#and learn that you no longer need those defenses to a certain extent

[ginarickys]

the early reception of hsmtmts season 4, or what we’ve seen of it so far, has been majorly positive. there have been a lot of negative comments too and while everybody is completely within their rights to criticize/discourse over media, the extent that some “fans” have been going to (mostly bitter portw*lls) is just borderline malignant and i’d like to address some of these reoccurring complaints.

as it relates to ej caswell, he is NOT a punching bag. i’ve seen so many people argue that they’re no longer supporting or watching the show because of its treatment of ej and i’m not mentioning this to attempt to police what people should or shouldn’t support, i’m mentioning this because the arguments i’ve seen for this point are laughably vain, as well as hostile towards every other character who isn’t him.

ej is not some victim of bullying by the hands of the writers. every character in hsmtmts has struggled. every character has had to endure some level of change, because it was necessary for them grow. every character has been penalized for trying to revert back to the things that actively regressed them. rini, that was shown to hold both ricky and nini back, didn’t stick for that exact reason. ej hasn’t gotten it worse simply because the writers wanted him to.

his “character arc” was learning not to give people food poisoning. his “struggle” in season one was losing followers because of a poor decision that he consciously made.

and of course, i couldn’t tackle this entire ej discussion without mentioning the whole “ricky stole his girlfriends” card that people are still playing. nini and gina were not THINGS to be stolen. both of them made the choice to break up with ej for reasons that were completely valid, because people who’re capable of thinking for themselves can do things like that. portw*lls and ej fans have a pattern of degrading gina especially, all because she didn’t allow herself to stay in a relationship that was making her unhappy.

you guys cannot stand that ej doesn’t get to own who he dates. it’s beyond telling.

as it relates to fan service, the people claiming hsmtmts sacrificed “realism” to cater to fans being anti rinas doesn’t surprise me. the disney show is the one you guys are cracking down on about realism, okay.

rina isn’t fan service. gina getting the lead isn’t fan service. those are things that make complete sense within the contextualization of the show, which you guys always choose to ignore. these are things that have been built up through parallel storytelling and through multiple accounts of foreshadowing, but i understand those who are saying these things are happening because the show needs “saving” with olivia gone wouldn’t perceive it that way.

i’m not calling anyone simple minded. but what’s the real reason gina shouldn’t be the lead? what’s the real reason ricky shouldn’t be with a girl who understands him, supports him, and provided the positive change that he needed at a low point in his life? why shouldn’t these characters be happy with each other?

ricky and gina are the truest to themselves when they’re together. ricky sees gina’s ambition, he sees her talent, and he praises her for that. gina sees ricky for all of his potential. she never actively tore him down, she never ridiculed him. was there a point where she set boundaries between them? sure, but they came out on the other side of it the strongest they’ve ever been. certain characters exiting the narrative doesn’t mean that the other characters stop growing or developing, the story doesn’t suffer just because your ship isn’t endgame, or because your favorite character isn’t always happy.

finally, in defense of ricky bowen, he’s had more than enough growth to beat the regression allegations.

just to reiterate, gina wasn’t property for him to claim. gina is the one who told him that he’s been her choice for some time, despite not being her plan, he was still the one she was choosing. ricky didn’t coerce her into saying that. he wasn’t pulling strings or feeding gina lies so that she would break up with ej, either.

ricky has been battling with change and defining himself since the very beginning of the show. over the course of three seasons, we watched ricky genuinely commit to theater. he came to camp to be with his friends, not to sweep gina off of her feet. even with people calling him unreliable, even after being told that he has “no profitable skills”, even after having some bumps in the road. ricky has done nice things for his friends without expecting anything in return.

after being defined by his slip-ups, more or less, ricky finally got to hear that he was a yes to someone. a shot worth taking. i’ve seen people complain that he’s the main reason that they’ve given up on the show, as well as claim that he gets everything handed to him. he had to make sacrifices and lose things to get to where he is. there’s quite literally no denying that.

this has gotten entirely too long, but i’m trying to illustrate that a lot of these story beats are obvious. no one is obligated to watch something that they don’t like, but i’ve seen former “fans” act horrifically racist and sexist, i’ve seen them discredit the cast, i’ve seen them complain about the attention season 3 gave to anxiety and sexuality, just because they weren’t happy nini left the show, and because portw*ll wasn’t together by the end of the season.

this is a disney show at the end of the day, try and relax.

#hsmtmts #ricky bowen #gina porter #rina #hsmtmts season 3 #hsmtmts season 4 #ricky x gina #i won’t be tagging any ships or characters i was more critical of

[asachuu]

(5/10)

Part 3.3: Fifteen’s response

Content warning: brief mentions of abuse, major Fifteen light novel spoilers.

[List of all parts]

[Part 3, 3.1, 3.2]

All of the former was what we got to learn in the first novel regarding Arthur and Paul’s relation to each other. Personally, when I first read it, I did not even begin to think about much in their backstories that could possibly even begin to “explain” it, or rather, “redeem” it. If the book did not feature the very last part, perhaps I would also be one of the people wondering what truly happened, whether it was a case of simple betrayal or a far more tragic story on both sides— maybe it was some kind of mistake or misunderstanding, maybe they were forced to split apart— there could have truly been anything behind it that might have potentially warranted thinking of the two in a more friendly/romantic sense pre-canon, had it been simply left off that way without knowing any of Paul’s thoughts at the end. The last part, however, does in fact exist within the novel, and thus I did not feel any need to try and “justify” their respective words and actions for the purpose of imagining the two in a healthy relationship. As there was no further context that Stormbringer would eventually provide us with at the time, I did not even think any backstories were necessary upon seeing how these two respectively really thought of each other and how clearly one-sided any care for the other was. That, however, was merely my own take on the shipping aspect of this pair.

Now, to some of you, it may seem straightforward already. If one character cares deeply about another and supposedly feels guilty for acts of mere self-defense towards them, as is heavily implied through Arthur’s words and even his whole character, yet none of it is reciprocated to an extent of the other explicitly being glad the former is dead, how and why, pray tell, do people wish to view the two in a romantic setting? Well, there is already a lot I could say on this and there are some slight caveats I have to point out, too. As I already touched upon certain points earlier, I will now expand on them with reference to the story itself so far.

