced to use your words. Heaven forbid.”

“He’ll know, Molly.” He takes a breath. “I was determined. I am trying to get that determination back. And … I’m not good with words.”

“You two are a pair in that regard.” She shakes her head and then stands up. “Come on, let’s get back.”

@keirgreeneyes @raina-at @totallysilvergirl @meetinginsamarra @jolieblack @phoenix27884 @friday411 @calaisreno @quimerasyutopias @lisbeth-kk @safedistancefrombeingsmart @momma2boys @helloliriels @dapetty

Let me know if you want to be added or removed 😊

#johnlock #wip #may prompts 2024

[smhalltheurlsaretaken]

I've said all of this stuff already but I'm pissed rn and it's therapeutic to type it out:

Maul's presence on Mandalore in TCW s7 is NOT a priority. The political situation on Mandalore, while shitty, has been the same for the civilian population since s5, with or without Maul there. Things can wait a bit.

Sure, capturing Maul is possibly time sensitive (since they don't know how long he'll be on-planet), but taking back Mandalore isn't. If Maul leaves before they show up the planet is just as easy to take. Bo-Katan is using his presence as an incentive because she doesn't have the necessary forces to win, whether or not he's there. The situation is only urgent for her because if Maul leaves then the Republic has no reason to help her cause. The situation is not urgent for Mandalore because, again, it's been the same for basically a year - Maul's presence has little impact on the people, his forces are the problem and they have never left.

The Republic didn't "refuse" to help after s5, they just had no more reason to. Almec is still legitimately Prime Minister (accepted by the people) and Mandalore is an independent sovereign system that has spent actual years refusing outside interference. The second Maul bails "helping" goes back to being called "invading".

Capturing Maul is also not even a priority to the Republic (Republic =/= Jedi Order) because Palpatine ordered the Jedi to stop bothering with him in s5. Officially Maul is 'just' a crime lord, and he's not allied with the Separatists or even attacking the Republic. It's well established in TCW that the Jedi don't have the manpower to deal with the underworld anymore. What's the point of dismantling black markets and crime rings if the planet gets bombed into oblivion the next day? Priorities.

The Jedi can't do what they want with Republic resources. As awful as it is, the Clones belong to the Republic. The Jedi can be ordered to pull out of a situation whenever the Senate pleases. (see above)

Capturing Maul (what would be the Jedi's goal going to Mandalore) would really best be accomplished somewhere he doesn't have all his forces backing him up (again, confronting there is for Bo-Katan's benefit because her own goal isn't just to capture Maul but to beat his forces which she wants the Republic to do for her)

The Battle of Coruscant is ABSOLUTELY a pivotal point in the war and the main priority. The second the Separatists show up above the Republic's central seat of power? The political and military capital? The most densely populated planet in the Galaxy? It's time to drop literally everything else. The Senate is there. The Temple is there. A LOT of their troops are stationed there. There are hundreds of thousands of billions of people living there. Even pulling forces out of allied worlds to go help Coruscant wouldn't be a dick move, just a desperate one - nevermind waiting to send troops to a neutral-on-a-good-day-and-more-or-less-enemy-the-rest-of-the-time world.

The Jedi don't even refuse to help.

They don't.

Why am I typing all of this to defend their refusal to help? They don't refuse to help.

Obi-Wan wants to take a hot minute to THINK ABOUT the implications of going guns blazing into neutral sovereign territory to confront a dude who has an extremely personal vendetta against him and is known to set traps of precisely this kind. (And Obi-Wan is right to consider these things because HEY! IT IS A TRAP! MAUL SLAUGHTERS A BUNCH OF CLONES AS A BREADCRUMBS TRAIL TO LEAD SOMEONE HE HOPES TO BE OBI-WAN INTO A TRAP!)

Obi-Wan also answers to the rest of Council, just like every other Council member. Bo-Katan gets pissy that he's not giving an answer right that instant because SHE needs Maul to still be there, but thinking things through is literally Obi-Wan's job description.

And after all this, after the attack on Coruscant and the political considerations, THE JEDI DON'T EVEN REFUSE TO HELP.

The Mandalorian traditionalists' favorite pastime is attempting to kill Jedi. Not too long ago, Bo was right there when Pre was trying to kill Obi-Wan. And then trying to kill Ahsoka. And then allying with the Sith (who notoriously want to kill all the Jedi) on two separate occasions (Dooku and Maul). The Mandos PRIDE THEMSELVES on hating the Jedi. There has never been in canon an instance of a Prequels-era Mando warrior helping a Jedi out for altruistic motives.

Bo-Katan is appealing to the Order's decency (saying that her people suffer etc etc) but she doesn't even have the honesty to couch it as a real, desperate plea for help. Instead she presents the situation as transactional, as though she was bringing anything concrete onto the table. If the Republic comes in, takes Mandalore for her and captures Maul, she has contributed to the effort how, exactly? What has she given the Republic? How many people fight for her is left pretty vague but we really don't see that many of them. Plus it's her planet. Fighting for it isn't her giving the Republic anything, it's still her helping herself. And yet she gets incredibly pissed when Obi-Wan takes time to examine the 'deal.'

In light of the two previous arguments, the Jedi would in fact have been perfectly justified in telling Bo to eat some freaking humble pie.

THE JEDI. DON'T REFUSE. TO HELP.

Sure it's Obi-Wan specifically who okays the operation, before the rest of the Council can make a decision, but do they order the troops to pull out afterwards? Nope. Do they sanction him? Nope.

They do help.

They really shouldn't have let Bo-Katan in charge but hey, they get all massacred after that and the Republic's backing is literally what gives Bo-Katan legitimacy in the eyes of many clans for decades after (see the Protectors' position in Rebels. Her legitimacy stems from SATINE'S and the Republic apparently backing her up as Satine's heir. It's not from kicking Maul out.)

(I love Bo-Katan as a character but as a person she's. huh. a lot. She changed from outright villain to morally gray character because the villains got a lot worse not bc she got better lmo)

So the Jedi absolutely did help afgfdsdfgfdsdfd why are people getting pissy about Obi-Wan - who has a complicated history with Mandalore that involves a loved one getting murdered in front of his eyes by Maul - hesitating to help

They really didn't refuse to help.

They really had every reason to

It would have been perfectly reasonable in fact

Yeah they have a mandate to protect innocent people but there were a lot more innocent people on Coruscant

Innocent people who did want their help instead of yelling GTFO every time they showed up

Because the Mando civilians sure didn't want them there

Oh and also? They didn't refuse to help

#jedi order #tcw season 7 #siege of mandalore #bo-katan kryze #darth maul #obi-wan kenobi #long post #meta #my meta #more like me ranting #sw talk #the great siege of mandalore diatribe

[flanpucci]

Hello and welcome to my TED talk today I have decided to write a wall of text about why portraying Dio and Pucci’s relationship as manipulation is actually taking a lot out of Pucci’s agency and character, and diminishing him. Disclaimer that this is not shipping discourse, this is media analysis. I don’t want to talk about whether it is moral or not that they get along, I don’t care, I only want to comment on the media.

So someone sent me a DM telling me that Dio was manipulating an emotionally distraught and vulnerable Pucci into following his plan, and that he exploited him to do all sorts of crimes (framing Jolyne, killing people, stealing discs) by presenting himself as a trustworthy, God-like figure, and called the Heaven plan ‘Heaven’ to get Pucci to follow it by exploiting his religious beliefs.

First of all Dio met Pucci before he was distraught about his sister's situation. After the situation occurred, it is Pucci who seeked him for answers as to why he was alive and not his sibling/s, like he seeked answers from God a few years before by becoming a priest student. Dio left a door open, nothing more. Of course Dio was seeking to be admired, he was also seeking companionship as he has always done ever since he was young, and someone to carry his plan. Pucci was looking for answers, for self-growth, for someone to push him towards the top, towards what he believes is the destiny that was designed for him (the reason he’s alive and not his twin).

