#and he should rightfully ignore them most of the time

[worstloki]

(based off this post by @edenexxe)

#loki should be forced to live with multiple ghost form loki's who are trying to be his conscience and manage his morals #and he should rightfully ignore them most of the time #all things considered #Agent of Asgard issue 13

[pastadoughie]

many people were confused about some of my previous posts, so for the sake of clarity i am condensing everything! tumblr has extremely transphobic moderation practices, often flagging completely innocent posts as explicit, solely for containing trans women in them or mentioning transgenderism. while letting untagged porn in sfw tags (ive literally seen porn tagged as "sfw agere") and blatent hatespeech, especially twards trans people (just look at the "gender critical" tag) go completely unchecked recently the CEO of tumblr had a big public hissyfit about people (rightfully) calling him transmysogenistic, going into random trans womens dms to harrass them, and saying that predstrogen saying she "hopes he explodes with hammers and then explodes again and hammers fly everywhere" is a death threat and saying he is calling the FBI on her (repeatedly misgendering her and calling her "it") and many bloggers, apon speaking out about it or even making harmless jokes (one trans woman posted a picture of a car and a hammer with the caption "reblog to scare matt" and got nuked for it) and many are very very angry (rightfully) about this whole affair and tumblr in general. if you would like to look into it i reccomend scrolling the "predstrogen" tag as she is the case most people are talking about at the moment. So, what can we do? this is clearly an ongoing issue, and, dispite having lost a lawsuit about their transphobic moderation in the past (see : https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21274288-tumblr-nycchr-settlement) its clearly not gonna stop with just user complaints, as staff members are perfectly content to just go scorched earth on users who even so much as lightly poke fun at them well if you want to help you should contact the human rights commision (i will give clear details further down) ! you dont have to be in the US, nor be an adult to file, and it only takes a few minutes. this is the best and most effective method to fix this, because it hits tumblr where it hurts. human rights acencies have a lot of legal and financial power and tumblr CAN NOT just ignore them, and given that this will be the seccond time this is happening, the commisions shouldnt be playing nice anymore eaither. its really important that AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE FILE, and with different examples! while maybe your case might not be enough to prop up a lawsuit on its own, we need to prove a general trend. so every little bit counts! to respond to another question abt this ive gotten, as for what exactly to report, you should a) write about an act of discrimination youve recieved on tumblr that was eaither administered by a staff member OR that staff refused to give adequate moderation action in for example : a terf posted some blatent hatespeech targeted twards you, and you reported them, and staff looked at the issue and refused to persecute it. example 2 : you were unfairly flagged, deleted, or otherwise punished by a staff member and you are queer ( AND the post they banned you for has some kind of tie to your gender, ex : a sfw transition progress photo ) OR b) if you have not personally recieved something like that, please look for other peoples stories (THEY SHOULDNT BE HARD TO FIND, within the last couple of hours trans people have been being banned LEFT AND RIGHT for trying to speak on this. i would reccomend checking some of the tags related to what happened with predstrogen) and you should describe that incident as best as possible (be sure to disclose that you are speaking for someone else, ideally you should tell the story of someone you know, if possible.) you can also mention any reports you have made twards people posting blatent hatespeech that, opon reveiwing tumblr refused to prosecute dispite it being very obviously against terms of service. just so nobody gets confused about the filing process, im laying it out in more plain languadge!!

first you should email the SF HRC (san francisco human rights commision), at [email protected] and say something along these lines :

Hello, I am [full name] from [country or state] and I am filing a complaint against Tumblr, witch is owned by the parent company Automattic Inc. located at 60 29th St, San Francisco, CA 94110.

Tumblr has had previous issues with the NYC DHR for their moderation being unfairly biased against trans women (see : https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21274288-tumblr-nycchr-settlement).

Despite a legally binding agreement with the NYC DHR, staff members still regularly harrass users based on their gender or sexual orientations. For example : on [date of most recent infraction] [describe incident] (if you are describing an incident that did not happen to you specifically, say something like) This incident involves the user [username] who I am not affiliated with (or/) who I am filing on behalf of.

I can be reached for further inquiries about this incident at [email you want to talk over] or [phone number you want to talk over]. (if you would like to be anonymous) However, In the event of legal prosecution against Automattic I would refer to be kept anonymous, where possible, in court proceedings. alternatively, you can also call the SF HRC at : 415-252-2500, you can use the above text as a starting point for this as well, next you want to fill out the form for the NYC DHR (new york city department of human rights) here : https://www.nyc.gov/site/cchr/about/report-discrimination.page for company you wanna put : Automattic and/or Tumblr for address you wanna put : 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 for phone number you wanna put : [phone] and for category of discrimination you can put : Discriminatory harassment and basis of discrimination you can put : Gender; Gender identity you can then use a similar script on the written section of the form. when describing a specific incident, you should attach as many screenshots and links as possible! (for links, include both a live link and an archival link, so take a capture with the internet archive and have that as an alternative, incase a staff member gets petty.) this should only take a few minutes at most, and it helps alot! you can fill this out if you are a minor, and you dont have to be a us resident, please please take the time!!! and, just to clarify because there are many posts going around that are confused about this tumblr moved offices to san francisco recently, so their main HQ is at : 60 29th St, San Francisco, CA 94110 they DO still have an office in new york city, and thats where their PREVIOUS HQ was, the address is : 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003

#art #my art #mspaint #rowens liddol guys #mspaint animations #the beast speaks #important shit #transgender #trans #predstrogen

[spacedace]

So I've seen a lot of "Jazz works as a therapist at Arkam" in the dp x dc fandom, and while I like the concept, I also feel like Jazz would take one look at the place and immediately be like "what the absolute fuck" at just the everything of the place.

Like, she either nopes out after the tour during the interview or quits not too long afterward starting there, not because she can't take it but because she's so appalled by what's going on there and can smell the corruption rolling off the place and knows no one sent to there is ever actually going to get the help they need.

So Jazz decides to open a private practice instead while still being absolutely determined to work with the various rogues in the city, she is here to help and nothing is going to stop her.

So she just starts showing up at known hangouts of rogues and during their heists/schemes/sprees, and even fights between them and the batfam, just like

"Hi! It’s so nice to meet you! My name is Dr. Jasmine Fenton/Nightingale/whatever last name she’s using and I was hoping we could talk!"

Casually kicks a baterang away without looking because she's being polite and professional!

"I understand that your experience with therapy through Arkam has been nothing but atrocious and that you are rightfully -"

Kicks Batman away without breaking eye contact or a sweat.

"Suspicious of attempting therapy again, and Idon't want to force anything on you, therapy should be on your terms after the experiences you've had but -"

Grabs Robin out of the air as he leaps at the rogue she's talking to and tucks him under her arm, ignoring his feral hissing and all attempts to break her hold.

"-I really think that you'd find it beneficial, even if I'm not the right therapist for you."

The rogue in question is having the time of their life and takes Jazz's business card - and a few extra to pass around - not really intending to actually ever book a therapy appointment with her but way too entertained and excited to share this madness with everyone else.

But then one of the rogues actually looks up Jazz's website and sees all the various safe guards she’s put in place to ensure that any villians that come to her will be protected while seeing her - soundproof therapy room, regular sweeps for listening and tracking devices, the most insane firewalls and protections anyone has ever seen on her network, and ooh she provides snacks and drinks!

So someone finally books an appointment with her, half convinced she's either going to turn them in or is a villain herself intent to experiment on them, but then it’s actually really nice??? And they feel a lot better afterwards?? She doesn't even say anything to indicate that she wants them to stop being villains, she just wants them to be okay??

So more and more rogues start going to her, and Batman was already losing his mind about this woman before - Oracle can't hack her system?!? And her background check shows a totally normal Psychiatrist?? - but now half of Gotham's heavy hitters and a dozen or so other minor league villains are seeing her regularly and every time he tries to get info on any plans the rogues might be scheme via her office it fails utterly. Nightwing got knocked out with something called a creep stick and when he tried to break in himself to get answers she just appeared out of no where and gave him the most scathing lecture about doctor-patient confidentiality before bullying him off her property and threatening to sick her brother on him if he tried again?

And because she's become such a figure in the Gotham underworld, she gets the attention of Joker.

And everyone, rogues and Bats alike, are terrified that she’s going to try and take him on as a patient like she has so many other villains in the city and that's just a recipe for tragedy.

But then the Joker is on his way to the hospital with two broken legs and the fear of god beat into him babbling about eldritch nightmares and whenever anyone asks Jazz what happened she just shrugs and just says things like "I refused him as a patient, he's not my problem." Or "My brother doesn't like clowns." And just, does not elaborate.

Batman is losing his mind over it all. Jazz is just happy to be able to actually help the rogues. Arkam is less happy about how she absolutely destroys their reputation.

#dc x dp #danny phantom #jazz fenton #batman #jazz becomes Gotham's favorite Psychiatrist for villains #Tucker is the one keeping her network secure #and maybe starts a small hacking war with oracle #the Joker showed up trying to turn Jazz into the next Harley Quinn and ended up face to face with a visiting Danny #Harley eventually recovers enough herself to get her license back and joins Jazz's practice #she works with civilians though because of all the conflict of interest with everyone else #weirdly anytime she has a patient who is dealing with someone abusing them the abuser mysteriously disappears #oracle #batfam #eldritch danny

[stargirllanaa]

Dark!rafe beats you for cursing out his friends (as you rightfully should!) for making lewd comments about you and rafe does nothing about it, then forces you to apologize to them forcibly holding your face in place to look at them with a bruised face as you tearfully apologize to them. (Sorry if this is too dark but please I’ve been thinking about this for weeks😫🧎🏾‍♀️)

Apologize.

Warnings: Dark!Rafe, toxic relationship, abusive relationship, domestic violence, manipulation, chocking, misogyny, topper is a weirdo,

Summary: Standing up for yourself isn’t always the best idea.

A/n: Omg my first request!! This was so fun to write and it’s never to dark love!! Hope you enjoy! Also please send more 🙏🏾

Wc: 1.1k

18+ MINORS DNI, YOU WILL BE BLOCKED

————————————————————————

Rafe had his friends over again, and if you were being honest, you really didn't like them; they supported his coke addiction, they encouraged his drunken fights, and, worst of all, they didn't have respect for you in the slightest.

Topper was the worst; he always made weird comments, borderline creepy.

This time in particular, you were already having a bad day; you had unexpectedly started your period earlier and bled through your favorite pajamas, and you had just dropped your phone, cracking it slightly.

You tuned out most of Rafe and his friend's conversation focused on the music in your left airpod, and scrolled through Instagram.

All you heard was,

“Y/n’s shorts are way too short; I can see her whole ass.” your boyfriend's friend Topper commented, followed by a laugh, causing Kelce to laugh as well.

When you turned to your boyfriend, you hoped he would defend you or at least acknowledge that his friend's comment made you uncomfortable and maybe address it. Still, instead, he didn't say anything.

On a typical day when you weren't already angry, you wouldn't have said anything or ignored him like you always do, but today wasn't a typical day.

“Shut the fuck up, Topper.” You sighed under your breath, causing everyone to stare at you.

“maybe you wouldn't be looking at my ass if you could actually get some.” you finished.

Topper awkwardly laughed in response to your very true statement.

“Someone’s on her period,” Kelce said in a sarcastic tone that irritated you even more than his comment.

You got up from the couch and stormed upstairs; you fucking hated Rafe's friends, you hated that he made you guys all hang out, and what you hated the most was that Rafe never stood up for you.

You went into the bathroom, slamming the door behind you; you didn't notice how much this situation upset you until you looked in the mirror. Tears of anger were threatening to spill as you went to grab a tissue to wipe your tears; the bathroom door flew open.

“What are you slamming doors for?” Rafe questioned you, closing the door behind himself and trapping you both in.

“Did you not hear what Topper said to me?” you asked in a shaky tone, still angry about it. “Why do you let him talk to me like that?” you continued.

Rafe nodded in response to your words; it was hard to ignore the evident smirk on his face.

Did he think this was funny?

The blonde took slow steps towards you.

“Well, he was right..”

You couldn't believe your ears, but at the same time, you could; sometimes, it seemed like Rafe intentionally hurt you, and sometimes it seemed like he was a bully rather than your boyfriend.

“When you clearly dress like a slut, someone is gonna mention it…” he trailed off.

You were so shocked and furious at his words that you didn't realize how close he was to you until he roughly grabbed your chin and tilted your head to look him directly into his eyes.

“Now, you're going to go back downstairs..” the blonde continued.

You shook your head no in response, pulling your face out of his harsh grip.

He immediately reached back; this time, his grip was rougher and harsher, leaving you with more than just physical discomfort. You were in pain.

“Listen to me, y/n!” his tone was just as harsh as his grip, showing his anger. “You're going downstairs and apologizing to Topper for your disrespect and language.” he finished, looking directly into your tearful eyes, waiting for a response.

“I'm not apologizing; he's been disrespectful to me ever since we started dating.” you tearfully defended yourself.

“My girlfriend is out here telling my friends to ‘Shut the fuck up.’” Rafe said in disbelief; his grip was getting tighter the more he spoke.

“How does that make me look? Huh?!” he shouted, removing his grip from your chin to push you roughly against the bathroom wall, causing your back to slam against it.

“Like I can't control my fucking girlfriend?”

His hands made their way to your neck, wrapping around it like you meant nothing to him; his eyes weren't their everyday shade of blue; they were dark, and his face was entirely even as he stared into your bloodshot eyes.

Your hands immediately found his, trying your best to pry his hands off of your throat, but his grip was tight; you couldn't breathe, you could barely think, and all you could do was look back into his eyes and regret ever biting back at topper.

Rafe held you there, staring intensely into your eyes while choking you for about 45 seconds in complete silence; he wanted you to think; he wanted you to regret this; he wanted you to learn your lesson.

When he eventually let go, you fell to the floor and gasped for air.