At first, I didn’t even think people saw it that way myself. Granted, during this time, there weren’t many people who knew much of Arthur and his story in the first place, but a handful were still present, and that handful certainly made itself known. From the heavily limited amount of fan-created content, I assumed people simply did “canon studies” of Arthur and Paul’s supposed relationship/partnership in terms of art, fanfiction or anything else of such nature, as those were all things I have already seen be done before. I take absolutely no issue with them either, I would say I’ve engaged in them myself too and there is nothing inherently harmful about them. However, as I looked further, I found certain people going far, far beyond anything even remotely resembling such content and simply going straight into actively shipping the two.

You may be surprised when I say this, given how I’ve taken to this ship so far, but truthfully, I also took little to no issue with people theorizing on the pair in their past or making content about that time, no matter what it actually was. Despite my proclamation of no longer requiring a backstory for them to decide against romanticizing them in any way, I do see how people would have many questions left unanswered, and speculation over it does not necessarily fall into that category at all. There's nothing truly wrong with doing so— for all we knew at the time, the two could have had absolutely any relationship that simply did not end well, and while I could still say it’s a little bit strange to jump right into envisioning a romance between them after reading what has been stated canonically so far, it wouldn’t make too much sense. That option could have been plausible as any other and to an extent, I can see why people seemed to accept it even without the added aspect of the real-life people it was based off of, more so with Arthur’s heartfelt words and actions. No matter what I could have said back then, it didn’t change the fact that it could fit into the story without breaking the current events at all, even adding a certain type of “explanation” for them. Not only that, it could have also made the story a lot sadder, depending on who you are and what’s your personal stance on such an arc. For me, it would have been equally tragic either way, but for some others, perhaps a romance ending in such sorrow would have pulled at their heartstrings far more, and if that theory made the reading experience more interesting or enticing, I would not be one to try and take it away for no reason, or a reason that didn’t have anything I could confidently stand on.

None of what I described here is something I would actually put into the category of “shipping”, though. While I may have my own personal distaste towards certain Rimlaine content myself, I don’t think this particular approach does any harm at all, but it wasn’t what a small, gradually increasing amount of people involved in this part of the fandom seemed to do.

Despite us not even having an actual design for Paul until a long time after Fifteen’s release, people still chose to try their hand at envisioning it, mainly those trying to draw or write about him and Arthur in situations together. Now, again, as I stated, I didn’t mind any canon studies at their core, the only thing I did was avoid them here and there as a lot of them were not the content I wished to see, but I began to notice others seemingly thinking of the two as a couple even post-canon, some entirely disregarding or joking about the written story while doing so. I assumed that perhaps they were interpreting the characters in some alternate universes where none of the canonical events happened, but that was almost exclusively not the case in anything I ever came across, save for a few pieces of media here and there which explicitly stated so.

While I also have a few concerns regarding the concept of “alternate universes” when talking about Rimlaine specifically, that was mainly brought upon me by the events of Stormbringer, and thus I will talk about it later on in a more fitting section. At the time of Fifteen, however, I didn’t see too many issues with that if it was used for another form of speculation.

Even so, back then, I found it all fairly strange, especially after what I read in both parts of the story I mentioned. I thought I must have missed something absolutely crucial if I still stuck to my initial thought, which was one of believing those two should not be endorsed as some form of “sweet relationship” for all the reasons I stated above. While there weren’t as many glaring problems with it as the ones that would only be made apparent after Stormbringer’s release, rather making way for a myriad of theories instead, it still did not sit right with me to believe a character, who was grateful for their partner’s death, would somehow make way for any kind of acceptable romance with them, even by fictional standards. I also began to have my own guesses about their past, just as many others, but they were all much different to the ones I saw being said publicly— based on the small shreds of content we received, I doubted their past was a happy or even healthy one, if we are to speak in terms of their supposed relationship due to its canonical ambiguity, and while this was nothing more than a personal headcanon left just as unconfirmed as all the other ones, I also came to realize it wasn’t just my own. Usually, such a thing would make me glad someone actually agreed with me, yet in this case, I almost felt some kind of disdain— I wish I was exaggerating or simply making a baseless argument here, but I have seen certain people in the BSD/Rimlaine community agree with this whilst simultaneously still engaging in actively shipping or seeing absolutely nothing wrong with the pair. I have even come across some folks who had a theory of Arthur potentially being abused in the past, yet who also made a lot of content for the pair in a much, much lighter context, and I believe this was the first time I began to have actual concerns about the nature of everything surrounding this pairing.

Now, due to the increasing seriousness/sensitiveness of what I am beginning to speak of, which will only strengthen over the course of this essay, I feel the need to bring up the introduction’s disclaimer once more. Please note that I am absolutely not labeling every single person this way and I’m fully aware from personal experience that there are many people who belong in the community that are truly sweet and well-meaning. All of this is directed only at anyone who happens to actively engage in behavior that borders on, if not outright is, very worrying.

That aside, even amongst the people who did not share those particular personal theories and had a far lighter view, I didn’t really seem to understand why anyone would actively wish to see the two together “once more”, especially after all that was said and done. I could get behind “what-if” situations and content made of such, but definitely not the wish to actually ship the two post-canon or see them together in any way. It was only later that I found a potential other reason, despite it also being quite off-putting to me upon closer viewing— the characters’ real life counterparts. I have briefly touched upon this before in the second part, but I’ll go a bit more in-depth here as it requires some more elaborating.

With this, I also close the Fifteen section, as this was all a recollection of events following the novel’s release.

