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#also like besides the question of my own future convenience there's the like. i have set an expectation for myself
iridescentoracle · 2 years
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okay in retrospect i could/should probably have warned that the girl genius spam reblogs were going to just. be a thing now. after i think literally several years of 99% queued posts. but a) i didn’t really plan on them just being a thing, it was going to be just that first handful, and then i just kind of kept going? b) i was already far enough into the liveblog that if you don’t have GG TSed at this point that’s on you c) do you know how long it takes for the stuff in my queue to post. i literally doubled the speed my queue posts at recently and i still have over 200 posts queued right now. if i stuck these in my queue and didn’t spend two hours rearranging the whole thing like i did for ML none of this would be posting until june.
#take a look at me#[stares at ceiling] i like having thoroughly tagged posts. i like having thoroughly tagged posts. i like having thoroughly tagged posts. i l#you guys it takes so long. it's worth it because i can basically always find any post i've ever reblogged again and it's really nice!!#i have a really solid archive of Stuff I Want To Be Able To Find Again/Just Think Is Neat/etc! and it's mostly really well organized!#but oh my god you guys i hate tagging things so much. it takes so long#at least when you have as many posts to tag as i do‚ which is of course the whole problem#i Have thought about increasing the rate my queue posts at again but the problem is every time i do that i immediately have Life Stuff#that means that i don't have time to be on tumblr until three days after my queue runs out#and i Know there's already been a half-dozen posts that i didn't get tagged until after they were already out of my queue as it is#so speeding up my queue any more feels like just asking for trouble at this point#also like besides the question of my own future convenience there's the like. i have set an expectation for myself#and i actually do try to curate my dash pretty thoroughly and have unfollowed/chosen not to follow a lot of people who post cool stuff#bc they also post a lot of stuff i don't like and tag nothing and it's entirely their right but i don't want stuff i don't like on my dash!#and i don't want to be that person for anyone else if for no other reason than i'd feel like a giant hypocrite#so i just try to make sure i've got at least the next week's worth of posts tagged at all times and hope for the best from there
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ohimsummer · 2 months
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TROUBLEMAKER ft. CAT! STSG AU
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— cat! au (gojo + geto), afab! reader, shoko cameo, stsg cat shenanigans, crack, some explicit language, gojo is the most annoying and insufferable he’s ever been ever (/affectionate)
⭑ ࣪ ˖ sum’z notes.ᐟ part 1! finally got around 2 finishing this :3 idk about satoru yet but suguru is a fluffy oriental shorthair in my head. no I will not debate this ♡
wc 4.2k
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“They’re…cats…?”
There’s an incessant sound of scribbling on Shoko’s clipboard. Her voice is almost drowned out by a white feline’s cries for your attention. “Yup.”
The other cat, the black one—Suguru, apparently—lies content in your arms, purring into your chest as you thread through long, sleek fur. A voice nags at the back of your mind that petting him is a little peculiar, but his hair is like silk. You can’t help it.
Satoru, ever the asshole, batted away all your efforts to pet him, and is now left in his regret to wander circles around your ankles. Angry, dilated pupils never leave Geto—who remains blissfully indifferent—as Gojo paws at your feet to be rewarded even a glance.
“It’s the side effect of a cursed spirit. I’m assuming it went ‘whoosh’ and they went ‘psshhh’.” Shoko makes a shrinking motion with her hands. “And now they’re cats.”
A frown weighs down your lips at her lackluster explanation. “I don’t think I understand—”
“Anyway, it should wear off in a couple days.” Her pen swivels in your direction, eyes steady trained on her paperwork. “You gonna need my help buying supplies?”
“Huh—!” The words choke up in your throat. “Why are they coming with me?”
Shoko finally spares you a glance, an audacious look as if you asked something idiotic. “Oh, please, you really think they’d be happier staying with me? Besides, I don’t wanna do it. Duh.”
There’s also the unspoken assumption that she wants the apartment to herself for a couple days. Or to have Utahime over in peace but, ultimately, you’ll be stuck catering to this feline duo.
“God, I—, fine.”
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The journey back to your place is going smoothly, save for when Gojo conveniently decides to figure-8 between your steps. Or stop in front of every sweets shop to blink his giant, round cat eyes at you over his miniature sunglasses.
“He’s so cute!,” a passing older lady stops to fawn over him. “Look at him and his little glasses, how adorable!”
And you just offer up a grin, afraid to dip a toe into this awkward small talk as if Gojo has always been this talkative, adorable kitty—knowing just yesterday he had you in a headlock over not sharing your own dessert with him. You also don’t want to be susceptible to any related teasing whenever they turn back, brushing off her comments with forced laughter as you continue onwards.
Gojo lags behind, responding to the woman with some proud cat noises before running ahead to reach your side again. Unfortunately, right on his heels is this persistent older lady.
You can hear her firing off a barrage of questions and statements: “What’s his name? Is he a Persian? I have a little gal at home that looks just like him!”
It’s a struggle not to roll your eyes. Sure, her chatter is innocent, but you don’t want to be bothered. Besides, these are not some childhood pets accompanying you on an errand—they’re two, 6-foot-tall boys in feline bodies, primed to snag onto any questionable comment you make as ammo to bully you in the future.
“His name is Gojo. Not sure of his breed. I just got him.”
Uninterested tone, closed-off body language, pace picking up—none of it seems to be enough to deter her.
“He looks so nurtured!”
Said he looks cranky and tired, legs a blur as Gojo runs to keep your pace. He growls out obvious complaints, nipping and clawing at your ankles to slow you down.
“You must be such a wonderful cat momma to him! I bet he’d make some pretty babies—“
Suguru makes a stuttered, breathy noise in your ear, an amused chuff that must be his cat version of laughter.
An incoming crosswalk threatens to leave you at the mercy of her conversation. Your eyes are trained on the mocking, red hand, the one thing that prevents you from booking it to the other side of the street.
You’re forced to slow down as you draw nearer to the heap of people awaiting the signal change.
Her “Could I get a picture of him?” sends a shudder down your spine. Perhaps jaywalking would grant you a ticket out of this.
The crossing icon switches right before you’re forced to a complete stop, and a sigh of relief escapes as you maneuver through a a confused crowd. Mutters of apology are left in your trail of dust, along with the ear-catching clamors of a white kitty.
You only peep behind you for a brief second, Suguru’s ticklish fur floating around in your nose, and you spot the lady getting swept away by the wave of ongoers. Her voice is lost beneath the sea, a camera-yielding hand flailing above unbothered heads.
Geto flicks a bushy, dark tail over your face, thoroughly getting hair on your tongue this time around. You’re about to turn and scold him before skidding to a halt right before colliding with a large, metal pole.
His white-furred partner is not so lucky, though he only makes an abrupt faceplant into the back of your lower calves. Gojo plops back on his rear, giving a low meow as he uses a paw to straighten his crooked sunglasses.
“Thanks, Suguru” you mutter, and he flicks an ear in response, continuing to guard his spot on your shoulder for the remainder of the journey. Geto is mostly silent, save for the occasional silky mew to either grab your attention or get his explorative friend in line.
Upon entrance to your apartment building, Satoru only seems to grow more unruly. He leaps onto the front desk, spitting sharp grievances as you gather him up and layer apologies to the worker behind the counter. Suguru makes sure to land a few light warning taps on his head, almost slipping off your shoulder when Gojo retaliates with his own irated slaps. The scene of you tottering into the elevator while also breaking up a literal cat fight makes for quite the show for the few people in the lobby.
“Looks like you’ve got your hands pretty full, eh?,” a man chuckles, arm held over the elevator doors so you may stumble inside.
“I don’t—stop it, you two—know what I’m gonna do with them,” you sigh, and he replies with a sympathetic head shake.
The doors ease shut, and then what should have been a short trip to your room is prolonged when Gojo decides he wants to swat at the buttons. Now, on top of stopping at floors where there are actual people waiting, you’re stuck visiting six others that he and his mischievous paws have so chosen. And also forced into more awkward interactions of people complimenting your wonderful animal caretaking skills.
“The black one is so well-behaved.,” a young brunette fawns. She raises a hand to scratch under Suguru’s chin, face falling in embarrassment when he pulls away from her. “O-oh, I’m sorry.”
You can’t tell if she’s apologizing to you or him.
A short cough disguises your giggle, and you inform her, “Ah, it’s fine, he’s just weary of other people.”
She seems reassured at your words, glancing at a wriggling Satoru in your grasp. “He doesn’t look too interested in being pet, either, haha.”
Gojo weighs heavy in your arms, and you readjust to get a better grip on him, ignoring his meows of complaint. “Yeah, he’s kind of an asshole—“mrrow!”—and he might scratch, so I’d advise against it.”
A shy grin spreads on her lips, and then the girl is exiting the lift, waving goodbye to you and the two kitties.
Upon reaching your own floor, Gojo zooms out into the hallway, vocalizations echoing in the empty corridor. Geto remains carefully seated on your shoulder, leaning onto your head and surely leaving strands of cat fur in your own hair. The white cat speeds ahead until he arrives at your door, and then immediately begins another cacophony of loud meows, seemingly in an effort to rush you.
“Satoru, be quiet!”, you whisper-shout at him from down the hall. The words are barely audible in your own ears over the sound of his impatient yells.
They only die down once your keys enter the lock, and Gojo slithers inside the second the door is cracked, Geto not far behind as he leaps from his anchor point. You roll the joint in a circle—he’s so cute as a little parrot on your shoulder, but the lack of weight is a welcome relief.
“Jeez, Suguru, you’re kinda heavy.” The obvious offense in his low ‘mrow?’ makes you giggle. “I’m gonna get changed and then I’ll make dinner after. Be right back!”
There’s a pitter patter of steps, and Gojo is sidling up next to you for your upstairs trip. He pounces onto the bed, watching as you grab a shirt (his) off a chair at your desk, and a pair of leggings from the closet. Geto resides at the top of the stairs to supervise, ready to intervene should his idiot other half start causing more trouble.
With the clothes in your hands, your next stop is the bathroom, though you halt in the vacant doorway with Gojo right on your heels.
“Ummmm…,” you scoff a laugh as blue eyes blink up at you. “Satoru, you’re not watching me change.”
He replies a conjoined, high-pitched ‘mrow-row?’, not making an effort to move. Geto strolls over and bats at his fluffy, white rear, an unamused look in his violet eyes. While Gojo turns to defend his haunches, you giggle a ‘Thanks, Suguru!’ for the second time and disappear into the bathroom, promptly ignoring the dull smack of a paw and a loud hiss as your hip bumps the door shut.
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A white head snaps in your direction upon your reappearance. Gojo trots forward to greet you, bushy tail straight up in a friendly gesture. His calmer counterpart is nowhere to be found when a flash of black catches your attention, and you spot Geto balanced on the railing of your bedroom.
“Keepin’ an eye on Satoru?” You realize you’re talking to him in somewhat of a babified pet voice, but he doesn’t seem to mind, only purring happily as you scratch a finger under his chin.
Someone doesn’t like that, and your hand rapidly recoils as an angry Gojo steadies on his hind legs, shouting angry yowls and hisses and furiously slamming a paw at any part of Geto he can reach, sending the black cat plummeting off the railing and you hear him land on the level below with a loud thud.
“Satoru Gojo!” Named cat looks back at you like he didn’t just essentially push Suguru to his doom. “You’re gonna behave in my house, sir, or I’m sending you back to Shoko!” He opens his mouth to complain, but you cut off Gojo’s meow with another scolding. “Nah ah, I don’t want to hear it! Don’t start trouble or it’s to the shelter, ya hear?”
His ears flatten back, expression akin to what you can only describe as intense worry, and Gojo grants you a final, pleading meow as he stands again, front paws against your leg. You reach down to pet behind his little ears, and he leans a fuzzy head into your palm, tail swishing as the rumbling in his throat grows louder.
“You’re such a baby.”, comes your gentle coo as Satoru’s lids ease shut. “Could’ve asked for pets way better than that.”
You only reward his bad behavior for a moment. The caress of your hand stops far too soon for Gojo’s liking, and he’s right behind to follow you back down to the first floor. Geto meets you halfway, looking behind you and leaving you to continue on interrupted. There’s the sharp sound of a ‘smack!’ and a pair of tiny, blue sunglasses tumble past to land at the bottom of the stairs.
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“Ah, ah! Satoru, get down!”
The guilty feline goes skedaddling off the countertops, casting Geto an envious glare as he scampers to sit right at the threshold where your kitchen meets the living room.
Your eyes narrow at him, suspicious and distrustful, before returning to your cooking under Geto’s careful examination from the marble surface. His tiny nose livens up at the savory smells wafting around the kitchen, pink tongue darting over a furry mouth as he curiously eyes the fried rice in the pan.
