Tumgik
#{[ a gift? no you cannot trick me | submissions ]}
Note
im gonna rant these in pro-feyre spaces because what is happening in the anti-feyres is pissing me off. we dont talk about enough how infantilized feyre was by nesta and tamlin stans. for tamlinists they love pointing out that rhysand manipulated her to believe they are mates or tricked her into thinking tamlin’s the bad guy. and the fact that THESE PEOPLE ARE BLAMING FEYRE FOR BEING ABUSED? because she apparently didn’t understand tamlin’s past? FUCK THEM! why does feyre have to be the one to carry that burden when she had done enough to keep tamlin satisfied but the moment she questions his decisions, she physically abused her! now these fucking tamtrums have the gall to blame her for not being submissive to these man’s wishes? akskdlfskl for people preaching about autonomy they fucking disregard the fact that feyre leaving her abusive relationship is through her own choice. why do they have to take these books beyond comprehension and just accept that their fave character was designed that way. not our fault we stan the main characters and they stanned the loser
for nesta stans they’re obsessed with thinking that rhys and feyre’s relationship will never be equal because rhys can manipulate feyre? did they fucking forget that feyre also has daemanti powers and is cauldron-blessed she can completely go inside rhys’s mind too and fuck with it if she likes. this is where stans slip in their jealousy because they point out that it’s because of the mAniPuLatioN, they’ll never be equal and then point out why nesta and rhys are? then proceeds to say that “friendship, equality and similarity is basis of love so that’s nes and rhysand” fucking unbelievable. I freaking cannot believe they continue to spread that kind of take that is FAR FROM CANON, it reeks so much jealousy and they pretend to be soooo concern for feyre when they just continued to treat her like a little girl compared to how mature and responsible feyre is in the books to make nesta look like the mature one so she can be at par with the night lord. they wanna replace her as mc so badly they have to steal everything that feyre has. the superiority they have just so they can elevate their faves is so forced and they want to trash canon and say that sjm is a bad author just because they have so many expectations and delusions implanted to their faves when the characters in the head didnt even fit them in canon. (im not even an author stan just tired of all these takes equating bad author = the character they love didnt fit the one inside their head)
if anything, they’re the ones acting like babies constantly whining these delusions they wanna force in the book and their petty ass wanna make it look like they have to be the correct ones. fucking hell actually.
I'm literally in love with you. I completely agree with everything you said and thank you so much for sharing your brilliant thoughts and opinions with me.
In regards to the Tamlin aspect: these people really don't have anything more than half baked, mediocre head canons and fics where they "fix" acomaf to support their bs opinions. Yk I love and can always appreciate having empathy for different characters, I think it's genuinely a gift and I'm always happy so see so many people in this fandom who commit themselves to understanding and empathizing with the characters, but I wish people would understand that just because you empathize with a character doesn't mean that characters actions are excusable. Yes, go ahead, put yourselves in Tamlin's shoes and talk about how poorly you imagine his mental state must've been and still is. But when you put yourselves in this characters shoes, you need to keep those shoes on when they do things that are morally apprehensible. If you're committed to empathizing with, and understanding a character, you need to stick with it, even when they do something bad. If you can't empathize with Tamlin while accepting and acknowledging his canonically abusive actions, then maybe you aren't actually trying to be an empathetic reader, you're just making excuses for an abuser and prioritizing man pain over a woman's trauma.
Now onto the Nesta part of your anon... I just have no words. I've seen those posts and don't know what to say or do about them. They give every negative part of Nesta's character to Feyre while claiming that Nesta has the character traits that Feyre already has and displays, then they say that they're better readers for seeing that this would be better for their characters. I don't even mind people trying to look for connections and parallels between Nesta and Rhysand, because I can admit that there are some there, but treating those things as the basis for a "superior" ship is fucking stupid. In all of these peoples fics Nesta is the mature, calm, warm, leader, while Feyre is bratty, petty, rude, and unwilling to be worked with, while in CANON it's the other way around. I'm completely on the same page as you, anon, I'm not this mega SJM defender but I'm not going to call her a trash author just because the books didn't go the way I think they should. I'm not such a pseudo intellectual "advanced" reader to go around making massive posts flipping every single aspect of the books to make my preferred characters seem like better people.
Anyways, thanks again for ranting with me! Don't let these people get to you or ruin your reading experience because regardless of their opinions or however many posts they make, SJM isn't going to change the series to make their faves seem better.
Feysand is canon. Rhysand loves Feyre and she loves him.
Tamlin had a mental breakdown, destroyed his house, and stopped maintaining or supporting the spring court at all.
Tamlin caused the wall to be taken down because he was so obsessed with Feyre, he felt he needed to go through extreme measures to get her back.
And before some Tamlin stan sees this and starts talking about how evil Tamlin believed Rhys was, let me just say this: if I were Tamlin I would've let Feyre fucking die rather than risk the genocide of her people and family (the humans). He is so stupid and narcissistic he couldn't get over his own feelings and instead sacrificed his court and thousands of human lives just to get Feyre back. I don't think that's cute, that's mental illness. His actions are his own and he is suffering the consequences of them. No one forced him to do anything, and being peer pressured by that stupid cunt Ianthe is not force, she's a stupid priestess and he is a High Lord, he did not have to listen to or obey her.
16 notes · View notes
Text
~ Setting Tags for Blog. Do Not Interact ~
1 note · View note
spookyheaad · 3 years
Text
Haphephobia talk
BIG TRIGGER WARNING: brief mentions of rape/coercion, mentions of suicidal ideation, self harm, physical and mental abuse, as well as dehumanization. This one is kinda heavy.
.
.
.
Hi again! Currently horizontal on my couch because I have full body aches from the second covid shot and my head is killing me, but I expected this to happen as it’s normal for the second vaccine to knock you out for a day or two.
Anyway, I had a realization earlier that I write both Gild Tesoro of “One Piece”, as well as Death from “Darksiders” with Haphephobia - which is “a fear of touching or being touched”. While I write them with this phobia, it manifests within them differently, and I figured I would share some differences, and headcanons for both characters (it’s been so long since I’ve talked about my sassy depressed Nephilim husband; I miss you, Death ❤️❤️). Also with Death, I ship him with an OC I created, named Zemira. I don’t think I’ve shared a lot about her on tumblr, but I’ll be making a whole post about her another time; just know I’ll be mentioning her occasionally.
So I’ll be talking about Death’s haphephobia first, it’s a little more heavy (deadass trigger warning here for the brief mentions of rape. Skip this part if you need to):
.
.
.
Tumblr media
So I must start out with the obligatory mentioning of that accursed chapter from The Abomination Vault:
Death and War have to seek out Lilith and gain information from her. Death is viciously adamant for War to stay outside & away from that woman, but war protests and wishes to come in with him. Death, nearly resorting to beating his brother into submission, demands him to stay outside, and War finally relents.
When the eldest Horseman goes in to see Lilith, one of the first things she says to him is something along the lines of “this isn’t a social call, is it?”. I truly forget what else is mentioned, but there are a few times where Lilith tries to mention things of a (supposed) sexual nature towards Death, and he abruptly and angrily cuts her off. The one thing I remember Lilith saying to Death was her saying that Death was always a “sensitive boy” which makes my stomach fucking churn.
What is heavily implied in this scene, to me, is that Death and Lilith at some point in the past, had sexual encounters with one another that Death is very much extremely embarrassed and ashamed of, and with Lilith’s ability to seduce any being regardless if they want to partake or not, it’s safe to say that Death could have possibly been coerced into said sexual activity. Lilith’s ability to seduce is described almost like a date-rape drug to me, it causes people to fall under some kind of spell or go into a trance; what is a big uh-oh to me is when Death describes that War would be weak to Lilith’s wiles, or her tricks. So she is definitely capable of coercing people in any way to get what she wants. Also fucking keep in mind that Lilith refers to Death as her SON, which adds a whole new level of “what the fuck” to that situation; it’s just icky.
I feel that Death, because of this run in (or run-ins) with Lilith, developed a massive fear of being touched, which is backed up in canon in Darksiders 2. He does not allow anyone to physically touch him under any circumstance; when Death arrived in the Makers’ realm, Eideard touched his chest where the amulet pieces are embedded. Death recoils quickly and with a venomous growl, states: “Don’t touch me!”
Then of course when he goes to visit Lilith, she touches his chest as well, and he physically pushes her hand away from his body. She also refers to herself as Death’s mother, and Death angrily states: “You are not my mother!” Also from the moment Death sets foot in Lilith’s domain, he is not thrilled to be there, and acts very different towards her; more defensive, more on guard it seems.
So this headcanon stems from all of that; he will not let anyone touch him, it’s just that severe. Where my OC comes in, I actually have a story on AO3 titled “Haphephobia” and it shows how Death & Zemira try to get past this aversion to touch, so 1.) Zemira can give him affection and 2.) Death can allow himself to be loved. I’ll link it here:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/29860320/chapters/73476759
Death cannot even bring himself to hold her hand in the very beginning. So Zemira started there, holding his hand, physical closeness, and very slowly, started working to larger forms of touch. Obviously this gave Death massive amounts of anxiety, so this is why the process is extremely slow. It makes it even more important to go slow because Death tries to hide any weak emotions, so the physical and mental stress he puts himself under is tenfold.
I think that’s all for Death. His Haphephobia is extremely severe, from the specific traumas he has experienced, possibly being forced into sexual activity with his god damn “”mother””, as well as hiding his sensitivity and kindness (my headcanons for why he does that is a whole other post waiting to be written) and just not believing he is deserving of such love and care.
Ok, now for Tesoro (specific Trigger warnings here for mentions of self-harm, suicidal ideation, physical/mental abuse)
.
.
.
Tumblr media
So I just recently realized that I wrote Tesoro with symptoms of Haphephobia; also compared to Death, it isn’t as severe or debilitating, but no less harmful to the person going through it.
For Tesoro I think it was sparked by a mix of guilt and insecurity, obviously as well as his past abuse from both his mother and the Celestial Dragons. But in Film Gold it’s obvious that he doesn’t have an issue with being touched, I’m referencing the scene with the pool girls. I think in canon, he’s on high alert when someone goes to touch him, especially if it’s someone he is not familiar with, or does not like. It’s more of an automatic thing that he learned to suppress over time, especially because he absolutely craves attention and affection, and his fear of touch gets in the way of that.
So in a way, he did learn how to work through it, but it wasn’t proper or healthy, and because of that it’s still there in the back of his mind. I also believe that he doesn’t like people pinning him by the wrists/hands/arms or holding him down in any way, or being bound (sexual or non sexual, he does not like it). It triggers severe panic and flashbacks, so, it’s a big no.
In terms of if he were to be around Stella, it becomes heightened. It’s not that he’s afraid of her; he knows her well. He is afraid for her sake, that he would hurt her in some way simply by allowing her to touch him. All through his life, Tesoro was made to feel like he wasn’t worth the space he took up in his existence. His mother did not love him, the one person that could have given him some form of gentle gesture. She instead hurt him, screamed at him, made him feel worthless. Then we all know about the celestial dragons; they didn’t even see Tesoro as a human, and that mixed with the beatings from both the celestial dragons and his mother, he is weary to allow others to get close.
After Stella died, In his heart of hearts Tesoro genuinely thought that he was unloveable, mainly because of his mother. The one woman who brought him into this world didn’t care about his dreams or his well-being, so then how can anyone else? Then, when he found the single person that cared about him, she was whisked away from him without a second thought. Tesoro feels doomed to observe yet never experience the love and kindness that the world had to offer.
That mixed with Haphephobia makes him very cautious of others, and in the case of Stella, vehemently afraid. He loves her, and she loves him in return; Tesoro knows this full well, (we’re headed to the “if Stella survived” AU) after they reunite he is so afraid to touch her and it’s painful to him when she touches his body. It’s another source of frustration and anger because he knows that he is still in love with her, but his own body is trying to push her away. He would tear open his body for the apprehension to leave, to finally feel the comfort he yearned for within Stella’s embrace. No more fear, no more being brought to tears because he felt he didn’t deserve her kindness, no more guilt.
Both he & Death feel unloveable but for different reasons:
Death feels unloveable because of the atrocities he has committed, specifically the Nephilim Genocide & the creation of the Grand Abominations. He feels knee-crushing amounts of guilt for taking part in such events, and he puts up a facade of being an uncaring monster, when he is very much the opposite. He has kindness to give, yet is afraid to show it because of that idea that he is to be seen as nothing but an attack dog for the Charred Council. But this is also the same Nephilim who was so tired of making things that took life, and chose to make something that gave life instead, and gifted said item to his sister, Fury. This is the same Nephilim who took his own life to prove that his youngest brother War did not start the apocalypse. He cares so deeply, has insurmountable love to give, yet feels incapable of doing so.
Tesoro thinks he is unloveable because the world conditioned him to view himself as such. The extreme abuse he suffered told him that he is trash; an afterthought whose only use is as a punching bag or a wasted body to rend flesh from. Ants had more worth in this world than he, and Tesoro knew it. All it took was Stella, one person, for him to see that he is worthy of such a thing, that nothing that went on in their pasts was his fault, and that he does deserve to be given gentle touches, soft reassuring hugs, feather-light kisses, and that he is able to be loved.
47 notes · View notes
Text
Takari Week 2020
Day One: Confession
So I'm a day late to the Takari Week party because LIFE. I started back at the office today, and after five months of working from my couch in PJs, I am all sorts of discombobulated. But even if it takes me a month, I will write all of the prompts. Thank you to @animegenork and @takariweek for setting this up and for everyone who is participating. I'm dedicating time over the next couple of days to read everyone's submissions and I cannot wait!! Our angel babies deserve to be together! 💖💚
Please excuse any typos - I wrote most of this on my phone... 🙃🙃
When Takeru was 15 and discovered that Western culture had devoted an entire day to celebrate the art of pranking, his eyes lit up with an impish gleam, and the gears in his head cranked out elaborate schemes as if he were a cartoon villain, while the rest of the Chosen Children squirmed in their skins. No one was safe, and they held their breath in anticipation when April 1 rolled around, but they severely underestimated Takeru's intricate plans.
Yamato was the first target, waltzing out of the shower on a school morning and humming the latest Knife of Day hit. When he turned to face the bathroom mirror and focus on styling his hair so that not a strand was out of place, he screamed at his reflection and didn’t notice his father snap a picture of him in the hallway. His natural, dreamy blond locks looked infected, muted out by a sickly yellow-green shade that reminded Yamato of baby vomit. 
“Takeru says ‘April Fools’ Day,’” Hiroaki said in between snickers, “and that the color is temporary. It should wash out in a few days.” 
“Should?” Yamato screeched. 
The rest of the group fell like dominoes to Takeru’s pranking prowess. As Miyako and Iori walked to school together, Takeru hid in the bushes outside of the campus grounds, jumping out in front of them with a gruesome and realistic zombie mask. Miyako punched him while spewing a long line of expletives, and Iori’s knuckles were white, as if he were gripping a kendo stick and itched to smack Takeru with it. 
For Taichi, Daisuke, and Ken, he texted them sporadically throughout the day from a fake phone number about sponsoring animal soccer leagues. The attached photos of piglets in uniforms and an elephant wrapping its nose around a ball pulled on Ken's heartstrings enough for the boy to donate ¥5,000, and not even Takeru knew where the money ended up (but he did suggest that Ken cancel that credit card).
Sora didn't know how Takeru pulled it off, but after her lunch period, she realized that all of the contacts in her phone had been switched around. She texted the "Yamato" in her phone, "Can I stop by practice later?" with three heart shapes and a winky face, and received: "So that's what goes on at band practice...xoxoxo, Takeru." Sora refused to meet either Takeru's or Yamato's face for the rest of the day. 
After the final bell of the school day rang, Takeru caught up with Koushiro and Mimi in the upper classmen's wing, flailing his lanky arms around both of them. Koushiro held his laptop close to his body, fearing the worst, but the three gabbed for a few minutes before Takeru bounded off in another direction. The two older Chosen breathed a sigh of relief and continued their usual walk to Koushiro's office, neither of them noticing the handwritten "I'm Nerd <3" note taped to his back and the "I'm with Nerd <3" one on hers. 
As for Jou, Takeru solicited the help of Shuu to carry out the prank, and the older brother didn't hesitate to go along. It took Jou a few hours after he came home from school to realize that his face in every single family photo had been covered up by a cutout of Ogremon. 
That left Hikari, Takeru's right hand woman for the majority of his pranks. He had brooded over how he should surprise her, but nothing he thought was good enough. Nothing in all the worlds he knew was good enough for Hikari.
"I'm disappointed that no one thought to prank you today," she said, the corners of her mouth twitching up into a sly smile.
They were walking home together, as was their custom in the evenings. Hikari stayed at school for photography club while the basketball team practiced, and although she could have left before he finished, Takeru found her waving at him in the stands during the last half hour, choosing to wait for him instead.
"The night is still young," he replied. On the outside, Takeru appeared as calm and collected as ever, but his heart began to skip. 
"Yamato is sure to get back at you."
"He'll try but won’t get very far. He lacks subtlety when it comes to these things. We'll be able to snuff out his plans before he gets a chance."
"Who's to say I won't flip sides?" she asked with a little shrug and sparkle in her eye. 
"You wouldn't dare."
Hikari giggled and threw her arms up in a surrendering fashion. 
"No, you're right. I prefer being backstage and watching the chaos unfold. I wouldn't be any good at causing anything monumental. My pranks would be more underneath the surface, making people afraid that it was coming any minute now, over and over, until every second felt like an eternity. Then again, maybe I would trick them by telling them a secret. But how could they be sure that the secret was true or not? It would gnaw at them, thinking they knew something, but perhaps not knowing anything at all."
“So lying,” Takeru replied. “Aren’t practical jokes supposed to be light and teasing?” 
“Well, not lying per se, more like either pretending to lie or lying badly so that people question you. You wouldn’t keep up the fake joke for too long, and you wouldn’t say anything callous. Just something for them to dwell on longer than they normally would, wondering ‘what ifs’ and ‘if onlys.’ Something that could be true or could be fake. That seems to be the easiest trick I can think of playing on people because everyone has secrets that they can manipulate into false truths.”
"What sort of secrets do you keep hidden from me, Hikari?"
"The important ones," she said, grinning from ear to ear. She picked up her pace. Walking faster when she was in a feisty mood was a Hikari trademark. Takeru didn't have to hustle much to keep up with her.