Your boyfriend bent down to your level and roughly grabbed your chin again, desperate for eye contact.

“I don't like you hurt you, y/n..” he expressed as if he deserved a reward.

“But you make me.” the tall blonde stated before letting go of your chin and standing up straight.

“Get up,” he said in a calm tone, way too quiet for this situation, and when you didn't listen, he roughly grabbed your arm, pulling you to your feet.

“Now…You're going downstairs and apologizing to Topper for your disrespect and language.” the blonde said slowly, explaining the steps as if you were stupid.

Your pride told you not to, but you knew Rafe wouldn't let this go, so you tearfully nodded, accepting defeat.

As you walked downstairs side to side with Rafe, you knew they probably heard all the banging and muffled yelling; you were embarrassed, not only by the fact you had to apologize but by the fact these people knew you were staying with a man who treated you like shit.

“I-im sorry, Topper…” you said, looking down at your feet; you couldn't bring yourself to look at him in this state; you looked a mess from all the tears and trauma.

Rafe clearly didn't like this; he gripped your chin again, this time not as roughly, forcing you to make eye contact with Topper.

“For what?” Rafe whispers into your ear. His voice was quiet, but his tone was sharp.

“I'm sorry for being disrespectful and my language.” you couldn't stop the tears from continuing to fall; you felt humiliated, but undoubtedly, that was the point.

“Dude…. What on her neck? Topper questioned, looking at Rafe and then back at you; he didn't acknowledge your apologies; instead, he squinted, trying to make out the marks around your neck.

“She fell,” Rafe stated before letting go of you and returning to his friends on the couch.

He wasn't wrong; you did fall, you fell into his trap.

#dark!rafe cameron #dark rafe x reader #rafe cameron fanfiction #rafe cameron x reader #rafe outer banks #rafe cameron #dark rafe cameron #rafe x reader #rafe cameron imagine #dark!rafe cameron x reader #obx fanfiction #obx imagine #outer banks fanfiction

[niphredil-14]

hey so how do you think rottmnt Leo, Raph and Donnie would deal with a s/o who sometimes gives their pet more attention than them? S/o sometimes just falls asleep cuddling the pet or others it’s with the turtles and the pet just comes and lays on top of them or watches them sleep. The pet also loves these 3 boys so it goes to them for affection, but it loves s/o more cuz s/o did raise it? S/o always gives their favourite boyfriend affection second for sure though and it lasts all night and day after their pet gets dibs.

Thanks for the request! This is such a cute idea.

Leonardo:

The most jealous man you will ever meet. He will sit and pout if your attention is off of him for more than two minutes. And if you ignore his pouting, then he will cause absolute chaos. He will give your pet the death glare, and he will absolutely have a one-sided competition with your pet behind your back. If he sees your pet laying in HIS spot your lap), he will just pick the up and put them on the ground and take their place before you get the chance to scold him, and before your pet has the chance to climb back up. It's just constant petty bullshit, if one of them is getting your attention, then the other one needs to as well. You will have no peace.

Raphael:

This is a non-issue, he probably loves your pet more than you do, and the second he lays eyes on it, he decides that it is now his baby too. He buys your pet cute little outfits, and premium food and toys. If you're giving your pet attention, chances are Raph is too. Hell, you might end up getting jealous over how much attention your pet gets.

Donatello:

I feel like Donnie could go either way. Like, it really depends on the circumstances. He understands the love that is felt for a creature that relies on you (his baby, Shelly c:) and wouldn't mind if your pet was stealing attention that should have rightfully been his if you guys were just doing some parallel play or just hanging out in the same vicinity, but if it was an activity/time where your attention would have fully been on him, then he'd get a little annoyed. He would probably start by just trying to divert your attention back to him, and if that didn't work then he might call Sheldon in using his wrist cuff to get him to herd your pet a bit farther away. Not so far that you're worried, but just enough that your attention is back on him. (sheldon would LOVE your pet, they'd be like siblings)

#tmnt #rottmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt x reader #rottmnt x reader #tmnt leonardo #rottmnt leonardo #tmnt leonardo x reader #rottmnt leonardo x reader #rottmnt leo #tmnt leo #tmnt leo x reader #rottmnt leo x reader #tmnt raphael #tmnt raph #rottmnt raphael #rottmnt raph #tmnt raphael x reader #tmnt raph x reader #rottmnt raphael x reader #rottmnt raph x reader #tmnt donatello #rottmnt donatello #tmnt donnie #rottmnt donnie #tmnt donatello x reader #tmnt donnie x reader #rottmnt donatello x reader #rottmnt donnie x reader

[albertdabuttler]

Masked Adversary | D.L.

MASTERLIST

this fics masterlist

fandom: Kick-Ass

pairings: Dave Lizewski/Kick-Ass x F!Reader

WARNINGS: (in this chapter) swearing lolz, angst and fluff splattered here and there, reader and Dave hate each other and its very amusing (to me), two creeps try to kidnap you but Kick-Ass saves the day! mention of a small cut and blood, i think that's it?

summary: You and Dave have lost a childhood friendship. The circumstances have made you grow to despise one another, until Kick-Ass has no one else to turn to but you, causing him to develop a small crush. The only problem being that you don't know it's him.

WC: 3k

gif not mine !!

A/N: hei... I'm back and better and bigger than ever! I have a couple more parts to this fic coming so I hope you like it!

———————

“Man, why do you guys hate each other’s guts so much? Weren’t you two like best friends three years ago?” Said Todd, cutting the tension. You had forced yourself to sit at the same table as Dave, only to avoid looking like a pitiful loser and sitting alone.

“I don’t know, Todd” Your tone laced with sarcasm, “Maybe you should ask David.” You tried to quickly finish your lunch.

Dave only sighed in annoyance. He didn’t like this broken friendship with you. You had known him since you moved to the city when you were four and quickly became attached at the hip. In freshman year he developed a crush on Katie Deauxma and stopped talking to you thinking Katie might think you two were a thing. You told him to stop ignoring you and he talked to you like some girl who was just obsessed and jealous. After you slapped him in the face for acting like a dick, your friendship ended. Although it was his fault, the way you so quickly cut him off after (rightfully) acting like a bitch to him, had his blood boiling.

You weren’t jealous of Katie because he liked her. You just couldn't stand to see him waste his time on a girl when he should have been worrying about the next issue of his favorite comic.

Anyone at your school could say that you and Dave Lizewski were often at each other’s throats. It’s not like you actually fought all the time, most of the time you could withstand a normal conversation with him, or even just being in the same room. You always somehow found things to argue about in every class you had together. Dave was even more pushed around now thanks to the acquaintances you had that happened to be on the football team.

“Alright, I’m finished. See you in class, Todd. Bye Marty.” You smiled softly at them, sending them a small wave and completely ignoring Dave’s presence. You had an argument before coming to lunch, that’s why you didn’t talk to him.

“See ya,” Said Marty with his mouth full, waving enthusiastically.

Dave hit his arm.

“What? Just ‘cause you’re mad at her doesn’t mean we have to be.” Marty said.

“Yeah…” Agreed Todd, watching you as you walked away. “She’s hot as fuck.”

“Shut up, Todd. You fucking hornball. She’s insufferable.” Dave rolled his eyes, picking up his things to go to his next class.

He pondered daily about what he did to lose your friendship, you meant everything to him. Although from the outside it looked like he wanted to strangle you, he secretly wanted to be your best friend again.

“Hey Cleo,” you greeted a friend at your locker. You had three classes with her. “Hey! Did you see that new video of Kick-Ass?”

“…No, I haven’t.” You laughed nervously.

“Yeah, he fights off some assholes trying to rob a guy. He totally kicked their asses.” She chuckled.

“Why’s everyone so into him?” You queried.

“‘Cause its a brave teenage guy fighting for what’s right, duh! He’s also super cute.”

“But you haven’t even seen his face,” you continued.

“Have you actually looked at him? If you don’t see anything in him, there’s something seriously wrong with you.”

“Whatever.” You giggled at her excitement, beginning your walk to class.

———————

Unfortunately for you, being late to your last class got you detention after school. As a result, you missed the bus back home and none of your friends with cars had stuck around to take you back. There was no way in hell you’d get into a cab alone, so you had to walk home.

It wasn’t a terribly long walk, but it was a drag. An hour of walking made headphones very useful in such times, and you were glad you brought them today.

Walking home included having to pass through a small part of the city in order to get to your neighborhood. It wasn’t the best of places, but the convenience store at a corner on the way there helped improve your mood.

“Thanks Pat!” You told the old lady at the register. She was the sweetest, and you often passed through here so she grew a liking to you, occasionally letting you take a free candy bar for your journey.

“Of course baby. Get on home safe, alright? Come back soon!” She smiled. This brought a grin to your face.

Continuing the walk home, you felt some sort of presence behind you.

Fuck.

You were about to turn a corner when a man grabbed you by your wrist.

“Why’s such a pretty girl like you walking all by herself?” He smirked.

“Let me go, you fucking creep!” You tugged your hand away, the other man walking closer causing you to take a step back. In the corner of your eye you spotted someone, Kick-Ass was making his way to turn the corner.

“Help!” You yelled, making the masked hero jolt up to look at you. His eyes widened upon meeting yours and he hesitated before he quickly made his way to you.

“Shut the fuck up, you little bitch. What’s in your bag?”

The other man was about to take your bag before Kick-Ass turned the corner.

“Hey! The hell are you assholes doing?”

They both stared at him, one nodding at the other as he ran to fend the hero off.

You could only stand there and watch as the other man tried pulling you away. Kick-Ass was able to knock the robber out with his baton after the short brawl. Thankfully the man in the mask caught up, but the man holding you held a knife to your throat.

“Back the fuck off or I’ll kill her.”

Your entire life flashed before your eyes. You thought of all the mistakes you've ever made, how you fucked up big-time with Dave and now that you were about to die, you'd never be able to fix the friendship you had with him. You thought about what you would say to him if you got the chance to make peace with him. How you'd apologize for being such a bitch, how you'd give him that collection of The Punisher he gave you back in freshman year that you never got the chance to return due to the fight you had, how you were currently not on the best terms with your parents, how you never got to apologize to that one girl you didn't stick up for when she was being bullied by some girls you knew.

How you were going to die without getting to share any kind of intimacies with a boyfriend. You'd had two boyfriends before, no more, no less. Both those relationships ended because you were either a rebound or "practice." To put it simply, they couldn't keep it in their pants and you would die a virgin for being so afraid.

Kick-Ass stared between you and the culprit.

“There’s a camera right there.” He pointed his thumb behind him, and sure enough there was a camera pointing straight at you and the criminal.

The man threw you to the ground, attempting an attack on Kick-Ass. Not even five seconds into the fight, the knife was quickly knocked onto the street. The mugger did get quite a few hits in, even knocked Kick-Ass down a couple of times. But as soon as the masked man was on top of him, he kept jabbing and hooking, not once letting the man recuperate.

It was a painful sight to see, like he was taking all his anger out on the bad guy. You could only stand there and watch in awe.

“Don’t ever touch anyone again, asshole.” He said, holding the man’s collar.

“Okay man, just let me go!” He begged for mercy. Kick-Ass knocked him out with one last fist to the face.

He got up and looked at you. Realizing who you were, he pushed aside all his personal problems with you and lent you his hand to help you up, “Uh…A—are you okay miss?”

“Yes, I’m—I’m fine,” you stuttered, still in utter shock that you almost got kidnapped. But so incredibly grateful that he was there to save you.

“Did they hurt you anywhere?” He questioned, dismissing the fact he had a little scratch on his eyebrow that was bleeding too much for your comfort.

“No, I’m okay. Even if I wasn’t, my mom’s a nurse so I’d be fine. Are you?” You looked at his eyebrow, pointing to it.

“It’s fine, doesn’t even hurt...” He waved his hand.

You looked behind him only to see that the man he first fought was gone already.

“We should get out of here, the cops’ll probably be coming soon,” you looked into one of the stores on the sidewalk, seeing that a couple of people had their phones out and had recorded the whole thing. And that meant someone probably called the cops too.

“Yeah,” He looked back at them and waved with a smile. “Let me walk you home,” He offered.

You didn’t even know who he was under that mask, but something told you that you could trust him. “Sure, thank you.”

———————

“Why’d you even decide to be a hero anyway?” You laughed.

“I dunno. I see so many comic book nerds but it’s just weird that no one has actually tried to be a hero yet. And I guess I just wanted to see what it was like.” He chuckled.

“So you like getting your ass kicked every so often, Kick-Ass?” You giggled.

“Ha, good one,” he scoffed at your pun.

“But seriously, why haven’t you quit, even after getting hurt all the time?” You asked.

“I—I got into an accident, I can barely feel pain ‘cause of it. Plus, I can’t just look the other way anymore.” He looked at you. “Sure as hell couldn’t turn away from the damsel in distress.” He joked. The suit and mask gave him such incredible confidence and ego.

You smacked his shoulder, scoffing. The walk home with Kick-Ass had you finding out that the two of you had quite a lot in common. The both of you really liked comics, he was a kid your age, and he was also one of Pat’s favorite customers. Kick-Ass seemed like he was an amazing guy. Too bad he wore a mask.

“Welp, this is me,” you arrived at your home. “thanks for walking me home. I really enjoyed talking to you.” You smiled widely,

“Don’t mention it, I also enjoyed talking to you. I—If you ever need anything… Just message me on MySpace… Or something.” He smiled softly.

Now you understood what Cleo and every other girl saw in him.

“Sure thing, Kick-Ass. Same to you. You know where I live now,” you chuckled bashfully.

You looked at him for a second too long.

“I feel like I know you—you’re so familiar.” You spoke.

His heart began to race, “Well, I guess we’ll never know.” He chuckled nervously, looking elsewhere.

His eyes were so damn beautiful. They were so blue, they looked like sapphires or something.

How corny, you thought.

“See ya ‘round,” he saluted, turning to walk away.

“See you…” You spoke, but he was already out of earshot.