Is it forbidden to look for something in someone? Does it make it not genuine? No, we all look for something in a friendship. And this seemed like a fair deal for both. One needs a trusted friend, an ally, but not a blind follower, and as we’ll see later, he needs someone to help him transcend his human? vampire? condition again. The other one needs a reason to live, a quest to fulfill, and hope that he could one day obtain the ‘happiness’ and ‘peace of mind’ that Dio wants so much too. He’s also someone who strives for greatness, who wants to ‘step outside human boundaries’.

Not forgetting that Pucci is someone fueled by a profound curiosity and rationality, it is only natural that he’d side with someone who has the abilities and ambition Dio has. Framing Jolyne, killing people, stealing discs, it is all out of Pucci's agency, long after the death of Dio. He's actually the one who suggested he could store and use Survivor, and he’s the one who asked for it! Dio thought Survivor was useless, that it was only a weakness, and Pucci convinced him with the idea that it could be prove itself useful.

Pucci is shown to have ‘lost’ faith in Christianity very early on, maybe not really having true religious belief at all (as in, the actually believing there’s a God sense.) He got into priesthood for philosophical reasons (seeking answers to an existential question). He seems to be a very pragmatic christian with interests in science that contradicts some of the scripture’s theories.

I don't think calling the plan ‘Heaven’ was a bait based on Pucci's religious beliefs. Over Heaven isn't canon, but it shows Dio having a very Christian mother. He's an intelligent man, born in a very christian time and place, and thought ‘Heaven’ was the name of the kingdom promised to the legitimate ruler of the world, himself. If anything the first time they meet he makes it very clear they're not striving for anything Bible related but for realizing their full potential and finding happiness.

Dio saw very early on that Pucci was not a very faithful catholic, judging by the book he's reading when they meet in the ossuary, and then Pucci commiting crimes even before seeing Dio again (hiring someone to beat up his brother, leaving his brother as dead). He then commits blasphemy by calling him King of Kings and comparing his love to the one he has for God. Pucci does not think of Dio as the christian God, he loves him as he loves God, but he's not blind and misled. He refers to him with proximity terms all throughout the manga (even when he's young), never used honorifics like the henchmen do, calls him 'kimi' (casual/informal ‘you’), 'my close friend'.

Even Dio uses ‘kimi’ instead of the ‘omae’ that shows inferiority that he uses with Vanilla for example. In the way they talk to/about each other, they're protrayed as equals, which once again is very unusual for Dio. All throughout their scenes Dio is shown slightly seductive at first, then not as overtly seducing as he usually is, he’s talking about the plan, and strategy (even though he still maintains physical contact, I mean, it’s still Dio), and then seems to relax progressively by doing activities and chit-chatting, to the point of Dio becoming paranoid that his weakness is known. Yes, Dio was pretty nice and not as big an asshole as usual because he needed someone for the plan, but what did he need? A "friend that he can trust from the bottom of his heart" (信頼できる友), so he tried to make one by not being an asshole, and guess what? He did! And he got scared that he managed to do so, because it's freaking Dio lol. Dio’s life has only been him trying to show dominance, and facing rejection. Heck he was rejected and degraded even when he won that chess game against an adult in the first minutes of the show. But everyone wants friends for a reason! Be it not to be alone, to be loved, to have someone to talk to about certain topics... And we all make efforts and try to be nice to make friends. That's not manipulation that's called not being a dysfunctional piece of shit like Dio usually was shown to be before he met Pucci. Why was he different with Pucci? I'm bringing up the parallel with the Jonathan and Dio scene which really shows that Dio hasn't changed and is acting the way he always has, testing people, he just has never been met with trust and acceptance, only with rejection, unlike what Pucci has done from their first meeting and after :

Scene plays out very similarly at first, except that this time Dio hasn’t done anything wrong, but he was expecting to be betrayed and wasn’t, which led him to get paranoid and set up Pucci so that he’d attack him, which he didn’t. And what did Dio do? Apologize and give him a part of what's literally the most important thing he has, 'his' body.

The fact that Pucci kept his 'sentimentality' towards his friend (I quote), his obsessive affection for Dio, and hope in his plan for such a long time is easily understandable, he had everything to win from Dio's plan (which is very different from nothing to lose, he has quite a lot to lose!). He could be cleansed from his sin, or at least put everyone on his level, be granted the reward of unconditional love, he could grow to a close to godly status or be a messiah carrying god's will (be special, push the boundaries of being human), and maybe, just maybe revive his loved ones too. He could rewrite his destiny at best, and at worst, obtain peace of mind. If anything helping Dio might even have been an excuse for Pucci to lie to himself about his real intentions with this plan (unconsciously : finally accomplishing his destiny of being special over his sibling and basically everyone else, consciously : giving everyone the chance to prepare for tragedy + opening everyone's eyes to the fact that what he did, cause his sister's death, was not really his fault since it was written by fate all along.)

Now if you really have a high esteem of Dio's intelligence you can argue that he did it all on purpose, he gave out his weakness on purpose to mellow Pucci, he called the plan Heaven to cater to Pucci's faith, he talked him into doing crimes, pretended to feel equal/inferior so that Pucci would give him his trust... But 1) Dio's not that good at it, has too big trust issues himself and has other means for submitting people to his will (as seen with Kakyoin, Polnareff...), 2) it's literally written this has to be built on trust which in my opinion completely disqualifies a manipulation aspect to it. Of course there are many other sources that further the idea that they were really friends, I'm thinking about how their relationship is described in interviews or the Jojo Mag, but I wanted this post to focus on canon interpretation.

Thank you for reading my essay, I’m always happy to chat and comment on the dynamics between characters in the material. I am not willing to talk about morality or shipping discourse here so please refrain from sending me such comments.

#jjba #jojos bizarre adventure #pucci #enrico pucci #dio #dio brando #stone ocean #analysis

[yes-i-write-fanfiction]

Since you u did a autobots responses to death. Can you do the deceptions responses to death telling them he’s come for their life because they’ve gone and pissed him off or have done something that is insulting to his work? “So why don’t I do us both a favor and take your spark now.”

TFP verse

-Megatron snarls and immediately takes a combat stance. He's not afraid of Death and he's not going to just lie down and accept his fate. "You want my spark? You're going to have to come at me with everything you got because I am not going to go down without a fight."

-Immediately, Starscream transforms and runs away. He does not believe for even one second that he could beat Death, at least not in a fair fight. Until he can figure out a way to get himself into Death's good graces again he's going to keep on running away, never staying in one spot for long in fear of being found.

-Similarly to Megatron, Soundwave prepares to fight. However, he does not think that he's going to win. He's prepared to die but he refuses to just give up. That goes against everything it means to be a decepticon. No, if he's going to die then it will be while fighting, resisting until the very end.

-At first, Knockout tries to talk his way out of the situation. He's totally freaked out but he tries to appear calm, tries to smooth talk Death into forgiving him for whatever he's done wrong. When that does not appear to work then he'll go for plan 2; run away. Deep inside, he knows he can't run forever, but he's too scared to accept death just yet.

-Breakdown asks why Death wants his spark. The answer don't matter though because even if there's a legitimate reason, he will fight for his life. Even in the face of impossible odds, Breakdown stands tall and if he's going to die then by Primus, he's going to go out like a legend.

-Like Breakdown, Shockwave asks Death why they want his spark but whereas Breakdown is genuinely curious, Shockwave is doing it to buy time. In the short time it takes Death to answer, he's already thought of a plan on how to prolong his existence. He will engage in a brief altercation with Death, not with the goal of winning but to find the best way to escape. Once he's managed to run away, he's going to pour all his research into how to defeat Death. Dying is not an option for him.

-For Dreadwing, there's two ways this will go. Either he will fight, even though he knows he's going to lose, simply because of his pride as a warrior, or he's going to accept his fate. If Death has ordained it, has come to the decision, then his fate is already sealed. There is no escaping Death, he knows this. If he accepts it, then Dreadwing will offer up his own weapon do Death, kneel down, close his optics and face his end with dignity.