“Hmm. Okay, I think I get your psychological pranks. It’d be like if I told you that I loved you, then watch you scramble to determine the pitch of my voice, notice if my eyes might be shifting back and forth, gleam any sort of stutter in my step. Anything to help you decide what type of truth I've just said. Does that sound right?"
Takeru peeked over at her out of the corner of his gaze. They were walking side by side, in step with one another and their gait didn't waver in the slightest. It was a declaration for sure, but its boldness was shrouded in jest. Instead of proclaiming his feelings from a mountaintop, Takeru felt he had stammered it while balancing on a tightrope 50 feet in the air. He was almost sure that Hikari chose not to acknowledge it at all until she cocked her head towards him. He couldn't read her crimson eyes at all; were they shimmering with disquiet or gleaming in playful anticipation?
If his heart had been lined up at the start of the Olympic 400 meter dash, it would have won gold by a landslide. 
"That's exactly it!" she said, clapping her hands together. The sound jarred Takeru. "I would go home with thousands of thoughts buzzing through my head, and you would watch me agonize over every minute detail of the history of our friendship for however long you wanted, let's say an afternoon. Then you would relieve me of my misery by saying that you were only teasing me."
"How could you trust me at that point though?" Takeru asked, scratching at the inside of his palm. "I think this is the downside of your type of prank. Wouldn't a part of you always wonder if I was originally telling the truth?"
"I know you well enough to determine that for myself. What about you? If I told you that I loved you, how confident would you be in knowing for sure whether I was being authentic?"
"Tell me."
"What?"
"Tell me you love me and I'll decide."
"I love you."
Takeru didn't answer. He didn't have to. He knew. And so did she.
"Well?"
Hikari slowed to a crawl, and Takeru followed suit, an odd dance between the two of them that extended beyond their stride. Takeru was always following Hikari, but now he was toying with the idea of setting the pace. He took a deep breath and began walking faster, looking over his shoulder, daring her to keep up. 
"What do you think?" he asked.
"I think you love me," she said, moving her little legs quicker to keep up with him.
"I think you love me," he replied, lifting his eyebrows.
Their faces both broke into wild, hyena-like smirks, toothy and radiating adolescent life. Takeru took off into a sprint down the sidewalk, and Hikari, despite not being athletically gifted, was never more than three steps behind, determined not to lose him.
35 notes · View notes
Text
Fics For / Inspired by Me!
A little bit of a different Fic Rec Wednesday this week; no one asked for it, but I recently got a gift fic, and then I realized I’ve never made a full post of all the lovely fics that people have written for me or inspired by my posts! And it’s my birthday month and I’m having a stressful one and I just wanted to post up something to make me happy (well, ALL the fics I rec make me happy, but this is a bit different :P)
If you’ve written a ficlet which I rarely see because Tumblr never notifies me of my tags, or an Ao3 post for me or inspired by my stuff (like the JLPL or one of my headcanons), OR even fanart for me, PLEASE tack it onto this post, so I’ll be able to find it (and so I can file it offline on my offline document!)!! I love you all so much <3
-------
JOHNLOCK FIC RECS
No place on earth they’d rather be. by gelos (bia_mpinto) (G, 460 w., 1 Ch, || Established Relationship, Fluff, PDA, Secret Relationship) – John’s thumb is caressing Sherlock’s skin and thinking how soft it is and how lucky he is right now. This is the first time they’ve held hands in public, only because they seem to be alone in the street and there’s nobody to see them.
Whispers in the Dark by coloured_ink (G, 833 w., 1 Ch. || Bed Sharing, Anxious Sherlock, Anxiety, Caring John, Spooning, Little Spoon Sherlock) – Sherlock has anxiety attacks. Good thing John always knows what to do.
John My Beloved by itsalwaysyou_jw (T, 2,244 w., 1/2 Ch. || Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Memories, POV Sherlock, AU, Light Angst, Fluff, Happy Ending) – Sherlock Holmes travels through his mind palace to revisit critical moments in his relationship with John Watson. He can't change history, but he can pretend.
Your love it feels so good by Hotaru_Tomoe (E, 2,843 w., 1 Ch. || Gay Club / Gay Bar, Lingerie, Stripping, Anal, Crossdressing, Strip Tease, First Time) – Sherlock is last at a quiz night and is forced by Anderson to perform in a gay stripclub. John must be with him, because he will have to record the performance. Sherlock takes the task very seriously. Part 20 of The English job
Extraordinary by queenoftrivia (G, 2,860 w., 1 Ch. || Fluff, Marriage Proposal, Morse Code, Est. Rel, Violins) – Sherlock's deduced that John's going to Italy to buy him a violin. Even the greatest detective alive makes a few mistakes.
Untouched by KittieHill (E, 3,239 w., 1 Ch. || Kissing, Frottage, Virgin Sherlock, Body Worship, Sherlock’s Scars Mentioned, Masturbation, PWP, Rimming, Multiple Orgasms) – Sherlock leaked a lot. John had never needed lubricant. John loved watching it, had once spent an entire afternoon edging Sherlock so he could watch as the thick precome drip, drip, dripped onto Sherlock's belly.
One Second and a Million Miles by itsalwaysyou_jw (M, 4,197 w., 3 Ch. || Angst, Bed Sharing, Bi John / Gay Sherlock, POV Sherlock, Canon Compliant, Music Inspired, Stag Night, Love Confessions) – Neither Sherlock nor John had expected the stag night to end in the bedroom. In the aftermath, after years of silence, Sherlock finds the courage to confess the depth of his love for John. With everything on the line, he cannot afford to hold back now. In light of these confessions, John is forced to make a critical decision.
Christmas at Holmes Cottage by johnlockedstarkid (G, 4,295 w., 7 Ch. || Christmas, Fake Relationship, Love Confessions, Holmes Family, Pining, Kisses, Fluff, Allusions to Mystrade) – Sherlock doesn't want to have to deal with his mother's wishes for him to find a partner when he goes to visit them for Christmas, so asks John to pose as his boyfriend. Little does he know he's not the only one who wishes that the relationship could be real.
Linger by queenoftrivia (E, 4,879 w., 1 Ch. || Lingerie, Fluff and Smut, BJ / HJ, Switchlock, Sherlock in Lingerie, Come Play, Dirty Talk, Anal Fingering, Anal/Oral, Implied Shower Sex, Neck Kissing) – Sherlock decides to surprise John after a somewhat stressful day at work.
So True a Fool by ladyxdarcy (M, 4,963 w., 1 Ch. || Soulmates AU || Post-ASiB/Pre-THoB, Suicidal Thoughts, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Bisexual John, Internalized Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Sick Sherlock, Fluff and Angst, Angst with Happy Ending, Mild Telepathy, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Idiots in Love) – Every pair of soulmates has one listener and one speaker. It is the listener's job to find the speaker and embrace their bond. John knew the instant he heard the strange man's voice that he was his soulmate, but never reveals the truth, resulting in severe consequences.
Someone I Love by hudders-and-hiddles (M, 10,002 w., 2 Ch. || Canon Compliant, HLV-Filler Fic, Pre-Slash, Jealous John, PIning Sherlock, Angst & Fluff, UST/URT, Dog Tags) – John gets married and Sherlock finds comfort in wearing John's identity tags around his wrist.
JOHNLOCK TUMBLR FICLET SUBMISSIONS
Something to Cheer You Up by itislove
John Learns the Violin by gelos
Sherlock Holmes and His Inability to Go Trick-or-Treating by sherlockandhisinability
Johnlock Hanahaki Ficlet by anon
“Sherlock threads his fingers…” by anon
Sherlock and Titanic by consultingpacha
In Which Sherlock Tries a Different Way to Cope by anon
Gods AU Ficlet by anon
LINGERIELOCK HEADCANONS / FICLETS
“John Catching sight of a flash of lace…”
“Sherlock showing John his collection…”
“Imagine Sherlock getting ready…”
“Sherlock comes home to find a small white box”
“Imagine Sherlock swanning out of their room…”
“Imagine John out doing the shopping…”
“Some days, Sherlock shies away from John’s touch.”
“Sherlock Has a Pair of Panties with ruffles…”
“John notices that Sherlock seems to have a pair of favourite panties…”
“Sherlock clings to John’s shoulders …”
“Sherlock runs his finger over the front of his lace panties…”
“John notices that Sherlock seems to have a pair of favourite panties…”
“Imagine Sherlock sitting at the table…reveal a band of blue and white lace.”
“John settles his hands at Sherlock’s hips…”
“John comes home to find Sherlock sprawled on their sofa…”
“Sherlock shuffles over to the sofa…”
Sherlock comes home late in the evening
“Sometimes, Sherlock spends hours styling his hair…”
“John loves the way Sherlock looks in knickers…”
“Imagine Sherlock pulling on a special pair of panties…”
“Can you imagine what would happen the first time Sherlock wore lingerie for John?”
A Continuation: “Sherlock decides to take his outfits to something more unconventional”
PART 3: “John wasn’t prepared for what Sherlock had in store for him” 
PART 4: “Sherlock dragged John into a cab…”
Sherlock’s Booty Shorts (not lingerielock, but I think it’s by the same Nonny so I keep them together on my list)
FREEBATCH
I'll Meet You in Hong Kong by alexxphoenix42 (E, 12,767 w., 5 Ch. || Freebatch RPF || Phone / Shower Sex, Infidelity, Polyamory, Bit of Angst, Cuddles) – Benedict and Martin's busy, busy schedules have them grabbing a few nights together in Hong Kong during Ben's Doctor Strange junket. They both have news to share. While this does pick up after the story "Forever 1895," you don't absolutely have to read that one to dive on in here. Part 2 of Forever Freebatch
GOOD OMENS
you can dance in a hurricane, but only if you're standing in the eye by be_brave13 (G, 1,456 w., 1 Ch. || Non-Linear Narrative, Light Angst, 6000 Years of Pining / Slow Burn, POV Crowley, 5 and Ones, Idiots in Love, Song Fic) – 5 times Crowley knew he loved Aziraphale and the 1 time he knew Aziraphale loved him back (romantically)
92 notes · View notes
infinitehours · 4 years
Text
From Dusk to Dawn, an Elder Scrolls Online short fic
Rivenspire spoilers and Daggerfall Covenant questline spoilers (specifically Stormhaven and main quest).  I did like the ideas behind the Rivenspire storyline, even if I did not always like the execution.  Author notes are first, then the story.  Leave a comment or reblog if you enjoyed! 
Author notes before the story:  I’m actually not done with this story.  It’s still got another part to it that I just haven’t had the inspiration to write yet.  
This is my character Elyssa.  She's the youngest of my line-up *(only 18), and that distinction is important.  Naive and more than a little too trusting. She's also probably the only one who would purposely go out of her way just to coax a bunch of vampires into letting her stay the night, if only for the "coolness" factor of getting to stay the night at a vampire castle.
Once upon a time, I had plot bunny idea of a conversation concerning my traumatized Vestige about Molag Bal. I say traumatized because...let's be honest here.  The amount of stuff the Vestige goes through is alarmingly dark at times. It wasn't until I got to Rivenspire that I recognized the perfect situation this conversation could take place, and that the Count's status as a vampire who received his vampirism directly from Molag Bal (only to turn around and embrace morality) added an extra layer of meaning here. I hope that explains why I did this in the specific way that I did.  That vampires, and their abilities, are they themselves almost representations of Molag Bal's whole concept of domination and submission.  I like that bit of symbolism.   I don't think this particular story would have had as much of an impact otherwise.
It's canon that there are different strains of vampires and that they can do different things depending on the strain.  What's not entirely clear to me is how those mechanics always work (because we don't always see them in game), so forgive me for making a few things up. Additionally, ZOS confirmed they were changing how the feeding animation looks to something "more traditional" so I'm assuming we're going to get people biting necks in the update. Which is a lot better than the weird ridiculous looking funnel of blood, if I’m being honest here.
(one of the other reasons I wanted to write this was to come up with an explanation for why the Count is kind of...irritated all the time, lol)  
Content warnings: A little bit of Molag Bal torture going on here. Vampire biting.   Otherwise I can’t think of anything.  
***************
~~~~~~~~~~
“Difficulty sleeping?”  
Those were the first words out of his mouth the moment she stepped lightly into the study.  Even without turning around, even without her making a sound, he seemed to be keenly aware she was there.  It might have been unnerving if she didn’t know anything about him.  
“Nightmares,” was her reply, the shadow of a sad smile coming and going on her lips.  
He nodded silent acknowledgement as she took one of the carved wooden seats available.  For a moment, she watched him as he stood with his back to her; he was stock still, almost statue-like, save for the occasional instance in which he turned the page.  He wore a different set of mage’s robes than he did earlier.  It was similarly a deep, dark grey, but this one had a few threads of red woven in a delicate pattern across the length of it.
“I suppose it quite normal for a mortal to have those when staying in a place like this.”  
He said it flatly, and it was difficult for her to work out whether he was irritated at the idea or resigned to it.
“I assure you, my lord Count,” she responded carefully in turn.  “I’ve been having nightmares long before I accepted your very generous offer to spend the night.”
Platitudes.  That was surely the best way to handle a noble, undead or not, right?
“But if it is at all upsetting to you that I’m here,” she continued, hastily, “It would be a simple thing to pack my affects and travel to Shornhelm.”
He shook his head. “That won’t be necessary. I am not bothered.  And it is likewise too dangerous to travel the roads at this time at night.”
His eyes still never seemed to pry themselves away from his research as he propped open another tome on top of a large pile of books that conveniently reached his height.  
“Vampires hunt best at this time, I’m sure.”  she said, off-handedly, her fingers dancing through the length of her reddish brown hair that was now free of her usual, careful braid.    
“There’s no sun to burn our skin, and our eyes are much better attuned to the dark than a mortal’s.  The bloodfiends, who are nothing more than feral members of our kind, operate much the same.  So long as the people stay indoors and within the city walls, they should be safe.  But a lone traveler, even on horseback, may offer up a too tempting target for them to resist.  You’d be snatched in the gloom and none would hear of it until the morning.”
She didn’t know how to respond to that, though in her mind’s eye she played out a scene with her own mangled corpse lying by the side of the road.  Pale, glassy-eyed, bite-ridden and completely drained of blood.  She scowled at the thought, and shifted in her chair.
“It may not come down to that,” She said, her voice lacking the confidence she’d hoped for, “I’d say I’m pretty good at fighting bloodfiends; and, in fact, I’ve already fought some of them at night...”
“I don’t doubt that, Elyssa.  But is there any real reason to risk yourself unnecessarily? Stay here for the night, and I promise you can leave in the morning.  As early as it takes the sun to rise to the sky and offer you its protection.”
Her scowl deepened.  Did he think she was scared to spend the night at his home-castle-place-thing?  She knew that he was probably used to being a little bit defensive when it came to dealing with others (and that it was kind of her fault for somewhat insisting on staying to begin with), but he can’t honestly think she’d lost her nerve, could he?
“Count Verandis. I seem to have accidentally given you the impression that I’m uncomfortable here or that I desperately wish to leave if only you’d allow me.  Trust me when I say, if I was that desperate or felt like I was in that much danger, I would have already broken one of your pretty stained glass windows and JUMPED myself to freedom.”
She gestured towards the entryway.  “Although I’d probably just try the front door first. Something tells me you wouldn’t stop me, even if you do think it’s foolhardy for a mortal to be prancing about in the dead of night.”
He still didn’t turn away from his books, but from the angle of where she sat she could see the edge of his mouth twitching into, what she’d hope, was something akin towards a smile.  Or maybe that was just a trick of the light.
“I appreciate your consideration for my family home.  Stained glass is difficult to procure these days.”
She smiled at that (he HAD made a joke, right? That was meant as a joke, wasn’t it?), and adjusted herself so that she was lounging a bit in the chair.  Difficult to do, since the wood wasn’t exactly comfortable.  Her plain beige dress, what she usually wore to sleep, wasn’t padded enough to act as a cushion either.   She frowned for the third time that night, and straightened back up.  
“Do you want me to leave you to your studies?” She asked politely, just as the thought occurred to her.  It would act as an excuse to go back to the upstairs bedroom; one of the few rooms that actually had a bed in the entire castle.
“It’s not necessary.” He stated.  
She waited a moment.
“…May I ask a question?”
“If you insist.”  Again, in that flat, dull tone of his that never seemed to hold much emotion.  
“Are you always thirsty?”
This gave him pause, and she could see a few of his fingers ghosting over the latest text he held open before committing to turning another page.
“At some level, yes.  But if you’ve practiced for as long as I have and feed regularly, it’s barely noticeable.”
“So me being in this room for you is, thankfully, not distracting?”
“Your presence isn’t, no.”
Her eyes narrowed in on the back of his head. He was possibly, in a roundabout way, implying that her comments were distracting. It was another one of those statements that made it hard for her to figure out whether he was pissed off, slightly annoyed, or just bored.
“Would you like a bite?” She suddenly asked.
“What?” This time, he DID look up.  Even more, he turned to stare at her with something akin to surprise.
She sat to attention with a triumphant smirk. “Finally, a normal emotional reaction!”
And with that proclamation, his expression hardened and he returned to his books.
“I do not have time for childish endeavors, Elyssa.”  He said sourly.
“You just seem so….I don’t know. Detached.  Either that, or irritated at everyone all the time.  It’s hard to tell with you.  I think that may be the bulk of the reason why a lot of people may be uncomfortable around you.  It’s rather nice to see you actually have some…well…life left in you.”
“When you’ve lived as many years as I have, my child, and watched just as many of your friends age and die…short-lived humans, no less…people you’ve formed attachments to and cared for, again and again…You find ways of…removing yourself from all of it.  If only to ensure that it need not affect you as hard each time.”
Elyssa considered this.  “So…when you say you ‘care’ about the people of Rivenspire—“
“I do care,” He snapped his latest book shut and spun to face her. “I may not be able to feel as deeply as a mother who lost her first child, but I do care about what happens to the people of Rivenspire. I still remember what it was like to lose family, to lose loved ones, the depths of that pain.  Even if I cannot experience it fully for myself anymore, I remember enough to never wish it upon anyone else.  This is why I detest the idea of ever sharing this gift of mine; inflicting it upon others so that they would have to spend decades just learn how to control their despair enough to function.  Can you fathom, can you even imagine, the maddening realization that most everyone you love will soon wither and fade except yourself?”
He approached her at her chair, and though his voice still held that air of mild detachment, his glowing red eyes seemed to burn all the brighter with an inner light.