His strut was so fucking hot. Who knew you’d be attracted to the way a man walked?

———————

“You lucky bitch! Did you have a super hot make out session after that!?” Cleo spoke as you two grabbed your trays for lunch.

“Shut up!” You laughed. “No, I just think he’s cute is all. But thank fuck he was there. I probably wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for him.”

“Just when I thought he couldn’t get any hotter.” She sighed contently at the story of your interaction with him.

“Hey, let’s go sit over there,” She pointed at a table with three boys, Todd, Dave, and Marty. “I told Todd I’d sit with him today.”

“Sure thing…” You agreed hesitantly. She bit her lip before continuing. “Is it just me or is Todd kinda cute?” She whispered, giggling as you approached the table.

You only rolled your eyes. “Hey guys,” You greeted, sitting next to Marty, Cleo sitting next to Todd across from you. Dave still in his usual spot at the end of the table.

“Hi Dave.” You smiled almost artificially, showing you weren’t so mad at him anymore.

The three boys looked at each other in surprise.

“You’re in a good mood today,” Said Todd.

“Hey.” Dave finally replied.

“What’s up with you?” Questioned Marty, “Can’t remember the last time you actually said ‘hi’ to Dave.” He said sarcastically.

“Guess I’m in a good mood.” You glanced at Dave, suddenly letting go of the resentment you had towards him, because of the fact your life was almost taken from you. You took the chance you had now, to begin to sort everything out before it would be too late. You still disliked him though. Not because of what he did, but because he's just a dick.

Does she know? He thought to himself anxiously. You were the last person he wanted to know about this. He just wouldn't be able to stand the embarrassment.

“Did you guys see the fight Kick-Ass had last night?” Asked Cleo.

“What? No,” Marty and Todd got excited.

“Yeah, why don’t you tell them what happened?” Cleo smiled, giving you the spotlight.

You looked at the boys awkwardly,

“I was about to get kidnapped… And, uh yeah. Kick-Ass kicked these two guys' asses...”

Todd and Marty were upset at the lack of detail, but Dave giggled quietly at the joke, smiling as he poked his food.

“I’m gonna have to watch it later.” Marty said, Todd then agreeing.

“Do you guys seriously have a crush on him or something?” Questioned Dave.

Cleo laughed. “Dave, every girl I know has a crush on him.”

He swallowed, he wasn't aware of this. Dave never caught the attention of girls. That he knew of.

“I mean, you have a crush on him too, right?” Cleo asked you, trying to prove her point.

Dave’s eyes widened before looking your way.

“I—I mean I wouldn't call it a crush, but yeah, I guess he’s pretty cute... I like... His eyes. The color's really nice."

Dave couldn't help but smile at the flattery. Knowing that you were attracted to him, in a way, made him feel so odd. He never thought you'd see him that way. Well, not him, but whatever part of him you could see.

"You think he has nice eyes?" Dave chuckled. It made you a little mad because it sounded like he was making fun of you.

"Yes, he does. What about it?" Cleo butted in.

"Not just his eyes, though." She turned to you, "He's got super broad shoulders and a nice ass. Just saying I'd hit. He’s definitely big." She whispered the last part under her breath.

"Ooookay! I think you got your point across, Cleo. Thanks for sharing." You gave her a look that said, 'Why the fuck would you say that out loud?'

“What? I'm just being honest." She continued eating her lunch like it wasn’t a big deal.

You could only stare in utter shock, blinking over and over, trying to figure out if this was a dream or if Cleo really just said that.

You spotted Dave in the corner of your eye with something not quite like disgust, but his jaw hung ajar. Then you noticed Todd and Marty staring at her the same way.

"I know you can at least agree that he has a nice ass," Cleo smirked at you.

You just laughed and resumed eating your food.

"I didn't know you girls for real liked guys' asses. I thought that was just a guy thing." Spoke Todd, teasing.

"Shut up, Todd." You said, making a short second of eye contact with Dave, it looked like he was thinking the same thing as you, and you both giggled in unison.

The others looked between you both weirdly, making the two of you clear you throats and quickly finish eating.

The hell am I being so giggly with him for?

———————

You had your last three classes with Dave, but you never acknowledged him. Today some of your teachers decided to rearrange your seating. You thankfully didn't get any seats next to him, and you hoped you wouldn't either at your last class.

"Fuck," you checked your wristwatch as you switched out your books from your locker, only to see that you were going to be late for the last class. You hoped and hoped that you didn't get another detention.

You made your way to the classroom as fast as you could, stopping right outside the door to avoid bursting it open and embarrassing yourself. The excitement you felt when you noticed a single empty seat in the back corner of the class was incomprehensible.

Until you noticed Dave in the spot next to it. He looked up as he heard the door open, immediately locking eyes with you. You sighed in disappointment, knowing that there was no way the teacher would let you switch.

"Looks like you're stuck with me for the rest of the year." Dave whispered as he looked up at the teacher, taking out his textbook.

"Fuck you, Lizewski." You sneered, only making Dave roll his eyes, keeping his attention on the teacher.

“For the next three weeks, you will all be working on a presentation. If you don’t have it turned in by the 18th, you will get 10 points taken off your grade.” The teacher explained what he wanted you to study. The class groaned in annoyance, some people being excited, and others not.

“Everyone in columns A, C, and E, your partner will be the person to your right.” Again, most of the people in the class were content with who they were assigned, but unfortunately for you, you were the person to Dave’s right.

You stiffly turned to Dave, “We can study at my house… If you want.” You spoke.

“Let’s just do the first parts tonight and we can work on it at your house after school tomorrow.” He spoke with a bit of irritation. Probably because of your attitude earlier.

“Okay, sounds good..” You awkwardly pursed your lips and turned back to your book.

———————

thanks for reading!

#dave lizewski #kick ass #aaron taylor johnson #kickass fic #kickass x reader #dave lizewski x reader #dave lizewski fluff #dave lizewski angst #aaron taylor johnson fic #fanfic #writing #iz writes #dave lizewski fic #angst #fluff

[kunaigirl]

You know what's been on my mind since episode 6? When Charlie was making her case for Angel in Heavens Court, the images and evidence she used were all focused on his progress. How proud she was of him. How hard he's been working and trying to improve himself and how much admirable strength he has. How much he cares about others and how they care about him. Never ONCE did she play a "pity card" of him being a victim of SA and abuse. She went out of her way to focus on what HE would have wanted to represent himself. Friends, progress, hope, determination, healing, and found family.

But you know when his abuse victim status was brought up? By the opposing side, the angels, as evidence of his "impurity." Worse than that, they pointed to a moment literally SECONDS after his abuse took place, in episode 4. Why? Because they knew Charlie was right, and this was the only point they could think to use against him.

To them, it didn't matter what actual proof there was about him doing better and helping and bonding with others. His sexual activity, sexuality, and victim status was all that mattered in their eyes. THEY turned it into his "defining" feature. You know what the fuck that sounds like? The conservative churches and closed-minded/literalist-psudeo-christians. The victim blamers. The courts and juries who let abusers walk free. "He's unholy, case closed!" Where in the fuck have we ALL heard that before? In real life, ALL the goddamn time. Lord knows I heard it enough directed at me and those in my community in my own life.

Which of course (rightfully) outrages Charlie and Emily to no end, causing them to call out the hypocrisy and bullshit. And even then it still lead to him being found "not good enough." Their valid arguments and solid proof went ignored. You know what that sounds like too? How things work most of the time RIGHT HERE when the justice system fails people who've been savagely wronged and/or harmed.

When people are not only shamed for something that WAS NOT their fault, but they're suddenly nothing more to legal/socials eyes than a walking statistic. Picked a part at very turn for evidence against them. All I'm saying, is as much as it made my blood boil, I know why they included it, and I'm glad they did. It SHOULD make your blood boil, because this happens all the time.

#hazbin hotel #hh spoilers #thinking out loud #IT HIT ME SO HARD FOR SO MANY REASONS #had to get it out

[chorus-the-mutate]

This is an edited repost of the Erzsebet Bathory character analysis I wrote yesterday that I refuse to let go to waste. I tried doing the right thing and tagging all of the necessary trigger warnings only for this post to be completely hidden from the Castlevania Nocturne and Erzsebet Bathory tags. Since I can't afford to tag the proper trigger warnings without being punished please do not read this post if discussions of rape or sexual assault triggers or upsets you in any way. I don't take these topics lightly and they are vital to this analysis of Erzsebet Bathory.

This post also contains major spoilers for this first season of Castlevania Nocturne.

This may seem presumptive of me to say but this thought has been stuck in my head for several hours: Erzsebet Bathory is the most rapist adjacent villainess I've ever seen without her actually being a rapist.

The first and smallest point against her is how often she mentions virgins. I know that Erzsebet's initial mention of virgin sacrifices is supposed to tie into the origin of her alter ego and consumption of Sekhmet but it's super fucking weird that it played into why she wanted to sacrifice Maria.

Next point against her is the lawyer's daughter. I'm not sure if this lady was a virgin but when she's first brought to Erzsebet she's already terrified and too dazed to fight back. It's obvious that she doesn't want to be there and that even if she did that she can't really express that desire. But Erzsebet still takes this lady out of a literal gilded cage, sits down and sits this lady on her dress to admire her despair before drinking her blood. The next time we see the lady she's still dazed. The only differences are that she's dolled up and seems more suggestible. Even with hundreds of people in this ballroom scene the lady is literally ignored by everyone except for Erzsebet who dances with her and parades her around for her own amusement. Everyone else knows that Erzsebet likes to make her victims suffer and they still refuse to acknowledge the lady because Erzsebet has made it clear that she's her possession. Hell the only person who is unhappy enough with Erzsebet to go rogue at this point is Olrox and he STILL IGNORES THIS LADY. When the lady is dragged outside to be fed on again without anyone batting an eye it reminds me of a rapist roofying their target and proceeding to do everything in their power to seem interested in their victim's well-being in order to take them to a second location. And no one speaks up since Erzsebet is the Harvey Weinstein, Prince Andrew or Thomas Jefferson of the vampire world; the embodiment of people in power getting away with abuse until the damage has already been done.

The last and biggest point against Erzsebet is the entire scene where she turns Tera into a vampire. For me personally that is just an allegorical rape scene and it's executed very well. Erzsebet makes her entrance at the abbey as a lioness of a woman, a literal predator who wants to take Maria as a sacrifice and turn her into a vampire to ensure Emmanuel the Abbot's loyalty. Tera protests and offers herself to Erzsebet instead. This is such blatant coercion that Tera refers to herself as the ram Abraham sacrificed to God instead of Isaac. And the only question or concern Erzsebet has at this point is if her sacrifice should be a virgin. The only reasons she accepts the sacrifice are Emmanuel's genuine love for Tera and the fact that Tera is a powerful sorceress. Once Erzsebet settles for Tera and physically lifts her to her level no one can stop her. Maria gets knocked out for trying and Richter gets bodied immediately after. Their only option is to get the hell out of there once Annette makes an opening and Richter rightfully runs for his life. Even Maria, the only person that could look back and see Tera turn, is knocked out and that feels like an intentional writing choice to give Tera one last shred of dignity. Erzsebet holds Tera really close in this sort of hug as she feeds on her and once she's fed she literally sits Tera on her lap for her turn to feed. Then Erzsebet cuts herself and the blood starts dripping down on Tera, starting at her skirt, going to her blouse and reaching her face. At first Tera doesn't react but then her body responds to the blood and she feeds even though she doesn't want to. Even though no one wants this for her. And that is exactly what it's like when someone has an unwanted orgasm. Tera's body is protecting itself the same way a victim of assault would and that paired with the blood on her skirt being reminiscent of the blood on a woman's thigh in the aftermath of an assault hammers home the rape allegory. It's very sad and uncomfortable to think of Tera's turn to vampirism this way but the thought lingers hours after like a grimy film on my brain.

I 100,000% believe that Erzsebet would have been an actual rapist if Netflix Castlevania didn't romanticize Lenore raping Hector and ending their relationship on friendly terms. Not to mention Sumi and Taka's sudden shift from allies to sexually assaulting Alucard out of spite. Castlevania Nocturne seems to shy away from rape and sexual assault in favor of allegories or moments so brief that I missed them unlike its predecessor. So I'm blaming the gratuitous depictions of sexual assault in Castlevania on Warren Ellis, the creator of Netflix Castlevania, who doesn't work on this show for a very good reason.

Everything from her size as Sekhmet to her tendency to torture women and girls before killing them contributes to the allegory of Erzsebet being the vampire equivalent of a rapist. She exudes power and not only does she enjoy making others feel helpless she's also great at it. She is a sadist without honor, willing to parade her lady victim of choice around vampire high society or hang a young girl on hooks to drain dry rather than let any of them die a quick death. The dragged out, needless suffering Erzsebet inflicts along with her preference for women and virgins frames her feeding as something more sexual in nature than the other vampire nobles who simply indulge in their gluttony. Even Olrox feeding on his former boyfriend isn't framed sexually, it's framed as a desperate, romantic gesture to keep his lover alive. And every vampire I remember from Castlevania has their feeding framed as a tool for political power or sheer, simple gluttony. Even the vampire general Cho was shown to be more of a tyrant or a general sadist clinging to power in Japan than a deviant.

Erzsebet's sheer sadism actually contrasts quite well with Dracula's humanity and restraint. He understood humanity, only feeding to survive or strike down the merchants who slighted him. (He probably also used feeding as a tool for political power but I don't think we saw that directly.) Dracula ultimately came to understand humanity so well that he fell for Lisa Tepes, the exemplar of what it means to be human. And that love is why I believe he respected Lisa's wishes and let her keep that humanity instead of turning her into a vampire. And after Lisa's death Dracula stopped feeding entirely, hoping to extinguish his life and take out as many people as he could because he believed that humanity should've been better. He believed that the people who lived alongside Lisa would've stood up for her and they betrayed her out of a mix of fear, religious reverence and apathy. Meanwhile Erzsebet doesn't care about humanity, seeing people like the lawyer's daughter as possessions or people like Tera and Emmanuel the Abbot as pawns to further her own rule. She might be taken aback by Drolta's death once she learns of it but there's an equal chance that she wouldn't even bat an eye.