The delicious scent of cooked meat creeps up his nostrils, and Geto turns to eye his slice of the chicken breast you’ve so graciously blessed him with. It’s only partially nibbled on so a third of it still remains, but if Satoru had his way, both he and Suguru’s servings of the meat would have long since been given a home on his endless stomach. It’s why your gaze keeps traveling around the room. You’re keeping tabs on Gojo and his greedy whereabouts.
Speak of the devil—barely two minutes later and the snowy thief is back. His shrill meows pierce your eardrums, restless paws tracing steps between your feet, scurrying behind your couch when he almost trips you only to eventually return when your scowl has disappeared.
The air of your apartment feels happy, jubilant. It’s so serene considering these two are in the same room together. Just the sizzle of food, the background noise of the television, and Gojo’s constant yowling for any smidge of your attention—though it feels domestic in a way if you don’t think too hard on the fact that it’s Satoru. Maybe there’s also the quiet sounds of chewing whenever Geto decides he wants another bite of his chicken.
The hassle comes whenever you turn your head and Gojo makes his move, leaping onto the counter to cause havoc. His troublemaking comes in a plethora of ways, but his favorites seem to be taking a bite out of Suguru or attempting to steal whatever leftover scraps are in his sight. His sneaky plans are foiled by the black cat either wrestling him back onto the floor or meowing an alarm so that the Gods (you) may banish Satoru from the kitchen once again.
Matters are only made worse when you offer Suguru a piece of egg from your now-finished dinner, and the exiled, white cat screeches in a show of utter betrayal.
“Oh my god, Satoru.” You pluck another chunk of poultry from the skillet, kneeling to present it in your palm. “Here.”
Suguru’s eyes narrow at his dramatic feline partner, ears twisted back and dropped to flatten against his head as the tip of his black tail flicks back and forth.
Gojo pads over. His pink nose looks adorable, scrunched up as he sniffs your hand for a second or two before licking his lips, and then he snatches the cooked egg from your hand and scurries off. There’s a large sigh behind you; Geto gives you a half-lidded eye-roll from his new spot at the edge of the counter, before voicing a short ‘mroh’.
You grin at him. “He’s such a goofball, isn’t he?” ‘Mrow-ow’.
With your meal finally ready and a grumbling stomach, you curl up on the couch, bowl of oyakodon in hand. The movie playing on the tv is boring, and also halfway done so it doesn’t hold an ounce of your interest. Even so, you try not to notice the pair of blue eyes peeking at you over the coffee table.
Ignoring Satoru and his hungry gaze makes for a far more entertaining game. The tip of his bushy, white tail is visible from where you sit, swaying side to side as Gojo eyes your bowl of food.
“You’re not getting any, Satoru, you’ve already eaten most of the kitchen, today.”
‘MrraAAH!’ He lets loose a dramatic scream, squinting sky blues at you.
Gojo’s so focused on vacuuming up any possible crumbs that he doesn’t notice the black shadow creeping up behind him. It’s not until Suguru paws at his snowy-colored fur that his cerulean eyes turn towards him. They hold each other’s gaze before Geto ducks out of your sight, and soon Gojo with him. There’s a sound of scuffling, someone’s frantic meows, and then the white kitty skids into view with Geto pinning him down, both wrestling as he tries to sink teeth into Satoru’s back.
You take another nonchalant bite of food. “Get his ass, Suguru.”
Gojo’s continual wriggling finally grants him freedom from the black feline’s clutches. You watch in amusement as he flees the scene, Geto hot on his tail. Satoru goes careening around the corner of the coffee table, nails scraping your hardwood floors so he’s stuck gliding like a cartoon character before disappearing from view; Suguru takes a more parkour-ish approach, rebounding off the wall and he goes flying into his target if the following ‘thud’ and ‘MRAH!’ is of any indication.
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A late-evening shopping trip wasn’t on the schedule for today, but there was an unfortunate flaw in today’s system: the call of nature for your two new kitties.
Your original plan was to get everything tomorrow. Cat food and bedding could be improvised for tonight, and Satoru was enough entertainment for he and Suguru together. One thing had slipped your mind until you found the two causing a racket atop your closed toilet—a litter box.
One quick trip later, and now you’re back home arranging their little tray, pouring the grey pebbles inside and hiding it on a mat in the corner of your living room where they could have more privacy.
“There ya go!” Your hands fall to your hips, looking proudly over your work. The two large cats stand on either side of you, glancing between you, each other, and their new bathroom. “Go on, now, don’t be shy.”
Satoru grants you an offended glare over his shades, while Suguru turns and walks away entirely, the tip of his tail flicking in annoyance.
“Hey, I went through the trouble to go out and get this thing for you two and this is how you repay me?” Satoru nips at your leg in response. “Ow! Stop that! Fine, hold it then, but you two better not do your business on my floors.”
Though they seemed adamant about not going in the litter box, you can see the idea nudging it’s way into their little heads as the urge to go grows stronger with time. You catch them sneaking glances at their designated corner, easing closer and closer to the box. Suguru sniffs at the entrance before leaving it again. Satoru apparently thinks keeping his back to it will make his need to use it go away.
“Mrooww!”, Geto voices to you, clawing at your front door.
You sigh at him. “Suguru, just use the litterbox.”
He produces a sound between a meow and a low growl, still showcasing his irritation with flat ears and a swaying tail.
“Is it too little? You two want something bigger? Or two separate litter boxes? Either way, it’ll have to wait until tomorrow because it’s late out and I’m not walking you all the way to the park for this.”
“Mroh..?”
Arms fold beneath your chest. “And you’re not going by yourself, either.”
Gojo circles your legs, letting out a low chuff. No doubt this is amusing to him. His pouty friend sighs and struts away like a stubborn child, hissing as Satoru bats at his lowered tail and leaving to hide somewhere in your room.
You move on with your nightly duties—tidying up your kitchen, putting away leftovers, keeping an eye out for the shenanigans of a white-haired feline. Maybe twenty minutes have passed, and you suddenly hear the scritch-scratch of litter being tossed around.
From the corner of your eye, you see a bundle of black whisps protruding from the entrance of the box. It’s not any of your business until you have to clean the thing out. For now, you’re just content he’s using it and not tampering with the health of his liver.
Then, through your peripherals, Gojo pops up next to the box, sitting just outside of it. He peeks inside, meowing, and jolts back as a black paw reaches out to slap him away. There’s an exchange of curious cat noises and irate yowls, before a screech echos from the litter box and you rush over to break up their impending battle.
“Satoru—,” you snatch him away, spitting out clouds of his shedding, white hair,”—give him some privacy, damn.”
You heave Gojo and his massive self up your stairs throughout another set of his meowed complaints, watch as he cranes his head at the sound of more scratching litter.
“Why are you being a pervert trying to watch him pee?”, comes your exasperated question.
He wriggles expertly in your arms, instantly escaping your grasp around his upper body and goes fleeing downstairs no doubt to harass Geto again.
It’s the end of the day. You’re over it for tonight. “GET UP HERE.”
His swift steps and the scraping of litter both halt at the tone and base of your voice.
Satoru turns his shiny, blue eyes to you, head slightly lowered in shame like a child who knows they’ve angered their mom. He turns-tail, creeping back up the stairs with cautious steps. Once he reaches your side, blacks of his eyes wide and round, he gives you a squeaked ‘mrow…?’.
Geto peeks around the corner to peer up the steps at the sudden commotion, retreating when he sees your crossed arms and the fed-up taps of your foot.
“Up the stairs. Now.” Gojo skitters past you without a second thought. “You two, Suguru, let’s go. It’s bedtime.”
A short pause, and then he comes trotting up to the second floor, tail raised straight up and he gives a flurry of bright meows as he obeys your command.
They’re both on the bed by the time you travel the remaining few steps to your bedroom. Both sit side-by-side, obedient and still and awaiting your next move.
“I’m gonna finish my routine. Don’t you two start any trouble while I’m busy, ya hear?”
A harmonized ‘mrrow!’.
“Good boys.” You clap your hands together with a grin. “Now get ready for bed.”
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“Satoru, you can’t sleep there.”
While Geto has, of course, chosen a more ideal, comfier spot for bedtime near the edge of your bed, his counterpart takes a more…spacious approach. They’re both rather large cats, so him laying sprawled out on his back, smack-dab in the center in a spread-eagle is not the most suitable place for Gojo to slumber.
Your words elicit no reaction from him—not besides the flick of his ear, anyway. Geto’s tail swishes from side to side, a tell that he’s about to bop Gojo with a harsh paw to the face and a hiss. And he does just that, but it seems Gojo has caught on as he grabs hold of the furry black arm with his paws. You watch the duo wrestle as he tries to sink fangs into Geto’s shoulder. They’re like toddlers fighting over a toy, and the scene just elicits a shake of your head in defeated amusement at their childish antics.
He’s got Gojo pinned to the bed, the latter bunny-kicking his hind legs in futile efforts to shove Geto off him, before they both go tumbling onto the floor, breaking up their little quarrel. The two scurry off in opposite directions, Geto under the bed and Gojo into the open door of your bathroom. Two loud thumps. Your butt hasn’t even hit the mattress before the sound of things falling catch your ears.
“Satoru…?,” you call out, disappointment evident in your tone. A second passes before his purred 'mrrr?' and you feel Geto’s whiskers brush your bare ankles as he peeks from his hiding spot. “Did you break something in there?” More silence, and then the smallest, cutest squeak followed by a blue eye that peeks around the corner.
Walking into the bathroom, you’re not met with completely heinous results. He must’ve ricocheted off the walls to make such a mess in such few seconds. Your toothpaste and a few makeup products are spilled onto the floor, and Satoru approaches with your toothbrush carried in his teeth. Hands on your hips and a brow quirked, you just take it and make a mental note to get a new one in the morning.
“Alright.” The sound of your double claps echo off the tile. “Out. Both of you.” And off they go.
It takes a few extra minutes to clean up Gojo’s small mess, and bedtime this time around is easier when a large white cat isn’t trying to take up majority of the bed. You settle beneath the sheets, Suguru curling up on the other, unoccupied pillow this time, and Satoru so graciously plops down to lay on the curve of your back.
“Comfy now?,” you crane your neck to address the cat whose head rests at the incline of your ass. He murmurs a low meow in return, and you turn to Suguru, who’s eyes are the only thing you can see in the darkness. “And you?” The subtle sound of purring emits from his throat.
“Okay. G’night, you two.” And you are lulled off to sleep with their low, harmonious rumbling.
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tagz: @anthoosies @staryukis @elusivemoon @yunymphs @hellkaiserinphoenix @plutowrites @babytoshiii
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estrellami-1 · 9 months
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If I Should Stay
Part 1 | . . . | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9
After pizza—and after El wakes up and eats her own pizza—everyone gathers around again to listen to Steve and Robin. “So I think by now we’ve proven we’re from the future,” Steve says. “We’re here, four years in the past, because a lot of bad things happen, and if we can, we’d like to stop those things from happening. The big one, and really the recurring problem, is a guy named Henry Creel who essentially took control of an alternate plane of existence we call the Upside Down.” He motions El over beside him, and she goes gladly, tucking her feet up onto the couch as she leans into his side, trusting him to hold her up. He does, sliding a protective arm around her shoulders as he says, “He’s also One.”
He watches as one by one the lightbulbs come on. “Oh, shit,” Dustin whispers, and Steve doesn’t even call him on it, just nods.
“Beyond Henry, though, there are creatures in the Upside Down that can and will kill you.” He rolls his eyes fondly at the boys. “For some inexplicable reason, you came up the names, so they’re called demogorgons, demodogs, and demobats. Demogorgons are what took Barb and Will, but they both got away. That doesn’t mean they’re safe, though. Like El said earlier, Barb was safe in the moment, but it’s still a very dangerous place. There are vines everywhere that are connected to a hive mind. You step on one, and Henry knows you’re there.”
He continues telling the story, Robin interrupting when there’s a detail he misses. It’s silent when they finish. Finally, El speaks up. “So, it is… my fault?”
“No, El,” Steve says softly. “None of this is your fault. Things out of your control happened that made you who you are. Those same things created all of this.”
El frowns. “So I am bad? Like One? Like the Upside Down?”
“No,” Mike says sharply. “You’re good, El.”
“He’s right,” Steve murmurs. “You made yourself good.” He pokes her arm teasingly, and she smiles, leaning back into him.
Steve looks around, catches Nancy’s eye, and sighs. “Nance? A word?”
“Steve?” Robin asks.
He shakes his head. “I’ll yell if I need you,” he promises, rubbing her head as he passes. She squawks and bats his hand away.
“Asshole,” she mutters, and he laughs as he disappears down the hallway, Nancy in tow.
They end up in a room Steve thinks was meant to be a study. “You have questions.”
“Understatement of the century. There’s just one that’s really bugging me, though.”
“Us?”
“Yeah.”