“You’re correct in the sense that I do have difficulties expressing this.  That I no longer have the capabilities to show others, in any genuine way, the measure of my desire to help.  Mortals rely so much on interpreting emotions through body language and tone of voice, and I am far beyond the point where I can easily weep in the presence of those who are weeping…or even do a decent attempt at trying.”
As he came to stop in front of her, he actually knelt to the ground. To her level.  Eye to eye.
“There’s a reason, in my belief, why the divines would dictate life to be so short and sweet.  Those of us who are cursed to live longer than normal risk…losing things in the process.  I often find myself wanting to socialize with mortals just to get some of that back.  A sense of personhood and direction.  Passions and strivings.  It’s truly remarkable to see reminders of how easy it comes to you.”
He carefully reached out his hand towards her cheek, as though she represented this.  As though she were a symbol of this very discussion.  Just as the tips of cold fingers brushed against her skin, she turned her head just a tad in an attempt to see it in her peripheral.  It was difficult to say whether he interpreted that as a flinch or he suddenly remembered himself, but he withdrew his hand again.  
“I apologize.” He said, getting up and returning once more to the bookshelves.  “I did not mean to touch you without permission.”
“What?  My cheek? That’s not a crime.” Elyssa replied, still trying to absorb everything he just told her.  
“Countess Tamrith would likely disagree with that assessment.”
“Countess Tamrith isn’t here.  And before you go back to your no-doubt riveting literature, I should tell you that I was genuine in offering my blood to you.”
He turned once more to her, an eyebrow delicately raised in questioning.  
“Is that so?  I believe the good Countess would now consider you to have committed a sin.” He asked, and his eyes stared straight at hers for a good measure.
For her part, believing that he was testing her resolve, she sat up straighter and met his gaze head on.
The room was silent for a moment.  
He took a tentative step towards her, and she was a little ashamed that the unexpected movement caused her to flinch. He stopped at the sight.
“We do not usually find people who willingly volunteer so soon after finding out about our condition. Are you sure?”
“Y-Yes.”
“You certainly do not sound it.”
Elyssa huffed out the breath she’d been accidentally holding.  “Well…it isn’t as though I get bitten by a vampire every other day.  I’m not sure what to expect.  Does it hurt?”
“It’s a bite, Elyssa,” And this time, she was sure those glowing eyes of his were laughing at her even if his mouth didn’t show it. “Pain is usually involved in those.  I can, however, promise that it is certainly not excruciating.”
“Well that’s a relief…I think.”
He carefully stepped towards her while she sat stock still and staring straight ahead.  For every moment that he moved closer, she grew more and more uneasy.
“Should I stand up, then?” She said, trying to distract herself from imagining the pain too much; she’d a bad habit of blowing things out of proportion.
“It would be much preferable if you remained seated...Else the dizziness may cause you to fall.  It may even be better if you were to lie down…”
“Sorry, but there’s no way you’re going to get me onto your dining room table.  That would just be too…”  She recalled to mind an earlier scene of stumbling upon them whilst they sat around a half-naked Dark Elf “….awkward.  Awkward and probably uncomfortable.  For me, that is.  No idea if you feel a hundred percent comfortable with people just casually laying on-”
Her spiraling commentary came to a screeching halt when she felt his hand rest lightly on her shoulder.  The very same shoulder twitched, of its own accord, and he removed his hand shortly after.
“That’s the third time you’ve flinched,” he accused.
“No it’s not!” She blurted out.  “That’s barely the first!”
“Elyssa…”
“I can do this!  I’m not a coward!” She insisted, finally turning to face him as he stood right next to her.
“Nobody is calling you as such.  But this is also not necessary, and I believe I made it quite clear that my household only feeds on the willing.”
“I am willing!  I just….I…” Her resolve withered a bit in the midst of staring him down.
His eyes glowing red and unnatural.  A sign, perhaps from the Divines, as to dangers that could lurk behind them.  The same kind of red eyes on the bloodfiends she’d been fighting ever since she came to Rivenspire.
“…I…I just need a moment,” she finished, knowing full well that it was an admission of defeat.
He sighed and walked back to his books.  “Go back to bed, Elyssa.  I need to focus on figuring out what Montclair’s next movements may be.”
She sat there for a few moments longer, but he was firmly encased back in his notes and didn’t turn around again to acknowledge her again.  The obvious signs that the conversation was over.
He thought she was just being childish.
It stung a little, the obvious disregard. Ignored and brushed aside so casually. It almost felt a lot like the time her papa had caught her ruining one of his prized books even after she promised she wouldn’t touch it.  Except this was pretty much a stranger, and she couldn’t discern whether that made it somehow worse.
The feeling, the blatant disregard, threatened to stifle the little study they were in, and it became too much for her to bear that she did decide to leave.  
Slowly taking the steps back upstairs to the bedroom.
She passed a dead mouse and thought idly about it; one of the things that Adusa had done to help the servants prepare the room for her was to take out a couple of live mice.  They didn’t get many guests, or so Adusa said.
But she wondered if the mice weren’t just the natural result of vacancy; the bite mark on this one suggested they were also kept around as a midnight snack.
She chuckled a bit at that as she crept onto the double bed.  The fresh sheets had been thoroughly washed with soap, she had been told, and seemed so very new that they did not even have the usual frayed threads at the end or faded patterns.  And they were just a little bit stiff.
The mortal servants didn’t stay here; there were additional rooms downstairs beyond the storage alcove.  This was purely a guest room.  ….And it almost felt fake.   Like the immortal Count of the castle had attempted to make something seem homely, only for it to just perceptively feel off.
Perhaps the room had seen such rare usage that it failed to ever take on the personalities of those who had used it.
It might have even just been the fact that there were three very obvious coffins resting in the main hall, visible from the guest suite balcony.
It wasn’t bad...it was just…
“Comfy yet, little sweetthing?” The Dremora playfully poked her with the end of a very sharp and very pointy rod.
Elyssa struggled yet again, but the bars of the humanoid shaped cage held fast.
Cadwell…
Lyris…
The Prophet…
The only three kind voices in that entire prison, and they were screaming in agony right behind her.
“What are you doing to them?!  Stop it!”  She cried out, trying, in vain, to turn her head to look at them.
“Now now.  We assure you, they’re being WELL taken care of.” The Dremora poked her again right at her collarbone.  “Just as you will be!”
The screaming behind her increased, as if to prove a point.
“But ooh. Oooh.  It seems you have a guest, sweetling.  Someone is here. Just.  To see.  You.”
More Dremora came, dragging a human alongside them.  The woman was pushed in front of Elyssa’s cage.
“….I asked you for help…” The woman said, tears falling freely as she looked up.  
A shiver went down Elyssa’s spine as soon as she realized she was staring at the face of Duchess Lakana.
“Y-your Grace…”
“I asked you for help…and what did you do?”  The Duchess pointed an accusing finger. “You left me!  You left me alone with that man, that murderer!”
“I didn’t…I didn’t mean to….I didn’t mean to, I swear.  I didn’t know it was him…”  Her eyes began to water up, a mirror of the Duchess’ own face.
“How could you?  You said you would help me!  Why didn’t you do everything you could? Why didn’t you stay with me?”
“I’m sorry…I’m so sorry!”
“And you spared him!  You spared that monster!  How could you do that after he killed me?!”
“That’s enough of that!” The Dremora interrupted, prodding the Duchess to move along. “Put her Gracious Grace alongside the rest of them!  You’re starting a nice collection here, my little sweetling.”
And as soon as the Duchess was dragged out of sight, Elyssa could hear her start to scream as well.  
“Stop it!!  Let them go!!”  She rattled the cage as hard as she could.  
“Ooooh.  Making demands, are we? Do you truly think you’re in any position to save them? Look at you. You couldn’t save the Duchess.  You couldn’t save that family of that poor werewolf Duke. You couldn’t save your darling dearest father…”
The Daedra leaned right into her face, its teeth pearly white and crooked.  And the smell coming from its breath was positively putrid in an indescribable way that had no easy comparisons anywhere on Tamriel.
“…In fact, you can’t even save yourself.”
And with that, the Dremora rammed the rod straight into her shoulder, causing her to jerk back and scream.
Scream.
And Scream.  And fall back onto the…
….
…sheet covers…
Elyssa was shaking.  Her eyes darted back and forth as she ascertained that yes, those were indeed sheet covers.  She was in a room with a bed and nice looking wooden furniture.
In a room made out of stone.
A house.
No, a castle.
That’s right.  Ravenwatch Castle.
There were no Dremora in sight.  No screaming.  No water tainted blue with an eerie light.
No crags filled with bleakest rocks that spread out like daggers.
No distant tundras with nothing but dead plants the eyes could see.
No cages….
Elyssa took one, long, swipe of her hand against her brow, pulling away the sweat that had collected there.  She must have dozed off just then, only to be faced with yet another nightmare.
She tried to push it straight out of her mind and attempt to go back to sleep, but her legs demanded to wander.  That, and she was sure that if she closed her eyes again, the Daedra would return to haunt her.
Her feet took her back downstairs.  The shaking ever present in each and every one of her steps.  Soon enough, she found herself back at the study.  The doorway leading outside, the dining table, the whispering quiet of the night; it all gave the comforting confirmation that the horrors she’d just seen really were just dreams.
Adusa was out scouting the nearby towns and municipal villages.  Melina was out gathering supplies.  The mortal servants were likely fast asleep in their own quarters.  Gwendis was….well, Akatosh only knows where Gwendis went off to.   But sure and steady, Count Ravenwatch was still working in his study.  And the nightmare was fresh enough that she felt drawn to sticking around with the only conscious person she had easy access to.
The scratch of a feather quill paused only briefly as she stood at the threshold.
“Contrary to whatever you may believe, Elyssa,” The Count stated, never looking up. “The sun does not, in fact, rise every twenty minutes like you seem to do.”
Her shaking died down just enough to allow her the dignity of a glare in his direction.  Now she was convinced: the real reason people were uncomfortable around him had absolutely nothing to do with his status as a vampire.
“Bite me,” She seethed back at him.
She’d meant it as an insult.  A come back.  But she realized her mistake when he stopped writing to give her back one, long, unamused look.  Complete with an eyebrow raised.
“Did we not just have this conversation?” He said, turning to another page.
“I don’t care.  I’d rather have conversations all night long if it means I don’t have to go back to sleep.”
She started pacing a bit around the study’s doorway, if only to give her mind something to focus on and her legs something to do.
But as she made a few passes, she noticed he had stopped working and was watching her.  This time with a far more unreadable expression than the blatant apathy.
“What are your dreams about that has you so terrified?”  
“Coldharbour,” She whispered, just barely under her breath.  It must have been loud enough for him to hear her, because his eyes grew a little wider.
“You’ve…actually been there?”
The moment she stopped her pacing was the moment her shaking started up again.   She looked him in the eyes, but found she couldn’t stand to do that for long and had to look towards the floor.
She could hear him whisper something unintelligible; cursing, perhaps, under his breath in Aldmeris.
“You carry a much heavier burden than I initially thought.” He said, “You’re far, far too young for all of this…”
“I can help!  I know I can!” Elyssa insisted, “I’m not afraid of Coldharbour!  I’m not afraid of the bloodfiends!  I’m not afraid to get bitten!  I can prove it! You can have my blood; take it!”
It was supposed to be a reaffirming statement, but her protestations almost made her sound even more childish.
“Elyssa…” he spoke calmly.  Carefully.  “Why is it so important to you that you give me your blood?”
“Because you need it, don’t you?”  She said, frustrated.  She began her pacing again.
“That’s not the reason.”
“Because I want to be helpful!”
“That’s also not the reason.”
This time, she stopped pacing and got angry.
“Because if I don’t give everything I can, and something happened to you, or the High King, or the people of Rivenspire, it will be all my fault again!!”
She yelled it out, and her body feeling a little lighter as she did.  Even as her eyes had begun to water just a bit.
“There it is…” Verandis said softly.
And he left her a moment to go over to the cabinet by the door.
“One of the greatest strengths…” he said, and she could hear him fiddling with something. “…Of the Daedric Prince of Domination is not just in his talent to forcefully suppress a person’s free will or inflicting their greatest fears, but in his capacity for making them feel guilt.”
He returned with a glass of a deep red liquid.  “Physical pain may fade with time, but guilt has a habit of remaining.  What’s worse, it’s often the sufferer that fosters and grows it.  Is there any torture more perfect than that which the victim inflicts upon themselves?  Sit down, Elyssa.”
“What…?”  She glanced from him to the glass as he sat it down at the table between the two chairs in the study.
“If you still insist that I taste your blood, then I must insist that you sit down first.”
Her eyes grew wide a moment, but she clenched her fists out of resolve and held fast as she cautiously took the seat to the right.  He maneuvered the chair opposite to rest closer to her, taking a seat himself.
Her fingers were still trembling as she reached up and undid the top button at the back of her dress, but she hadn’t a clue whether they were trembling because of this or if they were simply leftovers from her fitful sleep.  It may have been both.  
“I don’t...need to take off my clothes completely, do I?”  She frowned in disgust at the thought. She hadn’t considered that part, but the Dunmer from before had been…well…half-naked.
“No,” He said, firmly.  “A shoulder is all that’s required.  Are you ready?”
She glanced at the filled glass.
“Do you always take a shot after you’ve already had a drink?” She joked weakly.
“The wine is for you, Elyssa.  I think you should drink at least a little of it when I’m done.  Now, are you prepared?”
Her hand reached up to pull down one of the shoulders of her dress, just enough so that her collarbone showed.  Her fists clenched and unclenched themselves as she rigidly held them in her lap.  If she were ever bitten by a vampire, this is what it would feel like….
Finally, she nodded.
A touch at her shoulder caused her to flinch again, but they were only fingers.  He was gently moving a strand of hair out of the way.
“Tell me.  I saw you speaking to Melina earlier and it caught my attention.  Did she find a particularly interesting rune?”
She brightened up a little at that.
“Oh!  Well not exactly; we were just talking about this one-ow.”
She was simultaneously a little irritated and a little grateful.  The skeever only asked her that as a distraction… and she actually fell for it.
Vampire fangs were apparently large enough that it felt a little like someone had just happily jabbed a pair of sewing needles into the tender part of her shoulder.  She’d had worse injuries before, but it wasn’t very pleasant either.
…And it was just a tad bit awkward.  For obvious reasons.    
Did the servants really do this on a regular basis?  
Just as she considered the pain, a wave of a new sensation came with it.  He was right; it did have the effect of making a person dizzy.  Dizzy and…a little hazy.  Perhaps it was the lack of sleep that she’d self-induced upon herself for the past couple of days, but she was actually starting to feel…calmer.
Numb.
After a few seconds had passed, it no longer hurt.  And she was no longer sitting up straight in the chair, but rather lounging.  The hard wood had suddenly felt a lot more comfy.
She could still feel him there.  It was hard to ignore his mouth (although she valiantly tried anyways, if only to make it a little less awkward), but she couldn’t really feel any blood actually going out of her (probably a blessing).  One of his hands helped to hold up her neck, and the other right at her upper arm to hold her steady.  It was just as well; the numbness had the effect of making her feel like a puddle of water.
She could also feel him pull away.  Replaced with the feeling of cloth at her shoulder.  Elyssa turned to look and found him softly pressing either a handkerchief or a napkin to the wound (for her sanity’s sake, she decided it was the former rather than the latter).
“That didn’t seem like much,” Her speech was a little slurred.
“Do you still wish to fight the bloodfiends while conscious? If so, then this is all you can afford to lose.  You already run the risk of injury on the battlefield.”
He motioned for her to hold the handkerchief there.  “It will stop bleeding in a moment.  How do you feel?”
“Rather nice…” She said with a slightly loopy smile.  But then she frowned. “Am I supposed to find it nice?”
“All vampires have some level of hypnotic ability.  Some use it to effect of creating slavish thralls.  Mostly, I suspect it’s there to ensure that any prey doesn’t try to escape our grasp.  For this reason, I think it tends to show up often in mortals who have been recently fed upon.”
Elyssa thought about Kallin and the almost eager way he introduced himself to her so soon after the Ravenwatch vampires had dined upon him.
“So…do you influence your servants to give you their blood?”
“I do not always willingly inflict this effect, Elyssa.  Think of it more as a side effect than something I always have a conscious command of.  Anyone I feed on could potentially feel like this.”
“But you have some control of your hypnotic ability, don’t you…?”
“I’m not sure what you’re asking of me.  Here.” He gestured for the handkerchief back and for her to fix her outfit.  
“If you’re implying that I somehow force or coerce my servants to give me their blood, the answer is ‘no’.  I made no such demands of them, nor would I need to.  There are plenty of people in Rivenspire of the unsavory variety; bandits, cutthroats, and the like for whom death would be deserving.   So it would be no trouble to us if Kallin should ever wish to seek employment elsewhere.  I would not stop him. Only ask that he keep the secret of our gifts to himself.  Not everyone in Rivenspire knows of our nature.”
She adjusted her dress back to normal after looking at the mark.  The wound had stopped bleeding; only two pinpricks of red against her skin to mark that anything had actually happened.
“I don’t oversee a prison here in my home.”  He said.
With it being so fresh in her mind, it was difficult to keep her thoughts away from her dream; the bleakness of Molag Bal’s domain and how it contrasted with the Count’s own castle.  In spite of the coffins (and questionable décor)….this was practically paradise compared to Coldharbour.
Then again…wasn’t anything paradise compared to that place?
“You should have a few sips of wine.” He said, interrupting her reverie.  
She nodded and took the glass, letting the liquid swirl within before bringing it to her lips.  It was a tad sweet, and something she must have needed because she took in a large gulp of it.
“The numbness is wearing off…” She said, contemplating the glass in her hand. “…And I have to face my dreams once more…I don’t want to go back to sleep and see Duchess Lakana again…”
“The Duchess of Alcaire…I understand that it was you who thwarted the Daedric plot behind her murder.”
“But I couldn’t save her!  She was so….she was so scared. And she said she was all alone there.  The soldiers wouldn’t even allow her to see most of the entourage that came for her from her father.  I said I would help her and then…then…”
She tried not to get too emotional by taking another large gulp of wine “…I should have stayed right next to her instead of running around…”
“We are all bound by our limitations, my child.  In your case, you cannot possibly be everywhere and save everyone all at once…”
“No.  But I could have made sure I brought her murderer to justice…”
She finished the glass and set it back on the table, balling her hands into fists again.