So what do these points of analysis mean for Erzsebet and Tera's future dynamic as master and pawn? The one thing that's certain is that Tera has been fundamentally changed, forced into an unprecedented nightmare scenario that will drag her down a dark path. But I'm an optimist and I believe that Tera will ultimately be redeemed. She may never be human again but her humanity, her love for her son and daughter will save her soul. Ultimately I hope that Tera lives and recovers from the trauma of Erzsebet turning her. I hope that she goes home to her children and is taken in with open arms. But if Tera dies she will die as Tera, not as a pawn, and that is because Erzsebet could never kill her humanity.

#castlevania nocturne #castlevania nocturne spoilers #please heed the preamble #this post still discusses dark subject matters so I want you guys to be careful #erzsebet bathory #tera #tera renard #tera castlevania #dracula vlad tepes #anti lenore #sumi castlevania #taka castlevania #I really want to know what you guys think #and please forgive me if I've read way too much into Erzsebet #I just can't stop thinking about her lack of regard for most anyone #this could contribute to the colonization allegory with Erzsebet but I don't have the background or education to contribute to that talk #long post #ash rambles

[lizzaneia-elizalde]

Pleaseeee i beg youuu i need more of Azrael pleaseeeee

Yandere! Boyfriend! Assassin and his conglomerate girlfriend

I see that there are Azrael fans 👀 alright, let's do a drabble 🤩

I should really make a master list 💀

This time, again, I suggest reading the fic first: here!

By the way, for those who requested, I hope y'all can be patient! We still have journalism but I assure Yall, it would be answered 🤩

🔪Azrael, as everyone in the convent knows it, is only the son of the Head Priest's sister.

🔪What they didn't know, that the Head Priest had a little bit of fun with a prostitute and dropped Azrael off in the convent in the ripe age of being newborn.

🔪"The head priest is so generous! Taking care of his sister's baby!"

🔪Sure, the head priest took care of his son, but he's abusive to a tee.

🔪The screams that Azrael let out was drowned out from the thick walls of the confessional room.

🔪The young turned old, and Azrael turned 10 years old.

🔪On a seemingly ordinary yet stormy day, Azrael felt the foreboding feeling that it was his end.

🔪When the headpriest tried to kill him, Azrael spun around and dodged, rolling to the side. Betrayal filled his lungs as he breathed heavily and his eyes saw red.

🔪When he got his consciousness, the head priest was dead from his own hands.

🔪He ran outside, letting the storm wash away his sins and blood until he blacked out once more.

🔪He was picked up by an organization. Name? Classified. Even Azrael didn't know.

🔪Azrael spent his blood, sweat and tears climbing up the brutal ladder of the organization, until he become one of the best assassins out there.

🔪Then, he had the opportunity to target Mammon.

🔪When he investigated, he found you. The conglomerate heir and Mammon's daughter.

🔪"Well, this just got easier."

🔪So he approached you. At first, you were skeptical. Because most of your exes only approached you for your money.

🔪But Azrael is a sneaky bastard who knew how to act. He made you care for him, made you trust him. He was sweet, kind, generous even. And deep in your heart, you knew he was to be trusted.

🔪But then, you woke up with his knife on your throat. Betrayal settled in your stomach.

🔪You felt like you needed to cry, but all you could feel was the deep disappointment.

🔪And by the time you told him to do it quickly, he laughed and disappeared.

🔪After Azrael killed your father, he immediately targeted your other family members.

🔪He wanted to get a reaction out of you. Something to rile you up. And yet, you didn't relent. It's because your family never really liked you. And likewise.

🔪So, rather than reacting, you just rolled your eyes and took the position of CEO from your father.

🔪With no competition in the way, the riches of your family is all yours. And in this case, Azrael was going crazy trying to get you to react. A smile, smirk, anything! You were so deadpan when it comes to him.

🔪"Darling, please. I helped you get your riches that's rightfully yours! So not even a smile?"

🔪You only sighed and walked away.

🔪At first, this would arouse the man, but now he's sweating profusely, his eyes shaky as he gripped his shirt, clawing at his throat.

🔪Why are you ignoring him?

🔪Well, who would want to be associated with a serial killer?

🔪He got so desperate to get you to react to the point he... Let's just say, his lips, tingled with how wrong this is, was wrapped with a fellow assassin's.

🔪He didn't want to do this. He wanted to kill this other assassin for even trying to think they can kiss him.

🔪But you were there. So he pressed the kiss more.

🔪But you saw this as an excuse to break up with him already.

🔪"NO NO BABY PLEASE IT WAS A MISTAKE DON'T-- PLEASE DON'T BREAK UP WITH ME!"

🔪He desperately clawed on the floor as he got dragged out by your guards. He can easily kill them, but all he could focus is the pain in his heart and the betrayal he felt.

🔪 Betrayal? Aren't you the one being betrayed here?

🔪And as much as Azrael hated hypocrites, you hated them also.

🔪So you only stared at him with ice cold eyes. Not even giving him the satisfaction of reacting. Not even in your breakup.

🔪The image of you glaring down at him with such coldness was seared into his brain.

🔪"You know what I hate? Hypocrites like you."

🔪"DARLING!!"

🔪And as he screeched out his vocal chords out, you walked out on him.

🔪Is this truly the last time you see him?

🔪Who knows.

🔪But all he knows is that the betrayal he felt after helping you so much on getting the riches for yourself.

🔪He will get you back.

🔪Even if it meant tearing you down.

#yandere boyfriend #yandere imagines #yandere male #yandere writing #male yandere x reader #tw yandere #yandere x darling #yandere x you #yandere fic #yandere drabbles #lizzaneiaelizalde

[genshin-impact-writings]

omg I was thinking a LOT about a certain scenario and your event was like a blessing.

I was wondering if you could write Royalty AU with Alhaitam as a royal advisor and reader as the monarch?

You can include but you don't have to: forbidden love + the quote "I love you. You don't have to say it back. I just wanted you to know."

Hope I gave you something fun to work with!

Anon, this was the perfect combination of prompts, thank you so much for sending this in! <3 I really had so much fun working on this one! This is my first time writing for Alhaitham though, so I hope he's not too ooc. Have fun reading and stay safe, dear anon. :)

Prompts: royalty AU + forbidden love + “I love you. You don’t have to say it back. I just wanted you to know.” (1k followers event: Alternate Universes)

Only you and you alone – Alhaitham x gn!reader (royalty AU)

“The royal family of Inazuma sends their regards. They greatly appreciate your invitation but have to inform you that they cannot attend the festivities this year.” Alhaitham’s voice is calm as ever but over the years, you have come to know him well enough to notice that he’s not happy about their rejection. He has worked hard to finally put an end to the ongoing dispute between Inazuma and Sumeru that started long before you inherited the throne from your parents – and he’s rightfully upset about them still holding onto their grudge. 

“That’s unfortunate,” you say. Though there’s only the two of you in the conference room, you’re carefully choosing your words. As the ruler of this kingdom, you cannot afford letting your emotions get the better of you, as it would be highly inappropriate to lose your temper. “I was hoping they’d recognize the opportunity to conclude peace between our kingdoms.”

“They should be honored that you even considered inviting them to the Sabzeruz Festival.”

You sigh. There’s no point in denying that your trusted advisor has a point there. The Sabzeruz Festival is one of Sumeru’s most important celebrations, commemorating the birth of Lesser Lord Kusanali, your nation’s beloved goddess. Getting the opportunity to partake in this celebration is an honor, indeed. Unfortunately, the Inazumans seem to think otherwise. Or perhaps they’re just trying to get under your skin by declining your invitation.

“It is what it is and we have to accept their decision,” you eventually reply and pinch the bridge of your nose. It’s been a long day, filled with conversations and meetings and tiring smalltalk, and you’re exhausted. A part of you wants to excuse yourself to lie down and get some rest. But these meetings with Alhaitham are important, not only because he’s your advisor but also because you genuinely enjoy being around him. You’re both always so busy that these meetings are almost the only opportunity to spend time with each other. And you know that it’s probably selfish and highly inappropriate – but you still find yourself craving his company when he’s not around. He’s your safe haven, your lighthouse in the stormy sea of politics. Without him, you’d be lost.

“Is everything alright?” Alhaitham’s voice snaps you out of your thoughts, tone a lot softer than usual. It almost sounds as if he’s worried about you. “We can adjourn this conversation to another day if you wish” he adds when you don’t reply, “there’s not much we can do about these political issues anyways. Not now, at least.”

You’re not ready to say Goodbye to him yet, so you politely decline and reassure him that you’re fine, ignoring the quiet voice in the back of your head that’s telling you to get some rest. 

Alhaitham tucks two fingers beneath your chin and gently turns your head, so that he can examine your face. “You look tired,” he says but you’re too distracted by the warmth of his touch and the unusually gentle expression in his eyes to reply anything. It’s good that it’s so late – if someone came in now and saw the two of you like this… you don’t even have the guts to even imagine the outrage that would follow. Because even though Alhaitham’s a member of the royal court, he’s still not of noble blood – and you know that there are people out there who’d jump at any chance to get rid of him and take his position as your advisor. 

You have to protect him from them. 

You give yourself exactly five more seconds before you pull away from his touch and straighten your back. “I’m alright,” you assure him. “Please don’t worry about me.”

“I’m your advisor, it is my job to worry about you.”

“That’s not entirely correct. Your job is to worry about politics and these stubborn Inazumans and help me figure out what to do with them.”

Alhaitham chuckles. “Well, my advice won’t be any useful if you pass out from exhaustion, no?”

You join in his laughter. Others surely would claim he’s overstepping his authority by saying things like this but to you, it’s comforting to know that he’s looking after you. “Alright, you might have a point there.”

“I know.” His gaze softens. “Leave it to me to figure out a way to solve the dispute between Sumeru and Inazuma and get some rest. You deserve it.”

You’re tempted to ask him to escort you to your room, just to get a few more minutes with him. Instead, you push your chair back and give him a brief nod. “Thank you. Good night, Alhaitham.”

He watches as you make your way to the door. Only when it has closed behind you does he reply, “Good night… (Y/N).”

* * * *

It’s the first day of the Sabzeruz Festival, and you swear, your kingdom has never looked more beautiful. The streets are decorated with beautiful flower arrangements and lights, and the streets are filled with people, conversations and laughter. The smell of delicious food lingers in the air, tempting and full of promises. Everyone looks like they’re enjoying yourself, and that alone is enough to make you happy. You have always cared about your people, sometimes even a little too much, but to you, that is what makes a good monarch. These people are the backbone of your kingdom, and it is your sacred duty to take care of them.

The other thing that puts you into such a good mood is the fact that Alhaitham is by your side as you roam the streets of the capital. He has linked his arm with yours to make sure you don’t get lost in the crowd, and you have a hard time stopping yourself from smiling like an idiot.

You’re aware that you don’t exactly need the royal advisor to accompany you to a festival but he’s much better company than some of the other members of the court. And he gets bonus points for not forcing a conversation on you when you just want to take all the different impressions in. (He also gets bonus points for being so damn handsome but you’d rather bite your tongue off than admit that.)

“It’s such a shame that Inazuma decided to miss out on this,” you say when you pass a booth that sells different kinds of sculptures and works of art. On first glance, you can spot colorfully painted candle holders and plates as well as portraits carved out of wood, showing Lesser Lord Kusanali and various creatures from your kingdom’s folklore. There’s also a portrait of yourself and one of your parents, the late royal couple. 

The shop owner bows when he notices you examining his goods, and you smile at him and tell him that his works are stunning before you continue your way to the Grand Bazaar, the beating heart of the capital. It’s a beautiful place, lively and artistic, and by far your favorite spot during the Sabzeruz Festival. 

“Are you enjoying yourself?” Alhaitham asks. You beam at him. “Very much.”

He nods, not quite able to hide the smile that plays around the corners of his mouth. But then again, there’s probably no point in denying that it makes him happy to see you like this. You act like someone has taken a massive weight off your shoulders. It’s good that you finally get some time away from politics and responsibilities, not only because he knows how much you worry about the conflict with Inazuma, but also because he just adores this carefree and upbeat side of you. You’re like a comforting ray of sunshine in an otherwise clouded sky. 

Alhaitham is not an idiot – he’s well aware that he’s head over heels in love with you. Others might be convinced that he’s not capable of genuine love, but they don’t know him. They don’t know that he has learned to carefully lock up his true feelings during the years he spent at court where every single word, every single emotion can be used against him. If someone knew how much you truly mean to him, he could lose everything.

And yet, just for a couple of seconds, he allows himself to admire you, to indulge in the breathtaking beauty of your smile and the way you’re still holding onto his arm, although the Grand Bazaar is much less crowded than the streets and you could let go if you wanted to. But you’re not letting go, and that alone is enough to make him wish that this moment could last forever.

But of course, it doesn’t. 

* * * *

“Please excuse my really poor choice of words but I have never heard so much bullshit in my entire life,” you say as soon as the door has shut behind you. Only Lesser Lord Kusanali knows how you have managed to keep calm in this farce of a meeting with the envoys Inazuma has sent to your kingdom a couple of days ago. 

Next to you, Alhaitham chuckles. “I honestly was thinking the same thing.”

“It just doesn’t make any sense. Queen Ei might be stubborn and abides by her beliefs and her beliefs only but this isn’t like her. I wonder if there’s something about this dispute my parents haven’t told me.”

“Maybe. Do you want me to conduct investigations? I could get the Matras involved, too.”

You stop him with a wave of your hand. “Later, perhaps. Right now, we should focus on clearing our heads and take a break from politics. Care to join me for a walk through the gardens?”