[Part 4]

#text post #bungou stray dogs #bsd #bsd fifteen #bsd stormbringer #bsd storm bringer #bsd arthur rimbaud #bsd paul verlaine #rimlaine #asachuu

[britishassistant]

From one gut punch to another, but fluff edition: I think Divus hates when Yuu gets sick. Being a test tube baby, Yuu must have missed out on the natural immunities given by typical pregnancy. So when they were really young they would get ill very fast and very terrible. You can’t tell me that first time parents Roger and Anita wouldn’t panic when faced with the dreaded stomach bug. And who else to watch the pup when they run out for supplies then their “Uncle Crew”. At first, Crewel would consider it an triumph that Yuu could get sick since most of his creations have natural immunity, but that immediately changed and suddenly he was panicking too after Yuu had a pretty nasty burst of coughing. After all Yuu is the first creation that he’s ever made that was meant to be fragile, he’s not exactly equipped with how to deal with that. Nowadays Yuu mostly just suffers in silence, but if Crewel happens to hear that a certain reporter is under the weather, The Perfect will mostly likely stumble back into their apartment to find a care package from him with all their childhood treatments and the decent medicine.

@coffee-or-hot-cocoa said: hahaha how about yuu getting sick with a cold, lol the city must be the verge on a civil war with all the villains arguing who takes care of yuu, no crimes where committed but breaking and entering and the occasional medicine theft, they could've had kidnapped a doctor, but nothing says "look i'm husband material" by treating them to get better by helping them themselves. I keep imagining riddle with trey bringing some soup but then being shoved to the side from jade and floyd, with them bringing blankets and medicine, only to be beaten by the savana trio, by them taking a nap with yuu.

Thank you for the ask, dear anon and @coffee-or-hot-cocoa !

And oh. Oh. That makes so much sense and makes me so soft, I declare it canon.

Because Yuu’s lacking in these natural defenses, they tend to be someone who goes all out when they get sick. By which I mean they’re never someone who can have ‘just a light cold’, because their body just goes to the greatest extreme, from 0 to 100 in a matter of hours. They get awful fevers, migraines that leave them hardly able to think, body-wracking coughs, upset stomachs that mean they’re unable to even keep water down, sore throats which quickly devolve into tonsillitis, and that’s if they’re lucky and their symptoms are mild.

And they’ll still try to go to work in this state, because they’re a dumb workaholic.

Yuuken is in charge of turning them around, sitting them back in the car, and driving them home to rest.

It was particularly scary for Anita and Roger when Yuu was small, because chicken pox hit them like a freight train when it went through their class at school, leaving them ill enough for two weeks that they were contemplating taking Yuu to the emergency room so they could at least get the fluids they were losing via IV drip.

Crewel found it fascinating at first, as all of his creations have natural immunity built into them, so nothing can stop them when they rampage. Seeing one of them laid low by a mere disease, it’s a new experience that needs to be documented to its fullest extent to gather valuable data.

Of course it stops being so ‘fascinating’ once it becomes clear how much #Y26 is suffering, how much longer they’ve been bedridden when compared to normal rates of recuperation in children their age, long enough that the idea of them just not recovering at all becomes a viable option.

That’s when Crewel stops collecting data and starts working on a way to cure Yuu or alleviate the worst of their symptoms.

It’s also why he gets so pissy when he finds out what the supervillains are doing while Yuu’s sick. What don’t those numbskull puppies understand about avoiding stressing out the patient and the dangers of weakened immune systems?! Do they want the reporter to stay ill for longer under their antics?? It’s not like they’ll even be able to remember any of the ‘caretaking’ that they’re hoping will earn them brownie points, given how out of it Yuu always ends up!

He usually descends like a fashionable yet wrathful god, chasing the unruly puppies out of the reporter’s apartment with a rolled up newspaper before they can make the situation worse. The best thing they can do is leave their offerings of soup and medicine for Crewel’s perusal and back off quickly. Attempting to force their way in or sneak Yuu out is a fast way to incur Crewel’s cold fury. The Diasomnia, Octavinelle and Savannaclaw supervillain groups learned that the hard way.

Yuuken quickly won Crewel’s favor when they first met by staying as far away as he could when Yuu came down with flu while they roomed together, and doing exactly what Crewel advised him to after he had to leave Yuu in Yuuken’s care overnight, asking sensible questions when unclear about his directives. That at least showed Crewel that Yuuken was willing to do what was necessary to return Yuu to health rather than fulfill a certain ideal of caretaking that’s ultimately more self-serving than actually helpful.

Yuu wakes up a few days later with a can of tuna perched on their chest, grumbling about the remnants of a headache and wondering how much they’re going to need to play nursemaid after Uncle Divvy got done with their supervillain admirers this time.

#ask #coffee-or-hot-cocoa #twisted wonderland #twst #supervillain au #twisted wonderland yuu #twst yuu #the prefect #divus crewel #twst divus #divus sees ur undisciplined shit and wants none of it near his experiment #twst yuuken #enma yuuken

[chocoladieimagines]

If you’re taking reqs may I request Sanemi x black fem reader who is also a demon slayer and short tempered as him?

Absolutely! In the way of being short tempered, I would think of a s/o who isn’t afraid of speaking her mind if need be. So someone who often doesn’t agree with Sanemi’s actions at times since he can be stubborn and quick to lash out. Also doing things without thinking rationally since it can be extremely difficult to dissuade him from something after harboring so much hatred. Basically, whenever she’s around him, it’s just a totally different side of her she shows towards him that he’s just like ‘damn what I do to her’ lol.

Sanemi Shinazugawa x Black!Reader

- You were first to be born to two parents familial of a powerful military caste.

- During the feudal period, samurai were so highly valued in feudal Japan thanks to their lifetime of training in the art of war, their monopoly on the tools of war, and the use of these two values as officers of peace. Without these valuable traits and possessions, society could no longer justify their existence

- The Emperor Meiji realized that Japan was far behind the western nations in technology and that in order to survive as an independent country, they would need to make dramatic changes to catch up.

- They decided that the division of Japanese society into separate social classes hindered modernization. The task of removing the feudal class system was by removing the informal social superiority of the samurai and integrating them into the rest of society as equals.

- Eventually, they came to accept their new station in life and integrated with the rest of society. They became artisans, merchants, and farmers. Many joined the National army as officers or became civil servants.

- However, several people born in foreign countries were granted the title of samurai. The period of the Nanban (Southern Barbarian) in Japan from 1543 to 1614, is named such to mark the arrival of the first Europeans to Japan and ensuing establishing of certain relations of power and culture. The slaves were not only work horses of heavy labor but some were clerics, translators, interpreters and guides.