“…I let him go.  He looked so guilty…and his mind had been manipulated by Vaermina…I thought it was the right thing to do.  At least, that’s what I told myself at the time.”
Elyssa looked down at her hands, clenching and unclenching them, staring at them as though she’d hoped they would somehow provide a better thought process.
“Now I’m wondering if I was really right.  The Duke seemed a little bit angry at my decision…”
“He was likely grieving.”
“And the knight in question - the one who killed her? – he himself said that he felt guilty and deserved to die.”
“Those who feel guilt are not always guilty of anything.  And he, as a knight, was likely considering the strained political relations going on within the Covenant.  His duty to preserve the alliance may have weighed heavily on him to the point where he thought sacrificing his life should be a consideration.”
“But he seemed so…I don’t know.  He was acting so normal when I met him; when he supposedly was under Vaermina’s sway.  I have to wonder if he didn’t secretly want the Duchess to die after all…”
“Now you’re being a bit unfair.”
“But…He could have resisted.”  She said, finally.  “He must have been able to resist.  He should have tried.  He was acting so normal most of the time that he had to have some control of his senses. If he had put a little effort into fighting back, maybe she wouldn’t be dead.  Maybe I would have been able to stop him.  Or maybe I wouldn’t have even had to stop him.  If only he’d considered alternatives…He could have just kidnapped her instead, but no.  She just had to die!  He should have been punished for that...He should have died, and I should ha—“
His hand was at her shoulder again, and that numb feeling came back with such a vengeance that she had instantly slumped back into the chair.  Her anxiety laced rambling put to a halt with a slack jaw.
Her breathing steadied.  Her eyelids drooped.  Every muscle in her body had completely and utterly given in to a state of soothing relaxation.  
“Stand up, Elyssa,” he commanded.
A floating, freeing feeling washed over her as she did as she was told.  The room had gotten brighter, the hallway lighting almost dancing in front of her eyes.
“Come with me upstairs,” he commanded again.
And she felt compelled….no, she felt like it was wonderful to move forward.  He followed behind and caught her by her arms to direct her around the dining room table.
They walked, slow and steady.  Elyssa was sure that if she hadn’t been held by the mer behind her that she’d fall flat on her face.  The numbness took all anxiety away….to be replaced completely with contentment and a calm sort of happiness…It was the most relieving feeling in the world.  
“Molag Bal,” He said, “Would certainly love to have you convinced that weakness is a sin.  That people with weaker wills, much like the knight you speak of, deserve to be punished and tortured.”
They began to ascend the stairs, and Elyssa swayed a bit.  She had been trying her best to focus on walking, but the comforting numbness was making her a bit sleepy.  Besides, her feet and legs appeared to find themselves all on their own, without any effort on her part.
In the back of her mind, there was some measure of concern that something was wrong here.  But any attempt at trying to grasp what exactly was amiss slipped right out of her thoughts.  
“But we all have our weaknesses, Elyssa,” Count Verandis continued.  “There is not a person in all of Tamriel who is devoid of them.  For me, it is the sun.  For you?  Right now, it is your generous acceptance of others who are different than you; the trust that you easily form with strangers in spite of how unusual they may be or, in this case, whether or not they are a vampire.  Acceptance and compassion are very much virtues to be exalted, but in the hands of the wrong people they can become weaknesses to be utilized against you.”
They reached the top of the stairs and made their way into the guest parlor.  Each step forwards made her feel like a leaf on the wind; dancing across the floor as though her body was lighter than air.  The furniture danced alongside her, swimming in her vision.  She heard every word that he said (in fact, it held the bulk of her attention, as if she couldn’t ignore him even if she tried), but finding a response was difficult as she couldn’t formulate the thoughts to say anything.      
“I am grateful for your trust, Elyssa.  Far too many have unfairly scorned or judged us for our condition without ever trying to become acquainted with who we are as people.”
He stopped her just as they reached the table.  She frowned with disappointment; she wanted to keep moving around.  It felt nice.  
“However, imagine for a moment,” He whispered lower, closer to her ear. “How disastrous this would be if I had a more destructive desire.  What would happen if we had met on a dark, lonely night and I had no code of conduct to dictate my thirst?  I would beckon you, entrap you just like this.  How easily you would come to me, following me out of sight of any living person who might help you. Can you imagine what I would do then with such a feast all to myself?  This feeling, this enthrallment, would be the last sensation you ever felt; helpless to do anything as I gorged myself on your life’s blood.”
Fingers appeared at her throat, ever so gently pressed against her skin, against the pulse beating there.  And almost automatically, she found she had lifted her chin even more to better allow them.  She felt a tinge of fear break through the numbness; fear of the mer at her back, at the way her own body rebelled against her wishes to expose her own throat… and a growing, frightening consideration at the back of her mind that he might, just might, take the offer.  In spite of whatever he may have said about their feeding habits before.  
“Tell me,” He said, “Many members of my kind would insist that they have the right to feast on mortals because their prey is weaker than them. Would it be just and proper for me to rip your throat out all because you are powerless right now?  Do I have the right to murder you just because I can?  Because I’m stronger?”
A small bubble of panic managed to sober her up enough to try and wiggle free.  But the movement was half-hearted; she still did not feel like she had complete command of her body.  Even though he did not hold her very firmly, her little movements seemed insufficient to loosen his grasp.  Attempting to maneuver limbs felt like trying to wade through dense tar. And as the words died in her throat before they had the chance to pass her lips, she was met with the horrific realization that she was trapped at his whim without so much as the ability to scream.  
She had never been so terrified of him before that moment.
He removed his hand from her throat to grasp both arms in an attempt to hold her steady; her struggling had given her an awfully dangerous sway that threatened to cause her to hit the table.  Or the floor.  Whichever unfortunate hard surface she reached first.
“It’s all right, Elyssa.” He said, his voice kinder. “I give you my word; your life is safe within my home and among myself and my household.  I’ll release you very soon, I promise.  Relax now, or you’ll hurt yourself.”
As if that was also command, a new, fresh wave of numbness and calm settled in, and she felt too exhausted from her last struggle to resist it.  It took over once again, and the world went fuzzy.
“Sit down,” he commanded, releasing his grip on her arms to pull out a chair. And she obeyed, taking the offered seat.
He went to stand before her with crossed arms.  They remained like that for several minutes before she began to notice that she had feeling back in her legs.  The calm was dying down.  Her fingers could twitch at her will.  Her arms now moved unimpeded.  And with her newly re-acquired control of herself, she immediately proceeded to do the thing she wanted to do the most:
Look up and glare at him.
(Punching him was actually the first option, but she was tired and felt that it required more effort than she thought he deserved)
“How are you feeling?” He asked, unphased by her expression.
“Pretty pissed.”
“As well you should be.  But recognize that it is my fault for exerting my power over you.  It is not your fault that you hadn’t the strength to resist back.  You can’t hold yourself responsible for my actions or the actions of any others…Just as you should not hold other people responsible for the actions of Vaermina.”
Her glare lessened as she contemplated this.  “Do you…suppose that was a taste of what Sir Hughes felt?  The same sort of influence he may have been under?”
“I cannot guess what sort of Daedric magic Vaermina used, but I can almost surely guarantee it was potent.”
She was silent for a moment, unsure of how to respond. So she looked down to fiddle with her fingers.
His demonstration made an impression.
“Never doubt that you made the right choice to spare that knight’s life,” He said, softly.  “He was not a cultist, nor did he willingly implore Vaermina for any of this; she forced her influence upon him by taking advantage of the little bits of doubt that we all experience when it comes to change in our lives. No mortal deserves death all because they were weaker than a Daedric Prince.  If we should go by this logic, then all but a potential handful should be summarily executed right here and now.”
“…Yeah.”  Elyssa sighed, avoiding his gaze. “I think a part of me realizes that.  That I don’t actually blame Sir Hughes, I just…”
“…You still feel a little guilty because you happened to be there.  And you’re desperately trying to look for an excuse to assuage that guilt.”
“Yeah,” She winced to hear it aloud, but he had put it very succinctly.
“Her death wasn’t your fault, Elyssa. You cannot hope to control what a Daedric Prince decides to do; you can only hope to try and stop them.  Even then, such foes are so formidable that it isn’t a guarantee that you will be successful.”
He leaned against the table. “I would consider it impressive that you were even able to save the poor soul manipulated by Vaermina.  He may be punished in exile, but that is a far better, far more appropriate fate than what the Daedric Prince of Nightmares had in store for him, I can promise you that.  I don’t think I need to remind you that Daedra often treat mortals as toys, and are known to mercilessly toss aside those that have passed their usefulness.”
“I guess…” She sighed again, gaze transfixed to the floor in front of him.  But then she remembered what had just happened, and she snapped her head back up to glare at him. “I’m still angry at you, though.”
“And I apologize that I frightened you.  I do regret that.  Make no mistake, it is wrong to affect people’s minds in such a way, and I apologize for that as well.  But I thought it would give you some perspective as to what it feels like to be influenced in such a manner.  At the very least, I would hope that it proved to you how difficult it is to escape.”
“How do you escape?”  She had a terrible thought pass through her head about having to face a much more sinister vampire who would use this technique.
“Different strains of vampirism, different capabilities.  But in this particular case, there were several factors working against you.”
He gestured to her.
“First, you had allowed me to feed off of you, which, I believe, actually helps with this.  Second, you trusted me.  At least, enough to stay the night without any discernible fear for your own safety.  I was able to take advantage of that to exert a much more potent sway.  If you recall, you had regained some ability to fight back the moment I lost that trust and started to frighten you.  Unfortunately, you had, by that point, been under my control for a bit too long that it was difficult to break through.”
“So…Feeding, length of time, and trust.  Did I get that correct?”
“For my particular type of vampirism, yes.  You’ll likely meet many others whose abilities operate under a different set of rules.  It does, however, take no small amount of effort to inflict such hypnotic influence, so it is doubtful that you’ll meet very many opponents who would consider using it against you in the heat of battle.”
She nodded.  “That’s comforting a bit…I think.”
Silence settled over them.
This time, it was Verandis who sighed.
“I cannot speak for the Duchess,” he said, “But I am quite familiar with both the High King and his brother, the Duke of Alcaire.  And I can assure you that neither of them would want you to be this distraught over Duchess Lakana’s death.  Especially not to the point where it is affecting your sleep.”
“Yeah, about that.  I still really don’t want to close my eyes.  So do you have anything you need that I can help with?”
“Blood loss and exhaustion doesn’t strike me as a particularly brilliant plan for fighting off blood fiends.”
“I can’t.”  Elyssa stared him straight in the eye, trying to keep the twitching of her mouth from grimacing too much, “I really, really can’t do this.  I can’t go back to sleep right now; it’s just going to be the same nightmare again.  Like it was yesterday.  And the night before that.”
He stared back at her without comment at first, but eventually uncrossed his arms to head towards his alchemical table in the corner.
“How about,” He said, “I brew you a sleeping draught.”
“But—“
“You needn’t drink it if you don’t want to.  But I’ll leave it here with you, just in case.”
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
“Is this going to be like the last potion you made for me, where I wandered about in your memories?”
“No memories.  Just a typical sleeping potion.”
Her nose rankled at the undesirable scents and burning smells that were already coming from the station as he worked.
“Don’t get me wrong,” she said. “I didn’t really mind stepping into your past.  It was kind of fun being someone else, actually.  Just not sure I’d want to do it on a regular basis, because it was also kind of disorienting.”
“Considering everything you’ve told me, I believe we shouldn’t have a repeat of that.  I’m already beginning to regret what little I’ve shown you; I think you have enough worries without me adding more of my own to your pile.”
She could hear sounds of him pouring liquid into a container, and soon enough he approached her with a bottle of something blood red.
He held it out for her and she reached for it, but his grip held fast.
“Please look at me, Elyssa.”
Her blue eyes looked up to find contemplative red.
“Never let Molag Bal win by accepting his ideology,” He said, resolve in his expression. “Believe me when I say, he would cherish such a submission from you.  Weakness is not a sin…and the powerful should always strive to protect, not abuse.  Remember that.”
She nodded slowly in response to the seriousness in his words, and he released the bottle to her grasp.
“….Vampires fall under the realm of Molag Bal, don’t they?” She asked, holding tight to the vial, “To the point where I even heard that Coldharbour is where their souls go when they die.  Is that one of the many reasons why you have an honor code?  Not just to be a good person, but to fight back against him, even if a little bit?”
The flickers of a very sad smile tugged at the edges of his lips.
“…Have a good night, Elyssa.  May your dreams bring you a much-needed and well-deserved rest.”
And with that, he left her to go back downstairs.
She stared at him as he went.  And stared at the potion he left her when he was gone.
After crawling back to the bed, she pulled out the stopper to take a little sniff of the concoction.  It smelled awful, like most potions do.  And she winced as she pulled back to take a tiny taste of it.
Fortunately, the taste wasn’t half as bad as some of the magicka brews she’d had before; this one only had a faint note of rotting eggs and cabbage, instead of an overt one.  That was an improvement.  
After much staring and much consideration, she held her nose and downed the rest of it in one swallow, smacking her lips with a sour expression as she finished.
But the taste lingered, and soon enough she crept out of bed to go back to the parlor. Rustling through the pantry next to the alchemical vials was a bottle of unopened wine.  She silently gave a prayer of thanks to the Divines that bottles of wine were so readily available in a house full of vampires just as she popped out the cork and took a long swing of it to try to drown out the disgusting rotten eggs.
With the taste gone and her thirst satiated, she made her way back to the bedroom.  A wave of dizziness and exhaustion had quickly crept up on her, and she mumbled her discontent under her breath; apparently it was a very, very potent sleeping potion.
Just before she came upon the bed, all the furniture in the room performed perfect backflips.
Her whole world spun around…
…And faded to black.  
2 notes · View notes
mahiru-no-haato · 5 years
Text
Dankira English Guide
Tumblr media
This is a guide for the newly released Japanese mobile game Dankira!!! Boys, be DANCING! This guide is to help those of you who cannot understand Japanese navigate and play the game. It has images of (almost) every menu in the game with translations on them and explains what they do. My ask box is also open if there’s something I missed or you just need help with something!
Some Images will have certain points marked with a pink circle, these are areas that I was unable to translate the text (I will still explain what the button does) or there was simply no text to translate, but I still want to talk about what’s marked.
Just in case tumblr compresses these and makes some of the text unreadable, this post is also available in an imgur gallery here.
Tumblr media
Starting with the home screen, this menu is actually pretty self explanatory. The main buttons you will be using here are nicely labelled in English. 
In the top left we have your coach name and title. Below that is the news, present box, and your missions (I will talk about missions more later). At the top of the screen you have your coach rank, stamina, and your aqua. 
Right above the Dance Battle button, you have your duty button. I unfortunately have a 12 hour one currently running so I am unable to take a screenshot of what that menu looks like, but it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out. While you have one running, the time remaining to completion is nicely displayed on the button for you. It displays the hour first, then the minutes, so I have 10 hours and 55 minutes remaining until its completed. The two characters you chose in this menu will have their Soul Link level increase when it’s completed. 
Finally in the top right, we have our menu button. I labelled this one in pink as it has no text on it, only the three dots. This button will be on your screen in almost every menu, and is a convenient way to move around to different menus. When you tap on it, it will open and take up about half your screen.
Tumblr media
At the bottom, we have the same 5 buttons from the main menu, except they don’t have English text on them anymore. Above that are the home and dance battle buttons.
You might notice that there are two buttons here that aren’t translated. Unfortunately I cannot understand what they say, and after tapping them I don’t really understand what they do. These will require your own testing, or someone else’s explanation. 
Tumblr media
This is your Mission menu, accessed from the home screen. On the left, you can see there are daily, weekly, dancer, and coach missions. On the daily tab at the top, the black text is telling you how long until the reset occurs. In this screenshot it will reset in 8 hours and 48 minutes. In the same location in the weekly tab, it will tell you how many days until reset.
Tumblr media
Here’s the story menu. This one is pretty easy to navigate so I won’t go into an explanation on how it works. You have your main, killer trick, soul link, card, and event stories. The stills/cgs button is, well, stills/cgs you have unlocked.
Tumblr media
The dancer button will take you to a menu with the teams on it. It doesn’t really have text that requires translating on it so I’ve left an image of that menu out. Slide left or right to go to the next team, and you can tap on the boys name or image to come to this menu.
This is your Dancer menu. It starts you on his profile. Selecting killer trick shows the killer tricks you have unlocked for him. (I will explain this a bit more later). You also have your voice menu, this one is pretty self explanatory. It displays all the voice clips you’ve unlocked for him, and you can tap on one to hear it.
Right underneath him you can see there’s an outfit button. Here you can preview every outfit that your cards of him are able to unlock. When you have an outfit you don’t yet have unlocked selected, there’s a little green button near the bottom of the screen that will take you to the dancer tree that unlocks the outfit.
Next to that is the soul link button, which has its own big menu.
Tumblr media
Soul link is pretty much your character’s bond with each other. It increases from doing dance battles with them, but this menu is the easiest (and fastest) way to increase it. You earn rewards like stories, voice clips, and aqua from leveling this up. At the bottom you can tap the rewards button to see exactly what you will earn.
You can get presents from doing missions. The weekly missions work in a sort of rotation, so you will receive a different dancer’s favorite gift from a different dancer every week.
The character on the left of the screen is the character giving the gift. So in this screenshot Mahiru would be giving a gift to Oboro. The swap sides button will make them, erm, swap sides, making Oboro the one giving the gift. The change recipient button just changes the character on the right.
Tumblr media
Back from the main menu, the team button will take you here. At the top you see your team name, which you can easily rename by just tapping on it. Mine is just the default チーム1as I cant be bothered to change it lol. Your first team is the characters that display on your home screen.
Labelled in pink, we have the killer trick button. This changes which killer trick this character will perform when you use his killer trick.
Under that is the change outfit button. This one is pretty self explanatory, but this changes the outfit on the home screen (if its your first team) and the outfit he wears in dance battles.
At the bottom left we have the soul link button. This one just opens a neat little graphic that shows the soul link between the boys on your team.
The button to the right of that is untranslated as I can’t read what it says, but just give it a little tap, it’s a really small somewhat insignificant option.
Underneath that is the lovely, wonderful, osusume button. This is basically the “do it for me” button. Most people who have played Japanese mobile games before will know what this button does.
Tumblr media
But, for those of you who don’t, here’s the osusume menu. The main buttons are the all types, body, technique, and spirit buttons. Confirming with the all types button selected will give you your strongest team in pure numbers. Selecting body will give you your strongest body attribute team etc etc you get it.