“My pleasure, Your Highness.”

At this time of the day, the gardens are mostly empty, and so there’s no one to stop you from brushing your hand against Alhaitham’s as you wander around, passing beautifully arranged flower beds that are filled with Padisarahs and Sumeru roses. Neither of you speaks a word, you just enjoy each other’s company and the warmth of the setting sun on your skin. Your hands are touching again, and before you even know what is happening, Alhaitham has intertwined his fingers with yours. He’s still looking straight ahead, acting as if nothing happened, but you stop in your tracks and stare down at your hands. (You’re pretty sure you’re dreaming. Perhaps you fell asleep in that dreadful meeting?) 

“Is this not what you wanted?” Alhaitham asks, and albeit his voice being smooth like butter, the insecurity in his words is obvious – at least to you. “I’m just… surprised,” you say. I never assumed you liked me too, you want to add but you don’t. There’s always the possibility that you’re just imagining things. That, and you have sworn to protect him from those who are after his position. 

“I know this is not exactly appropriate,” Alhaitham says, letting go of your hand, “and I apologize if I misinterpreted anything. I just-“

“No,” you interrupt him, although you know you probably shouldn’t tell him the truth for the sake of protecting him. But you don’t want to lie to him. Not anymore. “I want this,” you add and reach out for his hand again, “I’m well aware that we could get into serious trouble for this but… all I can think about is how much I want to be with you.” 

You pause and take a deep breath. “Alhaitham, what I’m trying to say is: I love you. I have loved you for so long now, andI know I shouldn’t tell you but…” When he doesn’t reply, you begin to panic. “You – you don’t have to say it back. I just wanted you to know.”

“Oh darling. Why on earth wouldn’t I say it back?” The tender, loving tone of his voice is enough to make your knees wobbly, and you fear you’re going to melt on the spot when he steps closer to you and leans in, so that your lips are almost touching. His next words are meant for your ears and your ears only. “I always thought it wasn’t in the cards for me to fall in love with someone. Yet, here I am, so deeply and genuinely in love with you that I can barely put it into words.”

“Show me, then,” you whisper. 

It’s like he has only waited for your permission because in the blink of an eye, his lips are on yours, and he’s kissing you. He takes his sweet time, moving his free hand to the nape of your neck to pull you closer while you wrap an arm around his shoulders. It’s everything you ever wanted. And in that moment, you’re convinced that something that feels so good cannot possibly be wrong.

When Alhaitham pulls away, he gently rests his forehead against yours. “I would break all rules to be with you,” he says. You let out a shaky laugh. “I’d prefer if you didn’t. There must be another way for us to be together. Perhaps we can-“

Alhaitham silences you with another kiss. “Shh. We can talk about this tomorrow.”

You smile. “Okay.”

Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed it please consider reblogging, liking and/or leaving some feedback. I'd really appreciate the support!

Taglist: @kaeyas-beloved @caesars-bubbles @the-gayest-sky-kid @ajaxstar

#alhaitham x reader #alhaitham x y/n #alhaitham x you #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact imagine #reader insert #gender neutral reader #gn!reader #royalty au

[human-sweater-vest]

okay so we’ve seen glenn and ron so far in season two and they’ve been kind of what I expected.

glenn is pretty much the same as he was season one. it makes sense, he’s set in his whole thing, he’s vibing in hell with morgan and is sporting the same chill stoner vibes as before. the notable thing with him was that there wasn’t really animosity between him and nick (which also makes sense given their whole deal in season one). he’s always been far removed and it makes sense that in season two he’s still rockin with it.

ron then was a really touching surprise because he continued to grow as a person (insert beth may snickering here). he connected easily with scary and hit me like a fucking freight train with the line about him being sorry that she didn’t realize that losing terry jr. was her loss too. he’s this strange intermediary between the men in their family because willy took advantage of her needing someone to validate her pain, terry jr. was seen as a cause of it and therefore couldn’t help ease it truly (until things were too late), and then ron is here being his odd little self and extends sympathy to her because he also lost terry jr. and can understand. kudos to beth for ep. 41 because she rode the line between comedy and genuinely heartfelt and deep emotional moments like a champ.

and now here’s where we turn to speculation:

I’ve seen a lot of folks saying they’re worried about henry (and I feel like he’s probably going to warrant that because duh, it all comes back to the oak family when it comes to the doodler). however! my first point here is that we shouldn’t ignore darryl.

I feel like we see the most thought going into the oaks (and again, rightfully so, will and anthony are serving us trauma and drama on a platter) and I think one of the sacrifices with that comes at the extent of the wilson boys. the darryl/grant arc was the first time I really, truly got what dndads was all about. specifically, matt’s incredible line where darryl is replying to the other dads saying that he should showcase vulnerability to grant with darryl snapping and saying that he can’t be fully honest because he’s putting on a brave face because he doesn’t know if they’ll make it out and if he and carol will even stay together if they do. that line then contrasted later when he says that if grant asks him a question he’ll do his best to answer truthfully which allows for the big emotional connection they were lacking.

the wilson father/son relationship hinges on the idea of not being able to love the pain away and we see that extend into the next generation in a deeply tragic way. grant can’t make his mental illness magically disappear by loving his son despite how badly he clearly wants to. he can’t “we’ll talk about it later” his way into a healthy relationship where he’s able to offer his son both stability and truth. he’s fucked up and traumatized and never fully dealt with things and he’s dealing with the ramifications.

so how do we think darryl feels about that? how do we think darryl would feel knowing that he couldn’t love away grant’s mental illness (which isn’t something you can do, but he feels immensely guilty about in season one) and seeing the disastrous effect it had on the relationship between his son and grandson to the point where linc no longer refers to him as a dad? I personally really do think that he’ll act as a balm between the two and finally provide that space for them to become father and son again.

there’s truly so much I could say on the wilson family because I’m fascinated by the transition between the most stereotypically masculine family dynamic to a queered one (in both senses of the world) and how the thru line for the generations is this idea of not being able to 1. disclose the truth out of a sense of protection (see: frank hiding his marital and monetary issues, darryl hiding his martial issues and fear of not surviving faerun, and grant hiding who he is and what he does) and 2. love away the pain/illness.

and now we turn to the oak boys. I’m operating on the assumption that henry will be the last dad that they seek out because 1. glenn and terry jr. are in the same spot which means we get a two for one combo deal in hell 2. lark and sparrow clearly have a bad or at the very least strained relationship with their dad and will be less likely to jump on seeking him out and 3. the oak family started the whole doodler thing in this show so it makes sense that they’ll end it.

and for the sake of transparency: here’s where my bias comes through. henry was my favorite season one dad. normal is my favorite season two kid. will campos if you’re reading this, I want you to know that if I could simultaneously give you an academy award and sue you for emotional damages, I would.

the oaks have the most literal device explaining their generational trauma. hildy was ripped from her world after her companions were brutally killed in front of her, barry is a piece of shit, henry has the weight of both his father and having to be a father despite not having a role model, lark and sparrow are fucked up beyond belief in a manner of ways that starts at fucking their twin’s spouse and ends with starting the literal apocalypse. and then there’s normal. bearing the brunt of it all when he wasn’t even given the support to. he’s been carrying the weight of expectation since birth. his sister is hero, he’s normal and yet he’s anything but. that’s a whole other essay (catch me writing that when it’s not 2am).

back to the twins and henry though. from their view it’s bad right? lark hates his dad and destroyed the world. sparrow was an accomplice. I can’t imagine that things were easy after the doodler was released in the oak-garcia household. ESPECIALLY — and this has had me uncomfortable since we learned it offhand in episode 29 of the season — because henry and mercedes had another kid. first things first (and this might just be a me and my cultural background thing), but a minimum decade age gap between your first and second kids is A Lot. especially given the context here that henry struggles with being a father for the aforementioned reasons and his children literally Ended The World. I dunno about you but I think that I’d avoid having more kids at pretty much all costs at that point. but he and mercedes don’t. and hey maybe birdie/birdy was an accident. but my suspicion here (and I very much might be reading too deep into something mentioned in a literal “see you again” parody) is that birdie was a second chance kid. which would fucking blow if you were the aforementioned dad-stabbing—eldritch-creature-releasing child because it would look like your dad had gone “okay well that didn’t work out I can’t find a way to make these kids work so let’s try another one” which would justify the distance and dislike of henry from both of the boys.

I’m a very big fan of henry. he’s fucked up in the exact way I like my fictional men and also reminds me of guys from the city I grew up in which is both appalling and endearing. however, this is absolutely a move I could see him justifying to himself which morally makes me wanna walk into the sea and from a character/story standpoint makes me wanna jump up and down in glee. I really, truly am hoping that things pan out like that and we see a henry who loves his beautiful boys very deeply, but also gave up on them in exchange for a do-over.

I’m especially excited to see how he interacts with normal because my first instinct based on season one without my fucked up and evil birdie theory is that he’ll love normal and make him feel special and seen while my second post-birdiegate instinct is that he’s just not going to care anymore and therefore do fuck-all for normal. he has the energy of a man who eventually just stops trying because he can’t ever make everything better. will campos, if you deliver on that, I’ll figure out how to sneak the oak family into an academic paper.

finally (for now), I’m predicting that the familial reunions will reflect the how the anchors broke. glenn, ron, and darryl will be love while henry will be hate. I think there’s a lot of possibility there that I can break down when it’s not almost 3am. thanks for reading! lmk what you think, I really want to discuss this with folks and get your takes!!

#yes! the formatting is whack! I’ll clean it in the morning! #dndads #oh dndads you make me so silly #I sit down and go hmm I like the new arc set up and suddenly it’s two hours later and I’ve written 1500 words about it #sponsored by adhd and brain rot #dungeons and daddies #big ol ramblings on #henry oak #lark oak #sparrow oak #darryl wilson #grant wilson #if any of the daddies see this #know that my promise at the end to will is true and I’ll go through with it and @ y’all #dndads season 2 #gonna trademark birdiegate #cheers

[luveline]

miss jade your bodyguard!james example hit me right in the chest.. can I get candy apples and do you wanna dance? with a bodyguard!james au?? Where you’re dying for a sleepover with your girlfriends but he’s gotta sit in there with you and he totally gets into it gossiping and painting nails and doing face masks and making friendship bracelets? I yearn for big buff scary babygirl James and his shy little charge :’)) - happy Halloween !!!!!!! 🧡🖤

join luveline's halloween party ♡

mei my angel my literal everything best idea ever and I had to include what we talked about too, tysm for ur request baby happy halloween ♡ bodyguard!james x shy!fem!reader (also tipsy!reader)

You really hadn't wanted to bring it up but at the same time, you'd felt like you had to. James had assured you to do whatever it is that's going to make you most comfortable, even if what makes you most comfortable is actually making your new friends most comfortable.

"He... He has to come, but James doesn't mind sitting in the adjoining room. I'm sorry," you'd said.

Mindy, a friend you'd miraculously managed to make at the supermarket of all places, had given your bodyguard a once over with a huge smile. "Are you kidding? He's welcome to sit wherever he likes. He's very welcome."

You'd felt a flicker of something. Not jealousy. A general wash of embarrassment at the implication that James is, rightfully, eye-candy.

"Are you wearing aftershave?" you ask now, not a question you would usually have the courage to ask. You're shocked.

"Cologne, actually," James says.

You gawp at him.

James looks both lovely and ridiculous. He's bedecked in smart clothes, his casual civilian clothing, and it's enough to make your heart skip a beat. Tight sleeves, tight pants. He's a classic handsome on a bad day. Tonight, he's breathtaking.

Especially carrying your pink backpack.

You like how much he doesn't care about stuff like this. Your backpack thrown over his shoulder, your coat in the crook of his elbow. None of it is his job, the only thing he really has to do is stop you from getting maimed or killed, but he does it anyways.

"It's nice," you say awkwardly. What you'd wanted to say was worse. Are you wearing cologne to impress Mindy?

His smile is horrifyingly smug. "Thank you, princess. Think you should knock again?"

You knock again, your hand barely pulled from the door when it swings open.

"Hi," Mindy says, smiling as soon as she sees you.

It's such a nice thing, for your presence to make somebody smile like that, and you find yourself smiling back without any of your usual shyness.

"And hello," she adds, sizing James up with a light-hearted expression of dizziness. "Did you get more handsome, Mr. Bodyguard?"

James hand touches between your shoulders. "Maybe slightly."

Mindy laughs gleefully. "Maybe so. Please, come in. We were waiting on your before we start Dirty Dancing."

You beam. Mindy shows you and James into the living room of her home where the rest of your new friends wait. They're all just as excited to see you as you are to see them, greeting you with hugs and smiles. They say hello to James too, which is really nice. James doesn't mind, but sometimes people act as if he's not there. It's my job to sink into the background, he'd placated once.

Still, you don't like when people ignore him. This spells good tidings.

You're in very nice but comfy clothes, soft loose trousers and a t-shirt that's too big for you, because you'd thought that was what people where to these kinds of things — it's what they wear in all the movies you'd watched to prepare — so you're horrified when you realise they're all dressed in fancy blouses and fine jewellery.

"Sit down," James reminds you gently, putting pressure on your shoulder until you sit.

"Right," you say with a laugh.

"You can sit wherever you like," Mindy says to James.

He tips his head slightly to one side. "I really don't want to intrude on you girls. I can happily stay by the door."

Mindy shakes her head. "No, sir. You can protect your lovely treasure from right here."

James sits beside you.

Mindy is clearly quite wealthy. Her living room is a large space with huge couches and an impressive television bolted high on the wall, Dirty Dancing already queued and waiting to play. Before you know it you've a cocktail in hand and the lights have been turned down low, the movie accompanied by a low level of chatter.

"Patrick," Georgia says dreamily, watching as the main characters dance in the middle of an empty room.

"He's not very handsome-" Milly says.

"What?"

"Let me finish! He's not very handsome in the classical way, is he? But his demeanour is what makes him so yummy."