Steve sighs and leans against the wall. “On Halloween, Tina throws a party. We didn’t know what we do now, about the Upside Down, and you were still looking for her. I was an asshole, self-centered and unhelpful.” He blows out a breath, crosses his arms, and looks away. “You got drunk, called me, and my love for you, bullshit. Left. I tried to talk to you the next day at school about it and you couldn’t say you loved me. I was still hopeful. I’m a romantic at heart, y’know? I thought maybe if I could be everything you needed, if I changed enough, if, if, if…” he shakes his head. “So we stayed together. I tried. You slept with Jonathan Byers, then broke up with me.”
Nancy looks horrified. “Steve-”
He shakes his head. “I made my peace with it. And maybe this makes me an asshole, I dunno, but Nance, I can’t go back. We’re okay, we’re friends, but I can’t pretend I still have feelings for you. I’m sorry, but we both know I was just convenient for you.”
Nancy takes a breath. “So that’s it?”
Steve shrugs helplessly. “I don’t know what you want me to do. I tried and got my heart broken for it. I moved on, found someone I think I can really be happy with, without changing who I am. And for the record? It gets rocky for a second, but I think you and Byers are it, too.” He smirks. “Plus Mike likes him better than me.”
Nancy rolls her eyes. “Oh, well, if Mike likes him better…” they both laugh, and she looks at him. “No more feelings?”
He shakes his head. “We make much better friends.”
Nancy grins lopsidedly. “And Robin?”
Steve snorts. “Purely platonic, I promise. Neither of us want anything else with each other.”
Nancy looks at him then. Studies him. “You’ve been through some shit,” she decides. “But you look happy.”
He smiles. “I am, for the most part. I know who I am.”
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ramshackledtrickster · 3 months
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How you see Connor as a father/husband ?
So sorry for taking so long to get around to this ask (honestly I love this question so much and I wanted to draw like. 5 things for it but time is short on my end unfortunately so I’ll just be wordy about it instead— sorry there’s only two pics !)
As a father:
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Ratonhnhaké:ton is trying his absolute best to be the best dad for his children as possible. He’s probably got some paranoia and brief nightmares about winding up like Haytham and becoming neglectful or absent, so he’s motivated to break that chain. Besides, Achilles and Oiá:ner and the rest of his village taught him well.
He looks to other more experienced parents for guidance, absolutely. On the homestead, Prudence and Warren and the whole lumberjack families would be more than happy to provide their own child rearing tips. Additionally, he refers to the more experienced figures in his wife’s village too.
Due to the assassin base being at the Davenport homestead, Ratonhnhaké:ton and his wife probably figured it best to divide their times growing up between the homestead and their mother’s village, getting a taste of the best of both worlds essentially while being convenient for both parents.
Connor and his love interest have two girls and a boy (Eldest son, middle daughter, and littlest daughter Io:nhiòte— all a few years apart). He does his best to give everyone their fair share of attention and treatment, and is good at hiding his own troubles when around them. But he loves nothing more than to spend time with them, and playing with them and making little crafts (some beadwork, husk dolls, wood carvings, doing his kids’ hair, etc etc, anything to keep those hands of his busy and to commemorate and keep his family happy).
He’s extremely patient and willing to listen, though when it comes to offering advice, he’d much rather do it with his wife beside him. He’s very protective of their kids, and very hesitant on if they decide to join the assassins in the future… he’s had nightmares about that prospect.
He takes a cue from Ziio, and keeps a few personalized books for practicing languages. Reading and spelling, both in English and Kanien’kéha. (In my headcanon, Ziio kept both a journal for herself to write in and a separate one for Ratonhnhaké:ton to learn English from, since she believed teaching him this earlier would protect him as they became further entangled with colonists). He follows in his mother’s footsteps of wanting to arm his children with knowledge to protect themselves, physically as well as with language and other street-smarts.
He and his wife greatly encourage clear and thorough (both in English and Kanien’kéha) and conflict resolution through those means. That’s a big rule within this family, to talk things through and nip issues at the bud, and to take responsibility.
When any of his kids are upset or sad, he encourages them to talk about what happened and why they feel this way. When words become too much, he’s more than willing to just hold and hug them while they cry against him. He doesn’t offer too many words, but he reassures that he’d be there for them, no matter what. He’s a very patient and present father, and he’d do anything to be the best father he could to his own children.
Also he lets his kids use him like a jungle gym. They’re climbing and clinging to him so much, and he doesn’t mind at all. He’s always wanted a family, and he couldn’t ask for any better one.
As a husband
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Oh my god Ratonhnhaké:ton loves his wife so. So so much. He isn’t much for super gushy verbal affirmations but he lets it be known with how close he is with her physically, oftentimes hugging her and being much more outwardly affectionate.
He is very responsible for his share of the chores and responsibilities at home, for the home and for their family. And he likes to get stuff out of the way early so he can spend more quality time with his partner. Yeah He’s honestly a lot more physically and outwardly affectionate than most people would assume, cherishing every moment he can with her for fear of things cutting off too short due to events or reasons outside of his control. It’s not often someone in his line of work can have peace of mind, so whenever he can, he indulged in that.
His wife, while very much tied to the politics of her own village, has become a matriarchal figure among the assassin recruits due to her ties with Connor. He tries to keep her and the rest of her family safe, which means away from assassin business… which means they do spend some stretches of time apart, especially during more fraught times that would put them at danger. He hates being away from his family more than anything, but that encourages him to make up for lost time wherever he could.
He defers to his wife a LOT. Kids ask him for something they were already told no to, he’ll say “Ask your mother”. He always includes her in conversation and asks her for certain advice. In my hc, Connor marries into her village (same tribe, different clan), and has adapted well to them. Honestly, she’s the one in charge of most resources between em, both at the village and on the homestead (the world and politics of assassins is something she understandably rather would tiptoe around, that being more In Ratonhnhaké:ton’s wheelhouse). In addition, she helps him keep in touch w his culture after the events of ac3 and the move of his own village— which is beyond meaningful to him. The promise of a brighter future both for himself, the people he fights for, and her and their newfound are what drives him.
His wife encourages him to get out some more and interact/be more involved w community stuff. Also he nor the kids can get away with doing smth stupid when it comes to her bc ‘she always knows’. Nothing gets past her, and Ratonhnhaké:ton knows it (based off these little dialogues here from reflections issue 4)
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Credit to her design and creation goes to @thou-babbling-brook !! It’s always a delight to draw her
But yeah we have always envisioned her to basically be a really nice compliment to Ratonhnhaké:ton, in design and demeanor and role. Needless to say, he’s a fantastic husband to her.
Sorry for the time it took to answer this, and the length of the post! Hope you enjoy it!
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yuck-pfaugh · 2 years
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Note: I'm writing this only because I haven't seen anyone else touch on these specific points. I'm not Māori, so my understanding may be mistaken; if so I would be very grateful for correction and elaboration from tangata whenua. (And I've only read Nona once so far, and we all know that's a scratch upon the surface of it.)
Tazmuir has received fandom flack for saying in interviews that Gideon and Harrow are both Māori without mentioning it in the text — which understandably reminds sf/f readers of a certain other author's tendency to dispose of the difficult bits outside the actual work. I think it is clear by now that the reason it wasn't dealt with explicitly earlier on is that Tazmuir sticks religiously (ahem) to the flawed and limited knowledge of her point-of-view characters, and in the Nine Houses they have no concept of pre-Resurrection races and ethnicities, because Jod has not allowed them knowledge of any world but his. (Besides, explaining Gideon's lineage in a Doylist aside would have been rather tricky without revealing, before their proper time in the narrative, juicy details about Jod himself.)
My prediction is that we will find out Anastasia was also Māori. Maybe, probably, from the same iwi as Jod and/or G1deon.
Which makes Harrow, her last descendent, Māori as well.
No matter how many generations separate them. No matter how much other blood.
"Mixed Māori" or "[percentage] Māori" is kind of a pākehā concept. The more important question is, do you whakapapa? Do you know who you are? Do you know where you come from? All it takes is one verified ancestor and you're in the club, no matter how long it's been or what brand of egg carton your skin looks like on the book cover. I think Harrow is descended not just from a line of Tomb-keepers but a line of kaitiaki, guardians of the land, who through Anastasia's private pact with Alecto are sworn to protect her — Papatūānuku, the earth mother born from salt water — and who have been holding on for ten thousand years to right Jod's wrongs. We know salt water is sacred to the line of the Ninth House; we know that Alecto was called "the saltwater creature"; we know that it's Nona's natural element, which calms and renews her; all this links Alecto/Earth specifically with Māori creation myths, more than any others. And we know that preserving the ancient bloodline of the Ninth, Anastasia's bloodline, in Harrow's own improbable and desperately yearned-for person (that Alecto can recognise at a taste), was the goal Pelleamena and Priamhark pursued at the cost of the Ninth House's entire future.
Yes, this series is portraying an indigenous man as the destroyer of Earth. We know that Earth chose him as her saviour and he betrayed her, imprisoned her, set himself up as master of an empire that was her antithesis, then imprisoned her again — arguably worse sins for someone who was born into that special relationship with the land, whom the Earth loved and trusted so much and still loves even now because love past understanding is her gift.
But here's the answer to that. Here's his opposite number. Harrow, who fell in love at first sight with the Earth, who found in that love her reason and her drive to continue living and to hold to her goals through intolerable trauma, who has a unique combination of bloodline and genius and Jod-and-Alecto-derived power (through her Lyctorhood with Kiriona Gaia, wherever that ends up going) with which to fulfill this sacred pact entered into by her tipuna Anastasia.
Harrow being Māori is not a trendy convenient afterthought. It's an integral point.
Harrow knows who she is. She knows where she comes from. She knows where she's going: Hell itself, to get to the bottom of all this shit. So I think we will be hearing more along these lines.
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leclerced · 5 months
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I can see Charles dating someone just for the sake of dating. Like he doesn’t really see a future with this person but he also doesn’t tell that to her. Then there’s a question about their plans from someone and he just shrugs it off with sth about himself but he doesn’t include his girlfriend in his plans. She thinks about it but doesn’t do anything because maybe he misunderstood it besides they’ve been dating only for half a year or sth like that. After another few months he falls for her hard without even realising and then I can see a whole misunderstanding about his intentions because she thinks he’s just playing with her and it hits him he loves her. After that a hell lot of grovelling cause my boy is fighting for his life there
okay i saw this yesterday and started replying and tumblr app crashed. this is too relatable to me but i am charles. picturing like a high maintenance rich girlie who knows what she wants ok. i love this and just brain rotted 1.5k about it so im adding a read more. this is a mess sorryyy
i can see him dating someone for the convenience of it. it started off really casual, hookups every now and again when he was in town. then the question he always hates hearing, the dreaded what are we? comes and he uses the same recycled answer, what do you want us to be? and then runs with whatever they say. he likes her company, he'd consider her a good friend, but he understands why she wants more than just texts when he's in town asking if she's free.
six months after that conversation, near the end of the season, he gets asked about the plans for the upcoming break and the next season. next season is definitely the priority right now. i'd like to be fighting for the championship again next year. they ask about break again and if he has plans with his girlfriend, the one who has been attending every race as of late, and he says yeah i'm sure we'll find something to do... haven't made any plans yet. i know i'll be at the factory a lot, like i said, next season is the priority, so we'll have to work around my schedule. charles doesn't realize how selfish he sounds, next season is the priority, so we'll need to work around my schedule, how disinvested in his relationship he sounds. every other racer with a partner has been talking about romantic getaways to aspen or bali, and charles sounds like he's forgotten he's spending his first christmas with his girlfriend.
she realizes though, she hears the disinterest in his voice when he talks about not working, and the way he gets excited talking about the next season. she had been excited for the break and getting to spend time with him, she wanted to go spend christmas with his family or stay at his place and have their own private celebration. she has tricked herself into thinking they'd be laid up in bed for days on end, not her sitting around while he works. she kind of backs off, she'd planned on staying with him for the last few races but after hearing the way he waves off the idea of spending time with her, she decides she'll give him the space he so clearly desires to work.
when they're in vegas, two races left to go, carlos asks him what he's getting her for christmas, and it dawns on him he hasn't thought about it. he says he's still thinking, doesn't know how much money he can spend on her, he doesn't want to over do it. it sounds like a romantic answer, like he wants to buy her a diamond ring, but he's worried he'll scare her off. the reality is, he's bought presents for everyone else in his life and somehow forgotten her.
the realization that he loves her comes when he's out shopping for her gift and nothing is right. he's thinking he doesn't know what she likes because everything he looks at, he imagines her opening the wrapping paper and being disappointed. the chanel bags he got past girlfriends wouldn't do because she loves exclusivity. she loves going with him all over the world and shopping while he works, going to lavish antique stores and buying vintage clothes and jewelry for exuberant prices. she had contacts all over the world looking for antiques she has her eye on, vintage fashion or rare scandinavian furniture made by someone with a name he can't pronounce or spell. almost everything she owns is one of a kind, or vintage fashion that she paid hundreds or thousands of dollars for. he passively thinks that's why he loves her, then stumbles back over that thought and realizes that he knows her much better than he thought, and that's why none of the gifts were good enough.