-Airachnid runs away. She's a cold blooded killer but she knows when she's beat. And Death? She knows she stands no chance there. But she's going to cling to life, dig her claws into it and hold on until the very end. So she'll run. And run. She will never accept her own demise and will do whatever it takes to stay alive for even just a day more.

#transformers imagine #transformers prime #megatron #starscream #soundwave #knockout #breakdown #shockwave #dreadwing #airachnid #puss in boots

[toxicanonymity]

raider analysis

Warnings: angst, references to violence, captivity, references to past assault/abuse, warnings from the related posts this is analyzing.

A/N: this is about the hypothetical from today, plus some about the 🐶 (goes into Hunger). Keep in mind I share these because some people enjoy it, not because i want you to read it like AP Lit, lol. 🫣

------

Ok, the kinda tearjerking exchange (not my favorite kind of jerking, but it happened, sorry) starts off

“‘Member what I said after ya ran?” You nod. “that you only want me if I'm good?” A tear runs down your cheek.

I have to admit I'm sad for both of you in this moment. You especially, sweet pea. But also, Joel regrets how he treated you in the aftermath of your escape, and he can't undo it. He's mostly thought about the physical part of it (glimpse of this in the yoga drabble). Now hearing you paraphrase his words, he's faced with the fact that it's even worse than he's been beating himself up over (deservedly, tbf). 

As far as you running away, the main thing that reassured Joel was how you said it wasn't about him, it was the other guys, to which he said you gotta talk to him when something's bothering you. So in his eyes that was his main point. But before he calmed down enough to express that, he was angry and it made a real impression on you. Your main takeaway was that his interest in you (and your safety) was conditional.  You don't think about it a lot these days, and in the big picture it's outweighed by his extreme possessiveness, but it's a thread of insecurity and the first thing that comes to mind when he asks if you remember what he said.

For Joel, there's a whole other conversation happening here (with himself) under the surface.

In this convo when Joel says “that was real bad,” it all was, including what he did in response.  When he asks “we’re past that, right?” he means all of it. He wishes that day would just go away. It's also kind of an empty hope related to what he's done to you. He doesn't think he deserves forgiveness or love, but at this point he also doesn't want you to live in fear of him or only stay for that reason. 

You answer as if he just wants to know you wont run away again, and that's still nice to hear. He latches onto that answer as a momentary "out" from feeling the weight of what he's done, reminding himself what's supposed to really matter to him–that you're "his"--like your answer assumed he was thinking.

—--

Also, a word about the dog. Not everything with the dog is profound. I like doggos and think they should have one. But, the initial interaction/freeing him from the collar is meaningful if you consider who else has been chained in this story (but not lately).  And there's more parallels you can draw if you want to, but I also support just enjoying the little guy.

In the same chapter, it's the first time we see Joel take you out with him as a capable person (armed). Then he even lets you go into the forest alone. The reason he ultimately goes in after you is because he's worried about you. In general, Joel wants to keep you for his own sake but is also scared of what could happen to you on your own (he's almost seen it). You're legitimately worried about the dog’s well-being and think he needs you, but you also just want him around.

Joel despises the addict and the way he treated his own dog. Joel hates himself, too. His thoughts coming out of the forest reveal he’s coming for the junkie as a stand-in and what he really wants is to hurt everyone who ever hurt you. He knows he's one of those people. I'm not saying he wants to hurt himself but some of the aggression he takes out on other men (when a simple bullet would suffice) is from his own self hatred. Normally these men have something in common with him. 

Joel initially rejects the dog, not wanting another someone to take care of distracting him from protecting you. But later the dog demonstrates he's more than meets the eye and has a lot to offer and for good reason Joel seems to come around, even if he won't say it. Despite that progress, in the hypothetical from today we still want more for the dog.  The dog deserves more. We still want more for sweet pea who is emotionally starving and has been subjected to Joel's coldness in her previous attempts to get closer to him. She deserves more. Like maybe a kiss at least (when she's awake). In night air we see why Joel struggles with that, but he keeps making progress. At least he's kissing your other lips.

-----

----

Thank you for reading and being invested <3. Joel's a bad guy but tbh I identify with and pour myself into both these characters in different ways.

I'm tired but this isn't exhaustive 😅 your thoughts and interpretation are valid, too.

#raider!analysis

[shadowfoxsilver]

jackrisstuff/jacrstuff/jacrsstuff/ jacrstuffsposts/jacrstuffsblog psa/beware

Update: As of 7/26/2023 all accounts are now down! Unfortunately this kind of scam still pops up as other users so please take caution if you get asks like this from accounts that are only a few days old and don’t show any images as proof of who they are. Always ask questions.

Update 2: As of 8/13/2023, their back under jacrstuffsblog.

[Image ID: A screenshot of an ask sent by jackrisstuff that reads as follows: “Hello sorry for tagging. Please help a black mother in need. I'm diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer which has spread to my lungs, neck and brain. I'm in a very vulnerable situation with no treatment because l'm unable to afford one. Currently I'm homeless with my 19 months old daughter because we cant. Anything appreciated” and ends with a beating heart emoji. /End ID]

Just a heads up to my followers and anyone else, this account blocked me when I requested them to provide evidence that their a real person needing support. Instead of answering my concern and replying to a link that brought up suspicions, they opted to start spamming asks to my mutuals/followers in efforts to try and get them to share the aid post. This is clear proof they don’t intent to prove their a real person needing aid and are just spamming asks to everyone they can find instead of proving they actually need support.

I do not want people to be scammed because a blogger decided to spam my friends askboxes. If you got this ask, I also suggest you to ask the person for proof their legit or block them before they can spam your followers/people you shared from. It’s sickening they likely stole someone’s real fundraiser pictures to pass off as their own ill daughter.

This is exactly the reason why I try to tell people please don’t spam asks to get support. There are scammers who do the same thing and don’t like it when public concern is brought up. The email they give is linked to a suspended twitter account that was sending the same message but had an entirely different pic.

UPDATE!

New url is jacrstuff. Their trying to avoid my alert now which further proves their not legitimate. No one needing aid would change urls like this.

[Image ID: A screenshot of an ask sent by jacrstuff that reads as follows: “Hello sorry for tagging. Please help a black mother in need. I'm diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer which has spread to my lungs, neck and brain. I'm in a very vulnerable situation with no treatment because l'm unable to afford one. Currently I'm homeless with my 19 months old daughter because we cant. Anything appreciated” and ends with a beating heart emoji. /End ID]

Update 2: Url change again instead of verifying who they are and still trying to get away from this warning. Now under jacrsstuff.

[Image ID: A screenshot of an ask sent by jacrsstuff that reads as follows: “Please help a black mother in need. I'm diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer which has spread to my lungs, neck and brain. I'm in a very vulnerable situation with no treatment because I'm unable to afford one. Currently I'm homeless with my 19 months old daughter because we cant. I'm struggling for medicines, shelter and groceries that really puts a lot of stress on me. Anything help with a bearing heart emoji used and then and is very much appreciated ending with a praying hand emoji. /End ID]

Additionally, if you search their email provided in their post, it shows up with a suspended twitter account using the photograph of a white adult woman with a child while the asker claims to be a black adult woman with a child. The twitter post seems to use the same exact wording as the askers post though I am unable to find the source of the image they used for the twitter post.

Update again

yollandde on twitter is now running the same scam.