- There were different kinds of “black”, different hues and heritages as black bodies as slaves were not only from the African continent but also Malaysian and South Asian negrito tribals, black Asian aboriginal tribal peoples were enslaved by white nations during the colonial period. At the same time, Northern or East Asian attempted continuously to invade and conquer their southern neighbors, by land and sea. A man by the name of Takeshi, a black Asian, became a retainer of a daimyo, a great lord who were vassals of the shogun.

- Since the Southeast Asians and South Sea peoples were of darker complexion and with some having similar physical features with Africans, they were all considered “black” by the northern Asian invaders and traders. Condescending attitudes towards the Southeast Asians, Filipinos, and all tribal people, came concurrently with the desire to rule and be superior. Takeshi’s tribe was conquered and became part of lower caste groups and ethnic groups in Japan. After these ethnic groups were obliterated and assimilated with the Japanese as “one” people, Takeshi became born into a samurai family.

- When a child grew up in a samurai family, he was expected to be a warrior when he grew up, so much of his childhood being spent practicing different martial arts. This became respected of him as a Samurai, since not many black people would have the opportune of joining the upper echelons of Japan’s warrior class, the samurai. However, after samurais became abolished, Takeshi’s family still instilled justice and educated the populace of relatives to keep their operations secretive. They kept the tradition of Samurai because of the arisen of demons, since the creatures live in secrecy upon the outskirts of the population, at large being ignorant to their existence.

- By hiding from persecutors, they were closer to villages or clans which trickles down to you as a descendant of Takeshi.

- Your mother was a female warrior, who would be referred as the Onna-Musha if it were premodern times. The Onna-Musha or Bugeisha were trained in martial arts and strategy, and fought alongside the samurai to defend their homes, families and honors.

- After you were born, you were also trained in the same method with a Naginata; a versatile, conventional pole arm with a curved blade at the tip. It allowed onna-bugeisha better balance given their small stature.

- Since killing demons meant forging Nichirin blades out of Scarlet Crimson Ore (which absorbed sunlight to such an extent that decapitation was all that was needed to kill a demon), your family learned to utilize mystical combat in multiple forms of martial arts.

- By using their own life force energy, they may create, shape and manipulate the energy of elements otherwise, specifically solar energy. It appears as a beautiful luminance around the blade of your naginata; resembling the gaseous form of a flame as it shows iridescence of illuminating colors.

- After you were trained from your parents’ devotion of you having self defense, your siblings were born into the world. One by one looking up to you as their role model—someone worthy of imitation. Due to being accompanied by your little brothers and sisters, you felt a sense of a gravitational pull to them. Feeling the necessity of ensuring their safety and security, immutably driving you to respond to even their needs like it was a maternal instinct. Which included developing a distressed mentality that precipitated firing off on someone in defense of an argument (usually for the protection of others).

- Your family was unbeknownst of the Demon Slayer Corps until you encountered a tall, muscular, and slender man with spiky white hair and large lavender eyes. You were surprised to see that his body and face were covered in scars which looked to have “accrued” after years of his (seemingly) encyclopedic knowledge against fighting demons.

- He looked at you strangely as well; you wore a slit silky white kimono patterned by green bamboo lattice and one arm wriggled free of a sleeve, cinched with a matching green sash. Your freed arm allowed view of your sarashi wrapped tightly around your chest as your arm was lightly armored in iron plates and kusari (iron chain mail) sewn together in layers. A conical bamboo hat was loosely tied around your neck so the hat could lie on your back, showing your features to him.

- His eyes ogled you from your Geta sandals and your smooth bared leg to the luster of your garment shining the curvatures of your hips. He silently thought the expression of your features was attractive, especially the thick coily tresses of your hair that framed your face. The way it outwardly levitated from gravity due to its curly strands was particularly unique to him.

- You didn’t like the way he stared at you. It felt like you were on display for his eyes to undress you. “What is your business here?” You inquired, pulling the man’s notice on your hand clenching your weapon. It was said prior that more demons became present near your rural areas. You went on duty to track where they were coming from—inside the woods—only to find the man beheading them and stringing some up for daybreak. He possibly did it to torture them.

- “I should be asking you the same thing.” He scoffed. “Surely you weren’t coming to kill those demons, especially in that attire. Quite provocative for the Demon Slayer’s uniform.” “Excuse me? Provocative? For what uniform? I am not schooled like some student. And what if I am a demon slayer?” You spoke in incredulousness. It seemed so misogynistic to you that you were first judged on the clothing honorary to your tradition. You wondered if he thought it deprived from your abilities.

- He chuckled as if you just made a joke, “You wouldn’t last a day if you think being a Demon Slayer is about getting dolled up. It looks like you’re trying to attract demons more than fend them off.” “And who are you to judge how I dress? Do you think that flaunting your abs will counter my ability of kicking your ass?” “What? These?” He opened his gakuran jacket more to expose the six pack of his abdominal muscles, feeling heat escalate to your cheeks as he beheld more of the scars on his body. He then responded to your gaze with a smirk, “How kind of you to make a comparing example of something that’s attractive. You can touch them too if you’d like.”

- Was he flirting with you? First, he criticized you on you looks, now he decided to taunt you? You grasped your naginata and spaced your feet into a stance. You grabbed the polearm with your backhand over your thigh and your front hand gripped higher up the weapon away from the body. You kept your posture straight for a proper height of the blade.

- He deviously snickered, “What a naughty girl. You know it’s against the rules for demon slayers to fight each other upon confrontation.” “What rules? On our turf, you are on our property. Which means you have the obligation to move or be moved.” You denounced. “Such big talk. I’ll end this quickly so master will barely see it as a fight.”

- With that, he dashed towards you, surprising you to see he didn’t unsheathe his weapon. The way he zipped towards you, he was meaningful of close combat at short range, unlike your naginata which coupled with greatly increased distance gave the spearman a real advantage. You decided in quick process to rely on your agility and powerful kicks as you channel your energy through your attacks. It would greatly enhance and empower yourself and your executions for more efficacy or potency for damage.