You huff under your breath, a laugh you can't contain as they descend into a debate on all his pros and cons.

"He's more handsome because he can dance. It's his charisma."

"What does Y/N think?" Mindy asks, turning to you eagerly. You almost choke on your sip of cosmopolitan, face growing warm under their expectant gazes.

It's not entirely their fault. James turns to you to, you can feel his thigh pressed closer to yours. This isn't the kind of thing you and he ever talk about.

"Um, he... Well, I think he's-" Your voice falls to an insecure murmur. "He's not not handsome."

"I don't think he's all that," James says.

The girls roar with laughter. You turn to James to watch him chuckling, a grateful smile on your face.

"Can you dance, James?" Milly asks.

His arms burns where it touches your own. "Not like that," he says.

More laughter. You feel two things at once, and this time you're willing to admit one is some sort of jealousy. He's super funny and you love that about him, you're just not sure if you love everybody else knowing it too. But then, the second feeling, pure affection for him. He deserves droves of girls fawning over him. It makes sense that they're all so charmed.

They all sing the closing song of the movie to each other in dramatic duets. Mindy tries to include you, and then Georgia does too, but singing in front of people isn't something you do. It takes too much courage. You'd have to disregard the embarrassment of being bad, and you're not good at that. Nevertheless it's a great time that makes you laugh until your side hurts, especially when Dahlia and Darcy try to do the dangerous 'lift' dance move.

You dip your head toward James. "You could definitely do that."

He laughs, startled. "Do what, shortcake?"

"The lift."

"Only if you're the one I'm lifting," he bargains.

"Never in a million years," you say, cheeks filled with heat.

They want to do manicures after that. This is two cosmopolitans later, mind you, but you gather around the coffee table with finger dividers, and soon Milly is passing out calming sheet masks she got from the supermarket. You laugh at one another, ghosts in practice, and your laughter gets worse when James agrees to let Milly put one on him. His hair's so thick and curly that he needs to wear a headband to keep it away from his face, a salmon coloured pair of bunny ears.

You're on your fourth cocktail, a long island iced tea, by the time your nails are done, and Georgia has started retelling a story about her last date, how weird the guy had been, and how he had failed spectacularly in the bedroom.

"I mean, I probably should've known there wouldn't be much joy when he showed me his matchbox collection, but I thought he was eclectic, not stupid."

You giggle and lean hard into James side for support, your own face mask starting to slip down your face. He's already peeled his own off, skin shiny and soft, and he reaches out with delicate fingertips to pull yours away too.

"Here," he says, dabbing the excess essence off with a flannel.

"Thanks, Jamie," you say happily.

"Worst date of my life," Georgia finishes, rolling her eyes.

"I can't beat that one!" Darcy says quickly. "I was twenty, and we went to Burger King for dinner. Burger King. I was wearing a little black dress and heels. And when we get back in the car, we were supposed to be going for a film, he leans over the handbrake and starts trying to kiss me and all I could see was a tiny piece of lettuce in his mustache," — you hiccup hard and slap a hand over your mouth, overjoyed by her tortured tone — "I pulled away, obviously. And he grabs my shoulder and said, come on baby, I saw how you were looking at me back there.

Back there. In the Burger King." She rolls her eyes. "You gotta be kidding me."

The girls share their horror stories and you laugh and sigh sympathetically in most of the right places, until you're the only one left who hadn't spoken.

"What about you, Y/N?" Dahlia asks.

"Yeah, what's your nightmare date?"

You stiffen. "I mean... I... I haven't-"

"Come on, it can't be as bad as the guy who spit in my ear," Milly says.

You laugh, because ew, but struggle to come clean without sounding awkward. "I've never been on a date before."

"Oh," Mindy says, sounding not disgusted but let down. She recovers swiftly. "Well, you aren't missing anything, babe."

"Yeah," Darcy placates. "Especially if it's with a guy. No offense."

James raises a hand. "Please, it's fine. I've no delusions when it comes to my sex."

The girls continue to try and comfort you. You hadn't wanted any comfort, and every new reassurance makes you shrink. It's lovely that they're trying to make you feel better, but you feel abruptly inexperienced and ashamed about it.

"I once had a girl break an egg against my forehead," James says.

They all pause.

"On a first date?"

"Yup. She'd brought eggs. In her purse."

They gawp. You gawp. You've never heard this story.

Halfway through a dramatic rehashing his hand finds your calf for a quick squeeze. You realise he's making the whole thing up shortly after and you've never felt more thankful for him. And he once stopped you from getting tasered by grabbing the weapon with his bare hands, so.

"Aren't we a little old for friendship braceletes?" Milly asks, a practically fully-formed chevron bracelet in hand.

You struggle with your beginners bracelet made of four strands. James, beside you, is a natural. Your elbows keep brushing together, and it's a lot.

"Some of us had bad childhoods, Milly."

"Shit," you whisper, your bracelet loop sneaking out from under the masking tape anchoring it to the table for the tenth time in as many minutes.

"You're pulling too hard," James whispers back.

"Everyone's quicker than me!"

Mindy yawns and proclaims to go receive the sleeping bags and air mattresses she'd promised. "Keep working, Y/N! I want that bracelet around my wrist when I get back."

"No problem," you say easily, and then, "James, what do I do? Please help me."

James looks over at your bracelet. You've made knots on the wrong strings, the bracelet more a net than anything. He side eyes the group of girls sitting around him, all putting the finishing touches on their projects, before quietly slipping his bracelet into his lap and swapping it with yours.

"Stick it back on the table and I'll show you," he murmurs covertly.

You stick his bracelet on the table in front of you with some masking tape and James takes charge. He grabs your hands with zero hesitation and shows you how to knot the strings, the 4-shape you need to make and which strings you need to make it on. His hands are very warm, super soft, and when he lets go you feel it like an absence.

"Get it?" he asks.

Kind of. There's an obvious difference in the quality of knots made. James' are all neat and uniform, yours less so, but you chalk it upto rushing and mindy doesn't know any different, hugging you as you tie it around her wrist.

"It's stunning," she proclaims. "Where's yours, Mr Bodyguard?"

He shows your bracelet. "I had some trouble."

There's a little wave of giggles that hurts your feelings, but then Darcy says, "It's alright, James. They're really hard if you've never made them before."

"Yeah, I spent an entire summer in primary school teaching myself. That's a great effort for a beginner!"

"Practice makes perfect, anyways."

James nudges you casually with his elbow. "Thanks, ladies."

Soon, the room is enveloped by the rushing sound of the electric air pump blowing up air mattresses. They're sandwiched together, and even with Darcy on the couch and Mindy in her own bed there's no enough room.

"I'm so sorry," she says, "I didn't think about where he'd sleep."

"Technically, I won't really be sleeping," James says.

Your heart is thudding painfully against your ribcage. "Uh, well," — you're so desperate to seem cool and not cause any problems that you blurt without thinking — "it's fine, James doesn't mind sharing with me." You look up into his dazzling, sun-kissed face. "Do you?"

A flicker of surprise clouds his features. He hides it. "No, of course I don't mind."

The time approached half-twelve quickly. James is off shift at 1AM, and while he might usually go home he's already told you he'll be staying the night. He hates when you're in unfamiliar places. You don't complain, though when it's dark and everyone is drunkenly snoozing in their plastic beds, you sit up in your sleeping bag and search for his figure in the dark.

"James?" you murmur.

"What, sweetheart?"

"Is y'shift over?"

"Yeah. Mason's just pulled up outside." Mason means Jack and Jack means the night team. You roll your eyes at how ridiculously looked after you are.

"Do you want to come and sleep? You must be tired," you continue, your own voice dulcet with an obvious fatigue.

James picks his way over to you where you're nestled in your pyjamas and sleeping bag. "I can go kip in the van, if it makes you uncomfortable."

Is he kidding? He's just spent the night not only looking after you but making sure time and time again that you didn't look stupid in front of your new friends. He might be the nicest boy you've ever met, and the last thing you want him to do after all of this is go sleep sitting up in the back of a van.

"Are you crazy?" you mumble, unzipping your sleeping bag to entice him in. "S'cold in here. Your nose would get frost bite out there."

"Poor night team," he laments agreeably.

The air matress lifts you up with James' added weight. He makes his way under the unzipped sleeping back and has to cling to your hip to stop himself from falling off. You frown at his scratchy clothes.

"Did you bring pajamas?" you ask.

"No offense, shortcake, but no. Obviously I did not."

Your sleep (and cocktail) addled brain doesn't have the energy to feel offended. "Y'gonna be uncomfortable."

He doesn't speak. You assume he's done talking for the night and curl your leg up toward his thigh, when he says, "You won't mind if I take my shirt off? The fancy labels are really itchy."

"No, fancy-pants, I won't mind."

Even in your state you can feel the nervousness of being so close to him after he's peeled off his shirt. He's a huge hot water bottle beside you and you face toward him, cold but miles too shy to make a move.

It's like he can read your mind. "Are you still cold?" he asks, pulling the sleeping bag up to your chin.

"A little. My nose is cold," you murmur, eyes feeling heavier by the second.

His hand lands tentatively against your cheek. His thumb rubs against the tip of your nose. "What was it you said about frost bite?"

You genuinely can't remember. His hand is so warm, his body, his touch something you desire badly on a good day and yearn ceaselessly for on your worst. You bracelet his wrist where it rests against your neck and rub over his pulse unthiningly.

"You want a hug?" he asks knowingly.

"Just for a second," you agree. Your dignity shrivels with the speed of your reply.

He laughs under his breath and slides his arm under your shoulders. For a second it's uncomfortable and achy, and then he's pulling the brunt of your weight onto his chest and wrapping arms around you.

You shudder at how warm he is, the heat of his palms over your spine.

You lavish in his hold and steal all of his emanating heat until you're toasty as can be, sleeping bag snug over your limbs and face nestled in the bare skin of James' shoulder.

"Sorry," you mumble.

"For what?"

You're surprised he's still awake.

"For... For being so... I don't know. Because you had to save me so many times."

"Saving you from awkward situations is easy, don't worry about it. And I think you would've done better without me than you realise."

His hand creeps up the nape of your neck.

You're pretty beside yourself, tipsy and tired and tenderised by his tactile touching. He's familiar. More familiar than anything. It feels like a dream to be in his arms. It probably is.

"You're a good girl, Y/N," he says, and it doesn't feel weird at all. He means it honestly. "You're kind. You're caring. People were bound to love you eventually. It took a while, but they do."

"It didn't take you a while."

"Well, I'm smarter than everybody else, you know that," he says.

You both laugh. His hand strokes the side of your face and rests behind your ear. You can't pin point when you fall from dizzy laughter into sleep, but James can.

He watches your face relax in the near-dark, watches your shoulders settle under his hands. The whole while he's thinking God, what am I doing? This isn't professional. This is the opposite of professional.

He tries to ease you off of him and abandons all hope when you turn your face into his chest and your lips touch his skin. Each exhale a warm kiss.

In the morning, he'll likely tease you within an inch of your life. You're shy enough on a normal day that he doubts you'll survive it. But for now, he rubs the length of your back and wonders if this is how you feel when he's standing guard. So, so safe.

#luveline's halloween party #marauders era #marauders #james potter #james potter x reader #james potter x you #james potter imagine #james potter x fem!reader #fem!reader #james potter fanfic #james potter fanfiction #the marauders fanfiction #the marauders fanfic #the marauders #bodyguard!james potter #bodyguard!au

[oceanlipgloss]

MEPHISTOPHELES

introductory note: this post has been in my drafts for quite some time, slowly and objectively getting spoon-fed with important things I learn about Mephistopheles; and now that the newest lesson is out, I'm happy I decided to wait to put it up. It's going to be lengthy, but it's categorised with titles, so navigation should be fairly easy.

⭑⭑⭑´ˎ˗

To begin with, it's upsetting enough when someone is misunderstood and treated in an unjust manner as a result; but when there aren't even any attempts made to understand them, that's truly not tolerable. At all. Even if that someone is only a compound of pixels.

Besides the prejudice, such behaviour says something about its people and portrays how they may deal with individuals (similar to the characters they're hating on) in real life. This is something that's horribly common in fandoms, but it's in no way whatsoever acceptable or right.

It's also so strange how some characters are excused, accepted, tolerated and swooned over when/if they do similar/worse/horrid things, while others are blatantly blamed. So I ask: why the hypocrisy?

This is something forgotten by many: loving a character is a package that includes accepting their mistakes and shortcomings, but loving them neither means that they're perfect, nor makes a mistake they make acceptable just because they're the ones who made it. A mistake is a mistake, and a shortcoming is a shortcoming.

Mephistopheles is one of my all-time favourite characters, and my favourite in the franchise as well. I love him so, so much. However, that's just one reason as to why it hurts to see how misunderstood and disliked he is; the sheer hatred directed at his character and shallow understanding of his person are so unfair and, quite frankly, very ill-based.

He may behave like an arrogant, rude and traditional aristocrat most of the time, but numerous reasons and factors stand behind his behaviour and viewpoints (even though they aren't always entirely right).

But: he's mostly painted in negative tones, as it's normally ignored or forgotten how, in reality, he's sweet, awkward, honest and kind; his actions tend to go against the mean things or claims he might say, and reflect who he is on the inside instead.

More importantly, he's lonely and deeply hurt—rightfully and understandably so—that is an undeniable fact which he himself admitted.

THE HERITAGE

Numerous times throughout the story, Mephistopheles says that—for generation upon generation—his family has been serving the royal one, whether it be as knights or otherwise, and he, no different, was raised to do just that. He was born to do just that.

However, an additional objective was added to his agenda: he was not only to serve the demon king or prince, but also become the latter's friend.

Mephistopheles was, quite literally, brought up to be Diavolo's friend; and as he apparently seems to keep to himself and doesn't talk about any other friends or even acquaintances (so far), I suspect that means Diavolo is—was—his sole friend.