#scam #possible scam #jackrisstuff #cancer mention #psa #jacrstuff #jacrsstuff #jacrstuffsposts #jacrstuffsblog

[rpfisfine]

im

literally the maddest ive ever been in my entire life i just got bullied on the bus by these 5 loud as fuck cocky teenage cunts who kept opening the window right above my fucking head and spraying passing cars with a water bottle no matter how many times i slammed it shut and told them to stop and then when i finally turned around and said could you please stop i'm literally just trying to get home in peace this one fucking loser asked "ummmm why" so i was like "because it's annoying and everybody would tell you the same thing" and he was like "well if you don't like it you can always leave, there's the door" and i was so genuinely shell-shocked and speechless at the audacity plus i already have a stutter and always get so unbelievably angry during these kinds of interactions that it's literally like life-threatening to me almost so i couldn't even comprehend what he had just said to me but i did manage to humiliate him by being like "how old are you?" (no answer) "how old are you?" (no answer) "fifteen?" and he literally was too visibly embarrassed to say anything and wouldn't give me any other number he just made fun of how "adult" i was but in my stressed out fucking state i kind of forgot to tell him that i literally am an adult bc i didn't want to just compare ages like some kind of cringe idiot so they might live with the assumption that i was either the same age as them or ever so slightly older than them for the rest of their lives bc i do look 16 at most irl which i'm trying to come to terms with currently but anyway i literally just kept my focus on this one asshole right behind me and confronted him in genuinely the most firm but polite manner i could and then immediately as soon as i turn back around the guy sitting next to him goes "uhhhhhh i couldn't understand One single word she said so it's time to continue boys 🤪" and then they started laughing at me + screaming 10 times louder than before + blowing raspberries at me like fucking 3 year olds so i waited for the next stop then got up and sat beside someone else even though i was so happy to get a window seat for the first time in legitimate months and im still so unimaginably fucking angry abt the whole thing i know it doesn't seem like that big of a deal but when ppl make fun of the way i speak or mock me or say they can't understand me it literally makes me want to claw their eyes out and on top of everything else that had happened during the interaction it was just slightly too much for me to handle i didn't want to stoop to their level by cursing them out or being legitimately mean even though they deserved it but i regret not telling them to die as i was walking past them i hope a horrible horrible future awaits their loser hypebeast bully friendgroup i hope they never get girlfriends or accepted into college and i hope someone with less patience than me beats them up for their behavior one day

#this sounds extreme but i speak from experience when i say that nothing in the world is more pathetic or evil to me than teenage boys #mp

[mariacallous]

The compliments start flowing as soon as she answers the video call. “Wow, you so pretty, honey,” says the man on the other side of the screen. His video feed shows he’s white, with short hair, likely a few years younger than her, and is sitting in front of his camera wearing a plaid shirt.

“You’re looking different with that beard and stuff gone,” the woman says in an American accent as the conversation gets going. The man doesn’t miss a beat. “I told you I was going to shave my beard so I will look good.”

Except, he isn’t who he claims to be. His videofeed is a lie. And—beard or not—the face the woman can see over the video call is not his: It’s a deepfake.

In reality, the man is a scammer using face-swapping technology to totally change his appearance in real time. In a video of the call—filmed by the scammer’s accomplice likely thousands of miles away from the woman—his real face can be seen on this laptop alongside the fake persona as he speaks to his victim.

This self-shot video is one of scores posted online by scammers known as Yahoo Boys, a loose collective of con artists, often based in Nigeria. The video reveals how they are using deepfakes and face-swapping to ensnare victims in romance scams, building trust with victims using fake identities, before tricking them into parting with thousands of dollars. More than $650 million was lost to romance fraud last year, the FBI says.

The Yahoo Boys have been experimenting with deepfake video clips for around two years and shifted to more real-time deepfake video calls over the last year, says David Maimon, a professor at Georgia State University and the head of fraud insights at identity verification firm SentiLink. Maimon has monitored the Yahoo Boys on Telegram for more than four years and shared dozens of videos with WIRED revealing how the scammers are using deepfakes.

A WIRED review of the videos and three associated Yahoo Boy Telegram channels shows how the con artists’ techniques have evolved as deepfake applications and artificial intelligence have improved. It is one of the first times the specific tactics and outlandish techniques of scammers using deepfake video calls has been documented in this detail.

The videos show Yahoo Boys using the technology on setups involving both laptops and phones. In multiple videos, the scammers often brazenly show their own faces, as well as those of the victims they are scamming. “I don't think they're doing this because they’re stupid,” Maimon says. “I think that they simply don’t care, and they’re not afraid of the repercussions.”

The Yahoo Boys are experienced scammers—and they openly brag about it. Photos and videos of their conning and recruitment can be found all across social media, from Facebook to TikTok. However, the cybercriminals, who have links back to Nigerian prince email scams, are arguably their most open on Telegram.

In groups containing thousands of members, Yahoo Boys organize and advertise their individual skills for a smorgasbord of scams. They’re skilled social manipulators, who can have long-lasting impacts on their victims. Business email compromise, crypto scams, and impersonation scams are all touted in hundreds of posts per day. Members claim to be selling photo and video editing skills and entire albums of explicit photographs that can be used to build a convincing persona. Fake IDs and legitimate-looking social media profiles are for sale. Scam “scripts” are free to download.

“The Yahoo Boys have elements of organized crime and disorganized crime,” says Paul Raffile, an intelligence analyst at the Network Contagion Research Institute, who has investigated Yahoo Boys sextorting teenagers and driving them towards suicide. “They don't have a leader, they don’t have a governance structure.” Rather, Raffile says, they organize in clusters and share advice and tips online. Telegram did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment about Yahoo Boys’ channels, but the three channels no longer appear to be accessible.

The digital con artists started using deepfakes as part of their romance scams around May 2022, says Maimon. “What folks were doing was just posting videos of themselves, changing their appearance, and then sending them to the victim—trying to lure them to talk to them,” he says. Since then, they’ve moved on.

To create their videos, the Yahoo Boys are using a handful of different software and apps. WIRED is not naming the specific software, to limit people’s ability to copy the attacks. However, the tools they are using are often advertised for entertainment purposes, such as allowing people to swap their faces with celebrities or influencers.

[love-toxin]

ellie we literally can't talk abt pokemon without talking about miss rika,, i love her

OK BUT IM GLAD U SAID SMTHN CAUSE I'M OBSESSED LOWKEY.. .......WHO GAVE HER THE RIGHT TO LOOK THIS GOOD......

Like. Effortlessly cool. Canon nickname-giver. I was going buckwild during her battle and I'm not even sorry about it. I could NOT stop thinking very unwholesome thoughts during her interview segment either......like......you can't put a woman in a suit at a desk across from me and not expect me to lose my damn MIND!!! I wanna piss her off just so she makes me pay for it, and dearly. I'M GONNA GO OFF UNDER THIS CUT AND I CANNOT BE STOPPED!!!

Bear with me on this train of thought here: imagine being a repeat challenger of the Championship Challenge. Your pokemon aren't bad (you don't think, anyways) and you've trained for hours and days on end to try and beat the Elite League, to the point of even begging the gym leaders for rematches to try and improve your skill or pick up some tip you didn't notice before. But without fail, every single time you try, you never end up getting past Rika--the first of the Elite Four, the easiest one to beat, is somehow so hard of a challenge that you stay awake at night wracking your brain for some strategy to beat her. Even worse is that you're older than half the kids that challenge the whole circuit, and you hate the feeling of all these ten year olds beating out your grown adult ass as they fly by each challenge while you're left crawling.

You can't just build a whole new team to counter her alone, or else you'll just get crushed by the others. You can't build a new team period unless you wanna put off claiming that Champion title until you're geriatric, so you're kinda screwed from both angles. And the worst part? The main reason why you keep failing is because every time you get a new strategy--have your pokemon learn new moves, train them up, swap out one pokemon for another--she somehow one ups you the next time you go to challenge her again. Like she has some kind of insane bug planted in your cellphone or something where she can hear everything you say, because how in the world does she keep coming up with new counters every time you try? Sometimes she even has new pokemon altogether, which from the accounts of other people who have tried it, is almost unheard of for the Elite Four to switch up their teams so often. Or at all!

The answer comes when you finally hit a wall. You're sure you've come up with the best counter to her moves, that your pokemon are all well-equipped to withstand whatever she decides to throw at you this time--and despite all that, you lose again. Badly, this time.

So for the first time, you ask her outright. How do you keep beating me? And although she puts on that lazy tone as she chuckles back "You just aren't paying enough attention, sweetheart" when she's met with a cold stare, her lips finally seem to loosen as she flashes you a smirk.