The button marked in pink is the same team button. What it does is, when selected, it will not change the members on your team. So if I wanted to make a body focus team with my 3 favorite characters, all I have to do is put them all on a team, select body, and confirm and the game builds that team for me.
Tumblr media
Back from the home menu again, we have the Training menu. This doesn’t have much that requires translating or explaining. The status button changes what information is displayed on the bottom half of the card.
Tumblr media
The sort button opens this little menu. The two top buttons are whether you want it in ascending or descending order. You can sort by level, rarity, or the untranslated one. I’m honestly unsure what this button does. I think its sorting by date received but I can’t say for sure because I can’t read it.
Tumblr media
Tapping on a card will take you to this menu. Here you can see your card title, character name, exp, level, your body/technique/spirit values, and your center skill. The text marked in pink is how many duplicates of the card you have. I can’t read what the text says, so I can’t translate it but that’s what it is. I only have one copy of this card so I have 0/4 dupes. Getting a duplicate of the card increases its max level and unlocks more of its dancer tree (possibly other things too, im unsure).
Tumblr media
This is the training menu. This menu actually confused me when I saw it for the first time I might just be brainless idk, but I’m going to explain it even though it’s not too difficult to figure out. 
So as you can see I have 0/30 of the first training notebook selected. This means I have 30 of them that I can use. Right under the cancel button there’s a plus and minus, this is toggling whether you’re increasing or decreasing the amount of notebooks you’re going to give him. This menu is pretty easy to get after that. It displays how much exp he’s going to get on his exp bar, so you can tell how much you need to give him.
Tumblr media
Moving on to the dancer tree. This is a menu that probably looks really familiar to those of you who have played Enstars or Utapri Shining Live (and many others I’m sure).
This menu has a lot of little nodes on it that when unlocked have different effects. The ones that have an attribute like bo/te/sp just increase that stat. You can also unlock stories, voice clips, killer tricks, and card artwork here. At the bottom you can use the shortcut buttons to take you to the next unlockable one of whichever you tap.
At the top you can see your little jewels (idk what they’re officially called) that you use to unlock the little nodes on the screen here. The 4th rainbow set of them can be used in place of any of the other ones. So if I required 5 of the blue small jewels to unlock something but I didn’t have any, I could use 5 rainbow ones instead. 
Tumblr media
Moving on to the final menu I think needs explanation, we have the team selection menu. This will appear when you select dance battle. Most of this is pretty easy to understand, but I’m still gonna talk about it a little bit.
On the right of the screen we have the auto ticket option. I have never used this but I assume it just plays the dance battle for you. In this screenshot I have 11 auto tickets available to use.
Above that is another option marked in Pink. This option says Dankira something... I can’t read the kanji in this one haha. Tapping on one of the 3 little slots opens a menu where you can use a little attribute booster. I also haven’t used this option but I assume it only works for one song.
And with that I will leave you gremlins to enjoy the game! If there’s something I didn’t explain, or something you just want extra help with please feel free to shoot me an ask (I also have submissions on if you want to send an image along with your question). Anonymous asks are available, and I will answer questions privately if you want! (Just let me know if you want your ask answered privately, I will answer it publicly otherwise).
18 notes · View notes
bulletinreporter · 5 years
Text
FIC REC MASTERPOST
This is my ultimate fic recomendation masterpost. The pairings are always bucky barnes x reader. 
→ The ones who are nsfw will be marked as scuh.
→ Organized alphabetically.
→ All links open in a new tab.
Tumblr media
365 Days by @abovethesmokestacks
NSFW|SFW
Summary: “You all know how it is, the one constant in this hellish life: you have a soulmate. No idea who it is, no clues whatsoever, only 25 years to find them. In 364 days, my time’s up. It sounds like a lot, but so does 25 years, and look where that got me. So, for better or for worse, I’ll try. I’ve got twelve months to find whoever my soul is knit together with.”
Animals Awaken by @221bshrlocked 
NSFW|SFW
Summary: Bucky forgets to take his supressants in time during a mission with you. You offer your help but he rejects, afraid that he’d hurt you because it’s his first rut since decades. And well, you know the rest.
Because You Want This by @sirenphrynne
NSFW|SFW
Summary: A hardcore/forced sex fic where the reader finds the Winter Soldier in her room.
Change Your Mind by @jamesbvck
NSFW|SFW
Summary: Senior Year: the last year to be a somebody or a nobody. A chance to fall in love, ace that final exam and make memories. After a terrible first impression, Bucky makes it his mission to fix the mistake he made with the new girl. Will they get their chance?
Call It Destiny by @scrumptious-delusion
NSFW|SFW
Summary: Your life changed forever when you discovered you had abilities. Others in your position may have called being able to see the future a gift, you saw it as a burden most days. Just when your life has finally reached a sense of normalcy, an image settles in your mind. You’ve had them before – you know that the only way to get rid of it is to confront it. But you want normal and anything to do with the Avengers compound cannot possibly be normal. However, you know you can’t ignore it. What follows is a whirlwind of events that even you couldn’t have seen coming – especially where Bucky is involved.
Call Out My Name by @bvcks
NSFW|SFW
Summary: At 18, you discovered your abilities. they were visions. they led you to people who weren’t meant to be found. however, the bad overpowers your greatness, and unveils the dark mysteries when bucky goes missing - and only you can find him.
Everything Has Changed by @buckyywiththegoodhair
NSFW|SFW
Summary: In which everything changes when you discover Bucky’s true feelings for you in a very unconventional manner.
Found Of The Classics by @thottybarnes
NSFW|SFW
Summary: When the sexual tension between you and Bucky is stifling, Natasha becomes her scheming, conniving self.
Fifty Shades Of Bucky by @captain-rogers-beard
NSFW|SFW
Summary: A series of sexual escapades where Bucky shows you what it’s like to give in to your deepest desires.
Heart & Soul by @all1e23
NSFW|SFW
Summary: Alphas only brought trouble. The only thing they are good for is bringing their Omega’s pain and forced submission. They were dangerous, reckless and cruel. There wasn’t an ounce of kindness in any of them. She didn’t need an Alpha and she certainly didn’t believe in that True Mates fairytale. That was just some fabricated fable Alphas made up to trick innocent doe-eyed Omegas. She wasn’t going to fall for that. Not again. No Alpha would ever get her to believe that love truly exists. And then, James Buchanan Barnes walked into her life.
If I Were You by @dani-si
NSFW|SFW
Summary: Your relationship is going through a bad phase. What happens when you and Bucky accidentally swap bodies?
Inevitable by @lovelynemesis
NSFW|SFW
Summary: A/B/O Dynamics. Reader is an Omega and Bucky an Alpha. Can you manage to not let the inevitable happen?   
Mind Games by @softhairbarnes
NSFW|SFW
Summary: You are a feared adversary of the Avengers, having crossed paths with them a few times before. When Bucky is brought back in for missions, he finds out the hard way how dangerous you really are.
Most Wanted by @sgtjbuccky   
NSFW|SFW
Summary: The life you dreamed of wasn’t the one you lived. Day in and day out you tried to change the outcome, but somehow you always ended up right where you began. Fed up with it all, you wished upon a star and was granted with Bucky Barnes, and it wouldn’t take you long to realize that whatever mess you were about to get tangled up in, it would change your life entirely. (Disney’s Tangled/Modern!AU)
My Neighbour's a Jerk by @jurassicbarnes 
NSFW|SFW
Summary: Modern-Day (AU) There’s this mutual feeling between you and your neighbor, called hate. And since your first meet you both commence that feeling with a burning passion. You don’t know the reason behind his hate and you know for damn sure that he will never tell you. But what happens on the first day of your job, when you find out that you even work together? Maybe you will learn to co-operate?
Retro by @the-canary
NSFW|SFW
Summary: Please, third times the charm, right? Because James Barnes is tired of failing at this thing called love. 
San Francisco by @petersshirts    
NSFW|SFW
Summary: People age until they’re 18 and then stop ageing until they meet their soulmate so they can grow old together; but what happens if you realise at 22 that you’ve been with the wrong guy for four years?
The Things We've Done by @pandalandalopalis
NSFW|SFW
Summary: All you wanted was simplicity. You had moved to Washington, DC for a better start - to get away from what you were, to get away from what you were expected to be. You never thought you’d meet the Captain America in a bar just three days after moving. You never thought there would be a dangerous person in your apartment just hours after meeting him. Beginning with the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Hydra sends its most deadly weapon after a powerful telepath untested in the range of her abilities. Intrigued by the broken pieces of his mind, the two of you make an agreement: he helps you hide from Hydra, and you repair and salvage what’s left of his memories.
The Fallout by @whitewolfbumble
NSFW|SFW
Summary: You had been a ghost for years, taking down the bad guys from the shadows that had once enslaved you. That is until the Avengers finally caught up with you and yet again your life changed. But your past won’t stay dead and everything starts to shift when a familiar face joins the ranks: Bucky Barnes. He may not remember you, but you certainly remember him.
The Cassandra Project by @apricotparker
NSFW|SFW
Summary: The Avengers find out what’s keeping them from doing their jobs. Bucky remembers an old friend.
Tripping For You by @bloodiedskirtts
NSFW|SFW
Summary: It’s Y/N’s sophmore year of college, and she’s never had a boyfriend before. But all that will change when her best friend Steve finds out about her crush on him. Determined to prove she doesn’t care for him, bad boy Bucky Barnes comes up with a genius plan. To prove she’s over Steve and he’s not “pussy whipped”.
You're My Mission by @shreddedparchment
NSFW|SFW
Summary: Hydra is not as dead as everyone thought. After losing both parents in one night, Captain America saves you and takes you to Wakanda where he introduces you to his best friend Bucky Barnes who is tasked with turning you into a strong soldier. Of course, just because he has to spend time with you, doesn’t mean he has to like you.
→ Last update: 20/October.
179 notes · View notes
Text
Shattered, chapter 8
Notes: As always, big thanks to my amazing editors, Drucilla and BlueShifted!
This chapter has probably had the least amount of changes to it since I first thought it up years ago. Other than that, not much to say, and hope you enjoy it.
Summary: The new journey stops as abruptly as it began, and with it, Minnie discovers more wonders than she ever thought existed.
Donald, at least, had enough sense to make sure they didn't go traveling in their ballroom outfits. Daisy had fussed about it, but eventually Minnie was back in her original outfit, along with the beautiful red shoes, while Donald and Daisy chose thinner, plainer outfits – although for Daisy, “plain” still meant plenty of ribbons and sequins.
In addition, Daisy made a brief announcement to the townsfolk about the journey, which brought waves of fear and hope to her people. There were just as many people who thought they'd never return as those who wanted a fighting chance. The final preparations were made after a good night's rest, and in the early morning Donald, Daisy, Minnie and Ratface were off.
Donald sat atop the carriage to lead two mud-brown horses, and Ratface perched on his shoulder to pester Donald about which direction was wrong. Within the carriage, Daisy fussed with Minnie's hair as Minnie thought of the night's events.
“You know,” Daisy was saying as she began to braid Minnie's locks, “sometimes when my mother did something wrong, my father would insult her alphabetically. Atrocious, boring, cowardly, the like. By the time he got to the Ps, she usually begged him to stop and admitted she was wrong. Maybe we can do something like that to the Snow Queen! Annoy her into submission!”
“Then we've got the right people for the job,” Ratface quipped outside.
The princess huffed. “I truly don't care for your traveling companion, darling Minnie. If he has been gifted the power of speech, he should only have nice things to say.”
Minnie, who didn't mind being pampered by Daisy, glanced back at her friend. “So it is true... birds aren't supposed to talk like he does.” At times she had wondered if, like so many other things she was learning, it was merely her village's lack of care to inform her.
“Of course not!” Daisy turned Minnie back around to face her. “Oh, there are many pretty birds who can sing sweet melodies and repeat phrases back to you, but I must say, I've never heard of a bird as smart and ill-tongue as this one. I'd say he's been blessed by an angel, but for us it's more like a curse.”
There came that odd word again, and now seemed a good as time as any to inquire about it. “What's an angel?” Minnie asked, hands politely laying on her lap.
Daisy tsked, pulling out her now trademark fan from her sleeve. “Honestly, I must have a word with your teachers, my sweet, for they have hardly told you a thing! But, never fear, I shall be your tutor from now on in all the ways of the world! You shall be as brilliant as you are beautiful, and become the envy of all!” She flipped the fan open, and held it flat on her palm. “Now, to answer you... long ago, when the world was still fresh and new, there were only two things that existed – angels, and demons. They were both incredibly powerful magical creatures, but they were constantly fighting each other.”
Minnie tilted her head. “What for?”
“Oh, who knows, people always find some silly reason not to get along.” With a dismissive wave of her hand, Daisy continued. “Eventually they decided that the world could use more than just themselves, so they finally came to a truce and began to create life. At first, it all worked out. They made plants and animals, and let those roam about, but when they started making humans, that's when it all got tricky. The angels wanted to guide people to a pure and proper path, and the demons wanted people to cause chaos and trouble. Next thing you know, the war's started up all over again, and their numbers dwindled just like that.” She snapped her fingers before holding up the fan again. “Only this time, it was worse, because they began to get humans involved. The demons kept trying to trick people into harming angels, while the angels did their best to protect those poor souls from the demons' wrath. Soon it got so intense that it became their sole reason for existing – to get revenge on the other half.”
Minnie was already thinking of a few plot holes and gaps in this story, but she didn't want to interrupt. It all seemed so terribly black and white, and one of the things she'd been learning was that things were rarely so simple. “What happened then? Who won the war?”
“No one did,” Daisy answered with a half shrug. “It got so bad that they wiped each other out. Though there are those who say a handful still exist and guide us to this day. It's said that the little voices you hear in your head are the demons and angels trying to lead you toward their path.”
As if to check this for certain, Minnie paused, glancing upwards, to see if she'd hear any voices. She could only hear herself. “Have you ever seen one? An angel or a demon?”
“Goodness, no, no one's seen one for years,” Daisy replied, resting against the plush seats. “It's a shame, really. We could use some angels on our side to help us against the Snow Queen.”
“It's a load of hogwash,” Donald said outside, his voice gruff and irritated. “There's no such thing as angels or demons! It's just a bunch of made up stuff folks use to try and explain away your conscience. 'Oh, I didn't do it, the demons made me!' Ah, phooey. If you did something bad, you should own up to it. End of story.”
“Sir Donald is so wonderfully wise, isn't he?” Daisy sighed, hands clasped together, eyes shimmering in adoration.
Minnie thought it amazing that Daisy could still hold a bright and burning torch for Donald after he yelled at her so harshly the night before. Was it because Daisy was just that ditzy, or was this the ongoing power of love? Minnie looked outside as they passed fading hills of grass and gray clouds darkened their path. They were headed toward a dangerous woman who had forbidden love, yet Daisy wasn't doing anything at all to suppress her feelings. She didn't even seem to be making an effort.
For the first time in days, Minnie thought about the words the Snow Queen had said when she came to take Mickey away.
I make this world safe for you, and I am repaid in defiance.
Love brings you nothing but pain.
Yes, you'll live much longer this way. Isn't that for the best?
“Have you ever seen her?” Minnie asked softly, and when Daisy blinked in confusion, she continued. “The Snow Queen... she personally came to take Mickey. But at your kingdom, it was only the soldiers. Why was that?”
Daisy “hmmm”ed this over loudly, propping up her beak with her fan. “I've never seen her, no, no. But it's said she used to make appearances long ago, when she first inflicted those awful rules on the world. After that, she must have gained enough soldiers so she didn't need to visit every single place herself...” She trailed off, eyebrows furrowed as the question lingered. “Indeed, why did she show up at your little village, to take away one single boy? Your Mickey must be something incredibly special.”
“He is,” Minnie replied automatically. “He's very smart, and very kind, and he never gives up on anything and anyone.” She didn't know why these facts made Daisy grin, she was merely stating what was true. Why, if anyone met Mickey, they'd agree with all of it within seconds.
“Oooh-ho-ho-ho~!” Daisy suddenly had her arms around Minnie and pulled her into her lap, nuzzling her beak to Minnie's cold cheek. “I see how it is, most wonderful Minnie! You can't hide such things from me,” Daisy tittered, ignoring Minnie's quiet protest that she wasn't hiding anything at all, “Your Mickey may be very special to the Snow Queen, but he is most special to you, is he not? Your prince charming, your knight in shining armor, your one true love?”
“My...love?” Minnie repeated slowly, the idea fresh and new to her. It sounded so foreign – Minnie had been so desperate to eliminate all traces of the very idea since she was locked outside on that awful day years ago, that she never thought of the concept again. That same fear rose up again, clenching her throat. “He's my friend. I'm going to save him because he's my friend, and the village needs him.”
“Hush hush, I know these things when I see them.” Daisy rocked Minnie back and forth in her arms. “This is an epic, romantic quest, the likes of which will be sung throughout history! Mickey and Minnie, destined for one another, a love that cannot be conquered! A love that cannot be defeated! A love that-”
“Will you please stop saying 'love'!” Donald squawked from his seat, nearly shaking the carriage with his temper. “Why don't we just send out fancy invitations for the Snow Queen to find us?! Jiminy Cricket, we'll be lucky if we survive the day!”
Minnie jerked, and then rushed for the door. “Wait, Donald, don't-”
But it was too late, and Ratface was flying into a rage. “DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT WORD!” he screeched, wings in the air and flapping in Donald's face. “DON'T YOU MUTTER IT, DON'T YOU THINK IT!”
Donald yelped, trying to pull the horses to a stop with one hand and protect his face with the other. “What's going on?! You'll poke my eye out, you dumb bird!”
“Ratface, stop!” Minnie begged, her head sticking out the open window. “Ratface, he didn't know! Please calm down!”
“What in the world is happening?!” Daisy tried to keep steady in her seat as the carriage now bumped and bucked, the horses startled by all the sudden noise.
“Luck is a horrid curse, a blight on humanity!” Ratface flew all around the carriage, yelling at the top of his lungs. “Anyone who says they have it should be thrown off the edge of the world! It's a threat, it's a danger, and so long as I am here on this journey, it shall never be uttered again! Or this will be the last you hear of me!”
As tempting as it was for Donald to say otherwise to that, he was more focused on getting the horses to settle. Minnie held out her hand, hoping Ratface could see it. “It was one mistake, pretty bird, it won't happen again! Come here, we won't say it anymore. You trust me, don't you?”