- You evaded his swift attack by being able to propel yourself on your naginata, mutually measuring out the steadiness between your weight and the pole. By this, you were able to “squat” on your weapon from above and consider the next attack to perform. Within the time frame of him realizing you’ve dodged his move, you swung your body and temporarily featured upper body strength in defying gravity. You paralleled your body with the ground and for a second’s notice distributed your weight with the naginata—landing a concussive kick into his side. The impact knocked him back a far distance, colliding into a tree.

- You quickly ran towards him, fluently combining fast and slow slashes with side and forward dashes to create variants of attacks and to force him to remain in defense and safe distance from you. Yet, he moved instantaneously in response to his stimulus, being able to try to control his reaction time and adapt into some of your methods of thinking/fighting. Thus, he “used your strength” against you, making the precision of composite punches to your face. You hit the ground, seeing him hover over your body and holding down your arms, “Like I said, our match is over. You will come back with me to face consequences.”

- You managed to pull your legs to your chest and kick him away from you, “I don’t answer to you! I don’t even know who you are or this place you’re loyal to.” You kick your body back up, following back into a stance to prepare you for anymore engagement. “Quit acting so damn confused, you’re a demon slayer aren’t you?” He remarked questionably. You frowned in frustration, wondering if he was subliminally asking something. “Well technically yes, but obviously not in the definition you mean.” You said.

- The man deeply sighed, “Women. You’re so flip-floppy. How can you nod your head yes but say no?” You rolled your eyes, “Because you asshole, I still kill demons, just not in the same uniform as you.” “Hmph, only the swordsman of the Demon Slayer Corps utilize nichirin blades that are powerful enough to kill demons. How could you not be in the organization if you can still kill them?” “My family and I have been living in secrecy from the government because as descendants, our predecessors still practiced the tradition of the samurai. We resorted towards rural settlements by richer jungle to be able to hide our weapons and practices extant because of demons. We’ve never heard of this ‘Demon Slayer Corps’ since we thought we were the only ones being militant and knowledgeable of demons’ existence.”

- Sanemi had many questions but thought it would be wise to save them for Oyakata-Sama. Suddenly, a crow began to drift above you two and utter a series of grating caws, “Ca-Caw! Sanemi Shinazugawa is to report back to Oyakata Sama! Ca-Caw!” “I hate that fucking bird.” You heard Sanemi mumble. “You know my name so you’re coming with me. The Demon Slayer Corps is more sustainably adequate for you anyway.”

- As much as you wanted to protest what he meant in clarification, you knew what he meant. If you were to join the Demon Slayer Corps, you could raise more money for your family, since you were practically cut off from the rest of Japan’s economies. You live without the government’s support which meant that without roads, markets, banks and connections to the rest of the country, no new economies would take root. Instead, you were labor-intensive; plantations that exploit cheap labor available in nearby villages and towns, while the majority of the crops grown are mostly shipped to global markets.

- Upon meeting “Oyakata-Sama”, you hesitantly followed Sanemi’s lead in kneeling before the gentleman. You didn’t want to be rude possibly staring at what appeared to be an illness or disease he had befallen. Nevertheless, he had a gentle and calm demeanor that enraptured you. “Master, I am pleased to see you in good health. I fervently pray for your continued good fortune,” Sanemi wished, suprisingly showing a side of reverence for him. “During my mission, I happened to encounter one of the villagers who says her and her family are samurai and are capable of defending themselves against demons although they have no prior knowledge or connections with the Demon Slayer Corps.”

- “How interesting, especially since the samurai were abolished during the Meiji Restoration at least 44 years ago. May I know your name?” He asked while you were partially listening, due to being soothed by his calming voice. Sanemi elbowed you to catch your attention, “Oh! My name is Y/N L/N, pleased to meet you, sir.” “Indeed a samurai clan. I must know the reason why you and your family decided to keep paying homage to these military warriors.”

- You explained everything about your family to the man; your fighting styles, your way of practicing, your attire, etc. Sanemi “patiently” stayed by your side since he wouldn’t leave without Oyakata’s orders. Although your apparel was a bit disheveled from earlier, Sanemi still slightly thought you pulled the look off, expertly. There was something about your unique fashion that made him feel warmth, magnetism, enticement—weird. For someone as abrasive, hot-blooded and stubborn as he was, he never thought he would be trusted with the idea of intimacy between another person. His cold personality resulted in losing too many people he cared about in the past. Opening himself up again for someone would be too much, especially in a world where it was a war between demons and humans.

- “Sanemi, could you please show Y/N around to sway her interests of joining our alliance?” Oyakata requested, awakening him out of his thoughts. “Of course Master.” Despite starting off on the wrong foot, he did as told, guiding you straightforwardly in detail and didn’t stop if you wanted to pause to look at something. His pace was haste, deciding to take in your surroundings while you had the chance to. Many children participated in the organization; the uniforms were coed between either wearing pleated skirts or hakama pants with the same gakuran top you saw Sanemi in. They appeared to differentiate in colors, Sanemi’s a green tint in the sunlight in the place of some of the darker ones others wore—navy blue, purple, black or even a brown. They also practiced kenjutsu ; where a bokken or wooden sword was used as a safe substitute for katanas for sparring.

- Oyakata informed you about the Demon Slayer Corps so as you were briefly toured, you would understand the things you looked at. But seeing the children risking their lives after the cost of their families, awfully reminded you of your siblings. Back at home, your parents would mostly tend to the domestic chores as they relied on you as one of their warriors to protect the village. Then, they could keep watch of the rest of their children, often something you felt the necessity of doing. Watching over your family. When you noticed Sanemi left you, you went to try and interact with the rest of the Hashira; introducing yourself, producing conversation and helping out with chores if you could.

- You made the most conversation with Shinobu Kocho, Insect Hashira. She displayed a laid back demeanor, a smile frequently present on her face which exhibited a bright and cheery nature. But it facaded her enjoyment of teasing others to the point of being rather sadistic through the jokes she made. You weren’t sure to shocked or to laugh, afraid of how the others would see you. “Oh it’s ok, you can laugh. Especially in front of Tomioka.” She giggled. You breathed a sigh of relief and let a half suppressed snigger peep from your lips.