She admits that she likes watching you squirm. She saw that look on your face the first time--the only time she's legitimately beat you--and she couldn't believe how satisfying it was. Maybe she just doesn't best nearly as many trainers as her tougher counterparts, but something about the slump of your particular shoulders and the pout on your perfect lips is the reason why she refuses to budge and let you slip by. Really, it's not as sinister of a reason that you expected--she just made very careful decisions about each change she made, and followed your trail of logic to make sure she stayed one step ahead of you, and you in particular. In fact, there's probably been more people than ever that have gotten past her since she first battled you, since she's paid all her attention to blocking you alone. And as shocking as it is to hear her freely admit that, you still have some residual frustration from being bested again that you can only work up the smallest, crudest words as an answer.

"You're mean." You huff, pouting once more and shoving your arms across your chest. You'd stomp your foot if you didn't know she'd tease you for it, cause you'd look like even more of a petulant child than you already do, but you really are that mad. Isn't that against League rules, or something?!

"Poor baby...I'd feel worse if you didn't look so cute, honestly. My bad, bunny." Nooooo, no, you can not fold under that cheesy smile and the softness twinging that nickname. She will not, you repeat, not use those charming good looks and that undeniable tension you've felt between you two to seduce you....even though you've kinda dreamed of that. You didn't exactly spend all those restless nights just thinking about her battling style, after all...."You want Rika to make you feel better, honey bunny?"

You're not even sure how she got so close, how her hand is on your arm now, stroking her leather-clad fingers up and down your skin while she maneuvers herself to slide in behind you. She's still gentle, careful, touch light enough that you could brush it off if you wanted--but you instead find yourself slowly leaning into it, nuzzling into her lips as she presses kisses to your temple and coos at your sweetness, how you feel so soft and warm against her. Angelic, more like, you're as precious as an angel aren't you? You hate that you squirm at that compliment, looking up towards the ceiling to try and wipe that giddy, small smile that's creeping across your lips away. It doesn't hold though, you can't keep the charade up forever--eventually you're wiggling a little more into her, teasing at the possibility of her getting a little more unprofessional than she already has been in secret. And finally, you get what you want out of it. You get her low, smooth voice in your ear, a slight rasp to her last few words as she grips your hips hard enough to hear the leather stretch.

"I'll take my gloves off for this 'match', kay? And let's find somewhere a little more private....I think you'll enjoy it more if you can go all out, honey."

#rika #rika pokemon #rika x reader #pokemon rika x reader #pokemon #pokemon scarvi #mild writing #ellie writes #anons

[fentitrbl]

Tell Me You Love Me

“I don’t regret telling you how much I loved you.”

Word Count: 1,299

Chapter Five

Jasmine

July 20th, 2018

2:00pm

    After that little ordeal we had at the restaurant everything was a blur because the rest of our date was awkward. It was mainly that way because of Harry. I was starting to question a lot about what that girl had said and his reaction to it. Could he be famous? Or am I just delusional living in a fantasy world. He was also always on his phone could that mean something? Or is he just obsessed with getting on twitter lurking around. Lots of thoughts were going through my head but I know I am going to have to ask him sooner or later and today is that day.

    As we walked out of the restaurant and briskly walked down the street there was a park nearby. Harry hadn't said anything up until he found the perfect secluded spot to sit on a bench near a large tree.

I looked at him wearily, and said, "So are you going to kidnap me now or?" And for some reason that brought him out of his serious face for a second before he went back into his mood. "No I am not going to kidnap you in a public park." He laughed slightly. He then proceeded and said, "I am sorry about what just happened, and I already know you are wondering what that was about and I am willing to answer any questions you might have." 

    His attention shifted completely towards me as if there was no one else around. I didn't hesitate to start asking any questions, my mouth was moving faster then my brain was. "Did you know that girl from somewhere?" He then went and took a sigh and said, "No I didn't know her, I have actually never met her a day in my life." This left me confused because she knew his name. "Why did she know your name then?" He then said, "I make music."

I looked at him with my eyebrows raised, I was only slightly shocked just because he seemed like that type of mystery guy who either called himself an artist or actually was a legitimate artist. "Do you make SoundCloud beats or something, I want the link." I said making a joke and laughing. I was trying to lighten the mood since he was being pretty serious about the whole situation. 

    He looked at me confused, and said "SoundCloud? What's that?" I then innerly cringed because I forgot he is not familiar with the joke about guys who make music on SoundCloud. So instead I dodged the questions completely and followed up, "What kind of music do you make?" He then said, "I make something kind of like rock but I guess it could also classify as pop-rock." I actually was intrigued by this, but before I could answer, our conversation was interrupted by a dog barking nearby who was playing with its owner. He also looked up and out towards the scenery. 

For a second we both had been so immersed in the conversation that we forgot about reality. We forgot about what was really happening around us and for some reason it was relaxing. The dog then settled on it's belly admiring it's owner. "Cute pup." Harry said.

I decided to pull his attention away from what we were seeing and back to our conversation we were having. I needed to know more. "Is your music just something you make or do you have other people who help create it?" I asked softly. I noticed his body language switch from tense to relaxed, I think he might be getting comfortable enough to tell me more. "I actually write the lyrics and I have a band with some really close friends that create the music." 

    For some reason I was not expecting him to say he was in a band. "Harry that's cool!" I said with enthusiasm. I didn't want this to turn into an interrogation so I stayed quiet after expressing my interest in his band. He then looks at me and says, "I actually have a session tonight at a studio not too far away from here if you wanted to drop in and hear what we are working on." I was in complete shock, mostly because it seemed sort of soon to be doing all of this but my curiosity was peeking at this point. 

"I would love too! I am off tomorrow so that works for me." I say shyly. He then says “ If you want I can come pick you up from your place and we can go from there to the studio?" I agreed with him by simply nodding. We then sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before we both started talking at the same time.

"You go first." I said. He then laughs and says, "Ladies first always." I smiled at him and said, "I just want you to know even if you are some popular A-list celebrity, I will still see you as Harry the drunk patient that jumped out the window and sprained his ankle." He let out a heaping laugh that took me by surprise. He then settled down and spoke softly, "I'll pick you up at 5." He said, standing up from the bench. I stood up along with him and we walked together towards the restaurant again. 

    The walk was not too far from the restaurant, it was actually very close. He walked me to my car and said, "Text me when you get home." He then closed the door for me and got into his car which was parked close to mine.

  I noticed Harry was one of those people that were pretty vague in their words but I think that's what made him stand out to me. I think he might've only been vague because we were out in public but I was excited regardless for what was to come tonight at the studio. I drove back to my place in a better mood then I had left it in. Once I got there I headed upstairs and got comfortable. I texted Harry and told him that I made it home and then got onto my couch for a quick cat nap. 

An Hour and a Half Later 

I woke up from my nap, with the biggest stretch I could possibly do while laying on the couch and my phone went off. It was about 4pm, I realized that my cat nap wasn't really a cat nap, it was more of cutting it close to 2 hour nap. I looked at my texts and Harry was one of them. 

From Harry: Would you be up to going to grab some pizza on the way to the studio? 

I quickly responded

To Harry: Yeah I actually just got up from a nap but if you want you can come early so we can head there! I am ready.

He responded back immediately almost as if he was waiting for me to respond

From Harry: Yes! I actually am out and about right now anyway, send me your address! I will be there soon.

I then sent him my address and decided to go into the bathroom to freshen up and fix my hair and makeup before putting on my coat and perfume. I would say I was eager to see this side of him but who wouldn't when a guy like him rarely comes around.  

15 minutes goes by and my phone starts ringing 

"Hey you, come outside and please bring a jacket it’s cold out.”

Reading the message my cheeks were starting to become warm. I then thought to myself, slow your roll Jaz as I headed towards my door to his car.