As per the royals' wishes, the two children grew up together—one became the heir to the throne, while the other became that heir's right hand man.

Again, Mephistopheles is not merely a member of the demonic aristocracy; the family he comes from is explicitly dedicated to serving and protecting the royal family, and it has been for thousands of centuries. It's very important to keep this in mind, because that ancient heritage most likely founded many of his viewpoints, beliefs, and opinions (like his thoughts on humans and fallen angels).

With such heritage comes the burden of a great responsibility, as well as immense pride and honor. So, by becoming Diavolo's right hand man, Mephistopheles was able to fulfill his role—and hence his destiny—as well as respect his family's golden heritage and treasure his honor.

However, when Lucifer—a newcomer, and a fallen angel nonetheless—came into the picture, everything took a drastic turn for Mephistopheles. He lost his (possibly only) friend. He lost his position. And since he was the first member of his family to be released from the duty of directly serving the royal family, there was an unexpected stutter in his own family's continuous heritage (of tending to the royals). This, in turn, hurt not only his feelings, but also wounded his pride and injured his honor (as well as his family's).

As such, what Mephistopheles is feeling doesn't just stem from something as simple as jealousy. On the contrary, Mephistopheles feels as though his honor and pride have been marred, his self-esteem and worth have gotten cracked, his family has been disgraced, and that's all because he was robbed of his position—meaning his very purpose in life—due to the prince's friendship with a stranger, a fallen angel.

His destiny to benefit the prince (which had been decided for him even before his birth) was broken right before his eyes, yet he could do nothing but watch from afar, because he was raised to follow the royal family's every command, accept their every whim and go through with their every desire. These proprieties are a law that flows in his blood and was carved into his very bones.

All he could do was try to prove himself, his skills and his very worth to Diavolo again and again and again.

THE MINDSET

As aforementioned: seeing as Mephistopheles descends from a family whose entire bloodline has been dedicated to the royal one, his mindset was formed by that family's old traditions; and he believes in those traditions, which is why, in his mind, a fallen angel and a demon are not equals.

Prior to Diavolo's reign, no Demon King had made any attempt to form friendly relations and harmony between the three realms. This means that, up until that point, angels and demons (as well as humans) still held on to their own beliefs, believed that each of them is superior to the other, had no interest in communication or so much as considering the other party's views, and still gave their own interests importance over those of others/humans (more so in the case of demons).

This animosity portrays itself clearly in Lucifer's severe reactions to Diavolo and his views on demons from back when he was still a seraph. Even the way other angels talked about demons shows a certain coldness. And the same goes for demons; they all viewed Lucifer and his brothers as fallen angels—absolutely unwelcome outcasts—and the shopkeepers of those were not even willing to let them into their stores; rather, they made a point to force and kick them out, like they did to Mammon.

This tension between the realms encouraged Diavolo to found RAD and put together the exchange program (even though at that point, he himself still believed humans were inferior in a sense).

Some demons, however, still clutched their traditional views close and were unwilling to let them go. Mephistopheles is one of those demons; he berates Lucifer and his brothers for being fallen angels, and looks down on MC for being a 'lowly' human. There's much more to his opinions than some people think (and nobility played its part in forming them), but behaving as he did, of course, was not quite the right thing to do.

Now, families such as the one Mephistopheles comes from are founded on particular, timeless traditions—traditions that Diavolo revolted against, if you will, and began to change through the exchange program by focusing on angel, demon and human interaction. This was hard for even lower-level demons to adjust to, so it must have been much, much harder for someone like Mephistopheles.

And considering his family's status, Mephistopheles has always lived in an atmosphere of political views and is always aware of all the 'national' news and occurences in the Devildom. All this made him patriotic, and that's a reason why he believes that the Devildom is for demons and demons alone, and yet another reason that feeds his scorn for Lucifer and his disdain for the avatar's brothers.

THE FALLEN ANGELS

Lucifer being a fallen angel is not the sole reason as to why Mephistopheles hates him.

Mephistopheles does not hate the brothers simply for their backgrounds or even just for being close to Diavolo, because there's also how he also considers them a threat to his homeland.

He thinks of them as lethal weapons. He blames them for the fear and anxiety hanging over the Devildom. He worries that his homeland would be destroyed due to their presence.

What happened to the brothers was hard, and it wasn't their fault that they had nowhere else to go, but in a way, he's right, because by giving the seven demons a home in the Devildom, Diavolo put the entire land at a risk much too grand, and the lives of his subjects at the mercy of the Celestial Realm.

THE PRINCE

When Diavolo met Lucifer, the celebrated seraph piqued his interest in such away that Lucifer almost became an obsession of his (not in a romantic context, but rather in a more 'exotic and interesting' one). Which is to say, Lucifer was not only a different species, but the most beautiful of that species, and to Diavolo he was a just that—a rare jewel, a dazzling novelty; with him came new experiences, too (i.e. talking to an angel for the first time ever).

Lucifer was one of the two greatest angels of the Celestial Realm, and Diavolo had lead a sheltered life, but no one had not heard about the prideful angel, and the demon prince was no exception. So, when the two finally met and conversed, Diavolo's interest skyrocketed and he wished for them to be friends.

What truly made friendship with Lucifer a necessity to Diavolo, though, was Lucifer's bold attitude and daring mannerisms. Mephistopheles had always treated Diavolo as a prince—formal and careful—but Lucifer treated him more like a friend.

Mephistopheles asks for permission before giving Diavolo his opinions, while Lucifer is not afraid to speak his mind—and that's what Diavolo wants: a fearless friend, not a reluctant advisor. And even when Mephistopheles voices his honest thoughts, Diavolo doesn't like what he hears, because his childhood friend becomes too intense as he clings to his beliefs and opposes affiliation with other species.

In the end, when Lucifer fell from grace, he and Diavolo came to spend a lot of time together, so much so that they became best friends; and as that friendship grew, Mephistopheles suddenly found himself being pushed out of Diavolo's circle—away from his childhood friend's side and away from his life, slowly but surely. That hurt him a lot and set alight within him hatred towards Lucifer, which is understandable; Lucifer had never meant to inflict pain on Mephistopheles, but he had indeed hurt him by 'taking' his rank and his friend—that's a fact. And, honestly, he sometimes does tend to needle him, which is really mean, but demons will be demons. I can appreciate the realism, at least.

Diavolo's mistake lies not in wanting to be friends with Lucifer, but in how he treated Mephistopheles as he formed that friendship. He began to spend little time with him and more time with Lucifer. He started to leave him out. He talked to him less and less. Eventually, it got to a point in which they only met up once in a blue moon (mentioned by Lucifer himself), and Mephistopheles either wouldn't even know about the latest occurences, or was the last to learn about them (even worse: sometimes he got to know thanks to humans, the outsiders).

The following statement(s) may be offensive to some, even though they've been shown or at least implied in both games so far; but if everything Mephistopheles was put through wasn't enough, Diavolo doesn't really seem to care much for Mephistopheles's constant efforts to display his skillset, or even respect his feelings whatsoever (i.e. inviting Lucifer and MC to join him and Mephistopheles for a dinner they were supposed to have together, even though he knows how Mephistopheles feels about Lucifer).

When one's childhood friend—who's most likely their only friend, too—treats them so heartlessly, pushes them away for the sake of someone new, and doesn't take their feelings into consideration, how are they not supposed to get severely hurt and upset?

THE EFFECTS

By orchestrating Mephistopheles's replacement, Diavolo delivered a huge blow not only to the latter's honor and pride, but also to his self-confidence.

Even if he usually boasts his bloodline and makes fun of Lucifer, deeming him unworthy, even if many think that he's pompous and suffers of no such thing as a mottled ego, the truth is, he probably does.

Why else would he ask Diavolo if he thinks Lucifer is better than he is? Why else is he always trying to prove himself to Diavolo and pounces at any chance he gets to do so? Why would he be happy once he got leeway to demonstrate his skills to the prince? Why would he force himself to work in journalism when he had no interest in the field if it were not to showcase his worth? It's not just about catering to the prince's wishes.

Of course, there is also the hint of a challenge towards Lucifer—the usual 'I'm better than you and I will prove it'—but that doesn't really compare to his other feelings.

He's lonely, and he really needs someone to talk to—someone who can listen to him and understand him without being insensitive or making a joke out of his thoughts, reactions and feelings. That shows in how, even when he had earlier avoided so much as greeting Solomon on the street, he immediately started pouring his heart out to him when the latter prodded him with an understanding statement.

He may constantly voice his objections and disapproval of Lucifer, but he could not truly object in the tangible sense. All he could do was try once and again to prove himself to Diavolo, in the hopes that the prince would see his talents and skills, perhaps choose him over Lucifer, and give him not his position as right hand man back, but rather his place as the trusted friend he can once again rely on.

THE NICE THINGS

Mephistopheles is genuine, sensitive and emotional. He doesn't beat around the bush. He just expresses how and what he's feeling—whether emotions born in the heat of the moment or lurking inside for quite some time—and if he doesn't talk about it, it shows in his silence and on his face. He's like Mammon that way; they both don't know how to lie or hide their true thoughts and feelings (even if they horribly want to). If they're upset, it shows. If they're happy, it shows. If they're hiding something, it shows.

He's innocent and soft-hearted. It's so easy for him to back down and waver if he's met with proper treatment (i.e. compensating him with a bottle of rare Demonus was enough to get his help), a certain reaction (i.e. MC giving him an upset look, so he found himself barely able to refuse dinner with Lucifer himself), or a cute situation (i.e. he was displeased when Raphael made him carry Luke, but all it took for him to melt was one look at Luke's sleeping face).

Despite his prestigious background (and the likely gatherings and meetings that come with it), he seems to be awkward. He would rather not greet someone he's merely acquainted with but doesn't know well even if they glimpsed one another on the street.

There's also how he loves his little brother so much. He always babies him and gets him presents, like sweets and clothes.

And what about how much he cares for Luke? What about how he was the only one who risked his life to save him? Even Luke, who always nitpicks the faults of demons, came to love and respect him for what he did. Doesn't that say something? In addition, he helps Luke whenever he can and gives him lots of encouragement, like when he complimented the quality of his desserts and told him that it always amazed him.

Also, he understands how MC feels about wanting to go back home and confronts Lucifer about it, coming to MC's defense as he did. While he may have warmed up to MC a little, the real reason for his actions lies in how he is willing to put his personal feelings aside to do the right thing and be fair and righteous.

He does things for others and helps them—saving them from possible injuries in the process—yet genuinely believes that it's something he doesn't need to be thanked for doing because he thinks 'anyone else would have done the same thing,' which is not true at all.

He doesn't let his personal feelings interfere with and stop him from doing the right thing (i.e. he first used to refer to MC as 'the lowly human exchange student' (original game), but when MC was about to tumble and fall, he came to the rescue and said it was not something he should be thanked for; and in the current game—and despite how he feels about humans and other races—he says that MC can go back to the Devildom whenever, so there's no need to worry about leaving. He doesn't adopt a 'I don't want non-demons to be here, so you should go home and never come back' attitude. Also, he played a huge part in encouraging the brothers to rescue Lucifer when he saw that they were plagued by fear and doubts).

He has no issue giving those he doesn't like credit (i.e. when he told the brothers that he had underestimated them).

Despite his viewpoints, Mephistopheles is not malicious. He never actively tries to inflict serious harm (i.e. unlike demons who treated the brothers cruelly and kicked them out of shops, he readily cooperates with his 'enemies' and the 'lowlives' when needed, like when he and MC solved one of the 666 Mysteries of RAD together).

His pet salamander constantly tries to burn the curtains, but he finds him so cute that he just can't stay angry with him.

He pours a whole pot of sugar into his teacup so he can sweeten his tea! Meaning, he has a sweet tooth, and that's so damn adorable.

He's a main maker/designer of the Prince Lucifer and Princess Diavolo stickers!

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, the first thing I want from NTT once they give Mephistopheles his own intimacy bar is to let MC be there for him; to listen to him, talk to him, encourage him to enjoy his own life, away from Diavolo's shadow and wishes; to let him be kinder to himself, give him the chance to mend his confidence, and a wake-up call to realise that neither Diavolo nor anyone else determines his worth; help him out of his fixation on the fallen angel and the prince and the desire to prove himself worthy; see that he understands he's not a genie forced to grant whatever his Lord wishes for, that he can speak his mind without concern; make him realise that he wasn't born to live life for Diavolo, that he's not a puppet crafted to serve the prince. He's so much more than that. He's alive and breathing, and he deserves so much more than the dreary, painful life he's walking the path of.

⭑⭑⭑´ˎ˗

ending note: NTT, please, please, please add him already. Pretty please.

©𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙜𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙨

#obey me mephisto #obey me mephistopheles #obey me #obey me nightbringer #obey me swd #shall we date? obey me! #om! shall we date #om! swd #obmswd #obmnb #obey me shall we date

[good7luck]

My quick personal thought on Noe in VNC manga latest chapter 61.5

(more under the cut)

.

I do NOT think Noe "pretended" to not notice the racism towards Dham in the office because he didn't "want" to accept the harsh reality that his "good" fellows are being bad / racists. It didn't happen...yet, at least.

I'm rather sure Noe simply, sincerely had NO "concept" of the racism ITSELF towards Dham AT ALL. "They probably still don't know their individual name each" was the ONLY and "best" guess Noe could ever make ON HIS OWN, within HIS (extremely limited) "common sense".

Noe does NOT realize the word Dham was being used like a slur purposefully in THEIR context, because Noe believes it's "by definition" not inherently an offensive term. They're Dhams, it's who they are, what's the problem? Vani is a human, so there's nothing wrong to call him human, cuz it's what he is, isn't it? But yeah, it's weird to keep calling all of them as just Dham when they all have their own name, let's fix it now!