- Then you cleared your throat, “Is it okay if I ask you about Sanemi Shinazugawa?” Shinobu looked at you questionably, “Why? Are you afraid of him? Trust me, as scary as he may want to make himself look, it’s just a front.” “No, he doesn’t scare me. I initiated a fight with him earlier because of some of the things he said. My people didn’t need to be saved by him, especially if it would’ve been only to disrespect us. It’s like a smack in the face of how we’ve been raising ourselves to be true warriors.” “Yes, I apologize for Shinazugawa. He can do things out of line, unfortunately more times than we know it. But his cold exterior armors a soft soul. I’ve treated his younger brother, Genya; he can be just as ill-tempered and non-cooperative as his brother but he is apparently shy around women, especially my girls, Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho. He told me that he was in search of Sanemi, eldest of seven children, after their family was killed. He remembers Sanemi saved him from their mother but became isolated because he labeled him as a murderer in panic. Up to now, since he is little brother, Shinazugawa throws harsh rebukes at him because he cares for him. Think of it like a bully, most times they’re bowling you by hurting and insulting you, but it can also be their way of showing interest in you or an attraction in the way of giving you a hard time.”

- “I understand. Thank you, Shinobu.” You bowed. “Your welcome, Y/N.” Unbeknownst to you, Sanemi heard your conversation nearby, since he randomly felt he should locate where you were. Later, you bowed to Oyakata when you were on your way back home. He welcomed you to feel free of accompanying them anytime you wanted, they had open arms if you needed protection. Shortly after you left, you felt someone yank you by your arm. You quickly freed yourself by twisting your hand out of the opening where their thumb and finger met.

- “Since when did you have permission to touch me? And why are you trying to pull me somewhere no one can see us?” You questioned Sanemi. “Don’t think that I like you. Don’t think that after what that girl told you that you know me or that I won’t pull my punches.” He warned. “Trust me, I wouldn’t think for a day that I would stoop myself so low.” “And what do you mean by that?” “However you take it. I wouldn’t be concerned about someone who sees me like anyone else or be a doormat.” “Then why are you putting yourself as an example if it wouldn’t affect you?” “Cause it wouldn’t.” “Maybe it would if you’re trying to morally describe yourself.” “Why are you here? Just to make a threat or to walk me home? I can take of myself thank you, remember by how I bested you in combat.”

- “Oh please, I was the one who ended up on top. If our fight lasted you would be talking to that girl for a different reason.” He said, making you laugh. “That’s quite optimistic of you but never underestimate your enemy Shinazugawa. We shall have a rematch, no?” He smirked with a devilish grin, “If that’s your death wish then I shall be your reaper.” His response entertained you and during your exchange, he ended up walking with you home regardless. “Thank you for the laughs Sanemi. It will be fun when I fight you here tomorrow.” You winked.

- That next day, upon his visitation, he attempted to surprise attack you. You successfully dodged it, “Nice day we’re having.” “Hmm.” Then got a view of each other. He noticed you wore a white kosode with sode-kukuri (cords) through the sleeves and opened shoulders. Muna-himo (strings) were attached to each lapel and tied in front to keep the garment closed with your black hakama. He wondered if you could’ve changed into more of a practical outfit because of what he commented. Yet, you moved just as fast and did well at keeping him from getting close enough to impact you. He found an opening and kicked you in the face, causing you to fall.

- “I have a feeling you like being on top of me.” You said to him as he tried to tower you. You rolled your torso into a circular path on the ground and twirled your legs into a v shape. When you tripped Sanemi, it was your turn to crawl on top of him out of humorous reasons. “I like where this fight is heading.” He mischievously thought. “Yeah for me. I disarmed you and you’re in my submission.” He chuckled, “Cause I let you, that’s what makes the fun of it.” He winked then bucked his hips into you. You gasped, taking the opportunity to punch him continuously in his face. Not because of what he did but for being merciless from pulling each other’s punches.

- He didn’t put his guard up but lets the blood trickle from his nose and into the junction of his lips. “Not a scratch.” He smugly smiled, licking the blood away from above his lip. When you treated him afterwards, he formed more respect for you and subconsciously allowed his feelings to pervade his system. He made more nonsensical jokes to hear you laugh and listened to your opinions more than his usual stubborn self. He alarmed you of some of the threats that were coming your way, indirectly inviting you to join him on his missions. It built cooperation between you two, as well as more of a bond than constantly contesting everything. Although, a time when you argued, you hugged him as a way to reassure him that you cared and considered him as your friend. It made you laugh to see him resist from hugging you back.

- You showed more of a friendlier side to him as you would to your family. You introduced him to your siblings which joyfully reminded him of his family, including Genya. One time, while you two were watching the sunset, you saw that one of your little sisters was hesitating to come talk to him. “It’s ok, he won’t bite.” You encouraged her, pulling his attention towards her. She showed him numerous flowers and asked him questions of what was his favorite things. It warmed your heart to see a compassionate side of him as he answered all of them, including you as answer. That made it much aware to you of his feelings for you.

- “Did you know what I meant?” He asked you that night. “Yes, thank you, you’re my favorite too.” You smiled. “But I mean it,” He said, giving you back your hug like you did before. “I hesitated to accept the feeling of love because I don’t want to lose anyone again.” You looked up from the warmth of his chest and into the conveyance of his eyes; now filled with adoration and worship. “Trust me love, I’m not going anywhere.” And you two kissed.

Thank you for reading! I apologize for the late response, I’ve been busy a lot but I wanted to do as you requested! I wish everyone a wonderful day!🤎🍫

#demon slayer x poc!reader #demon slayer x black reader #demon slayer x reader #kny x reader #sanemi fluff #sanemi x reader #hashira x reader #anime x black!reader

[aknight]

Vyzerre The Hive Knight

Thanks to a CERTAIN ASSHOLE IN MY DISCORD who got me addicted to Corruption of Champions and CoC2, I’ve been playing it nonstop for like two weeks at this point. So I decided to make a character sheet for my character as if he was an NPC that the Champion could recruit. I can sum up my experience with this one text.