Harry and Jasmine sitting in a tree KISSING. I swear any time I have to write for this story it just comes way too easily for me. It’s like it’s living in my brain??? Are you guys surprised by how vague he is being with her? I’m not he is an AQUARIUS man. I am so excited to introduce the band in the next chapter and let Jasmine into his little secret world that he’s been hiding. I am more excited to jump into this Harry album 1/ fine line era. Will Harry let her all the way in or just the music part of it? I guess we will all find out togetherrrr. I love you! :)

#harry styles #harry styles angst #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles imagine #fanfic #harry styles imagines #harry styles smut

[godfrey-the-chaos-duck]

Guys why can't I draw the ducks (or people)

Context: my friend and I had a really long phone call on Wednesday wherein we talked about all the stuff that must've happened off-screen in The 87 Cent Solution, and I wish I could make it into a comic that does it justice

Random Rambles under the cut for those who wanna know more (I explain all of it)

Scrooge had been working wayyy too hard all week and that's how he ended up sick. I've decided.

The morning the episode starts definitely opened with a near-exact mirror of the first scene in DT87's Scroogerello. Differences are: it's Dewey, not Huey, that goes to crack the egg on Scrooge's face to see if his fever's high enough to fry it (Beakley stops him) and it's Beakley, not the kids, who drags his stubborn feathered ass back to bed.

Now, one thing that always confused me about this ep is "WHY DIDN'T THEY CALL BEAKLEY??" And I know the logical answer for us is "Well if they'd called her we wouldn't have had an episode" and honestly that probably goes for a lot of the episodes but IN UNIVERSE there is no reason why they wouldn't call her

UNLESS she was like literally unreachable.

So together we came up with the idea that she was doing a two-day deep-clean of the mansion (an annual Beakley tradition) which she hyperfocuses on so hard that she legitimately forgets everyone else exists. She also has her airpods in (she listens to opera/death metal fusions, and that was my friend's idea. Nightwish is probably one of her faves) and so she cannot hear ANY of the ensuing chaos.

Right before she starts this 48-hour seclusion from reality, she declares that Duckworth is in charge of taking care of Scrooge. Now, this was a big old mistake-a-rooney from her because as we know, Duckworth doesn't much care for her and is loyal to Scrooge to a FAULT.

Scrooge stays in bed for just long enough that Beakley is out of earshot, and then immediately gets up and starts getting dressed.

As he pulls his jacket on, he locks eyes with Duckworth from across the room.

The pair make what shall henceforth be known as the "Fuck You, Beakley Agreement". Under the terms of this, Scrooge can now escape, and Duckworth won't tell. They even do this 🤐.

Scrooge does the thing you see in movies when a kid is grounded and has to sneak out for Plot Reasons (cause he's basically been grounded by Beakley), and ties his bedsheets together and makes a rope to go out the window.

His next step? Getting to work without a driver. Launchpad is off buying him a birthday card, as we see him (I assume mistakenly) think it's Scrooge's birthday in the episode. Luckily, for reasons of I Said So, he finds a pair of rollerskates belonging to Webby. He puts them on, straightens his top hat determinedly, and speeds off down the hill and into Duckburg.

Shortly afterwards, Huey and Webby go to check on Scrooge.

They quickly run into two problems.

He is not there.

Beakley is unavailable.

So the kids' first instinct is to call Launchpad, who isn't available EITHER cause he's shopping (for, again, THE ENTIRE WRONG DAY)

So instead, Huey calls Fenton - Gizmoduck can take them to the Bin and maybe even beat Scrooge there.

Cue a kick-ass chase sequence through Duckburg, which, in my mind, is set to "Holding Out For A Hero" and I can see it SO CLEARLY.

Now, Gizmoduck has speed, sure, but Scrooge is going, like, ALARMINGLY fast for a 150 year old man on quad skates, and what's more, he knows every inch of Duckburg (he was there when it was built) and so knows every shortcut there is.

It turns out Scrooge gets to the Bin first, and in order to stop, he ends up having to literally brace himself against the wall with both hands. As he comes away from the wall he slips. So the skates come off, and he runs down a corridor, where he scares the daylights out of a new secretary/intern.

He leans against the door to catch his breath, and demands coffee "blacker than my soul".

The secretary looks him over.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather have tea, sir? Perhaps with some honey and lemon?" they ask sweetly

"Are you questioning my judgement?" Scrooge snaps back, a fire in his eyes. The secretary runs off, realises they don't know where the drinks machine is, and runs the other way. She gets him six shots of espresso (Good Omens in-joke cause we both thought it'd be funny as hell) which he is juuuust about to down in one go when BAM! In comes Gizmoduck with the kids. Dewey takes the coffee, and takes a sip. He immediately hates it (it's super bitter - not his thing at all) and propmtly decides that Coffee Is The Worst. (It isn't, espresso was a bit of an ambitious first try).

There's a moment where everyone just stares at each other. The secretary backs away slowly.

Scrooge BOLTS down the hall. Huey and Webby follow him.

Then we get to the start of the episode, but the fun is just beginning!

Between the bit where it's revealed that Scrooge may have Gold Fever, and the bit where he does the live news report from his office, I think one night passed. Scrooge didn't sleep a bit, which explains why he looks like hell on wheels in the next shot.

Now, the bin was on total lockdown, so no-one was leaving that night. You know what that means...

(Webby voice) SLEEPOVER! Everyone sets up camp in the lobby. The boys raid the break room for couch cushions, Webby gets chairs and an old tarpaulin from a store closet to make the most majestic fort the world has ever seen, Gyro gets a hotplate to roast marshmallows over (a campfire was too risky) and Louie sets up a projector for a movie night. All in all, it's actually fairly cool, given the circumstances.

Then Act 2 happens and everything goes to Deepest of Shit.

Honestly really the whole thing is building on this piece I wrote that I have FINALLY got motivation and ideas to do more with!

Scrooge FINALLY agrees to get the fuck home, and it all sorta catches up with him as he leaves the Bin.

Beakley has noticed that things are quiet but does not yet know why.

However, she is about to find out.

The doorbell rings.

The kids are all talking over each other trying to explain everything. Launchpad is helping Scrooge walk up the steps to the house. Scrooge is wrapped up in a tartan blanket like a little Scottish burrito, his arms and legs like jelly, and his voice nearly completely gone.

He promptly passes out and falls into Beakley's arms. Beakley is Hella Confused, she thought Scrooge was in his room and Duckworth was looking after him. She glares at Duckworth, who floats away without a word.

Scrooge rests for a couple days, and then eventually he comes down as if about to apologise. But he does not. He stands awkwardly in the corner, like a child who opened their Christmas presents early.

Everyone else is currently discussing how to get back at Glomgold (they have by now figured out that he is somehow behind this)

Scrooge is like "what the hell have I missed"

The kids show him their plan to fake his death. Scrooge thinks it's crazy at first - but it's just crazy enough to work.

Beakley rings up one of her old S.H.U.S.H. contacts for Scrooge's disguise - this is gonna be good.

So they send invites to the "funeral" and ask that a report get done on Scrooge having passed. And then all THAT happens.

And then that's kinda the end I guess sorry for the long post.

#the chaos duck has spoken #ducktales #ducktales 2017 #dt17 #the 87 cent solution #surprise surprise still the fave

[illarian-rambling]

❤️‍🩹- What would your character look like if they were a deity? And what would they have power of, and ❣️- What show/movie/game/book universe would your character thrive in? for the heart ask game :3 (sorry if you've alr answered these ones!)

I have not, thank you!

If my characters were gods, I think they'd be the gods of little things. They're only people, after all.

Izjik would be the goddess of a well-needed ass beating. Ever seen a middle school bully get their head bounced against a locker because they called a wrestler girl fat? Ever had your mind expanded by sparring against someone way better than you? These are Izjik’s domain. She appears to the worthy as a gray cloaked silhouette with bloody handwraps and a proud smile.

Sepo would be the god of the feeling you get while listening to your favorite song. Screaming out the lyrics in the car. Getting goosebumps while listening to it for the first time. He is the bearer of such feelings. He shows himself as a glimmer of dark eyes reflecting from your phone screen, radio dial, or record player.

Twenari would be the goddess of lab safety. She protects her followers from acid spills and accidentally getting crystal violet on their clothes. Occasionally, if someone has earned her wrath, they might find the chemical shower they need to use to be out of water. She appears as a whirl of colorful liquids found in the disposal bucket.