Well, Noe does not have the same view / experience as other characters, much less we audience. He tends to listen well, but he's not always good at catching the hints / full context quickly. Of course, Noe hated to be called only "vampire" on and on by Vani in the previous arc, but Vani was clearly super hostile and seriously fighting Noe to death at that time, while this is happening "in peace", so Noe couldn't possibly imagine the people were hostile, "too", just in a different or "softer" form, perhaps? Or Noe failed to notice it because it's not directly about Vani lol

I get that it's very tempting to call Noe "stupid / annoying" etc for not noticing the "obvious" malice. But it's NOT obvious to him, unfortunately; he's plain ignorant and oblivious for real, because he literally has had NO chance to learn until now. He can't magically know what he doesn't know. He isn't even a genius character. This is the first time Noe witnessed the subtle and explicit racism, and honestly...I highly doubt if even now he truly understands that he watched people being openly bigoted and that it's never from their "innocent ignorance" as he first believed. Sadly, it indeed doesn't help that those people are the ones who Noe does NOT see as an enemy.

Noe never heard of Ruthven, who "can't" be unknown to anyone. Noe genuinely believed everyone else (Vani & Domi) was lost, when it's actually him alone who was lost. This is the Noe we're talking about!

Shapeless One didn't teach Noe anything about Dham and the prevailing racism (which is surely suspicious and irresponsible). It seems he at least didn't tell Noe that Dham should be oppressed / hated, and thankfully Noe has grown up not to discriminate people merely for race. Since he arrived in Paris, Vani has never bothered Dante and others for being Dham in front of Noe, either. But yeah, now Noe should get to know more and face the unjust reality that the Dham has to deal with.

"Noe should've known better because, Archiviste!!" I feel he believes that it's NOT the same and mostly the matter of the "rightfully creepy" (he thinks) "ability" of the memory-reading (for now, at least). When you think about it...no VNC character has negatively reacted to Noe for being Archiviste so far (and like, most of them barely know in detail or get interested a little) - except Vani XD and we all know Vani currently doesn't care, as long as Noe doesn't try to drink his blood. Astolfo hated Noe, but it's because he equally hates any "vampire".

However, in regards to Dham, people are loudly making "the existence ITSELF" a huge problem, including their mere "appearance" difference. People "discuss" their "right to exist", which is similar to Jeanne, Bourreau, the slaves. Yeah, I suppose Noe has been kinda "lucky" not to be the target of discrimination...until now. I won't be surprised if Noe still doesn't understand what makes Dham "deserve" all the disgust when they don't even have any "disgusting" ability "like his". I'd like to also add that...Noe might've been safe solely thanks to his (problematic) "guardian" Shapeless One, the (in)famous & powerful vampire that no one can casually ignore, similar to Ruthven ^^;;

In short, I think Noe did NOT "forcedly" "choose" to "ignore" the racism and try to make an "excuse" for his "cannot-be-racist" fellows "instead"; how can he "choose" to believe "otherwise", when he doesn't even notice the deep racism "specifically" towards Dham in the first place? Though I can agree that it'd be hard for Noe to properly process what's going on in the office because he unconsciously believes the fellows he trusts wouldn't be "weird" or "malicious" to other fellows "for an unreasonable reason".

.

This was written quite quickly, and I might regret it and remake a similar post later...or not XD

Thank for you reading my current personal opinion!!

#vnc spoilers #vanitas no carte spoilers #vanitas no carte #vnc #vanitas no shuki #les memoires de vanitas #the case study of vanitas #memoir of vanitas #not tagging anyone #good7luck

[savethevamps]

Top Tanin and The Reality Of Coercion

Disclaimer : Please leave your Top hate away from this post. I have no problem having a discussion about Top, but if you’re just going to blatantly hate & make comments that have absolutely nothing to do with this topic, keep it to yourself.

A few days ago I made a post explaining the scenes in which Top has been SA. In that post, I point out the two, in my opinion, most obvious times; however there is another time that I felt needed it’s own breakdown. Let’s talk about episode three of Only Friends, and the very harsh reality of coercion.

Before we get into the actual scene, I’ll be giving out some context to show how subtle coercion can be, and how it all adds up until Top finally “gives in”. So let’s first talk about coercion harassment (when someone pressures, repeatedly asks, or threatens another person in an attempt to change that other person's mind.) and how that leads to the scene we’re breaking down today.

One of our first Top and Boston interactions is them in the restroom, I won’t detail the entire scene, but we found out Top and Boston have had sex in the past. Boston expresses his interest in having another go at it, and Top tells him, “I already told you, once is enough for you and me.” Now what does this scene tell us? Well besides the fact that we know Top isn’t interested in a repeat, we also find out that this isn’t the first time Top has denied Boston. This is highlighted by his use of the word “already,” and the look he gives when Boston gets snarky with him after the rejection. After the first time in episode 1, we see Boston, on multiple occasions, try to urge Top to have sex with him again; even going as far as getting in a shower with him. I already made a breakdown of these other scenes so we won’t go into too much detail here.

For the record, it is completely fine to ask someone for a repeat performance when it comes to sex, I’m not saying Boston is wrong for that. However, problem arises when a person expresses that they do not wish to engage again, and your response is to try and convince them. With that being said, let’s talk about the day the scene happens.

They’re at a party, Boston waits until he sees that Top is completely alone before he acts. Top stands in the kitchen and Boston comes in to stand in front of him, we see Top try to leave and Boston uses his body to stop him. Myself and others have pointed out how being cornered seems to be some kind of trigger for Top, or just something that makes him extremely uncomfortable (rightfully so), and this scene is no different. Boston then proceeds to do what he does best, lie and talk. (I won’t go into the details of the dialogue in this scene since I’m on mobile, but I definitely encourage others to watch it back to see how gross it all is.) Top sees the picture of Ray and Mew, and is of course shocked by this but when he tries to reach for it, Boston moves it away. He then tells Top that he has something more to show him, a video. I don’t know what Top was thinking during the party or in the moment at Mew’s door, and I won’t pretend I do, however we can all tell that what he’s seen is still on his mind. He’s a bit snappy to Ray, which he usually isn’t, and keeps repeating that he’s Mew’s boyfriend.

Alright I know this breakdown is getting long but stick with me, it all ties together. I see a lot of people that say Top should’ve just discussed this with Mew, or that he should’ve ignored Boston but honestly? I think it seems fitting that Top went to meet up with him. Look, we see that Mew hadn’t been claiming him as a boyfriend (which is understandable from Mew’s perspective), Mew’s best friend (the one Top believes he kissed) has been rude to him for nothing, and Mew’s other best friend is now in his ear about apparent “evidence” of Top being played. Besides all this though, it’s never okay to say that a victim should have “seen it coming” or expressing what they should’ve done differently. Hindsight is 20/20 and everything obviously isn’t black and white, okay? Okay.

Now the actual car scene. Boston shows Top the video on his phone. While he’s watching the video, Boston is again in his ear about how he’s being played by both Ray and Mew.

In this scene, we see Boston do a thing that he does extremely well which is something called prevarication: meaning he skirts around the truth, or is purposefully vague about it. How does he do this? Well he tells Top that the video happened two years ago, but he immediately follows it up with saying something vague about how they could possibly still be doing it. He then of course brings up how Mew is definitely only dating him to mess with Ray. We all know this isn’t true, and Boston does too, but he does this in order to get Top where he wants him. I see a lot of people saying that Top shouldn’t care about something that happened two years ago, but that’s not the point. The point is that Boston, Mew’s best friend, is putting it in his ear that Ray and Mew are still fooling around and playing him.

It all comes to a head when Boston delivers the final blow, saying that of course he can do this too. Driving in the point he’s trying to make about Ray and Mew playing him. Now again, the point isn’t that it happened, the point is that it’s apparently still happening and he’s getting played. Also, for the people in the fandom who believe their own outlandish theories about Top, he’s not mad because he’s getting “outplayed”, or “losing at his own game”, Top genuinely likes Mew and is interested in him, so of course he’s hurt that this could be happening.

It’s also worth noting that during this entire conversation, Boston gets closer and closer to Top until he’s directly in front of his face. Which leads to Top being caged in and cornered once again. This is where I give everyone the definition of sexual coercion, which is when a person pressures, tricks, threatens, or manipulates someone into having sex. The scene itself is extremely uncomfortable to watch because of this, but also because of how reluctant Top looks in the first place.

To wrap this all up, this is another time Top was assaulted, and then made to be the bad guy. People keep bringing up how Top should’ve just explained everything to Mew and it’s a bit disheartening. I talked in another post about how I believe Top, just like most viewers, never sees himself as a victim. This is most likely because of the Perfect Victim Fallacy, and him not seeing himself as a victim explains why he wouldn’t tell Mew about this. Not only that, but it would be him against Mew’s best friend, of course he doesn’t think he can bring this up. As I said earlier though, hindsight is 20/20 and anyone can say what he should’ve done. I also see people talk about how Top “participated” in the end, and I need those people to read the definition highlighted above. Boston repeatedly corners Top, and tries to talk him into sex; this all adds up to what we see happen at the end. It doesn’t matter if he eventually “got into it”, the point is this: Top would’ve never laid a finger on Boston again if not for the days of manipulation he was made victim to.

#only friends the series #only friends #top tanin #ofts #ofts top #I can make another post about how shame can also subconsciously stop him from telling mew if anyone wants it

[asongofstarkandtargaryen]

JON SNOW DAY 8: FEAR AND TRAUMA 😔

The relationship between Catelyn and Jon is one of the most divisive topics within the asoiaf fandom. No matter where you stand on this debate, we can all agree that the influence each character has on the other’s life is a negative one.

Every time I write about this topic I feel the need to say that no, I don’t expect Catelyn to act like a mother to a child that isn’t her own just because the kid is related to her husband. Jon fans often get accused that we want Catelyn to “mother” Jon but frankly there is not a single Jon fan (at least as far as I’m aware of) that believes she’s obligated to do so. 

With that being said, there is a difference between acting like a mother and treating a kid with basic decency.  Catelyn is failing on the second aspect and fans rightfully call her out on that (same as they do with any character that is horrible other children).

We learn from Jon’s pov that she never calls him by his name. Minutes ago, on the same chapter she calls him “bastard”. Which means that mostly she avoids him, not even acknowledging his presence and that when she has to she’s calling him degrading names like “bastard”.

Her eyes found him. They were full of poison. "I need none of your absolution, bastard." Jon lowered his eyes. She was cradling one of Bran's hands. He took the other, squeezed it. Fingers like the bones of birds. "Good-bye," he said. He was at the door when she called out to him. "Jon," she said. He should have kept going, but she had never called him by his name before. He turned to find her looking at his face, as if she were seeing it for the first time.

AGOT, JON II

Do you know how dehumanizing is for a child never to be called by their own name by an adult that lives in their home? And worst, have the same adult calling them degrading names? Catelyn, by the way she treats him, makes sure that Jon feels unwelcome on the only home he’s ever known.

I often see fans dismissing Catelyn’s mistreatment of Jon as simply avoiding him. Which can be harmful on its own but the thing is that Catelyn’s ill treatment goes beyond of that. Jon is terrified of her to the point he kept postponing saying goodbye to a brother he loved (Bran) simply because he knew she would be on the same room. This kind of reaction isn’t born by a kid who simply doesn’t interact with an adult in a position of power. This kind of fear means that  some negative interactions between them existed in the past. 

The text also supports this, because when Catelyn is irritated by Jon’s presence in Bran’s room she doesn’t simply ignore it. She threatens him that she’ll call the guards aka using her power as the lady of the house to indimidate this  powerless teen:

Once that would have sent him running. Once that might even have made him cry. Now it only made him angry. He would be a Sworn Brother of the Night's Watch soon, and face worse dangers than Catelyn Tully Stark. "He's my brother," he said. "Shall I call the guards?"

AGOT, JON II

Lady Stark has casted a large shadow in Jon’s life. During the years he lived in Winterfeel, he always tried to be quiet, in the shadows. He never wanted to be in the spotlight (despite the fact that we constanly see post- Winterfell Jon wanting to be acknowledged) because that would also draw Catelyn’s attention. He also never felt fully belonging on his own home which was partly due to his stepmother’s mistreatment. Even long after he left Winterfell, he keeps having nightmares where she personfies his fears and insecurites.

Finally, I want to write about Jon’s relationships with his siblings and how Catelyn influences them. I’ve seen fans claiming that Jon had a good relationship with his siblings because Catelyn allowed it to happen but I honestly disagree. In my opinion, Jon has a good relationship with most of his siblings despite Lady Catelyn’s efforts to sabotage them. Canon also supports that with Catelyn speaking to a very young Robb about what makes his half brother different to him, to the point of Robb being agressive about it (something that older Robb who isn’t so easily influenced by his mother would never do):

Only this time, this time, Robb had answered, "You can't be Lord of Winterfell, you're bastard-born. My lady mother says you can't ever be the Lord of Winterfell.”

ASOS, JON XII

Another example of Catelyn ill speaking about Jon to her kids comes when she tries to convince Robb not to name Jon his heir. During that conversation she even compares Jon to Theon  (who as far as she knows is responsible for her two other sons’ death) implying that Robb’s half brother is capable of also harming their family:

"Jon would never harm a son of mine." "No more than Theon Greyjoy would harm Bran or Rickon?" Grey Wind leapt up atop King Tristifer's crypt, his teeth bared. Robb's own face was cold. "That is as cruel as it is unfair. Jon is no Theon."

ASOS, CATELYN V

Also, I don’t think it’s a coicidence that the child who is closer to Catelyn (Sansa) is also the one who has the most distant relationship with Jon. As Jon once again informs us in his pov, his sister always called him “half brother” instead of simply “brother”:

He missed the girls too, even Sansa, who never called him anything but "my half brother" since she was old enough to understand what bastard meant.

AGOT, JON III

To conclude, Catelyn hating the fact that her husband has cheated on her and has a child born out of his infidelity doesn’t make her an awful person, just a human one. The fact that instead of blaming Ned she has put all the blame to a powerless child is one of her negative traits and fans are justified to call her out on this.

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