he tries buying her clothes from a designer he likes, then remembers she wears archival pieces. he goes for blankets, all women love blankets, and remembers she only likes real wool blankets (she carries one with her when she travels, because hotel blankets will not do) and the store he's shopping at doesn't carry them. she likes a very specific set of body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion that all smell like mint and eucalyptus, and a signature perfume. he doesn't know the name of either. he knows what they smell like, like it's the laundry detergent he grew up with. he could recognize it anywhere, but he doesn't fancy walking up and down aisles opening bottles to smell them when it's probably a hidden luxury brand that is only sold in a single store in a different country, knowing her.
he doesn't remember her favorite song or artist, so he doesn't even think about getting a signed album or anything like he's done for other people. he knows she has an affinity for chopin and loves it when charles plays piano for him, but he doesn't know what he could gift her based on that knowledge. he tries buying her art from a gallery, but none if it seems to suit her. he knows she loves basquiat and has a painting over her bed, professionally mounted so it can't fall off when he rocks the bed into the wall. the art he peruses doesn't compare. he wanders into numerous antique shops, hoping to find some old furniture from one of the designers she admires, but he doesn't know how to spot the rarities like she does. he'd probably buy her an ikea dining table thinking it's hans olsen.
the realization that nothing is good enough for her because he loves her is confusing for him. he realizes he hadn't put enough thought into past gifts. he knows his friends and family well enough that he bought them thoughtful gifts without thinking. he would just see things and know they would love them. but with his new girlfriend, he spent the entire relationship not realizing how much he cared about her. any past girlfriend he just gifted expensive purses, jewelry, shoes. he wants to get her something that shows how much he loves her, in the same way he was looking for his mother's gift all year until he finally something he knows she would cherish for the rest of her life.
he ends up buying a painting he thinks is perfect, until he presents the canvas to her. he wanted to have it hung and surprise her with it, but she'd probably want to pick where it hangs so he hides it in her apartment until christmas day, and kind of pretends not to have gotten her anything. there's a single present under their tree, one from her to him. she tries not to think about it, in the days leading up to christmas, when she sees the blank space under the tree and wonders if she shouldn't have gotten him anything. then christmas morning they're lounging on the couch and she tries to sound casual when she asks if he wants to open his present, and he says he wants to give her hers first. he disappears into one of the spare rooms and returns with a frame facing him. he tells her to close her eyes and then open them a moment later.
he immediately thinks he did something wrong because she cries, and he's oh so carefully setting the artwork down and rushing to her, kneeling in front of her and asking if she's okay as she cries into her hands. she's still thinking about how he brushed off their relationship and said the season was the priority, then he buys her the painting that got her into art? it wasn't anything special he thought, he just reached out to a private art dealer one night and asked if they had anything similar to pieces he knew she owned. it was coincidental that it was a piece she'd been looking for since she started collecting art. he had a name that people knew, and money that people wanted, so when he made an offer, they were happy to make a deal with the ferrari driver.
i don't wanna get angsty but she tells him how she feels, how he's been dismissive, says his words from months ago back to him and says she doesn't get why he would get her a gift like that if she isn't a priority. she tells him the gift is too much if all he wants is something casual, she can't accept it if it doesn't mean anything to him because it means everything to her. and charles is like, kind of relieved, because he thought she hated it and he can totally deal with her loving it too much. he quickly assures her it means as much to him, apologizes for not being enough for her, for not realizing how much he cared about her and for not showing it the way he should have. he was so caught up in winning that he didn't realize that he had someone to come home to that made him feel better than crossing the finish line.
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daisymylove · 7 months
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Sword catcher spoilers, speculations and theories about "Ragpicker King" and some ramblings ahead, proceed at your own discretion.
So I'm 90% sure Vienne is alive and we will find it out when lin comes to the palace to treat her
She has an official art and there was a whole snippet about her, I don't see the point of making all that fuss about a character that was going to have three interactions with Kel (speaking of which, I kind of shipped them even tho I know ana will be his end game 👉🏻👈🏻 am I the only one?), kill some random guys and bite the dust. On top of that her arc was about to get so interesting. She is a trained assassin, oath bound to protect this little girl, whom she loves deeply, until she dies, but then her charge was murdered, and her life's mission came crashing down on her. The angst, the potential.Her dying would be a huge waste.
I don't question Jolivet's loyalty, at least not now, but Markus is not a mentally stable person (btw whats up with him? does anyone have a theory?).I think he lied she was dead bc markus may have killed her otherwise and, as dangerous as she is, Vienne may be more useful to them alive than dead with the possibility of a war looming over.I also don't discard the possibility that he may have personal ties to vienne and/or her family. The whole covering her with his cape could have been a show of respect for the black guard if she's really dead, like kel thought, but compounding with the fact that, even tho she charged on conor, jolivet did nothing to either stop or harm her, it struck me as oddly affectionate. Anyone can correct me if im wrong, but I dont remember kel mentioning anything about an accent, which makes me assume she speaks their language on a native level, so there's that
One thing I didn't like was that this trained bad ass assassin was completely unarmed during such an important event.Kel is always armed, even when impersonating conor he had a dagger on his person. Granted, it's easier to conceal weapons on male attire, but it would've been more realistic if she'd had at least one dagger, had been forced to use it and thus was left unarmed. Its not enough to tackle all those guys, as kel himself thought, but she wouldn't have been helpless.
I'm also 90% sure Lin and conor are going to have sex on a beach, I'm willing to bet money on it.I've read way too many books by Cc to not recognize her foreshadowing. Besides, she's fond of writing sex scenes on peculiar locations.
The "yes I'm the goddess come back" may have been scheming on Lin's part (loved that btw) but I'm sure she actually is the goddess come back. She will also be queen, as the prophecy foretells. Charlon saying to luisa "dance for your future court", but Lin ending up being the one to actually dance also reeks of foreshadow.
Now to the ragpicker king, we know almost nothing about andreyen and I have a lot of speculations. First I thought he was the Makabi, what about the ragpicker being a figure that has always existed in Castellane, his symbol being a bird and his having a bowl that allegedly belongs to makabi's lineage. But when he said ragpicker king is a title, which he inherited from another, I put it in the back burner (it hasn't been discarded tho, im not discarding anything for now and he would hardly tell kel "yo I'm this immortal entity and have been forging my death over and over for centuries" if that were the case) in favour of thinking he's the Maharam's exiled son. He's the right age and it makes sense for a boy that has been shunned by everyone and left to fend for himself to turn to crime.
What has been nagging at me, on the other hand, is that he matches Lin's vision of Suleman from her dreams. Pale, tall, handsome, long black hair and when his eyes were going to be described the dream was conveniently interrupted. I'm not saying he is suleman for sure, idk how that would work in practical terms -- is he an immortal and suleman never actually died at the sundering? unlikely, considering Lins dream and how vivid it was. Is he a reincarnation? Under that line of thinking he could be both the exiled boy AND suleman on a single person -- and he could have no relation to him whatsoever, the physical resemblance being just a coincidence (but really?) and I'm just crazy.His interest in the stone and magic in general checks out for both suleman and exiled son, so it isn't really an indicator.
I rather liked andreyen, merren and Ji an, tho, I really don't want him to be the bad guy, but as previously said I'm not discarding anything.It seems pretty obvious to me that he wants to use lin and her abilities in some way, much like he has a use for kel, but that doesn't necessarily mean he has nefarious goals or anything
I think Anjelica, Aimada, the malgasi princess whose name I don't remember now and the prince with the huge bank account will make appearances, they have been mentioned way too much to not feature at all
and what was that dream kel had with fire and phoenixes? There's something there, I can feel it
anyway, that's what I have so far
as a side note, I'm a bit drunk and haven't proofread this properly (i never do when writing on this blog tho, sorry lol), hope its coherent enough
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thegreatnterrible · 9 months
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Could you possibly write a fluff alphabet for doe?
John Doe’s fluff alphabet!
I was glad to write this one for my beloved Doe :)
♡ A — activities
He loves going on picnics with you. He finds something unreal exciting in nature around him, especially at night. You don't go for walks during the day; he doesn't really like the heat and the sun. Doe dreams of lying in the grass with you on a summer evening, watching the birds. Also, he just melts when you play with his hair, run your hands into it and scratch his scalp. At this moment, your entire wrist is deep in black curls.
Bonus: Doe plays with butterflies like a kitten every time he sees them. Watch your child carefully so that he does not swallow the butterfly (he always tries to).
But Doe is also a fan of staying home and cuddling in bed/on the couch all day. He will never get bored.
♡ B — beauty
He adores you all. Especially in his weird way when you're dirty and disheveled. Doe pays the most attention to your eyes. He does not understand human non-verbal communication or the meaning of gestures or movements, but he understands everything from your eyes.
Doe does not pay much attention to his appearance, but out of great love, he allows you to do so. He behaves like a good boy when once a month you persuade him to brush his hair. In return, he demands a sweet kiss, a chocolate medal (he likes to gnaw the foil) and cute hair clips.
♡ C — comfort
Will not leave you a single step when you’re upset. And it will take a couple of hours after you calm down to make sure that you are absolutely fine. Usually, his way of comforting you is a tight hug and a lying position. Also, be prepared for a billion questions, because he will not rest until he is sure that everything is fine.
"Are you okay? Is everything alright? Is this normal for humans? Yeah? Everything is good? Well. Are you telling the truth? Is everything DEFINITELY normal? You aren’t sad?"
♡ D — dreams
Doe has not yet integrated into society enough to get the concept of plans for the future. His plans are usually either very short-term, for example, he plans to look out the window tomorrow morning, or they are too delayed, like "we will be together all our lives, yes, for a hundred years together."
♡ E — equal
He is indeed more active in the relationship, but not dominant. For Doe, it is more convenient to rely on your rules in the relationship and trust your management. At the same time, he actively performs executive work.
♡ F — fight
Doe doesn't take offense for anything longer than three seconds. Also, he practically does not argue with you, he is too afraid to upset you.
The only thing that can make him angry and worried is when you deny your relationship or refuse him. But he will not argue, he firmly believes that things are as he sees them, and no other way.
♡ G — gratitude
Doe appreciates anything you do. And his reaction is always equally exaggerated, he squeals with joy when you simply kiss him on the cheek or take his hand.
♡ H — honesty
Doe doesn't fully understand what a secret is and why he has to hide something, so he usually says even more than you want to know.
♡ I — inspiration
Thanks to you, he learns to understand human habits and human norms. So you explained to him why stalking someone is not acceptable, why stabbing someone is dangerous, and now you are teaching him the alphabet and writing.
bonus headcanon: Doe is ambidextrous, able to write with both left and right hands.
♡ J — jealousy
Doe doesn't know what that feeling is, the closest he can describe it is "I get angry when someone is standing next to you." He would never suspect you of cheating, but he will always be jealous of other people who talk to you/touch you. Doe realizes that you have your own life and other people besides him and he doesn't really want to be the only person in your life and force you, but he definitely gets nervous when someone talks to you.
♡ K — kiss
Doe never kissed before he met you. He doesn't know any techniques, doesn't know where to put his hands or how to move his tongue. But he always kisses as if it is the last kiss in his life — and this passion of his really hits you to the core and makes your heart skip a beat. He's barely breathing, kissing on the last breath, his mouth is too hot, he's drooling too much and clinging to every part of the body within his reach.
Your first kiss was like two third graders who had just discovered what a kiss was and decided to give it a try.
Doe just leaned closer to you while you watched TV. And he froze. His eyes almost beg you to guess his intentions and take the first step. Yours and Doe's lips just touch for a couple of seconds, his lips are incredibly hot and dry for some reason.
♡ L — love confession
He never really stops confessing. Doe tells you that he loves you from the first day of acquaintance and does not stop for a day, declaring his love at suitable and not moments.
♡ M — marriage
Doe hardly understands what marriage is, but he definitely wants to marry you. He is the type of person who on the first day of a relationship has already chosen a beautiful white wedding dress.
♡ N — nicknames
Top choices are Love, Darling and Dear.
You also talked him out of the most disturbing names, such as: doll, cutie pie, cupcake, pumpkin and others.
After Doe watched romantic French films, the name "mon cher" appeared in the lexicon.
♡ O — on Cloud Nine
The fact that Doe fell in love is always obvious. Obvious to everyone, always and immediately. And you can't stop him. Especially to stop him from saying it every four seconds.
♡ P — PDA
Talking about your relationship is his favorite topic. Doe wears an "I love y/n" t-shirt and this is a fact that is 100% confirmed. Social norms are too complex and new for him to understand, and he always wants to kiss and touch you, so everything here will be at the choice of his partner. Doe respects any of your boundaries and wouldn't go for a kiss if you didn't want to.