Djek would be the god of party safety. Say a prayer before you go out to the club, and you'll always find someone trustworthy to hold your drink while you use the bathroom. His faithful always find their way home even when stumbling drunk. He appears as a hazy form only to those who are heavily intoxicated, taking their hand and leading them back to their friends.

Astra would be the goddess of academic risks. She's who you pray to when you use some funky grammar in an essay or when you have to bullshit your way through citations. If your prayer pleases her, your gamble will pay off. She shows herself as a smiling face present in the twisting characters of an academic article or online journal entry.

Mashal would be the god of powering through dysmorphia. Sometimes, your body doesn't look or feel how you want it to, and sometimes, in the moment, you can't do anything about it. Mashal offers the persistence to go out and have an alright day regardless, granting the knowledge that it won't always be this way. He appears as a half-glimpsed figure in mirrors and windows, always with a comforting hand on your shoulder.

Ivander would be the god of interesting things happening at work. Having a boring day at your office job? Pray to Ivander and something might happen. It might be a food truck in the parking lot. It might be Kelly from HR getting into a screaming match with the IT guy. For good or for ill, he will always send something interesting your way. He takes the form of a faceless man in a suit, laughing at the edge of the scene.

As for what book/show/game/movie they'd be good in, that's a tougher one. Don't blame me if half of these end up being cosmere related lol

I've never seen the Walking Dead, but I do believe Izjik would do fantastic in any zombie apocalypse. She's got a good sense of community and is great at any sort of survival stuff. Alternatively, she could survive the Magnus Archive version of London. She's already used to one overbearing being named End - so what if you slap a The on there?

Sepo would do well on Roshar, the setting of the Stormlight Archive. He likes storms, he'd make a great ardent, and I think he could hear the parshendi rhythms through sheer force of will. If he ended up as a Radient, and lord knows he has the trauma to do it, he'd be an Elsecaller. The only problem would be, if he's an ardent, he'd have to shave his head, and that's a no go for him.

Twenari would legitimately enjoy being trapped in Aperture Labs. She loves puzzles and science. So what if there's some bodily risk? I think she'd actually get along with Glados and end up just asking for more puzzles once she finishes them all.

Djek would do well in the setting of The Kings of the Wyld. There, adventures are treated like rock bands, and afforded all the glitz and glamor you might assume comes with the station. He might not be the strongest fighter, but by god, can he work a crowd. He'd have a mob of fangirls by the end of his first quest.

Astra, as I've said before, would rule the setting of Mad Max. To be fair, I've never seen a Mad Max movie, but I know it has big trucks and scary guns, which are Astra's jam.

Mashal would do alright for himself in the Star Wars universe. There's just so much out there. He could wander the outer rim, helping whoever he finds as he goes. There are also a lot of other robots and robot-adjacent beings out there, so I think he could definitely find someone like himself to relate to.

Ivander, for my second cosmere setting of this post, could survive Elantris. More importantly, he could be afflicted by the Shaod and not go insane. He's already used to bearing an immense amount of pain. He'd probably just say "fuck it, were organizing this shithole now" and get to it before Raoden.

Thanks for the asks, these were fun ones :)

#writing #writerscommunity #writblr #my ocs #author

[shiyorin]

I have a silly idea, it's kabedon primarch! I think I read too many romcom manga.

Yep, this is so silly and cute. To kabedon a primarch, you will need a chair or a ladder. And stop give me those idea...

You browsed the planetary net, sipping your morning recaf, when an article headline caught your eye - "5 Ways to Make Anyone Fall For You, According To Science."

Intrigued, you clicked through. Most tips involved chemistry tricks or dubious psychology. But one stood out - "kabedon", a technique from ancient Terran drama.

"Kabedon - pinning the object of your desires against the wall with one arm to imply dominance and intimacy. Studies show increased heart rates and endorphin releases prove its effectiveness!"

The article claimed a study found kabedoning increased heart rates and hormonal attraction indicators in subjects. You hummed thoughtfully. As a highly skilled agent, you didn't need such parlor tricks. But you were ever curious, could it really be that easy to disarm even primarch-level self control? Only one way to find out…

Seeking your target, you soon found your primarch, Roboute Guilliman poring over tactical charts in his chambers. Perfect. "Excuse me, Lord Guilliman," you began innocently. "Might I have a word?"

Guilliman nodded without looking up. "Of course, what-"

Before he could finish, you lunged, leaping onto a nearby chair and slamming both hands against the wall on either side of Guilliman's massive frame with a resounding crack. He jolted in shock, eyes wide as you leaned in intently.

The Primarch let out an undignified squawk, dataslate flying, as he found himself suddenly pinned before a beaming you. You murmured in your smoothest sultry tone. "So, tell me. Does your heart beat faster when you look at me?"

Guilliman gaped soundlessly, gaze flicking from your grin to the web of fractures radiating from your pinning hand across the reinforced ceramcrete.

"I, uh-" Guilliman glanced about frantically for an answer before realized two things: one, you were precariously balanced on a chair to reach the wall. Two, both hands were now clutching desperately at the fractured surface to maintain that unstable perch. His panic dissipated into stunned amusement.

His lips quirked into a reluctant smile. "I…well, you startled me is all. And that chair cannot support your weight forever."

As if on cue, the aged wooden legs creaked ominously. You hastily hopped down, coughing. "Ahem. Well, does proximity to me affect you at all?" You wheedled.

"Good effort, agent. But next time, try not to break my building in the process."

You huffed, dropping your hands with a pout. "It was a legitimate dating tactic! The article said kabedon causes attraction! But I may have underestimated human heigh versus primarch."

Guilliman chuckled, reaching to lightly ruffle your hair in a rare affectionate gesture. "I am sure it works on many. But for a Primarch like myself, mere wall pinning will not suffice!"

You scowled and swatted his hand away "Mark my words, lord Guilliman, one day I will make your heart race whether you wish it or no!"

Guilliman couldn't help a smile now at your put-out expression. Stepping close, he took your hands gently in his. "My heart races every time I see you."

Your scowl softened into a smile. But a thoughtful look crossed your features. "Hmm, what if I brought you your favorite meal dressed in just an apron?"

Guilliman choked and began coughing violently. You smiled, unrepentant, and made a note to test that theory soon…

#shiyorin's answer #wh40crack #reader insert #primarch x reader #romantic stuff in 40k #I love romcom

[hourcat]

"You're ridiculous." :))💓

The watch on Pierre's hand feels heavy as he glances at it yet again--the moonlight is the only thing illuminating the footbridge, now, lights from the festival at the gazebo beginning to fade as people start to return to their homes. It's ticking closer and closer to 9, according to his timepiece. He'd told Charles 8:30 and watched the dazed, lovestruck expression on his face as he'd agreed, but...

What if he'd found out, and decided to stay away like any man with good sense should? Pierre has had a terrible feeling that the town is on to him as of late, which means he's likely on borrowed time until he can split for the next train out of town. It's nights like these that he thinks about maybe trying to become legitimate: turn into an actual traveling salesman instead of being a con-man. It has to be easier. Less lies to tell means less lies to get caught in, which means less fear of being pulverized by the small-town idiot mayor.

It's a thought that's never seriously crossed his mind until here and now: Pierre has been doing this for years, selling and running and selling and running before people realize he's not actually trained in any kind of musical arts whatsoever, and he's never regretted it. There's never been a conscience in him to feel guilty over this. But tonight, walking through the woods and chuckling softly at all the couples he'd passed, kissing and dancing and snuggling up together under the cover of darkness, it had occurred to him that these are good people, here in Iowa.

They're good people, and Pierre has been lying to them. To him.

"Pierrot!" Charles' voice bursts through his contemplative thought. He looks up, startled, only to find the librarian standing at the end of the footbridge, eyes sparkling and lit-up in the moonlight as he paces slowly towards where Pierre is trying desperately to not white-knuckle the bridge rail. He looks impossibly handsome, the pink of his collared shirt almost the same shade as the pink of his cheeks.

"Charles," he greets softly, taking a step closer before remembering his manners. Instead, Pierre takes his hand and squeezes it once before releasing him. "I didn't think you would come."