Vyzerre

This Hornetfolk Hive Knight can be found in the Frostwood, occupying one of the tiles on the right side of the split in the path just after Evergreens Cottage. Once a harem breeder of a Vesparan Hive, upon first glance he appears to have suffered the same Corruption as his brothers and sisters but not to the same extent as those encountered in the Old Forest.

Appearance 

A nearly nude Vyzerre stands in front of you, he looks to be nearly six feet, impressive for a male vesparran. With a warm smile he takes his crossed arms away from his body, taking a more relaxed stance making it much easier to take in his toned muscles. His warm smile turns into more of a knowing grin the longer your eyes linger on him, long, cape-like wings protrude from his back seemingly ready to snap out from their stowed position and take flight. 

One of his hands rubs at his chin as a shy blush comes across his face as your eyes travel further down his slender and athletic form. Copper Brown flesh only occasionally interrupted by thick black bands turns to thick, smooth and shiny black chitin at his otherwise humanoid elbows and knees. No doubt at one point it was perfectly smooth but the nicks and breaks in its surface not fully healed shows that the natural armor only proves to further the aura and image of the domineering knight that you know Vyzerre as… at least when you're not gazing at him causing him to fidget.

Normally he’d dress himself in blackened bronze armor, and carry a blackened short lance and an oblong, convex shield that layers itself in a similar pattern to the chitin on his arms. Though currently his lack of armor and arms is making it difficult to look away, for the most part he's lacking any actual clothing aside from a slightly dirtied white breechcloth that runs down to just above his knees keeping him modest for the most part though leaving little to the imagination. 

Dark brown fur wreaths his neck like the trimmings of a coat in stark contrast to the pale yellow hair is kept behind his long elfin ears at the sides of his head, its flowing waves only interrupted by his rather animated and candid antennae feelers. “I know I carry all the grace of my mother-” Ornate solid black orbs look over you with an eager gaze, his painted black lips curve up at the edges, “-but if you're going to stare so intently, I expect something at the end of all this.” His fuzzy insect abdomen sways impatiently, despite his efforts he is still a horny hornet at heart. 

Information

Species: Vesparan

Gender: Male

Occupation: Warrior, Breeder

Family: Unknown

Location: Frostwood, Frost Hound

Stats

Health: 250

Resolve: 120

Description

Interactions

First Encounter

When first encountering the hornet, he takes up an aggressive stance, seeming more frustrated by your encounter than anything. Suspecting you to be a threat, another Katsune in disguise or would-be corrupted invader from elsewhere in the forest. You can Attack him, Speak with him, or Leave the first encounter without having done anything.

If you Attack, then you must follow through and fight the Hornet.

If you Speak, you will ask the Vesparan about himself and he will share his name and speak on how he is aspiring to be a Hive Knight. Afterwards you may subsequently introduce yourself, ask about his Hive, or Flirt with him. Once you have Flirted with him, he will offer to have sex with you.

If you Leave, Vyzerre wishes you well and allows you to go without a fight.

Subsequent Encounter

Subsequent encounters with Vyzerre will depend on how you acted when you first encountered him. 

If you chose Fight and lost to him, or if you chose Leave, then he becomes a random encounter that can be met by exploring the Frostwoods area. In this case, on subsequent encounters, he will give you the options to Fight! or Try to Talk! - the latter option is the same as if you chose the Speak option on your first encounter.

Once you have spoken to him and learned his name, he becomes a permanent resident of the square where you first met him, and can be interacted with. In this case, you have the option to Talk, Challenge, Attack or Leave.

Talk

The Talk interaction allows the player to talk about  Him, His Body, His Hive and Flirt options, as per the first encounter.

Once the player has had sex with Vyzerre at least once, the Talk menu also allows the player to ask him to cuddle, which restores 10 hit points and presents the player with the option to either have Sex or Leave afterwards.

When asking about himself, Vyzerre can give a series of banterous topics referencing the Kitsune in the forest, the Drider Queen and his encounters with Evergreen and her daughters.

When asking about his body, Vyzerre arches an eyebrow confused before the Champion asks if they’ve been in contact with the Hive to the south. He says that he had a run in with a few drones who had tried to assault him when he first arrived in the marches but since then he's avoided them not wanting to quote ‘go through that again’. When pressed by the champion he says that the pheromones were almost enough to kick in his breeder instincts. Returning to the Champion's original question he says he was originally smaller, but made a deal with one of Evergreens daughters to change his build, lamenting how he wished they’d him a bit taller and sturdier built like his sisters, quietly mentioning he wished he had a stinger too.

When asking about his Hive he seems less keen on talking about it compared to his other dialogue options, in the end he relents saying that he is far a Hive far to the south. Originally he was a breeder and a member of his queen's harem and later took it upon himself to become a Hive Knight. 

When flirting, Vyzerre chuckles to himself before his cheeks change a color of red before averting his eyes saying it's been some time since someone has spoken to him in that way and that his race often dies when alone. Scratching at his neck he chuckles again talking about how he had gotten so used to being alone that he’d forgotten how it felt to long for another's company.

Sex

Vyzerren has five sex scenes (Need to think of more innuendos)

Get a Treat - “So maybe it’s not honey, but it's still pretty sweet.”

The Challenge interaction allows the player to fight a practice spar with Vyzerre, suffering no penalties if they lose. During this battle, Vyzerre fights in a defensive stance, and he may take flight, making him harder to hit in melee. Oftentimes letting the player use their abilities before counterattacking. 

Once the player has challenged Vyzerre three times whether or not they have beaten him, Vyzerre comments on how he appreciates the company and the practice the Talk menu will reflect his change in tone and allow the player to ask him about being a male Hive Knight, where he will disclose that he is the only Hive Knight left of his Hive and that he must get better.

Attack

The Attack interaction causes the player to attack Vyzerre unprovoked, causing them to gain 3 Corruption. If they lose, Vyzerre chastises them and steals some of their money. However, he remains in the square for further interactions.