But he absolutely cannot walk without holding your hand.
(or at least sticking his finger in the belt loop of your jeans)
♡ Q — quirk
You won't find anyone as interested in a relationship as Doe. Literally. He will do everything for you and thank you for giving him the opportunity to serve you.
♡ R — romance
Once he gave you a bouquet of flowers with the note "I know where you live" attached to it. I think this sentence says it all.
♡ S — support
Doe ignores the fact that you have a life apart from him, but he still sincerely wishes you success and supports you in everything, even if he does not understand why you need it.
He is not very happy that you work at a gas station, but on your lunch break he always comes here and brings you sandwiches (two pieces of bread on which he tried to draw hearts with red jam, or whatever substance it might be, you will never guess what ingredients Doe chose today)
♡ T — thrill
No, he will definitely not get bored in a relationship. Doe could do the same thing with you every day and he would never get bored.
But Doe quite likes it when you show him some common human things that he's never had. Going to an amusement park or going rollerblading gives him so many new emotions that he recovers after that for a couple of weeks. Thus, he had an existential crisis for a whole month after going to the cinema for the first time to see a 3D movie.
♡ U — understanding
Doe is not very empathetic toward other people. I think that society did not treat him very well, because to ordinary passersby he is just a weirdo and a creep. Therefore, he usually does not like strangers and would never worry about their problems.
But he is too sensitive about you. He worries about you, takes any problem seriously, and gets worried too much when you just cut your finger while turning the page of a book.
Also, Doe is addicted to knowing every little detail about you. As soon as he learned to write, he got himself a notebook to write down all the little things about you, but later it became unnecessary, he remembers everything anyway, so marking it down is unnecessary work.
♡ V — value
A relationship with you comes first. He doesn't have to work or even clean the room he lives in, so he has no other business than being your partner. He is not interested in anything in life other than this.
♡ W — wild card
Doe loves when you braid his hair and weave flowers into his curls. And he likes when you paint his nails black. Godheneedsomeonetotakecareofhim.
♡ X — xoxo
VERY affectionate. VERY.
He loves and needs it always and everywhere. Doe can't go walking without your hand in his, he can't sleep without you in bed, he isn't so happy to watch TV without you.
♡ Y — yearning
Doe begins to miss you in the fourth minute of your absence. For five minutes, he goes crazy without you. Ten minutes later, he puts up posters saying "MISSING. My partner. Have you seen this person? Identifying characteristics: the most beautiful creature in the world"
It was a big problem before you explained to him what a phone was. Doe is much more relaxed when he can call you at any minute, and he also likes to send you tons of messages. And, of course, he takes pictures of you all the time. He is proud to have an album with photos of you sleeping.
♡ Z — zeal
Doe does not think far ahead, but he has confidence that you will always be together.
And today, he always imagines how he will spend tomorrow with you.
✧ - - - - - - - - - - -
Thanks for reading! Open requests.
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le-panda-chocovore · 8 months
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"Say" Karma asks with his eternal strawberry milk in hand "are you a cat person or a dog person ?"
Gakushuu doesn't even bother to look at him. It's been month now that Akabane daily hangs around him, starts absurd conversation just for the love of it, and jumps on every single occasion to compete with him. Gakushuu is kinda used to it now, but he has yet developed a skill to fully ignore the boy.
"I'm a cat person myself, you know. I think cats suit you too."
Gakushuu doesn't answer, even if he knows that he eventually will have to. Akabane never gives up with his weird questions. He's only putting things off.
"Well I guess dogs are more convenient to you, since you love giving orders and everything. I mean, you're a leader, you want loyalty, dogs are great with that."
Gakushuu sighs. He's only trying to eat his bento in peace, but peace is a complicated things to reach when Akabane Karma is in your life.
"Are you going to write an essay about wether dogs or cats are more suits to me ?"
"Well I would if you don't answer, I have to make my own conclusion. So, dogs or cats ?"
".... Neither."
Karma rolls his eyes and puts his drink down on Asano's desk. Because of course he was sitting in front of him, he specifically came to disturb Gakushuu during the lunch break. It began a month after the start of the school year. At first it was one day every two weeks, then one per week, then three, then every day. The whole class was also used to it now, the weird rivalry-friendship-flirtous relation they have. Gakushuu still finds that annoying.
"You can't say that ! If you have to choose between a dog or a cat, what would you take ?"
"I don't know. Does it matter? I don't have a preference."
"Of course it matters !! How can you say something so stupid ?! It means everything ! It kinda define your personality but go off I guess !"
As usual, Akabane is dramatic. Gakushuu sighs again. Why such a fuss about a simple question ?
"I have never had a pet." He doesn't even know why he tries to explain himself. Isn't he allowed to just not have a preference? "I don't know what they're like."
"What ? How could you nev- Oh. Yeah. I guess your dad isn't the type to offer you a cat for Christmas."
"No, he really isn't." But the mental image makes him smile. Internally, of course. Can't be seen showing emotions when Akabane's looking.
"Well you don't need to actually have a pet to know which one you prefer. Imagine, a few years in the future, you live in your own apartment and you have a good job and enough money. You can do whatever you want, even adopt a pet. What would you choose then ?"
Asano thinks about it, he even stops eating to visualize the picture. What would he choose, if he can have anything ?
"I don't know."
"Asano."
"What ? I really don't ! Why should I like one better than the other ?"
Abakane seemed genuinely exasperated, he couldn't believe what he heard. How can a person not have a preference! It's a crime ! He should put the strawberry blonde under arrest, but he isn't a cop, and Gakushuu would probably be out in a matter of hours. He's way too perfect to stay in jail.
"Look at that" Karma shows him his phone, "and tell me that does nothing to you !"
It's a picture of a black and white cat stretching. Gakushuu looks unimpressed, which only increases Akabane's outrage. The red-haired boy keeps scrolling his phone to shows pictures and video of cats and kittens, trying to get a reaction from Asano. But the only thing Gakushuu does, beside frowning, is commenting a simple "okay I guess."
"YOU HEARTLESS BASTARD, THE FUCK YOU MEAN 'OKAY I GUESS' ????"
"Don't yell and don't swear."
He realized then that the whole class -more precisely the remaining students who don't eat at the cafeteria- were listening, and now looking at them. Hell he hates when Akabane makes a scene like this.
"Those are the most beautiful and cute and perfect creatures that have ever existed, and you DARE to say that they're only okay ???? What kind of psychopath are you !?"
"It's a pet Akabane. Besides, between us, you're the psycho one."
"A pet- A PET HE SAID. CATS ARE FUCKING GODS AN-"
"Oh my god, shut up, will you ? I didn't said I don't like cats, I just... I don't know."
It's Karma's turn to sigh. The boy is looking at him as if he was an alien inable to communicate with a human language. Gakushuu stares back. He isn't the weird one, he convinces himself, there's no problem in not liking pets.
"So dogs it is then ?"
"Well, uh... Not really. I don't particularly like dogs either."
That's when Ren joined the conversation. He hands his own phone which shows the Instagram page of one of his friend. A girl and her dog running in the snow. It was a pretty cute picture.
"Here, what do you think about it ?" Ren asks with a fake innocentsmile. He is clearly up to something and Asano doesn't like that. He feels like they're making an alliance against him. Akabane lean toward them to see the picture and Asano's reaction.
"Hm" said Gakushuu after looking at the screen for 5 long seconds. Ren laughed, Gakushuu frowns, and Karma protests.
"The FUCK you mean-"
"Stop swearing I said. You're insufferable."
"And you're fucking weird. How can you not react ? Do you have a heart ?"
Asano shrugs. He takes his bento and starts eating again, ignoring the look everyone is giving to him. Honestly, he's kinda satisfied to see the annoying human nuisance sighs. Karma seems desperate and the fact that the roles are reversed is extremely funny to him.
"You cannot not love pets." Karma groans.
"Well, obviously I can."
Ren gets closer with his chair and puts his own food on Asano's desk.
"You're neither a cat or a dog person but there must be a pet you like." He assumes with a thoughtful face.
"What are you doing ?" Gakushuu stares with murderous eyes. His childhood friend laughed it off nervously.
"I'm just curious ! I never got to know your favourite animal, that's all."
"Maybe I don't have one."
"That's sad" points out Akabane. "Or maybe you love hamster but you're ashamed of it."
This time Gakushuu sighs again. He sighs often when Akabane is around, and that means everyday since the beginning of the year.
"Well a little mouse maybe ?"
"No" Asano deadpans.
"Ew" Sakakibara comments.
"They're cute tho," Karma protests. "Wait I'm showing you a picture."
"My sister has an hamster." claims Koyama while handing his own phone.
Asano looks at it but doesn't say anything, fully aware that everyone was waiting for him to react. It's not that he dislikes being when people stares at him, they always do, but he isn't the kind of person who talk about themself. His father always reminds him to give private information carefully because we never know what people might do with that. And, well, he's father is not the best role model, but it's the only one he has.
However, the main problem right know is that Asano really doesn't know what pet he likes. Cats and hamsters and dogs may indeed be cute if you take the definition of the word, he can see that, but he doesn't feel any particular affection toward them by looking at those pictures.
"Well ?" asks Karma, staring at him curiously as if he's trying to read his soul -and he probably is.
"What ?" Asano really has nothing to say, and it shows. "Well, it's alive."
"Gods can you hear yourself ? You're the worst human alive." Karma takes back his strawberry milk and starts drinking obnoxiously.
"We should try mice then" Akira proposes. "You said you'd show a picture Akabane."
The cat lover looks up to him but before he could answer, another students appeared next to Asano's desk. Apparently, their classmates, who listened to the entire conversation since the beginning, took the Virtuosos' intervention as an autorization to join the debate as well. The most brave of them, a blonde girl with round glasses, gives her phone to Asano to show him a picture of three little mice.
"Th-their names are Iku, Aki and Uka" she mumbles.
"Oh. Well... Okay ?"
Akabane slams his drink against the desk.
"That fucking 'okay' again, is that the only word you know ?"
"I don't know what you're expecting from me !!" Gakushuu finally snaps.
"A fucking human reaction ! Is that too much to ask ?? When I look at cats, I'm like 'awwwwwww so cute I want to adopt them and cuddle them and feed them' but YOU don't give a shit about those little fluffy angels and I don't know how you can be so heartless !! Do you ever feel anything ? Are you a robot ?"
"I do feel things, thanks" Asano grunts. "I'm just not a pet person."
"All pets are differents, there's plenty races of cats and dogs. Maybe you could like one." Sakakibara fully ignores the deathly glare Asano has and keeps going. "Like a golden retriever and a bulldog are nothing alike."
After those words, in a matter of three minutes, the whole class gather around the poor student representative to show every pictures of their pets. There are plenty of cats and dogs from all races and age and Asano quickly lose control of the situation (not like he ever had it in the first place). He doesn't know where to look at, he's fully surrounded and is forced to stop eating again.
Despite that, he still doesn't really react to what he sees, and Akabane is know completly convinced that his rival is a future serial killer. Asano tries to reach his bestfriend for help, but Sakakibara is too busy trying to not laugh to hard to do anything. Betrayed by his right hand man, Asano turns toward the other Virtuosis, but they're no help either.
And that is the moment when the teacher comes back to class, only to see his students all gathered around Gakushuu's desk with their phones out.
Gakushuu is of course the first one to notice, and immediately stands up to greet him and to tell everyone to go back to their place. They groan but obey. Except, of course, Akabane.
"What happened here ?" Asks the teacher out of curiosity.
"Asano said he never had a pet before so we're trying to guess what he could like."
Gakushuu glares at Karma, who shrugs with a smile.
"He said he's neither a cat or dog person" Karma continues, "but he must be something."
Asano expected the teacher to dismiss the boy for starting irrelevant conversation, and to remind the class to stay serious about the work and everything. He certainly didn't expected him to hum with an amused smile and to answer "I knew someone once who had a bird pet. Do you like feathers Asano-kun ?"
He really doesn't expect that. What was he even supposed to answer ? And why was the teacher joining the circus ?
"I... Don't think so ? Birds are louds." Gakushuu explains finally, but he doesn't seem really sure about that. Karma notices and grins when he gets up to go back to his own desk.
"I guess they are." The teacher opens his binder to the lesson he prepared. "Well, you guys should talk about this outside of class hours. Let's continue where we stopped..."
Gakushuu is clearly relieved to go back to a serious subject appropriate for school. Little does he know that Akabane has no intention to stop this debate.
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Got some more questions
1: I know you said Lois and dick definitely would say no to tattoos but what about those stick on tattoos that disappears after a couple of days or goes away when underneath water?
2: let’s say you were writing a manga/comic series about the duo, how would the series end? Happy ending, bittersweet?
3: besides comic books, do they read other types of books?, like goosebumps, diary of a wimpy kid, maybe captain underpants, etc…
4: does the duo create an in-universe comic about them and share it to the world?