Charles looks aghast at the thought. "You're ridiculous," he half-says, half-gasps. The sound makes Pierre want to laugh. "I would not miss being here with you for the world." He's the one who moves closer, this time, and there are a thousand warning sirens blaring in Pierre's head about all of this: about the townspeople catching them together, about being honest about how he feels, about Charles falling for someone who has been lying to him. He shouldn't be letting this happen, whatever it is.

But he does. He does, because Pierre is nothing if not a thief, and he's too selfish to deny himself this: one last chance with the librarian he's become so fond of over the last few weeks. "I'm glad," he manages a beat too late. "You danced wonderfully out there tonight."

Charles ducks his head, the flush of his cheeks darkening. "You were something, too," he answers back. Steps closer. He's so close that he's within touching distance, and Pierre could just grab the lapels of his jacket and tug him close and give the only real thing he might ever be able to give. "Pierre..."

The cool night air keeps him from indulging, though. "Charles," Pierre says softly, quickly turning his attention to the ripple of the water to avoid Charles getting any closer, lest he...lest they..."I have to leave soon." He hears the sharp inhale that follows but knows he has to plow through. Charles can't be in love with a man like him. It will be easier for him, eventually, to forget about this: to forget about the music man who'd come to town and swept everyone off their feet and then fled. "The mayor, he's been on my case for days, now, and I don't..." he swallows. "I don't have the papers he's asking for, Charles. He could arrest me." It's a sobering thought. He's never gotten this lost in a town before.

But it's not the town, Pierre knows. Not really. When he turns his head, Charles is staring at him with wide, hurt eyes, and Pierre has never wanted to kiss anyone so badly in his life. "You can't leave, Pierre," he whispers. "What about the band? Arthur is so excited about his trumpet, and I have never seen him so happy about anything." There are tears in his eyes. God. "What about..." he trails off, then takes a slow breath and continues, "what about me?"

He's done for. Done. The next town he'll have to give in to the first woman who throws herself at him and pray she'll make him forget this moment, because Charles...he might love Charles, really and truly, with his entire dishonest heart. Con-men aren't supposed to fall like this. "Cheri," he says--barely audible, the confession weighing heavy on his voice. "I am not the man you think I am." It's the most he can say without saying it: I have been lying to you about every aspect of who I am, and I'm in love with you, and you'll hate me if you know the truth. Charles is young and handsome and full of life: he'll have no problem finding a wife and leaving the memory of Pierre behind, and as nauseating as the thought is to him, he knows it's what must happen.

Charles blinks at him slowly, then shakes his head. "Pierre," he begins, and then reaches into the pocket of his jacket and pulls out a folded, battered piece of paper. "I know."

And that...Pierre blinks, shakes his head once out of shock. "You know?"

"I know," Charles repeats, fiddling with the paper again. "Your name is not in the Indiana Conservatory records, Pierre Gasly." He unfolds the paper to reveal a page torn right from what must be the Conservatory records--a copy he'd seen in the library not too long ago. He swallows. "I looked not too long after you came to town, and when I didn't see your name..." He pauses. "I was going to hand this over to the mayor, but when Arthur's instrument came...I couldn't take that joy away from him." Pierre can't stop staring at him: at how beautiful he is with tears shining in his eyes, at how resolute his face looks as he tells Pierre that he...

He knew, all this time, and still let Pierre do as he does.

"And I don't care, Pierre," he continues fiercely, closing the distance between them and grabbing fistfuls of Pierre's jacket. "I do not care that you are not a music man, or that you were just a con-man who landed in our little town. I don't care at all."

Pierre is dizzy with it. "Charles." He's struck speechless for the first time in his life. What is he even supposed to say to this man who just turned his entire life upside down? "What are you saying?"

Charles surges forward and closes the last thread of moonlight between them, kissing Pierre so hard it's a wonder they don't tumble over the bridge's railing altogether. It's fast and a flurry, and he doesn't even have a chance to process it before Charles pulls away again and crumples the Conservatory record sheet in his hand. "I am saying," he murmurs, still leaned close enough that their noses are bumped together, "I love you. I love you as you are."

#piarles #10 x 16 #fic #AU tag #bel thank you for inadvertently giving me the opportunity to write music man au piarles. i love u. #jgdklsjgskljgslj sorry this is such a niche concept! and also sorry i was too lazy to fix it geographically! its okay to ignore<3 #but like. watch the music man (1962). it is so easy to piarlify yall would not Believe. #romance meme #ask reply #francophones

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Who's is That Face in the Mask?

So, it's rare when I pick up a book on the strength of a YouTube video, and honestly even rarer that I enjoy books selected based on that criteria. However, since Marie Brennan is one half of MA Carrick and the book is often described via *that* quote from The Princess Bride (and no, I'm not specifying even though Princess Bride is all *that* quote depending on context), I had hope. After all, I loved the Lady Trent memoirs and The Princess Bride. And folks, this book did not disappoint. Let's talk The Mask of Mirrors.

What do you get when hundreds of years of colonization mixes with a rogue vigilante for the oppressed population and a con woman who sets out for money but comes up with found family? Youu get some stunningly well written characters, intrigue that I frankly preferred to A Song of Ice and Fire, and just beautifully nuanced worldbuilding.

Ren--or Renata Viraudax or Arenza, depending on the day and location--grew up as a dirt-poor half-Vrazenian kid who was completely disconnected from her mother's people in a city colonized by the Liganti. She was a gang member under the objectively abusive Ondrakja until she watched Ondrakja beat her brother to death. Next thing we know, Ren has poisoned her Fagin and made off for another country with her sister, Tess. They end up serving in the household of Letilia--a disgraced member of House Traemantis.

Fast forward a few years, and Letilia being an absolutely irredeemable human gives Ren the idea to con the remaining members of House Traemantis in Nadezera. Mother and daughter are sufficiently estranged that Letilia won't out Ren, but other actors in the city might.

Those actors include Grey Serrado, captain of the Vigil (read police force) and Vrazenian slip-knot (read traitor to his people because he assimilated into Liganti society. He is running himself ragged trying to sort out why street kids keep dying of insomnia, track down the mysterious Rook, and running petty errands for the Liganti nobility. He does not get help from the rampant vanity and nepotism in the Vigil ranks, nor the racism of most Liganti hawks. Add to that his deep grief for his brother's recent murder and Grey needs a hug and a paid vacation.

Then there is Vargo Derossi, crime lord extraordinaire with an eye toward becoming too powerful to be ignored and choosing to pretend to go legitimate to achieve the dream. He is charming and deadly all at once, has someone else in his head, has a pet spider named Peabody, and some serious germophobia. Whether he is caught in Ren's con or she is caught in his web is an open question for most of this book. Vargo is 100% unanswered questions, and every single one is dangerous to ask and even more dangerous not to know the answer to. Especially since he is also SUSPICIOUSLY competent at numinatria...

We of course cannot neglect Donaia, Leato, and Giuna Tremantis. This remnant of a once proud family are an unusual bunch, but they're also different enough that watching their personalities mesh and clas ended up being one of my favorite things about this book.

Beyond the character work, the worldbuilding in this book is first-class. The Vrazenians and Liganti are culturally and visually distinct at a glance, and then for those who care to stay and look harder, there is depth and nuance. Both cultures feel real and vibrant, which makes the all-too-clear harms of oppression and colonization, as well as the messiness of navigating mixed-heritage identities, all the sharper.

It also highlights the different magic systems, religions, and ways of knowing and relating to your community based on those cultural differences. Patterning and numinatria are both valid, but neither quite likes the other and thy don't cross cultural lines. The Rook is a folk hero to the Vrazenians and a half-mythical, pain-in-the-ass vigilante to the Liganti. Even fashion is sharply divided.

Overall, the Princess Bride comparison is apt, but perhaps also mixed with some Leverage and some Batman. I loved this book, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next two.

#ma carrick #the mask of mirrors #adult fantasy novel #adult fantasy #adult fiction #rook and rose #books and reading #books & libraries #books and novels #books #book recommendations