Ratface flew another circle around the carriage before landing on Minnie's arm, and she drew back inside, sitting him on her lap and smoothing down his feathers with her fingers. “There now... do you feel better?”
Daisy lightly swung her fan at Ratface, eager to clock him but not wanting to cause Minnie distress. “You nearly made us crash! If anything had happened to Sir Donald or my Minnie, I'd have every one of your feathers plucked! I wish you could never speak again!”
“Yeah, well, that makes two of us,” Ratface huffed, turning his head away.
Donald was pulling the carriage to a stop, climbing down so he could make sure the horses were all right. Minnie looked down at the bird in her lap, curious once more. “Ratface... were you not born this way? Did something happen to you that made you speak?”
The raven said nothing, but his eyes didn't turn in Minnie's direction at all, which to her was an answer. He could feel Daisy glaring daggers at him, and he huffed once more, fluffing his wings. “Must you all make such a deal out of my speech? So I talk. What of it? I can't do anything else. I can't fight, I can't create, I am merely a bird with words. I don't fit in with other birds, who can't understand what I say, and I can't fit in with those who talk, since they only see a filthy animal. I belong to nothing and no one.”
“That sounds very lonely,” said Minnie, who now had more questions than ever about the odd bird. The one special thing about him, and it made him an outcast – she thought of Mickey again, whose liveliness made him admirable and despised. Mickey had dealt with it since childhood – how old was Ratface, who, when Minnie found him, had been all alone in those winter woods?
“Don't go looking for pity here,” Daisy grumbled, although she was starting to feel it.
“I wasn't asking for any.” Ratface stuck his tongue out at the princess. “Nor do I deserve any.”
“He's not a bad bird,” Minnie insisted, hugging Ratface close to her chest. “He's tried to help other people to the Snow Queen, and he saved me from a very bad woman. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have gotten this far.”
Daisy's eyes lowered to Ratface, and she raised an eyebrow. “And what does he get out of it?”
“Isn't helping people good enough?” Minnie asked in return, because she couldn't think of any actual reason Ratface would do the things he did. He gained nothing from this journey except danger.
Yet Ratface's body seemed to sag then, his eyes distant and voice shallow. “You're still naive as ever, pretty girl.” His voice was so soft Minnie almost didn't hear him at first. “Let it be known, no one ever helps another without wanting something for themselves. Even if it's impossible to get.”
Naturally both girls would have asked more endless questions, but as these things happen, they were interrupted  - there were sounds of hoof-beats, but they didn't belong to the horses. All three looked out the window to see a herd of reindeer clopping along the beaten dirt path – a strange sight in of itself – but even stranger to see they were all being ridden by grown men in shabby cloaks, each one wearing a tiny black mask over their eyes, laughing and hollering and hooting. The furthest reindeer in the back were dragging a caravan with broken wooden wheels, the patchwork covers suggesting a long and sordid history.
Donald drew back, worried. “Beagles!”
Daisy gasped in terror. “Beagles!”
Minnie cocked her head. “Beagles?”
Ratface, not wanting to be left out, added “Beagles! … What are Beagles?”
“Those are the robbers who assaulted me!” Daisy pulled Minnie back into her arms. “Oh, if they recognize me, we're in trouble!”
Donald came to the door, his back to the window, ready to protect the girls. “It was over a month ago, maybe they won't know who we are. We'll let them take the carriage, and they might leave us alone. Everyone, just stay calm.”
“Says the man who has an infamous temper,” Ratface chirped before Minnie clamped his beak shut with her fingers.
“HOW IS THAT HELPING?!”
The reindeer circled around the carriage, and the masked men – of all shapes and sizes continued to laugh darkly at their captors, swinging around shoddy weaponry. The biggest of the caravan's tents began to open up, and a portly woman climbed down, wearing the same silly mask as all the men, her gray hair tied up neatly behind her large head. She adjusted her yellow hat, smoothed down her quilt-patterned dress, and walked step by step to the carriage. “All right, boys, everybody shut up!” In that second, all the men were silenced. “There, now I can hear myself think.” Satisfied, she stood in front of Donald, eyebrows raised. “Nobody here wants any trouble, now do they? Of course not. You want safe travel from the Golden Kingdom to... wherever you want to be. And we can arrange that!”
Donald was clearly struggling not to make some sort of smart remark, and he swallowed hard. “We would... appreciate that, miss.”
The woman paused, then squinted. “Say... have we met before, young man?”
“You most certainly have not!” Daisy shouted within the carriage, causing Ratface and Donald to mutually slap their foreheads.
Minnie frowned – perhaps a fresh face would confuse their memories enough to let them pass. She shifted Ratface onto her shoulder, and gently pushed the door open, even as Daisy whined otherwise. “Excuse me, miss,” she said politely as ever once her feet were on the dirt ground. “Is there a problem?”
For a moment, this did the trick – Minnie's blue lined-body was enough to stun the entire family of thieves into silence, greatly startled at her appearance. So much that when the woman started up again, she had to clear her throat, completely forgetting why she had stopped in the first place. “There's no problem at all, little girl! Unless you count paying taxes as a problem. And anyone who wants to cross these roads needs to pay up.”
Minnie opened her hands to show they were empty. “I'm afraid we don't have any money.”
“Which is why we'll gladly let you take the carriage,” Donald said quickly, making sure to step in front of Minnie. “It should pay enough for all of us!”
The woman clicked her tongue. “And that's all you have? Oh, I do hate to call you young ones liars, but these are dangerous times you live in. You can't trust anyone. But we have ways of finding out the truth.” She then placed one hand on her hip, and the other near her mouth, and hollered, “GOOFY! GET YOUR LAZY, SCRAWNY, USELESS BEHIND OVER HERE, PRONTO!”
There was a yelp and a crash within the very last of the caravans – the smallest and dirtiest as well – and finally someone tumbled out of the entrance and onto the ground with a loud THUD. While this was clearly a canine in nature, he didn't resemble any of the Beagles at all – he was far too thin, and colored in rich black as opposed to his brown brethren. As he stood up, all of his clothes shifted to one side, as if he'd been wearing the same material for years – Minnie, who had gone through the exact conditions at home, recognized it at once. Yes, he, like she, had been made to wear the same thing even when it had ripped and torn and he'd been forced to sew it together. However, the rest of the Beagles' clothes appeared neat and tidy, as if they were allowed to buy – or steal – new ones whenever they pleased.
He pulled up his pants to make sure they wouldn't sag any further before walking up to the woman, his back bent so he could try and match her eye, hands together in a pleading fashion. “What can I do fer ya, Ma?” He smiled, his buck teeth catching his mother's reflection.
“Why don't you come as soon as I call you?” Ma snapped, grabbing a fistful of Goofy's ear and dragging him down further. Several of the Beagles began to laugh, and Minnie felt her heart twist.
“But, but I did! I came as soon as you said my name, Ma, I really-”
“Don't you backtalk to me! If it wasn't for me, you'd be starving on the streets!” Another hard tug of his ear, and Goofy bit down on his lower lip. “Now try and be useful for once!” She let him go with a push. “These folks say they only have the carriage, and nothing else to pay with. Use that weird gift of yours to find out the truth.”
“Yes, Ma.” Goofy rubbed his aching ear, and then calmly approached the two horses. He cocked his head once, and then reached out to tenderly stroke the first one's hair. “Howdy-doo, fellas. Mind if'fn I ask you a question or two?”
Minnie glanced to Donald, her eyes asking if this had happened the last time, and Donald glanced back, shaking his head. This was new to him.
The horse made a soft noise, and Goofy nodded. “Thank ya'kindly. So, we was wonderin', these nice people you're pullin' along, did they bring anythin' valuable with 'em? Not valuable for a horse, I reckon, 'less they got some juicy apples tucked in somewhere.” He chuckled at his joke, but when he looked at his mother for approval, he only got a harsh glare. He gulped. “Uh... what I mean is, they stash any gold or jewelry in this here carriage?” The horse shook its head no, and Donald's jaw dropped.
Daisy lowered her voice to a whisper inside the carriage, trying to keep her head low. “Minnie, am I hearing things, or is he actually talking to the horses?”
“Yes,” Minnie answered, “And what's more, they understand him.” She knew many animals could understand people, but only for certain commands and after many, many attempts. This was instant, as if they were merely speaking the same language.
Goofy turned back to his family. “He says... neigh!” He grinned, hoping this pun would land. Daisy tittered within the carriage, Donald rolled his eyes, Ratface stayed neutral, and Minnie made that odd noise in her mouth that she didn't understand was the sound of giggling. Even a few Beagles covered their mouths with their hands. But Ma continued to glare, arms crossed, one foot tapping the dirt. “See, uh, cause, 'neigh' sounds like 'nay', which means no. It's a play on words, Ma, it's, uh...just a joke.”
“Feel like tellin' jokes, do you?” Ma growled deep in her throat, and then arched her back. “Hey, boys! What do you call the biggest idiot with the smallest brain?”
“Goofy!” they all cheered in response before devolving into more hysteric laughter, and Goofy's eyes fell to the ground, fingers twiddling together.
“That's not a funny joke at all,” Minnie said, frowning.
“I daresay it was more of an insult than a punchline,” Daisy agreed, sticking her head out the window. “To think she could say that about her own child!”
Donald held up a hand. “I don't like it any more than you do, but we can't play hero for everyone. We'll give them the carriage, and then we're off.”
The laughter eventually died down and Ma sighed, feeling better. “At least he's good for something... All right then! We will take your pretty little carriage as payment. Everybody out!”
That only meant Daisy, and she took her time stepping out, nervously grasping for Minnie and Donald's hands for comfort – both were squeezed in assurance. Ma paused, then snapped her fingers. “Bigtime! Bouncer! Burger!” Three of her sons climbed down off their reindeer, stood next to their mother and saluted. “Is it just me, or does that blonde missy look familiar?”
The trio cupped their chins and gave it serious thought.
“Now that you mention it...”
“I feel like I've seen her somewhere...”
“I could use a sandwich...”
“Oh, I got some snacks!” Goofy offered, digging into his pocket as he began to walk over. “I was gunna save 'em for the reindeer, they get awful hungry, but I can always get more-” How he tripped over his own feet, Minnie didn't know, but Goofy did exactly that, landing in front of Donald, Minnie, and Daisy. He blinked up at them, connecting the dots. “Say, Ma, didn't you say you once tried to rob a princess? She sure is pretty as one, what with that nice dress and all. And ain't this one fancy carriage for just a couple a common folk?”
“Princess!” Donald was quick to speak, throwing his hand about. “You must be nuts! What would a princess be doing out here, without any guards or any treasure?”
The Beagles murmured about this, coming in an agreement. Minnie, wanting to help, added a few more details. “Why would a commoner like myself be with a princess?” She curtsied, showing off her ragged dress from the village. “We used all our money to buy this carriage, that's why there's nothing else for you to take.” Ratface nodded in quiet approval.
Ma tilted her head back and forth, jostling around her memories. “I guess it might've just been my imagination. That bratty, foolish wart of a royal surely isn't stupid enough to bother my neck of the woods.”
“Absolutely right!” said Daisy, hands on her hips, standing on her toes, in full confident display. “And the princess of the Golden Kingdom, who I'm definitely not, is such a kind, generous, beautiful, loving person, so even though I'm astonishingly beautiful, humble, and wonderful to a fault, there's simply no way I could ever be her!”
This time Minnie joined in with Donald and Ratface in slapping her forehead, although she didn't know why.
~*~
“I can't help but wonder if this is my fault,” Daisy whispered, trying to adjust herself to be more comfortable, although this was difficult, seeing as she was stuck in a small iron cage.
“It might be,” Minnie replied, sitting in a similar cage next to her, rubbing her hands together for warmth. The sun was falling, and they were far away from the campfire the Beagles had set up for the night.
Donald was still wrestling with the lock to his cage, as if the several dozen attempts before had somehow weakened it and surely this time would do the trick. But they hadn't, and it didn't, and he let out a furious stream of quacks as he flailed about in his cage. All that managed to do was tilt it to its side, so Donald landed on his hip and he quacked again in pain.
“I knew bringing you along was a bad idea,” Ratface commented, sitting atop Minnie's cage. The Beagles had let him be, thinking him an ordinary bird. Whenever he was sure the Beagles weren't looking, he fiddled with Minnie's lock, and only hers. The thieves were celebrating, because surely the kingdom would pay handsomely to get their princess back. So they drank and ate to their heart's content, thinking that anything they'd waste tonight they'd make up for in the days to come. Ma was laughing the loudest, and drinking the most, throwing her empty mug into the fire and cackling as it burnt up.
Minnie heard her stomach growl – she hadn't eaten since they first left the kingdom. The Beagles had let her keep the satchel, as it had only contained old vegetables and blades of grass, nothing of worth to them. She opened her satchel and tried to calculate how much was left that she could split between her and her companions. Maybe if she gave up her share, the others could eat more, and that seemed like a fair trade to her. She'd gone many times without a meal back in the village, she could certainly do that again here.
“Soup's on!”
The three prisoners weren't expecting a visitor, and especially not the cheerful Goofy, who casually picked up Donald's fallen cage and placed him back into the empty traveling caravan without missing a beat. He closed the flap behind him, making sure no one could see them. “It ain't much, but it'll warm your stomachs plenty.” He slid wooden bowls into the cages, sitting bow-legged in front of them with a never-ending smile. The broth was milky white, with bits of cooked meat floating about.
Daisy haughtily turned her head away. “Why should we trust anything from you? I won't touch it, it's probably poisoned!” The dignified response was promptly flattened when she heard a distasteful slurrrrrrrrp to her side, and stared slack-jawed at Minnie, who had promptly downed her entire bowl.
Minnie didn't realize she was being stared at until she had started licking the bowl. “What? I'm hungry.”
Donald snorted, and then picked up his bowl. “Well, if she's not getting sick...” He took a few sips, grateful to have something in his belly.
Daisy puffed out her cheeks, but after a few more seconds, gave in and delicately sipped her own. “If it is poisoned, I promise I'll haunt you forever.”
“Aw, they wouldn't poison me,” Goofy replied, although he did have to think it over now that he said it. “At least, not on purpose.”
Minnie stopped licking again, raising her eyebrows. “You? … Are you saying this is your food?”
“Mmm-hmm. Ma said not to waste food on you all, since you're our hostages and what not, but, well, didn't sit right with me. You might be hostages, but you're still guests, and gotta treat guests proper, 'cause you never know when you're gunna see them again.”
Donald looked down at his half-empty bowl. “Is the guy who helped kidnap us really trying to make us feel sorry for him?” He'd have preferred poison over guilt.
“It's not fair if you starve because you helped us,” Minnie protested, and she pulled out a wilted head of lettuce from her satchel, trying to fit it between the bars. “Here, take this. It's not much... Oh!” She then added the blades of grass. “And these are for the horses. Could you make sure they eat up too?”
Goofy's eyes widened, and he slowly took the plants from Minnie, weighing them in his hands as if they were golden treasures. “Gee... really? You might be the nicest hostages we ever done had. No one ever gives a hoot about the animals.”
Minnie sat up straighter in her cage. “You can speak to them, right? Isn't that what we saw?”
“Aw, anyone can speak to an animal,” Goofy said with a shrug of his shoulder. “But not everyone can listen. Been able to do that since I was born... just a little talent I got, ain't nothin' special.”
“It is special!” Daisy insisted, grabbing the bars with her hands. “I've never heard of anyone being able to translate what an animal says or means! How can you not be special? That's absurd! I declare you to be very special.”
Goofy blinked – this overwhelming abundance of positive comments was brand new. “But Ma says it ain't, and Ma's always right about everything. Whatever she says, goes. Why, it's the only thing I can do right, so she says it's lucky that -”
In an instant Minnie reached up to grab Ratface's legs through the bars, preventing him from going on another tirade. “No, no, no, no! Ratface, this is not a good time!”
Ratface screeched, but let himself be yanked, not wanting to accidentally hurt Minnie with his talons. “Why does everyone insist on saying that horrendous word!”
Goofy triple-blinked. Though he'd spent a lifetime communicating with animals, this was the first time he'd heard one speak so clearly like a person. Aside from that, he didn't give it anymore thought. “Aw gee, Mister Ratface, I didn't mean to upset you! But, uh, what'd I do wrong this time?”
“Aside from caging us?” Donald grumbled.
Minnie pulled Ratface into the cage with her and sat him on his lap. “He doesn't like that... word that begins with L.”
“Oh. Ain't that a coinky-dink,” Goofy mused to himself, eyes rolling upward. “Snow Queen doesn't like a L-word herself, right? It's a real shame, missin' out on words. Y'know, I always wondered why the queenie up and forbade that. Maybe if the Snow Queen allowed us to love all normal-like, Ma would treat me better... she says she can't be nice to me, or else the Snow Queen would up and take her away.”
The prisoners highly doubted that was the case. Daisy whipped out her fan, hoping to cool down her soup. “Well, when I was a little girl, the story was that a mirror came to life, and couldn't stand the thought of anyone loving anyone but itself, and that's the Snow Queen's true form.”
“Nah, nah.” Donald waved a hand. “Way I heard it, a bunch of demons were trying to carry a mirror up a mountain, but then they broke it, and the shards became the Snow Queen.”
Goofy scratched the bulbous bump on his head. “Huh... I got a bunch brothers who say the story in a bunch of different ways. Y'think any of them could be the right one?” Now everyone's attention was to Minnie, curious about what her past said about the Queen.
But Minnie didn't have any stories, and she suddenly felt a bit ashamed of it. “Oh... well... I don't think we ever really tried to find out where she came from, in my village. We always just accepted she was there. I've never heard a single story about the Snow Queen, just her rules.”
Ratface walked out of Minnie's lap, and right out of the cage. He didn't look at any of them, but he spoke in a distant matter. “The night is long. Perhaps it's time I gave you a story, pretty girl. Your first story.”
Minnie leaned forward in the cage, trying to understand. “Ratface?”
He still did not look back, and there was a trace of moonlight that slipped into the tent, encasing the old bird in its glow, and his green eyes shimmered in a despair that none of them could truly grasp.
“Maybe it's true. Maybe it isn't. You can listen, or you can ignore. But I will speak it anyways, and then never again. So do well, pretty girl, to make up your mind.”
“This is a story... of a man who destroyed his lover for luck.”