5: is the comic series, war of the Superman/new krypton canon to your universe? Like Chris getting aged up and down, thara sacrifices herself to stop a red sun, etc…
1. Now those tattoos are acceptable. Here’s where also Dick and Lois differ in their approaches; Dick will allow Jake those tattoos along as the image is relatively appropriate for the public as he doesn’t want his boy to get into trouble with his school teachers and staff. Lois meanwhile is fairly lenient with whatever of those tattoos Chris wears since she can admit to having less “appropriate” ones she wore herself back in the day.
2. A happy enough sort of ending that implies future adventures to come for the two, whether it be a mere few in universe days later or probably picking up their story years later with them grown up. They remain friends and allies no matter what, any character development arcs and directions being fulfilled through the story having merit for both future expansion and as reference for any sort of sequel series. I can see also any of the more sympathetic or at least compelling antagonists the two faced in this series having been changed by their various encounters with our heroes, leading to them returning in a sequel series, possibly as allies, either genuine or of convenience.
3. Oh for sure when they were younger, Captain Underpants was one of their go to book series. As they grew older, the Duo diversified their reading levels and portfolios though in differing directions. For example, Chris found himself draw to nonfiction almanacs, factbooks and other encyclopedias about various subjects he’s into ranging from the modern history of countries around the world to the eras of prehistoric life. By contrast, Jake looks up old classic fictional literature that are usually considered ‘grown up’ for his age but nonetheless he can enjoy. As of this writing, he’s currently midway through Charles Dickens’ ‘Oliver Twist’ after just finished with Ouida’s ‘A Dog of Flanders’
4. I can see them giving that a try given Jake being inspired by the aforementioned literary classics and Chris also having some impressive art skills of his own despite a lack of true training. They’d mostly based the stories they draw based on their own daily lives, both in and out of the costume, even basing some characters especially super villains based on their cranky, kill joy school teachers. They just pray to God, Rao and X’hal that those villains don’t become a reality because otherwise, it’ll just be plain freaky and scary
5. Only tiny elements from that arc are adapted into this canon continuity, mainly the existence of New Krypton and Thara Ak Var being present albeit being a preteen more or less about Chris’ age. Aside from Chris and Thara being younger and attending school together, the main divergence comes from the fact both New Krypton and Earth in general have more stable and warm relations between their peoples and ruling classes. It’s just Kryptonians rather prefer keeping to themselves from most Earth affairs unless it’s a crisis that affect both worlds, i.e. invasions from the likes of the Gordanians, Yellow Lanterns or even most likely Darksied and his army of Apokoliptan New Gods
(Phew) Took a while to get to these but It’s sure worth it my friend @gothicghost2000
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usuimisaki · 2 months
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Why do I like reading shoujo so much?
My first reaction is to deflect. That’s how society is. Adults write and write sordid stories about teenagers all the time, a la Gossip Girl and Euphoria. Furthermore, we live in a man’s world, and men gobble up stuff which is ostensibly for boys: superheroes and their ilk. But when women fangirl over stuff ostensibly for girls we’re belittled for being juvenile.
Even if it’s not an unusual problem, it still begs the question why. Why is the world so preoccupied with youth to the point that they have characters who are literal minors? I’ve actually read and enjoyed multiple josei works, but they’ve never inspired the type of hyperfixation that shoujo manga has inspired. Josei and seinen are complex and messy. I accept that messiness. But with shoujo like KWMS and GSNK things are simpler. There’s more room to play. The characters, no matter how developed, are still literally undeveloped. This can inspire future fic of what the characters will be like as adults. It also makes them more malleable. High schoolers exist in a liminal space. They can go anywhere, be anything. They have choices and the freedom to take those choices in hand.
Adult manga (not sexually explicit, but dealing with adulthood) is about limits. The characters are getting old. They’re leaving dreams behind. They’re settling in their careers or accepting that their relationships aren’t ideal. They’re compromising—because reality. Besides romance and friends, they also have to deal with a job and taking care of their parents and/or taking care of kids. I love these kinds of stories because they are a mirror of my own life, or things that I can realistically imagine having to deal with.
My high school days are behind me, and I have to say, I didn’t enjoy them that much. The teenage dramas I read about are less a reminder of my high school days than a high school fantasy—one where school is more of a background than a concern and parents hardly even make an appearance.
Contrast this to office worker josei. Even the most sexually explicit manga where you’d think the office space is just a convenient setting always has some office drama which is ultimately about worker competency. Love is Hard for Otaku is mostly about dating and being an otaku, but fitting into office culture and being competent at your job is inseparable part of it as well.
KWMS is actually fairly complex for shoujo. It acknowledges that some students have financial difficulties and it has Misaki compete with Usui academically and studying for college entrance exams is a big plot line, but most of the time she’s more concerned about school council activities in a hyperbolic manner. And despite the series being about the contrast between being a school president and a maid, more of the storylines center on her part-time job at the maid cafe. She enters into a relationship with a rich foreigner with a tragic backstory which causes them to have to endure a long-distance relationship. But somehow they overcome all of that. And Misaki’s family’s dire financial straits get resolved even before she marries into the .01%.
GSNK though? Those kids must all be frickin’ rich. They never seem to have any concerns about having money to go out to a cafe, buy manga, or buy clothes. Kashima is the only one with a job, and she’s probably just working there because the cafe needs staff. There’s maybe one chapter where three not-so-great students try to study together with poor results—but since these students aren’t very academically focused, it’s just played off for laughs. The best student (Kashima) also has some of the least common sense. The one with the actual least common sense (Wakamatsu) is the second best student out of the cast. The only time we’ve seen parents are when it was played for laughs how Nozaki could live away from home because 1) he had his own money and 2) he knew how to cook, though he was lacking in 3) romantic experience.
Shoujo is about the possibility of love, and that when you do fall in love, that it’s going to last a lifetime. It’s about one true pairings.
Josei is about navigating new relationships with the scars of your previous relationships. One of my favorite josei series, Kimi was Petto, is all about that. It’s about the uncertainty that the relationship you’re in is good enough to stand the test of time, the realities of finances, career, social pressure, familial acceptance, and sense of self.
Shoujo hardly ever touches on those topics, preferring to create a love triangle for manufactured conflict. Again, KWMS is a bit of an exception. There’s definitely the love triangle aspect because you need to look at the different possibilities without, like, having had those other possibilities, but it does at least address class differences and different family culture and how that can lead to social pressure for college and career paths (which is why Usui goes to college in the UK and Misaki feels like she needs to get into a more competitive college). In the meantime, Tsubaki-sensei has acknowledged her fans’ with for an endless summer, so that Hori will never graduate and go to college—which is kind of odd, considering that there’s a college so local that they work at the same cafe as Kashima. But still, if Hori were to be a college student, then he wouldn’t haunt the hallways of Roman Academy or be able to interact with Kashima in drama club.
So let’s get to the gist of it. Why do I write smut with high school characters. Well, I love these characters. And they’re in high school. And I’m a sucker for canon. So it makes sense to set these sex scenes in high school. It’s not that I’ve never aged up these characters, but when I do I run into problems, like the fact that Misaki and Usui don’t live in same country. Or that Hori and Kashima are actually dealing with some actual drama about their future careers and how to define a relationship. Or they have kids, which are a huge impediment to having sex.
I recently read about centering lives around friendship instead of romantic relationships, and what it is that creates barriers for friendships, platonic or not. You need to have time and a shared space and touch. Two of the three are really easy to come by in school, where you don’t just spend 8 hours a day kind of goofing off on your parents’ dime, but you also live close together. Not to dismiss the huge pressure some students have to study and get into an elite college, but you do have more free time on your hands as a student, just because you don’t have to spend that time paying bills or cleaning your own house. I really don’t know how Nozaki does it.
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tragedy-peanut-gallery · 10 months
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How do you think myriah and daeron fell in love?
Ohhh this is a really fun question! Honestly when it comes to these two I think it was less this instant moment and more like a slow burn timeline- and because I have a lot of thoughts on them that might become a lot of incoherent rambling I’m gonna put it under the cut here for convenience lol-
So from what little info we know+ a bit of guesswork, it’s clear that Daeron and Myriah most likely weren’t in love at first sight given the general circumstances as to why they were getting married lol. In the beginning they’re respectful to one another, but distant and untrusting due to preconceived biases. They get to know each other on a surface level just so they aren’t complete strangers to one another cause Daeron definitely doesn’t know how to properly interact with any woman besides his mom, and Myriah’s more than a little suspicious that this white boy’s going to end up being a prick like his dad (and surprise! They may or may not bond over mutual hatred for Aegon)
Around the time Baelor’s born and the other Baelor kicks the bucket though, I could see some walls slowly breaking down as they learn to trust one another. After all, Daeron’s now in the direct line of succession with the expectation that he and Myriah raise a future heir to the iron throne, and you can’t exactly raise a kid together without trusting your partner who’s helping you raise them (well… technically you can- but you know what I mean). So around the reign of Viserys II, I could see them becoming at the very least co-parents for their kids with a bit of affection thought to be friendship for one another sprinkled in for flavour.
When Aegon IV takes over however, that’s when the dynamic changes a bit. Now they’re no longer just the other parent for their kids- now they have to work as a team in a court that’s mostly hostile to them both. They have to be a united front, to be the perfect successors and the better alternative to the asshole currently sitting on the throne, so they definitely got each other’s backs (which is a bit of a fact! Seeing as from what we know Daeron he was a bit of a thorn in his dad’s side when it came to Aegon’s schemes, particularly the ones concerning Dorne). But that’s just generally a given, I think what really got them to slowly fall for one another was the moments alone with one another in between, where they could just be together without every move being a deliberate political statement to a constant watching eye.
By the time Daeron himself becomes king, I think they’re still definitely a team, but more partners who genuinely care and love for each other based on their slow bond. Unfortunately they can’t really be equals, since nobles might take it less as “Oh they want to have a joint rule together, that’s nice :)” and more “!!this evil horrible snake is controlling her husband like a puppet!!1!1!1”, so while Myriah’s not going to sit on the iron throne or anything like that, I’d like to think she’s one of Daeron’s most trusted advisors and generally helped him rule the realm without putting herself too much out there. Also, I’ve seen this take get tossed around a little bit but I wanna put it here anyways- I definitely think when their kids were old enough to have their own kids, they were the sweetest grandparents imaginable, those kids could get away with just about anything when it came to them lol.
Will Grrm inevitably ruin this and make it another toxic marriage disguised as a love story come Fire and Blood Vol. 2? Probably, but I’m still going to hold onto the hope that my boy doesn’t turn out to be a dickhead and actually loved his wife through mutual love and respect, no matter how weird he might be otherwise!
(Also I have a lot of headcanons for these two but I’m a bit worried that I rambled for a bit too much lol- thank you so much for the question!)
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smalltownfae · 1 year
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Rating: 5/5 ⭐
I expected to like this book and I am pleased to announce that I ended up loving it. If the rest of the series is this good it might end up being my second favourite series ever (only because I don't think any other will replace Realm of the Elderlings for me).
The book starts with the characters breaking out of a prison cell and then a fun adventure filled with magic, mystery, tricks and political intrigue begins. Even though the story seems just fun and light-hearted at first, it gets surprisingly emotional and dark at times. I got really into the book on chapter 8, when some dramatic scenes happen. I do prefer emotional books that are a bit dark so that is when I went from having fun to being in love with this one. The actual plot is revealed very slowly too. For almost half of the book I was left wondering what it was all about, but then the characters go to a different part of the world and bits and pieces of the political intrigue is revealed. Even if there is still a lot of questions left with no answers by the end of this first book.
The characters are great. Most of them are spies and the reader follows them as they try to gather information and rob a thing here and there and that is very fun, but there is also magic involved and the magic is also great.
Everyone seems to have their own life going on and they aren't just waiting for the plot to happen around them. By the end of the book my favourite character was probably Alec since he was the one that grew the most, but there are many characters I love here and I hope to see more of them.
I am still hoping to see some of the women that were introduced in this book to shine in the future since they didn't have the chance to do that much yet, even though I already love Beka. I definitely got the feeling that they will show up more and be more important to future plots.
At times there are some info dumps and random songs, but I like the songs in fantasy books and the info dumps weren't long enough to bore me much. Besides, they are done in a believable way since everything is new to Alec, who spent all his life so far in the north, so the reader is learning along with him about the more magical south.
The world-building is alright. There are some fantastical creatures like centaurs and a species that are kind of like elves. The magic is something that can be learned, but remains mostly mysterious (which is how I like it). There is one or two instances where the magic solution was too convenient, but I didn't mind it because I got too attached to these characters and I just wanted them to be safe.
There is one fun magic spell that reveals the kind of animal a person is and that scene was great, especially because our two not so straight main characters are an otter and a stag.
There is also creepy imagery in the dreams some of the characters have. Some of those dreams seem to be prophetic and I found all of that pretty interesting. There is also necromancy, which unfortunately wasn't explored that much here but I hope to see more of.
The book ends with some mysteries left to uncover and a prophecy that I am still trying to figure out so I will read the sequel as soon as I can.
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ungrateful-cyborg · 2 years
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FFXIVWrite2022 - Free entry
Prompt 25: Heresy Characters: The Advocate (much younger) & Ser Ompagne (Sidurgu’s and Fray’s master) Timeline: Before the Calamity, not long after Ser Ompagne became a Dark Knight
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"I tire of this farce. - Careful, young man. One might hear in those words a faint trace of heresy. - Then let them hear what they want."
Ser Ompagne didn't reply immediately, instead putting two cups of tea on the table before he sat in the opposite chair. It was quiet in his abode, far from the agitation of the barracks or the Brume, but everything in the small room reminded the young dragoon of the soldier Ser Ompagne used to be. It was too clean, too tidy... too ready for a sudden departure, for an emergency.
Then there was the sword. Gigantic, dark and so unlike those of the Temple Knights, it stood against the wall, defiant.
"Why are you telling me this? asked the older man after a long moment of silence. - Why are you showing me this sword? You knew I was coming, you had time to hide it. - It's merely a sword. - And I'm merely tired. - Fair enough." Ser Ompagne sipped his tea. "Allow me to rephrase my question, then. You've managed to become a Dragoon, a feat not given to many and a huge honor beside. I also know what happened to your parents all those years ago. You joined the army to clean your name, did you not? - Perhaps... - Then why does it sound like you've changed your mind after coming this far?"
The wood cracked in the fireplace and for a moment, Ompagne thought he wouldn't get any answer. That the young man would take his leave rather than giving him what he wanted. But he didn't, and the anger on his face, accentuated by the flicking light of the flame, was as hot as his voice was cold.
"The last dragon I killed wasn't even one. It was just a despaired idiot who drank their blood and took their form. I wasn't even meant to take care of him, but the main fight was over and the Temple Knights had their plate full already so I dealt with him myself. Then I looked over and what did I see? One officer from a minor house and plenty of lowborn risking their life to rise through the ranks and offer a better future for their family. Many of them dead, permanently crippled or pissing themselves in fear now that they had finally met a dragon. No highborn, and certainly no heir present to risk their limbs for Ishgard's sake. And yet they will have a banquet tonight to celebrate our victory, paid with our blood and taxes.
But we have plenty. Our mountains are rich with resources, we have bountiful fields and rivers rich with life. More than enough to convince other nations to help us, more than enough to not be on the defensive for once and actually attack Niddhog in his lair. Instead we're doing what we've always done, and we're losing. We're defending Ishgard. Meanwhile, those bloody dragons can chose whenever it is convenient for them to attack us.
And if any of us say anything, how long does it take before we're trialed for heresy? Not even half a day. We can't even raise our doubts without being branded traitors.
Well so be it. I have my doubts."
The young man rose his eyes to met Ompagne's, as if to defy him to defend the Church, but the knight only took a sip again.
"I don't think they care very much if we die or not. Not as long as they can act with impunity, he concluded before reaching for his own cup. - What will you do, then? - The same as you, if you're willing. - And if I refuse to teach you?"
The young man smirked.
"The same as you, just not as well."
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aeoki · 2 months
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SS Finals - Melee: Chapter 7
Location: Outside ES Dome Characters: Nagisa & Ibara
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Nagisa: …Hehe. You’re really conscious of Anzu-san, Ibara. I think it’s good to have a rival you can respect.
…I hope the “White Team and the “Red Team” can also have a friendly rivalry.
Ibara: It’ll probably be difficult… Eight or nine cases out of ten, we’ll most likely have internal conflicts on our side.
The stable “Red Team” will also most likely take the victory right under our noses while that’s happening.
The “Red Team” must have it nice… I bet they must be having a delightful meal together and deepening their friendship right now…
Nagisa: …I wonder about that. Eichi-kun is over there. He’s good at agitating the masses, but in a bad sense, he’s also a genius at stirring up trouble within his own circle.
Ibara: Surely His Eminence won’t do something as foolish as that during such an important event…
Ugh, our leadership skills will most likely be questioned if we lose.
Nagisa: …That would be a pressing issue. How can we get the entire “White Team” to follow our orders?
…I’d say the “gatekeeper” did a good job in that aspect despite breaking the rules as a result.
Ibara: Hmph. My granduncle would be completely unfazed even if he’s hated by idols.
But that’s different for us! We have to get along with the other ES idols in the future too!
We’ll be ostracised if we threaten them and make them surrender to us!
If the public discovers we did that, then it’ll most definitely be impossible for us to continue working as idols in the future!
Nagisa: …Yeah. Our positions are different from his.
…Even if someone questions the “gatekeeper” for a misdeed, then he can just send a substitute to the authorities.
Ibara: That’s what it means to be the mafia or yakuza. It seems everyone has misunderstood, but they’re not called the mafia because they do bad things.
They have the order the wrong way round. The mafia is the mafia because they ignore the law and do whatever they wish.
They have numerous convenient “substitutes” in the underworld who can receive the punishment for them in their stead.
Ordinary people who do exactly as they’re told when they’re cornered or foolish youth who give up their lives for some small change…
They’ll have plenty of those sorts of people to stand in for their arrest.
Even if they actually committed the crime, they’ll just present those people as the “criminal” to the authorities.
Those “substitutes” would be bound hand and foot by debt, threats, the law or obligations, and have their own thoughts taken away from them – they’re just consumables.
So even if those organisations or higher-ups are “arrested”, they won’t suffer any damage.
Those people will be cut off like a lizard tail while the bad guys continue to commit crimes with untainted records.
Nagisa: …I see. I’m not particularly interested in those sorts of topics, so thank you for explaining it in an easy to understand way, Ibara.
…I feel refreshed now that those hazy areas are now cleared.
…I had always wondered why there are people who continue to commit crimes.
…But they do it because they can ignore the law and do whatever they want.
…They’ll capture people they’ve threatened with money they gained through “crafty” means or violence to turn them into “substitutes”.
…The more “substitutes” the mafia has, the more chances they have to ignore the law and continue to commit crimes.
…So that’s the mafia. It’s an “evil circuit” they’re operating.
…How truly intriguing.
Ibara: …What’s intriguing is the fact that both teams have been assigned a “Support Idol”.
I wonder what these “Support Idols” are. Do you know anything?
There was definitely an alias listed on our team lineup sheet…
Nagisa: …Hmm. It seems the “Support Idol” for the “Red Team” is apparently the so-called super idol that’s still active, Seiya Hidaka-sensei.
Ibara: Well, well! I bet his son, Hokuto Hidaka, would be beside himself with sadness and anger upon hearing that! Ahaha ☆
Nagisa: …Seiya Hidaka-sensei is a powerful enemy we cannot ignore. He’ll certainly be a trump card capable of winning against any unit despite being solo.
Ibara: He’s a living legend, after all. But we can choose to use or not use our “Support Idol”...
It seems they’re more to be used as stand-ins if an idol is sick or cannot perform on the off chance. Whether or not Mr Seiya Hidaka will be making an appearance in the Finals will depend on how things unfold.
Nagisa: …Everyone must be making sure they’re in peak condition for this big event. I don’t think it would be possible for anyone to fall sick during these times.
…Not knowing what will happen is what an idol performance is all about, after all.
Ibara: Uh, it would be trouble if people didn’t, you know!
The public generally hopes for impossible miracles, but the best performances are those that are thoroughly planned from beginning to end!
Nagisa: …If that’s the case, then I think it would be best for machines to perform instead of humans.
Ibara: Hmm, but is our “Support Idol” really someone alive?
If they’re trying to balance out the teams…
Then our “Support Idol” should be someone of equal strength to Mr Seiya Hidaka.
Was there someone like that amongst the current active idols? It’s probably common sense at this point, but the strongest idol in my eyes is none other than Mr Seiya Hidaka.
I wouldn’t even mind if “SS” ends with him being announced as the “top idol”, quite frankly.
Nagisa: …I’m sure the organisers at ES will not have that.
If “SS” wasn’t the largest festival in the idol industry with a big amount of money involved, there would be numerous people who would lament over not making any profit.
…Or perhaps someone is trying to sacrifice Seiya Hidaka-sensei to awaken some sort of gigantic monster.
Ibara: You mean…
Nagisa: …I’ve said too much. My lips are sealed. You’ve gotten better at asking leading questions, Ibara.
Ibara: What do you mean your lips are sealed?
Nagisa: …By the way, what’s the name of our “Support Idol” that’s supposedly of equal strength to Seiya Hidaka-sensei?
Ibara: I’ve said this time and time again, but make sure you read every single word of the documents and scripts given to you. You’ve started only reading the things that you’re interested in, huh.
Nagisa: …Stop with the complaints and answer my question.
Ibara: Alright, alright. Er, it feels like an incredibly embarrassing alias to say aloud but…
The “Support Idol” of the “White Team” is apparently called “Lucifer”.
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nxrthmizu · 3 years
Text
Crash and Burn
fandom | miraculous ladybug
genre | salt, lila salt
pairing | n/a
w.c | 3.2k
author's note | hey remember that lila salt fic i promised? this isn't it but this is something i made today so yep. please accept this as an apology for yknow. me promising to write and. not doing it.
Enough was enough.
“Marinette, stop accusing Lila! She just wants to make friends!”
“Take the high road.”
“Be a good model student, Marinette.”
Enough. Was. Enough.
Marinette had the connections, the power, the choice to make Lila’s entire world crumble apart. The only thing that stood between the liar’s demise was the tiniest pinch of morality and self-restraint— And no, that self-restraint did not come in the form of Tikki. Even the kwami, who had to be an aggregation of all the good and nice things in the world, was fed up and ready to retaliate.
“What a joke.” Lila cackled, tossing a chunk of her sausage hair over her shoulder flamboyantly. The two girls were in the bathroom, with Lila smirking in front of the sink and Marinette a little distance away from her. “You can make my world crumble? What is this, a threat?”
“A promise.” Marinette corrected. “Stop telling lies. Come clean to every one. No more lying about knowing celebrities left and right, no more making excuses about not being able to take your own notes, no more making up ‘diseases’ just so your life gets a little more convenient. To be frank, I really don’t care what happens to you— But by making these empty promises to introduce my classmates to great ‘celebrities’, you’re ruining their futures. Stop.”
“And what are you going to do if I don’t?” Lila sneered, face twisted into an ugly grin. “You going to cry in front of the class? Try and convince them that I, the one they adore— That I am lying?”
“No.” Marinette’s eyes were clear when she met Lila’s. The clouds of self-doubt that used to hover over the bright, shining star inside her soul had now dissipated, letting the bluenette emit a confident, glowing appearance as she met the liar head on. “I’m just going to keep my promise.”
──────── ⋆⋅❉⋅⋆ ────────
Lila headed off to a modelling shoot after school, pleased at the prospect of spending more time with Adrien. There were a couple tendrils of Marinette’s words hanging behind in her mind— Did the girl mean what she said? Did she actually… Was she actually capable of causing Lila’s downfall? … Surely not. Marinette may have once been the ‘Everyday Ladybug’, but there was no way she was that competent, there was no way the girl was capable of plotting.
The Italian hummed, brushing away thoughts of the annoying bluenette from her mind. She was going on a photoshoot— One that was going cause the rise and burst of her career, the one that was going to make her name a globally-known one. Unfortunately for Lila, her plans were going to be derailed quite soon— In fact, as soon as Gabriel Agreste’s car rolled into the parking lot of the shoot location.
“Explain this, Mlle. Rossi.” Gabriel’s nostrils flared as he pointed to the tabloid article on his tablet. The Italian girl froze, the headlines seared into her eyes, big and black and bold, shooting poison right into the core of her body, paralysing her cell by cell starting from her heart. “What is the meaning of this?”
‘Adrien Agreste Reported To Be Harassed by Fellow Model’— The image under the caption was one that was clearly taken by a hidden photographer. The picture was framed with leafy foliage, which suggested that the camera was tucked up in a tree. Despite the distance, it was quite obvious in the image that Adrien was reeling away, disgusted and uncomfortable as a faceless woman in an orange blazer, back turned to the camera— Invaded his personal space.
The subtitle was the cream on the cupcake.
‘Witnesses State Gabriel Agreste Ignorant of Workplace Harassment’.
──────── ⋆⋅❉⋅⋆ ────────
As if things couldn’t quite go down a worser path, Lila returned home to a fuming mother and an unexpected visitor.
“Lila! You come here right this instant!” The diplomat demanded as soon as the front door opened, her daughter shrinking slightly at the tone and pitch that her mother was using. The last time her mother had been this angry— Well, it was when she got expelled from her last school. “I can’t believe what you’ve done! If it weren’t for your kind classmate, lord knows how long you would’ve continued with this!”