11 notes · View notes
cindylouwho-2 · 5 years
Text
RECENT NEWS, RESOURCES & STUDIES, May 2019
Tumblr media
Welcome to my latest summary of recent news, resources & studies including search, analytics, content marketing, social media & ecommerce! This covers articles I came across from May 3 to May 30, although some may be older than that. 
I am out of town June 10-16, so I cannot predict when the next edition will come out, but I will do my best to make it before the June trip. I’ve recently narrowed my reading list so that I can get through it more quickly and post these more often. If you have any suggestions or comments, please let me know! 
TOP NEWS & ARTICLES 
If you had your entire promoted listing budget eaten up by clicks on an item with “shoe” in the searchable keywords, contact Etsy to make sure you will be refunded. 
Etsy was accidentally suspending some shops for not using Etsy Payments, but they are in ineligible countries. Some but not all drop ship or use fulfillment in countries with Etsy Payments, but that doesn’t appear to explain all the errors. 
Mailchimp launches a new marketing platform that integrates multiple marketing needs, not just emails. Pricing will stay the same for existing customers for the time being. 
On the same topic, here is a study of various email services, and their different deliver-ability rates. 
Etsy is being sued after a child dies, strangled by an amber necklace bought on Etsy. [video & article] This is getting a fair amount of media attention. Not covered in many stories is the fact that the daycare employees didn’t call 911 at first, and the day home had more infants that day than they were licensed for.  
Better media attention: disappointed in the long delay for the introduction of the Harriet Tubman $20 bill in the US, an Etsy seller designed a stamp buyers can use to cover up Jackson’s face with Tubman’s. “Harriet Tubman” is a trending search on Etsy frequently since these articles, so this media coverage is really bringing traffic to the site.
Amazon is now using packing machines in a few of its warehouses that replace 12 workers each. They have other warehouse automation, too, & just started work on their hub at the Cincinnati airport. If you need any more evidence that diversification is the key to successful businesses, remember that they make the biggest chunk of their profit on their cloud services. 
ETSY NEWS 
This year, Etsy’s Maker Cities program (US only) has joined up with Mastercard for their grants. Applications are due July 3, and there is a webinar on June 3 with more info and instructions. [links in article]
They’s also extended their Design Awards submission deadline to June 4. Check out their FAQ if you have any questions.  
Etsy released a summer update to their spring/summer trends guide, with some useful search data. Clothing shoppers are interested in vintage styles, “with Etsy searches for “70s” and “90s” up 26% and 7% year over year.” I summarized the earlier report here.
In case you missed it, Etsy released their first quarter financial report for 2019, & I summarized it in the Etsy forum. 
In related news, Etsy ranks 3rd in USA Today's list of the top 20 fastest growing retailers in the world, even ahead of Amazon.
Some businesses are competing based on delivery speed, but Etsy is able to do well with much slower shipping. (That’s a nice feature in an article they didn’t write; not all good promotion is paid.)
I can’t remember if I posted this interview with Etsy chief financial officer Rachel Glaser before, so here it is again. [audio file/podcast and short text excerpt. Please note I have contacted Etsy about the photos & search comment, but they have not yet replied, other than with the usual links to Etsy’s search guide.] 
Short piece on Etsy’s approach to diversity. Spoiler alert - they like it, and the article links to other materials demonstrating why this is the best approach for businesses.  
SEO: GOOGLE & OTHER SEARCH ENGINES 
If you want to get your website or blog material ranking faster, Moz has some tips for you. Note that the first part in particular contains advanced-level technical tips, but most of the rest is easier to grasp for non-techies. It’s worth a skim! 
But don’t break Wikipedia rules to get your images on top - North Face got caught doing that, & had to apologize. But “[f]rom Leo Burnett Tailor Made's original statement, it seems the agency was anticipating such a reaction to the North Face effort all along. In stunts like these, the ensuing controversy and attention around it can be part of the overall campaign goal and strategy.”
Once your website starts getting Google traffic, it is not unusual for growth to start to slow or even stop completely, but there are things you can do to avoid that.
Despite many people insisting that longer blog posts are necessary for good Google ranking, there is no ideal length for a blog post. 
Here’s a good list of free SEO tools; note that some are paid tools that have a limited free version. 
Links on other high-quality websites still matter to Google. (Most of us won’t be able to do the link-building that this test did, but the test demonstrates how much the links are worth. So if you aren’t ranking, realize that other people linking to your page is probably a big factor.) Some of your pages might fit perfectly on a resource page/site, if they answer a question or uniquely fill a need. You can find link opportunities on Twitter through following certain hashtags and engaging with the users. 
Google search results now include podcasts. “This feature doesn’t only search for the title or meta data of the podcasts but also can search for the audio – as Google transcribes them — directly within the podcast show itself.”
As of July 1, Google will use the mobile version of all new websites for their index, so make sure that you have a good mobile set up on any new websites (or old ones, for that matter, since most web traffic is mobile these days). 
There was a possible Google search update around May 9, then May 22, and now maybe May 29th. Google updates its algorithm a lot, if you hadn’t already noticed.  "To give you a sense of the scale of the changes that Google considers, in 2010 we conducted 13,311 precision evaluations to see whether proposed algorithm changes improved the quality of its search results, 8,157 side-by-side experiments where it presented two sets of search results to a panel of human testers and had the evaluators rank which set of results was better, and 2,800 click evaluations to see how a small sample of real-life Google users responded to the change.” (and some people think Etsy tests a lot LOL)
CONTENT MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA (includes blogging & emails) 
Have popular content on one platform/site? You can repurpose it to use elsewhere, for maximum reach. It’s less work than coming up with brand new ideas all of the time! 
Micro-influencers may work best for most businesses, because they can speak directly to your target market. 
There are proven ways to get more social media followers; it’s not just luck. 
Up-to-date infographic on the ideal sizes for social media images, by platform. 
Facebook announced several upcoming plans at their annual developer conference, including a desktop redesign. Facebook has also changed the video algorithm to favour posts that people watch for longer, and to disfavour posts that are just repurposing old video. 
Tweetdeck is rolling out more updates, including emojis and the ability to set up polls within the app. I use it, & I like it - I wish they had a phone app! 
If you are using LinkedIn, you may be missing some great tricks to get more attention. 
ONLINE ADVERTISING (SEARCH ENGINES, SOCIAL MEDIA, & OTHERS) 
Here’s how you can get better results out of Microsoft ads (formerly Bing ads) 
There was a bug in Google ads stats for April 30 & May 1st; they are working on fixing it. 
Google advertising can be very confusing, so here as some tips on mistakes you should avoid. [video with transcript] They also recently announced some upcoming changes.
Etsy shops can only buy their own Google Shopping ads through Etsy’s program, or you can let Etsy buy them for your shop, but if you want to advertise your website, here is a great starter guide.
Chrome is giving you more control over cookies so that you can avoid more targeted ads. Some point out this is not necessarily as user-friendly as it sounds - it means Google can stop other companies from tracking their ad performance while Google has all those records through Chrome & other tools.  
Facebook is also giving users more control over tracking for ads, & advertisers are not happy. 
STATS, DATA, OTHER TRACKING 
You are going to be surprised that Russian search engine Yandex has a really good Webmaster tools package.
ECOMMERCE NEWS, IDEAS, TRENDS 
Some people are comparing Walmart’s new online wedding shop to Etsy, "with tons of personalized wedding gifts to buy on a budget.”
The coverage of Amazon’s big announcement about one-day shipping with Prime (in the US) mostly missed the fact that Amazon can already deliver to 72% of the US population in one day. 
Amazon employees told some third-party sellers that religious items were banned from the site - but it wasn’t true. 
Big Commerce now has a plug-in for Wordpress blogs. 
As promised, Zibbet has added Etsy to its integrations, which allows you to list on Zibbet and it will automatically be added to Etsy as well. This is only going to be useful once they add other platforms (since Zibbet has no traffic), so shop around if you are interested in this sort of tool, as other companies are doing the same things. Indiemade websites completely integrate with Etsy, for example, and they have more website tools. 
BUSINESS & CONSUMER STUDIES, STATS & REPORTS; SOCIOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGY, CUSTOMER SERVICE 
With increased discussion of free shipping on Etsy recently, this is a good time to review some of the more recent studies & surveys on the topic.  One US report from January shows that buyer expectations in this area continue to increase. Shipping cost is a big factor in purchase decisions, & shipping costs are a common reason for cart abandonment. There are a variety of ways to calculate how to offer free shipping without losing money. (Thank you to Rebecca for the last link!)
If you want more shares on social media, this study on the top 5 reasons people share things online will be useful. But Americans are now more engaged by mobile games than social media, which has implications for app development and advertising. 
Googly eyes make people donate more.
Smaller online businesses tend to make very specific types of customer service mistakes that harm your ability to compete. Although there isn’t always much you can do about the fact that “37% of customers expect a response within an hour“.
Can everyone read and understand your web page? Easy-to-understand English is an important aspect of accessibility. 
Help Scout produces some fabulous material on customer service; here is a great article on value propositions, with examples, and another on how to collect customer feedback, including analyzing your stats package to see where customers are having trouble with your site. 
MISCELLANEOUS (including humour)
Trend alert: more professional women switching purses for backpacks. 
You can now control how long Google retains data on you. 
You can also join the class action against major US telecom companies that sold your location data. 
Another example of a company getting people to post photos so it can develop facial recognition technology. 
Some businesses are offering products & services based on your DNA & other biological markers. 
Most people worldwide over the age of 15 have a cell phone, although not all are regular users. 
If you are concerned about internet privacy, & hate tracking, the browser Brave may be worth a look. (I haven’t tried it yet, but it comes well-recommended from various tech people I respect.)
Burger King has trolled McDonald's in ads & social media posts for years, & it can be pretty funny. “When McDonald’s abruptly and surprisingly lost its trademark on “Big Mac” in the EU earlier this year, Burger King couldn’t help but rub some salt in the wound. BK’s Swedish operations decided to celebrate for a day by offering a menu of “Not Big Macs” such as “The Like a Big Mac, But Actually Big” and “The Big Mac-ish But Flame-Grilled of Course.”
3 notes · View notes
namjoonchronicles · 5 years
Note
happy new year beautiful, i'm here to spread some love!!! in celebration of 2019 tag your 19 favorite blogs/mutuals 🎉
you did not just tell me to tag people I love, i have like a lot. Happy new year my sweets, may you be blessed with good health, enormous wealth, graduate, get a job, give yourself a gift (me), sleep better, eat better (pls i cannot stress on this enough!), get you a spa day by yourself, and just treat yourself… start the year with a de-stress, we have 364 days to go… 
here’s my favourite people who run such magnificent blogs and people I have to talk to, on regular basis like taking my non-existent anti-depression pills:
@namjoonslion​ you knew you’re gonna get tagged, abby don’t even try to deny, and I probably never tell you how much you meant to me a lot, but I really do appreciate you, I love the spirits you have and our overall nothing-can-go-wrong VS but-it-might contra is something I hold dearly and I’m not sure why it worked out this long. We’re like Sadness & Joy pair in Disney Pixar’s Inside Out. And that’s just so cute now that I think of it. You walked into my life one day, and it’s like the sun came out. I feel like you’d give the best hug because you’re tol and I’m smol@magical-warlock​ my pisces, demi darling whom I love and rarely talk to nowadays, you always know how to cheer me up with some random ass text post of cute sayings and marvel things and I’m just wanting to catapult myself to Holland every time you send me a picture of your town. It’s honestly the best town that fits me. I would walk days with you and talk and hold hands, sigh. We shared a lot of stories together, and I feel like we’re both undergoing something very tough, I always know you have my back and you’ll have mine. Being associated to you is the best things that happened in my years in Tumblr and I truly mean it when I say I care about you.
@minseoltanggi​ baby fish! bat, you are by far the closest one to me of all my tumblr friends because we live in the same country and you’ve seen my face before. You are adorable af and I hope you don’t be scared of turning 15 soon, it’s an experience, you have to embrace it as you go and don’t worry too much. You are a smart little girl and have many potentials, so don’t let your fears shackle you down to earth because I want to see you be that Astronomy expert you wanted to become! And if you changed your mind mid-way that’s fine, too. I’m sorry that I can’t get on tumblr as often as I’d like and message you. I do hope your blankets are warm and your pillows are soft, every night. 
@luciddrugs​ same age dudette, Alexa! I know we’ve not been acquainted until the last few months of 2018 and dare I say, you’re by far the most passionate blossoming ARMY I have ever met. You desire to know and understand Hoseok is beyond me, like wow, you helped me see another side of Hoseok and that’s something not many people could have done, and I sort of understand when you spazzed about him not getting a lot of attention, because TRUE DAT. I mean look at my man Namjoon, these two gets push back along with Jin sometimes and it saddens me. having another hyungline stan is ultimately a blessing, like, thank you for SCREAMING HOW MUCH YOU LOVE HOBI BECAUSE GURL YASSSSSSS… /two idiots screaming in the middles of the sea–flashbacks lmao)
@fangirlaholicxx​ Divvie. My other gun. My right-hand women. If yall read my writings i can’t say crappy anymore because that would be an insult to Div’s work  its her you should thank, my writings starting from Catching Fire, was proof read by her. And if I don’t get Div squealing, don’t bet I’ll release any of the fics. She’s my fuel, my gasoline, she keeps me going, and is my personal cheerleader. She makes great moodboards and it’s a matter of time until she ripens to her full form and bless us with her endless creative tendencies, just watch. I love her…so much. I don’t think she knows that. Thanks for catching me when I fall. /seals love letter with a heart wax/
@submissive-bangtan​ caro, caro, CARO! I love your brain and the intricate words you use. You know a whole world I didn’t know about and it’s because of you I’ve learned new things. You’re always so generous with your knowledge and following you was the best thing I’ve ever done? Like I came as a sub bts enthusiast (a dying clan) and pledge loyalty, but you gave me a Pandora box of tricks and passion. I think you’re super cool and I’m always so shy to make first move, so when you answered my tags, it makes my heart bloom? Can someone have that much power? Germans, I tell you…sigh.
@yourladyhobi18​ Luisa 💞🌹 we never actually spoke but endlessly tagging each other on posts of our knights and saviours, sometimes without context and we do it like it’s the most natural thing in the world and honestly I desired this kind of connection for the longest time, and I never knew I needed it until you came. I guess this is how two shy people become friends lmao.
@majestikblue​ you are a very mysterious one. You come unexpected and return when you desired. You always sends the nicest text out of nowhere and I’m always smiling when I see your texts?? Like how do you always know me going through tough times, did you put a camera on me?? Should I be staring at the corners so you could see me kiss you or what? I don’t even catch your name, and I don’t think I’ve ever asked…what kind of friendship is this, Anissa? I just want to say I appreciate you and your existence, please don’t ever change.
@lovethyfandoms2​ how could I forget you and Digby when you’re the first person to actually come and talk to me. I know you’re super busy at college now, and I wish you all the best. I hold the memories and conversations we had, close to my heart and will never forget them. Happy New Year, Josie. And it all began with a random ass link you accidently sent me haha, I remembered that lmao, I was so confused. Do all friendship began this weird though, I wonder haha! Josie, survive made it out 2018! Woo woo!
Nothing less important, in fact! Very important people that I cannot possibly forget ever, is my lovelies, whom I dearly appreciate and desire to protect forever and always, may this year bring you more positive hopes and help you dream, gives you something to smile for, and I have nothing else to offer but my stories and the comfort they bring, but should you feel the need to talk to me, come any time…
@rapmooni @tinyjjks @kai-tashi @monosgf @babybee05 @leesuzy09 @seokjins-epiphany @hobi-isadaydream @zynnami @verracotta @joonraw @seoulso @bloodyspell​ @8xxakiraxx8​ @therealredraven​ @ursulabtslover​ @triviamang​ 
I plan to make a separate post for this, and have more affectionate things to say, but if you’re not mentioned here, please don’t feel upset… I know most of you hide behind the comfort of an anon, and that’s okay. But If you’re reading this and felt like you are invincible? You’re not, I see you, I recognise you. And I appreciate every each and every one of you. I keep you in my thoughts when I see you reblog my writings and say nice things in the tags, and when you like my drunk depressive posts. I know you guys are wonderful people with good hearts. You’re the REAL reason why I began, continue and desire to write, I hope I’ll be able to do more in the future. I have so many more people to thank, and I’d personally shake each of your hands and give you a hug if I could and know your face. 
Thank you for seeing me, thank you for noticing me, thank you for listening to my stories. Thank you for a wholesome end of 2018 and here’s to a beautiful start in 2019. 🥂 (i’m buying sodas and pizzas for us all) happy fucking new year babes
11 notes · View notes
ask-hunterxhunter · 6 years
Note
Ok I’ve got another weird scenario for you. Ok so Pariston has taken a liking to someone but they’re uninterested in him. He tries to talk to them and they excuse themselves. He flirts with them but they politely refuse. He plays mind games but it reverses and THEY start to psychoanalyze HIM. Is he the type to get more infatuated, or become bored and stop, or threaten them, or continue on teasing like this...?
(Wolf: Oh, I don’tknow about Pariston but I would love to see him meeting someone like that! And I love thosescenarios so much!!!).
Tumblr media
To predictPariston’s behavior is not easy, since this man can be even more twisted thanIllumi or Hisoka, but one thing we can be sure is that he would be shocked atfirst, for there are few people who he cannot charm or that can go toe-to-toewith him in the matter of mind games. How did you turn the tables on him whenhe was talking to you? Wait, did you just dismiss his invitation for dinner asif it was a waste of time (though keeping a tone of politeness)? Well, well…You’re an interesting one, aren’t you?
Yes. Whetherhe becomes more infatuated or not would depend, but don’t fool yourself intothinking this man would eventually just leave you alone, no matter if you wishso dearly for it.
Pariston isnot one to back off and, exactly because it isn’t often he meets people likeyou, it would only make things more interesting in his opinion. As for howthings would develop from this point on, it would depend on several factors,the main one being what type of person you are and how strong his (possible)feelings for you are.
What we cansay for sure, as mentioned, is that to become bored and leave you be is themost unlikely option to happen no matter what, as Pariston would consider thisthe equivalent of abandoning a very amusing toy. After all, he’s just began toplay with you! After all, he truly couldn’t care less if he loses or wins as long as things remain interesting and when will he find someone who can standagainst him like you’re doing?
And oh, doeshe enjoy a challenge!
Even if youwere to pretend having no defenses anymore or being so tired that you’ve givenup, Pariston would see through this, applying all the techniques (and believeme, his imagination is fertile for such things) he can in order to make youreact again. He wouldn’t appreciate this behavior, after all, it would be likeyou’re ruining his fun.