The Italian meekly followed her mother into the living room, eyes widening until they were as large as saucers, mouth agape at the last person she expected to see sitting on the couch.
Marinette smiled kindly, waving at the girl, looking every bit the part of the innocent, pure, kind child that every parent wanted to have. Before Lila could release a torrent of questions about what the hell Marinette Dupain-Cheng was doing in her living room, her mother charged on, beginning to take out her anger on her daughter while a literal angel sat on the sofa, cradling a box of pastries from her family’s bakery.
“Your friend here tells me that you’ve been taking absences from school to go on trips to help humanity!” Mme. Rossi exploded, waving her arms around madly. “She says she’s here to share her notes from the classes you’ve missed! You’ve never left Paris this year! What’s this I hear about flying off to the kingdom of— What was it called again, Marinette dear?”
“Achu.” Provided the bluenette helpfully, the diplomat’s expression instantly softening when she talked to the other teen in the living room.
“Ah, yes. Thank you, dear.” The woman turned back to her daughter, instantly snapping on a mask of anger in a matter of a fraction of a second. “What’s this about flying off to this kingdom of Achu to help homeless orphans with some random prince?”
“Um…” Lila piped up, wriggling as her brain churned at 200 lies per hour, trying to whip up a cover of some sort.
“I’m not done! Your friend here is such a helpful child that she even went as far as to ask her family doctor is there’s a cure for your… Lying disease!” Mme. Rossi practically roared, breathing flames as if she were an intimidating dragon, her daughter flinching away from the heat. “I’ve never heard of anything more ridiculous! And then there’s the fact that you lied to your classmates about having tinnitus?!”
“I actually do have tinnitus!” Lila cut in forcibly, widening her eyes to make herself look more pitiful. “I was just afraid to tell you because I didn’t want you to worry!”
“Bullshit!”
“Um… Sorry to interrupt, Mme. Rossi,” Marinette piped up, the diplomat instantly cooling down as she faced the bluenette, a soft smile tracing the Italian woman’s lips. “But it’s getting rather late and my parents would love me home soon. I also have some tests to revise for tonight, so I think I should get going.”
“Oh, of course, dear.” Mme. Rossi hastily got up to help the bluenette to the door, shooting a warning glare at her daughter— ‘Sit still and don’t you dare go anywhere’, the glare read. “Feel free to come over again anytime you want, dear. I’m not home often, but you are such a sweet child. I’m sure Lila could learn a lot from you.”
“Thanks for having me as well, Mme. Rossi. I really like your home. I left the pastries on the counter— Make sure to warm the curry puffs before you eat them.” Marinette returned the smile, bowing slightly to the older woman as a sign of respect.
“Thank you for the pastries as well, Marinette. I ought to visit your parents’ bakery sometime when I’m free.” Mme. Rossi opened the door kindly for the bluenette, waving the girl off with an affectionate smile. Her parents must be so lucky to have such a sweet little thing like her, Mme. Rossi sighed internally, turning the key so she locked the door. And she seems to be a high-scoring student as well.
──────── ⋆⋅❉⋅⋆ ────────
Lila seethed, having been grounded by her mother. As far as Mme. Rossi was concerned, there was a boarding school not too far away from their current residence, and by the next week, the Italian girl would be transferred over. Lila had never hated Dupain-Cheng as much as she did in that moment.
Still furious, the Italian snapped her laptop open, too angry to bother with the fact she might’ve scratched the surface. Clicking into the web browser, she started to type in the words ‘Ladyblog’— That was, before a news article caught her eye.
‘Jagged Stone Interview Reveals Underage, Obsessed Fan’.
What on Earth…
As soon as Lila clicked into the link, the news footage from the interview immediately begin to play. The date stamp on it showed that it had aired last night— Which meant that she would’ve missed it, since her mother was too busy yelling at her to turn on the television to watch Nadja Chamack’s daily news.
“As soon as I heard this rumour about some underage teenage girl claiming that she had saved my cat on an airport runway, I called Penny and asked her to book a slot for me to clarify this,” Jagged Stone said grimly, dressed in more formal attire as he sat in the comfortable, cushioned chair of the news station, with Nadja nodding equally seriously beside him. “Let me clarify— I’ve never owned a cat. I’m allergic to fur. The only pet I’ve had was Fang, and he’s an al-li-ga-tor. Not a cat. Whatever the girl is claiming, she’s obsessed and making up stories.”
“It’s also kind of bewildering that she saved it on an airport runway,” Nadja continued, shaking her head in disappointment. “That kind of thing only happens in dramas— It’s too dangerous for anyone besides authorised workers to be on airport runways.”
“Right, right!” Jagged agreed instantly. “The whole rumour is just really baffling.”
“M. Jagged, may I ask what kind of effect these rumours have on a celebrities’ career?” Nadja continued, leading the conversation on like a professional.
“Well, rumours that circulate around tend to have really bad effects, and the worse ones can hang around for a long, long time. Tabloids are often spun off from rumours, baseless and with no evidence. Those tabloids will never truly disappear, so they can leave a mark on a celebrity’s reputation as some people will believe anything— Even things they read from un-cited tabloids.”
“That is simply terrible. Have you ever had any cases of rumours created by underaged teens before this?”
“I’ve had quite a number, but none of them really got as big as this one. From what Penny has found from digging around, the teen girl managed to spread the rumour through her school and onto a once-popular blog.” Jagged explained. “Penny has also found out that the same girl has claimed that I’ve written songs for her to thank her for saving my cat! I would never write songs and dedicate them to an underaged girl— Trust me. If I could do such a thing, I’d already have written a dozen in honour of my niece— She’s my favourite designer.”
Nadja smiled at that sentence. “Then—“
The news footage cut off abruptly as Lila slammed her laptop shut, too upset to continue watching.
──────── ⋆⋅❉⋅⋆ ────────
On the other side of Paris, Alya was pacing around her room frantically, wondering why on earth Lila wasn’t picking up on her calls. She’d left at least four dozen messages to the Italian, who was absent from school that day. There had been a couple whispers here and there about why she was missing— Rose had suggested another impromptu trip to Achu.
Lila’s absence wasn’t the weirdest part of the day, however.
That award would go to Marinette, who walked into class with a smile, the slightest sprinkles of delight colouring her bluebell eyes when she spotted Lila’s empty seat.
Growing in frustration, Alya threw herself onto her bed, phone clattering onto the mattress with her. Within the next few minutes, however, her phone suddenly started exploding with notifications. Excited at the prospect of Lila finally texting back, Alya turned on her phone, only to be disappointed by the notifications all clamouring from the class group chat.
Kim had sent a link to the chat— Without hesitation, Alya clicked into it, frowning when she saw Nadja and Jagged appear on the screen. Throughout the interview, the colour on the Ladyblogger’s face only paled by the second until she was as white as a sheet, and if it were halloween at that time, she would’ve won the best costume award for being a ghost.
There must… There must’ve been a mistake.
A notification from Lila’s number made the blogger perk up, instantly clicking into the conversation— But her newfound hope didn’t last very long.
[Lila]
Hi, Alya. This is Lila’s mom. She’s currently grounded right now. Is there anything important you need to tell her?
[Alya]
Oh, nothing much… I just wanted to ask where she was.
[Lila]
She’s at home.
[Alya]
Okay, thanks.
Flopping onto her bed, Alya begin thinking, revising over the past few months like it was an old clip. Lila’s exciting adventures and interactions with celebrities of every kind— Lila going overseas and face timing the entire class— Lila letting her in on the secrets of being Ladybug’s friend…
… Marinette trying to tell them that Lila was lying…
──────── ⋆⋅❉⋅⋆ ────────
The class was awfully silent the next day. Adrien was absent as well— A social worker was looking into his home life as a result of the tabloid that arose. Things for the blonde could either get better or worse from then on, as the matters were still foggy and things hadn’t cleared up yet. The blonde maintained contact with his friends, however, calling and texting them whenever he could.
“Class, settle down.” Mlle. Bustier stepped into the class, looking very tense and uncomfortable. “Today, we will have a guest, so please be on your best behaviours, alright?”
Just as the teacher finished speaking, a tall, regal-looking Italian woman entered the classroom, a cowering principal and a meek-looking Lila in tow. The class brightened slightly at the sight of their friend— But by the way she wasn’t looking into their eyes… Things weren’t going to be good.
“Good morning. I am Mme. Rossi, Lila’s mother.” The woman begin speaking, her firm and no-nonsense tone instantly making every student sit straight, their eyes too afraid to look anywhere else but the Italian diplomat. “It has come to my attention that my daughter has been taking absences from school to do charity work— And I have to clarify that this is a lie. Lila has been doing nothing but holing herself up in her room, lying to me and saying that there are no classes due to akumas.” The Italian diplomat glowered at Damocles. “What’s even more baffling is the fact that neither her homeroom nor the principal bothered to check up with me despite a student having extended periods of absence with no note or email written whatsoever.”
The class was so quiet that they could hear the quiver of Mlle. Bustier’s trembling lip.
“In addition, I’ve been kindly told that Lila has claimed to have a lying disease, which is the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard this week.” It was impossible to miss the way the Italian diplomat was glaring daggers at both Mlle. Bustier and Damocles. “No one bothered to look it up online to see if it’s actual disorder, nor did anyone call me to confirm and ask for a doctor’s note, which is standard procedure.” Chills burst over the room, making every one shiver as the woman hissed out her words.
“Mme. Rossi, we didn’t want to disturb your busy schedule—” Damocles begin, only to be blown backwards from the sheer intensity of Mme. Rossi’s glower.
“M. Damocles, standard procedures exist for a reason. Unless you’d like to tell me about any other things you’ve been letting my daughter get away with?”
“N— No, Mme.”
The Italian diplomat continued on her war path. “My daughter also claimed to have tinnitus, am I correct?”
“Y— Yes, Mme.” Mlle. Bustier answered when it seemed like no one was going to.
“And I heard that the class seating arrangement was shifted to accommodate for that?” The homeroom teacher didn’t dare answer this time, for it seemed like whatever she said would be the incorrect answer. “And apparently, my daughter has also been faking broken wrists and requesting for her classmates to complete her work for her.” Mme. Rossi was practically breathing flames at that point, “And I am incredibly upset at the lack of action from the homeroom teacher.”
No one could breath.
“I have many concerns about the running of this schooling facility, and I expect to discuss this with M. Damocles privately after this. However, there is still something to be done.” Mme. Rossi swept her gaze towards her daughter, who found the floor incredibly interesting at that point of time. “Lila? Something you’d like to say to your classmates?”
“… I’m sorry for lying to you.” Lila mumbled resentfully.
“Louder, Lila. No one can hear you.”
“I’m sorry for lying to you!” Lila swallowed, bursting like an explosion that had finally been triggered, tears in her eyes and fists hatefully curled. “I’m sorry for lying about my diseases and injuries. I’m sorry for making you do my work,” She spat. “Sorry for causing any inconveniences.”
Mme. Rossi raised an eyebrow at her daughter. “Is that all?”
Lila glared at her mother, who was completely unfazed. “Oh, so you want an apology from me? Fine!” She turned to the class, a maniacal glint in her eyes as she sneered at the class, a few gasps puffing from around the room as they caught their first glimpse of the liar that resided in the ‘harmless’ shell of Lila Rossi. “I’m sorry that you are all such idiots that you all fell for everything. I’m sorry that Marinette has such terrible, untrusting classmates that turned their backs on her even though she was still a goody-two shoes till the end, even though she still wanted to help you sorry peasants. I’m sorry that you were all so goddamn gullible! There! Good enough for you?”
Shock was etched into the faces of every human in the classroom— Including Mlle. Bustier, M. Damocles, and Mme. Rossi themselves. Clearly, that part of the apology had not been part of the plan.
“Did I miss something?” Said a sweet voice, followed by the presence of a bluenette, her hair tied in a half-up. A royal blue blazer decorated her lithe form, accompanied by a smart-looking white blouse and a black plaited skirt. Formal had never looked so good on anyone— And if someone didn't know better, they'd think that the bluenette was a young lawyer, emerging victorious from her first successful case.
“Marinette!” Alya exclaimed.
“I’m sorry that you’re such an annoying, little, pest.” Lila bit in the girl’s face, disdain colouring her features as she ignored her mother’s enraged gasp behind her.
The bluenette simply smiled, unaffected by the liar who had crashed and burned like the liar once wished upon her. Marinette Dupain-Cheng stood at her full height, the perfect image of grace and poise as she maintained her composure, quite unlike her nemesis, who thrashed under her mother’s restraining hands.
“And I’m sorry that you didn’t take my promise to heart.”
this can count as adrien redemption depending on you cause ehhh i dont like how passive he is but i havent caught up with the recent episodes, he might have become better. idk.
also where the hell is my miraculous taglist i cant find it so eep. no tagging ppl ig oops
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