Becomingbored would only happen if (“and when” he would say) he manages to break you…And even then, he might decide to keep you nonetheless. Like I said, it woulddepend on several factors.
The relentlessteasing would continue, with Pariston even stepping it up bit by bit, both tosee until where you can take and because, well, he is having a very good timeand this is enough. What other reason does he need?
What you cansee as dangerous/annoying/bullying, he sees as a fun game (we can all agree he is twisted, right?), even makingthe most innocent-sounding excuses if someone were to call him off (such as theclassic “It’s just a joke, I’m justplaying”). And you better be ready for torment. Make no mistake, this manhas no qualms in using not only psychological tricks of any kind but alsotouching wounds you’d rather forget (and he canfind out about them), all with the delight of a young boy who thinks it’s funto torture a dog just to see what the animal can bear before dying.
You may havea very hard time when trying to understand if he is interested in you as ahuman being or as a toy that exists only to be shattered.
After all,Pariston himself said he finds happiness in being hated and feels the impulseof hurting what is dear for him.
In the caseof affections being involved (and they may have come to exist during yourinteractions), he will become even more interested, after all, you’ve provedthat you can take “his kind of love”. Oh, he is aware that this behavior isn’tthe type that will make you go on a date with him, but he can find satisfactionin your hate just as well. And after all, in a way or another, you’reacknowledging his existence.
Don’t expecta normal courtship. While he may give you flowers or something, each gift orcompliment may be laced with poison and suggestions that may sound like threatsrather than anything else. It’s like you’re receiving gifts from your worstenemy. And if this little “dance” continues for the rest of your lives, he isfine with it… Unless he cares more about havingyou with him than to carry the game in the way things are now, but it will takea while before he does something about it (he will enjoy this situation for aslong as he can before taking action).
If thathappens, then all bets are off and everything is fair. Being the patient sort,he can employ several means to get to you, but if the time comes when he can’twait anymore and needs to threaten you (or your loved ones), so be it. He won’tbe losing any sleep over it!
In this case,even after forcing you to be with him, Pariston wouldn’t do anything to breakyou… At least not right away, as it’snot your submission he wants and those games are too fun to be come to such aboring end. You’re far more interesting than someone who throws himself at hisfeet (such toys can get old after a while). You can love or hate it, he will behappy either way.
That’s not tosay Pariston might not decide it would be even better to break you very slowly(love notwithstanding). It would depend of what seems more appealing to him.
If hisinterest in you is the same he would have for someone who can face him, thingsmay follow in a similar manner, as he wouldn’t just back away. The sameprinciple remains that you’re one of the few who can stand up against him likethat. In a way, it would be like it was between him and Netero, with hisfeelings being between liking you and hating you…
Not that youwould feel the difference easily.
34 notes · View notes
kiruuuuu · 6 years
Text
Tachanka/Vigil oneshot in which Tachanka is sensible and an upstanding member of society. (Rating E, filth and depravity, dubcon, humiliation? all the good stuff basically, ~3.2k words) - written for @blitznbandit  IN EXCHANGE FOR THIS BEAUTY
.
Tachanka is a reasonable man. He knows what to expect from life, knows his limits and knows how to stay in control – of himself, his temper, most situations. He’s practical, independent, realistic and doesn’t give a damn about what people think; he’s being paid to protect civilians, not to care. Some people give him shit for it, most don’t dare, it’s all the same to him. He values loyalty higher than friendship because friends might still stab you in the back, though a mix is unsurprisingly ideal: people who will protect him with their lives despite what they think of him are good company though his boys are the best company, sticking to him like glue and family and blood brothers for no other reason than they belong. The blind devotion is not something he could explain.
Regardless, he’s not a passionate man. Overwhelming emotions are biased and justice needs to be devoid of emotions, objective, neutral or else it’s not fair, cannot claim to be just. It’s a principle that follows him throughout his life, guides his social interactions and colours his relationships that have always been benefit-oriented, pragmatic, sensible. Mind games are not for him, he’s brutally honest to a fault and makes his intentions clear. The ones who can appreciate that in him have proven excellent partners.
And then there’s this young Korean with his nervous smiles and restless hands and he fucking pisses Tachanka off. It’s like he was raised in a barn, never learned to speak up, make eye contact or behave like a goddamn normal human being. Just seeing him in the first week after he joins Rainbow is enough to spark Tachanka's anger and during a briefing, he snaps, has had enough of Vigil hovering uncertainly in the background and barks at him to sit the fuck down and not be such a nuisance. Oh, and how he comes to regret this loss of composure the very next second.
Because Vigil’s eyes go wide, he freezes for a heartbeat before almost throwing himself onto the next available chair, visibly shaken and intimidated, avoids looking at Tachanka and oh.
That’s interesting. The boy is scared of him.
The realisation is too delicious to ignore. Vigil probably dreads interacting with most of the other operators, that much is clear, yet Tachanka has never seen him react this fast or obey without question. He decides to test his theory by snapping at him a few more times, giving more and more ridiculous orders that the boy carries out quietly and without even telling on him and it’s… he can’t lie to himself, it gives him ideas. If he’s very honest, he wants to hold him down and fuck him until he can’t walk and this is surprising. Because Tachanka is not a passionate man. He doesn’t let himself be swayed by whimsical notions, flights of fancy.
Tachanka is a reasonable man. He’s a generous lover and demands explicit consent. He’s not lacking in options usually, so why attempt to take what isn’t his? He has a type: self-sufficient, confident, preferably his age, composed and experienced in bed. He rarely strays from the tried and tested formula, everything else just begs for trouble.
So why is he grabbing this infuriating Korean boy by the collar and stuffing him into the supply closet again? He really should stop this before it gets out of hand. “You’d look so pretty gagging on my cock”, he tells Vigil without meaning to and no, who is he kidding, the sight would be delectable.
And then the moment of truth happens. Because while Vigil still looks terrified, he sinks down to his knees and puts his hands on Tachanka's belt, biting his lip and eyelids fluttering nervously. Tachanka has trouble believing what he sees but he’s not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
The whole affair is messy, Vigil has really no idea of what he’s doing, drools all over himself and chokes repeatedly yet he’s astonishingly determined, uses his hands and tries to swallow as much of Tachanka's dick as he can, allows him to push his head forwards, at some point just grips Tachanka's thighs and holds on for dear life as he thrusts into his mouth not as deeply as he’d like to. Tachanka comes with a loud groan, unloading first down Vigil’s throat and then on his face while he’s coughing. He was right though. He does look extremely pretty.
“What am I supposed to do with you?”, he grumbles, wipes some of his come off Vigil’s brow and pushes his finger between the wet and swollen lips. The young man merely sucks on it, looks up at him, wordless yet calmer than Tachanka has ever seen him outside of a mission. He makes a decision. This lost soul needs guidance.
.
Two fingers hooked into the already tight collar, ready to pull if necessary, Tachanka muses on how quickly his pet has improved. He’s sitting on his bed, Vigil on the floor between his legs, obediently lapping and sucking at him, still struggling to fit all of Tachanka's length into his throat but a sharp tug on the leather between his fingers convinces Vigil to at least try. His mouth is a wet heat of which Tachanka can’t get enough, his lips silky and his chokes music to his ears. “You’re such an eager little slut”, he murmurs because Vigil is and in response the young man glances up at him, perpetually worrying about whether he’s doing it right, some pride sneaking in whenever Tachanka lets out a pleased groan. “Go deeper. You know how I like it.”
He couldn’t even say how often they’ve done this by now, Tachanka dragging the Korean to his room at the end of the day, demanding things some of which worry even him in quiet moments and Vigil obeying for reasons unknown, ready to learn and readier to hand himself over to Tachanka completely. The power his words and gestures hold is intoxicating, the rush he feels when Vigil silently obliges addicting – he can’t get enough of the shy gazes, the occasional hesitation, the complete and utter submission. A tongue slides over the underside of his cock and he growls, so Vigil does it again and holds his breath when Tachanka pulls him in and holds him there, enjoying the tight heat of the Korean’s throat working around him as Vigil tries to swallow.
This is one of his favourite parts, together with the way Vigil shudders around his thick fingers on the occasions Tachanka feels generous enough and preps him himself: he can see tears forming in the corners of Vigil’s eyes, desperation seeping in as the need for air increases and yet he keeps perfectly still, for some reason trusting Tachanka not to go overboard. “You’re the perfect plaything”, Tachanka says, “you wouldn’t even care if you passed out, eh? Die happily as long as my dick’s anywhere inside you.”
For obvious reasons, Vigil doesn’t answer but Tachanka notices movement in his peripheral vision where there should be none. Mercilessly, he drags Vigil off his length and barks at him while he’s gasping and gulping in air: “Who told you you could touch yourself?” He kicks the offending hand away from the Korean’s crotch, earns a whine and presses his sole against the weeping erection, makes Vigil’s eyes widen and his hips actually buck into Tachanka's foot even though the pressure can’t be comfortable. “Keep your fucking hands off your useless dick, it’s not like you’re ever going to fuck anything with it anymore.”
Vigil is too far gone already, there’s this reckless glint in his eyes that means Tachanka can basically do whatever he wants, say whatever comes to mind – in this state, he’s malleable, gives himself up completely and Tachanka has to admit he capitalises on this. The first few times, it took a while for the younger man to reach this state, nowadays his own fingers up his ass and Tachanka's cock down his throat already do the trick. With reddened cheeks, he pulls his fingers out and uses that hand to support himself, leans back while the other wraps around Tachanka's foot, keeping it in place as he grinds his hips against it, moaning wantonly. He reminds Tachanka of a dog in heat, desperate for any stimulation, begging to be allowed to mate.
His toes push against the dark head and Vigil’s breath hitches. His lips are shiny from spit and precum, the black collar a tasteful contrast to his pale skin and Tachanka wants to destroy him. He never stopped irritating the Russian, his social skills have barely improved over time and he steadfastly refuses to open up about his demons. Still. They don’t need to talk while Tachanka fucks him.
“Get on the bed”, he orders with a last push of his foot before he withdraws it and Vigil scrambles to do so, crawls onto the sheets on his hands and knees, grips the fabric in anticipation but Tachanka is not having it. He’s used to Vigil’s habit of trying to conceal his face, so he kneels behind him, takes a moment to appreciate the view of his inviting hole, his erection pointing down, his strong legs and muscled back before he brings down his hand on one of the round buttocks forcefully and with a loud smack that makes Vigil jolt, gasp and look back at him hurt and confused. “Turn around, you’re not going to hide from me. I want to see what a whore you are.”
The Korean’s expression turns conflicted and he even starts to protest: “But – I don’t –”
Another slap, this one harder and leaving behind an extremely satisfying red handprint. Tachanka knows that the younger man likes the pain, sometimes is even sloppy in his preparation on purpose so he can feel it more keenly; Tachanka always notices and never holds back. “Don’t make me punish you.” Predictably, Vigil chews on his lower lip a little longer so Tachanka spanks him another time, hitting the same patch of skin that must be tender by now but at least it convinces Vigil to lie down on his back, legs spread and visibly embarrassed. “I’m not going to hold back for you.”
The younger man nods, the blush deepening, so Tachanka lubes up his throbbing cock, scoots closer and hooks Vigil’s legs over his shoulders unceremoniously. He knows Vigil hates this position, feels exposed, he reads it in the way he avoids eye contact and tenses up. Tachanka guides his tip with one hand, lines it up and pushes into the waiting ring of muscle, increases the force when he feels resistance, hears Vigil utter a strangled moan. His limbs relax, his face goes slack and he’s utterly lost now, drowning under Tachanka and revelling in the feeling of being filled. Tachanka is familiar with it, has seen it countless times before and never gets tired of it, just like he never tires of the tightness that encompasses him right now, clenches around him and soothes his need.
Once he’s bottomed out, he pauses to examine the Korean under him, cheeks pink and a thin sheen of sweat covering his body, returning his gaze dazedly. “I wonder what that colleague of yours would say if she saw you like this”, he ponders out loud and though most of his words are lost on Vigil in this state, these ones penetrate the fog in his mind, induce a slight panic Tachanka whole-heartedly enjoys. “Impaled on my cock, begging for it, shameless. Hm? What do you think she’d say?”
He doesn’t give Vigil any opportunity to answer, instead pulls out almost all the way and slams back in, forcing another moan out of Vigil’s abused throat that he likes so much he does it again straight away. The walls of Vigil’s insides accommodate him effortlessly, he was thorough today, probably anticipating Tachanka's impatience and urge to inflict discomfort – Vigil is not bad at reading his moods. Maybe he should really keep him.
The pace he sets is brutal but nothing the younger man can’t handle, his nails digging into creamy thighs as his hips snap forward again and again, his shaft driving into the willing body that’s really quite pleasing to look at, Tachanka has to admit. Vigil’s got a lot going for him. Most of all he’s tight and compliant, allows himself to be bossed around and Tachanka finds himself wondering how far he’ll actually go. “You think I should invite someone to watch?”, he grunts, his words emphasised by hard thrusts, the sounds of skin slapping against skin filling the space between them, “I bet my boys would appreciate the sight.”
He can feel Vigil clench around him, added stimulation to the already heady sensation of shagging him raw that’s starting to cloud his mind, lust pulsing through his body. He indulges in the fantasy, imagines Kapkan lazily jerking off to the two of them, egging Tachanka on, Fuze impatiently grabbing one of Vigil’s hands so he can fuck his fist. On a whim, he stops, pulls out his cock and forces Vigil’s knees almost down to his head, displaying his hungry entrance for his viewing pleasure and teases the rim with the tip of his erection, the touch electrifying and the effect on the younger man just as intended.
Vigil’s eyes are wide and wild and almost black, mouth gaping open in shock, his hands scrabbling for purchase, digging into Tachanka's hips, trying to get him to continue, despairing and frantic and oh so lovely. “What do you want? Use your words, kid.” He drags his shaft along the entrance and can’t suppress a smirk at how the Korean trembles at the feeling.
“I need –” He’s gasping like a fish out of water, usually Tachanka doesn’t stop once he’s started the merciless pummelling, only today he craves seeing Vigil squirm. “Please, please, just –” A helpless groan claws its way out of his throat as Tachanka forces his thick head back inside, feeling the sphincter contract around him, only to withdraw yet again. “Tachanka”, Vigil whines and he almost can’t resist the sudden urge to slam back home upon hearing his name, instead he keeps dipping his tip in slowly.
“We could share you”, he continues and watches the Korean writhe under him, roll his hips into nothing, his neglected penis dripping precum, “your hole can take a beating. The boys can pass you around and you’d still be gagging for my cock, even filled with their cum you’d come begging.” The friction is overwhelming, his control waning. He can’t keep this up for much longer but he wants to hear Vigil admit to how much he’s come to rely on Tachanka.
“Yes”, Vigil whispers and nods his head eagerly, “yes, please.”
“Please what?” The younger man is conflicted, embarrassed, so Tachanka unhurriedly slides in all the way, forcing him to inhale deeply and stretch uncomfortably, still folded in half. “Look at me, you dirty slut.”
The younger man struggles to oblige and shudders as Tachanka pulls out once more, leaving him empty and gaping. “Tachanka.” His voice is quiet, broken, pleading. “Take me. I need you.”
It’s good enough. He growls and snaps his hips forward, breaching him and reaching deep into Vigil’s insides, satisfying the primal desire pulsing in his groin. Again his thrusts are merciless, his mind still toying with the idea of whoring Vigil out, watching idly as his boys stuff him on both ends, culminating in him dominating the younger man, using their cum as lube and marking him with his teeth, scratching him up so he doesn’t forget to whom he belongs, at whose mercy he ultimately is.
His hips are moving on their own, fast and so hard Vigil has to relinquish his hold on the bedsheets to grip the headboard, moaning in ecstasy and sinking deep into his almost spiritual state of pleasure with which Tachanka is intimately familiar. He himself makes no attempts to suppress any noises either, grunting and groaning at the feel of velvety heat around his cock, muscles convulsing around him, pleasure building up with each sharp thrust.
“Don’t come before I do”, he pants and Vigil understands, wraps a hand around his twitching shaft and pumps himself in time with Tachanka's thrusts, aiming to time his orgasm to the one that’s fast approaching in the Russian, inevitable and quicker than usual, a result of the mental image of Kapkan humping Vigil with a blissful look on his face while Glaz kneels over his face and feeds a blushing Vigil his cock in small movements. He could probably genuinely convince Kapkan to join them – Vigil himself needs no coercion, Tachanka's word alone is enough. That, or he just jams his fingers up his ass and massages him until the Korean doesn’t care about anything anymore.
The tightness is becoming too much: now that Vigil’s jerking himself, he contracts even more around Tachanka's girth, sucking him in greedily. Tachanka decides he doesn’t look out of it enough and adjusts the angle, points his thrusts upwards and drags his cock over Vigil’s prostate which earns him a strangled gasp and an even tighter passageway, so he keeps at it, making the Korean tremble and keen, hears himself moan at the increased friction.
He is pushed over the edge when Vigil cries his name, his actual name, the syllables foreign on his tongue and the pronunciation wrong but Tachanka's dick quite obviously doesn’t care. With a last thrust, he slams into the Korean and stays there, shoots his sperm into his guts and feels Vigil come around him, clamp down in waves as he shivers and spurts come all over himself, both of them lost in their own orgasm. Tachanka feels pure bliss, all tension and stress drained out of him, sweet relief the only thing that remains. He lets Vigil’s insides milk him, extract every last bit of viscous liquid out of him, then he withdraws.
For a few moments, he basks in the afterglow, relaxes his limbs and admires the utterly fucked out mess before him. Vigil is still catching his breath, avoiding Tachanka's gaze and trying to cross his legs to hide his shame but Tachanka spreads them, strokes his thigh with one hand and touches the pad of a finger on the other to the abused hole, making Vigil jump. Curiously, he pushes in, feels the muscle grip it tightly, feels his own warm semen inside, swats Vigil’s hand away as he tries to interfere, discomfort written clearly in his expression. It’s tempting.
“Maybe I should really get someone else to fuck you before I do”, he muses. Surprisingly, it’s not all trepidation on the Korean’s face at this, he believes to have spotted something else too. Excitement.
Thinking about it, maybe he shouldn’t share Vigil after all. Others might want to corrupt him, he should protect him from possibly negative influences. After all, Tachanka is a reasonable man.
90 notes · View notes