 Queen and Consort

Once the Champion has challenged Vyzerre three times and has listened to the subsequently unlocked Hive Knight? Dialogue option, the next time the Champion encounters male Hive Knight he will be deep in thought as he glances over the scars that chinks in the chitin that covers his hands. His face shifts into a snarl as he hurls his shortlance across the small clearing he’s taken to occupy before freezing up his expression shifting to one of embarrassment as he notices the Champion before slinking over to his shortlance to reclaim it. The Champion can either choose to Leave or to Ask. 

If the Champion chooses to Leave, Vyzerre will shift awkwardly in their presence for a moment as if he has wronged the player in some fashion before bowing apologizing and flying off. (This doesn’t lock or disable the quest, the Ask option will appear the next time they speak with him) If the Champion chooses Ask Vyzerres posture and expression will relax, fluttering over to the Champion thanking them inviting them to sit and stay with him for a while. Where the Champion will be given the option of choosing Yes or No. Refusing the Knights offer, he will smile bitterly clearly disappointed by the players decision, responding with a simple ‘Oh’ before watching them as they leave.

Agreeing causes him to blink at you before turning and collecting a few pieces of fruit jerky and offering it to the party before he settles down across from the Champion and their party. As everyone partakes, he mentions that it was one of his Sisters who got him addicted to fruit jerky, and that he learned how to use the lance and shield thanks to her too. The Champion remarks how they are sure she would be proud of him. Grimacing, he spits a bit of the fruit jerky out onto the ground, the taste seemingly fouling in his mouth; before going on to mention that she's dead and so is his entire Hive. 

It's clear by how his demeanor changes that it makes him uncomfortable to think about it, but he waves off the Champion's attempt at interjecting. He goes on about how he was the Queen’s consort, a member of her harem, and while he was not sent with his sisters on raids and nowhere near as strong as them, he blames himself for being absent the day his Hive was attacked. He opens his mouth a few times but no words come out. Settling on his phrasing, he says he did his best to avenge them, but came up short before coming north hoping to find some kind of conquest that would bring his Hive honor. Pausing, he relents in his domination of the story and looks to the player for their opinion.

The Champion can then make the decision to choose to ask, The Marches, Vengeance, Honor, or choose the option Next to advance.

Choosing The Marches, Vyzerre moves into his small camp retrieving a small book from his bag. Flipping through its contents, he goes over some of the stories he's transcribed onto its pages. Each is a story of his Hives past, though the one he settles more thoroughly upon is one of the Godswar where he talks of how his Hive could not resist the call of battle in the North and mustered against the Wraiths… he mentions in passing that mother always hated that story before gesturing in the direction of the local Vesparan Hive saying that he wondered if they might be distant cousins from a Hive Knight who stayed after the campaign concluded.

Choosing Vengeance, Vyzerre bites at his cheek before looking at you, much like how a child might a parent when they’ve done something wrong. He speaks on how he couldn’t let his family's deaths go unanswered and any death in the name of the Hive is worthy of honor, but he argues that what happened wasn’t just them dying, it was them being murdered. He reveals that his hive was smoked out and that its inhabitants died with very few being able to raise a hand in its defense, that they burned his Hive. He furrows his brow, saying he did his best to make sure that their killers paid.

Choosing Honor, Vyzerre nods affirmatively at the word, repeating it before smiling. He tells the Champion that he swore to his Queen that he would bring enough Honor to their Hive so that even upon his death, the Hive would pass on into legend. Bowing his head he sighs, saying that he wishes he hadn’t made such an impossible promise.

Choosing Next causes Vyzerre’s antennae to vibrate as he jumps to his feet and searches the edges of the small clearing before a party of Imps appear, attacking the party. Once they are defeated the players finds that Vyzerre’s small home has been ruined in the battle and its contents, all but destroyed. Sighing, he looks from the Imps to the Champion openly wondering why there are so many of the Imps running around and where they are coming from.

The Champion recounts their fight with the Alurain, Kasyrra, and the Hornetfolk to the south, to get where they are now. The Knight's black eyes twinkle like stars, muttering to himself about how amazing the Champion is, telling them that they would make their own Queen proud. Though once the magic of the moment passes, he furrows his brows and glances back to his hand before tightening his hand into a fist. There is a tinge of regality in his voice like he was standing in court. He asks if he could come with the Champion on their adventures. 

Should the Champion refuse to bring Vyzerre into their company, he will frown his stance, deflating a moment before he straightens back up and mention that he will salvage what is left of his camp and make his own way back to Hawkthorne and see if he might hunt Kasyrra for what she's done to the local Hive.

(Updates and continuations planned)

Companionship

If the Champion decides to bring in Vyzerre to their company during the introduction of Queen and Consort, they will have the option to immediately add him to their party, or send him to Hawkethorne to be picked up later at the tavern.

At The Frost Hound, Vyzerre can be found under the Guests option where, if the Champion did not bring him into their company, they will have a Recruit option to bring him along. Other than the Recruit option, the Champion may ask Vyzerre about his quest, to which he laments that it is going rather poorly for those who have yet to recruit Berwyn.

Approaching Vyzerre once he has been recruited will bring up the following options:

Appearance

Talk

Him

His Hive

Flirt

Sex

Azyrran?

Royal Treatment

Give Item

 If Vyzerre has been recruited if you haven’t sparred with him yet that day, there is a 20% chance that the Champion will receive a Vyzerre? option the next time they go to look for him at The Frost Hound. They will find Vyzerre missing from his usual spot and go to look for him. The Champion will find him outside the southern gate humming to himself as he taps the tips of his carapaced fingers on the surface of his shield, which he has resting across his lap. When asked what he’s doing, he will reply that he’s looking back towards home before correcting himself, saying where his home once was. Laying his hands flat on the shield's surface and explaining that every Vesparan knows where their Hive is no matter how far away they are, but his case is different, feeling more like a ghost clawing at him than a Mother calling their children home. His body trembles a moment before clearing his throat as he explains how he hates that something he used to take such comfort in now only serves to remind him of his past. His hands tighten into balls as he crushes his eyes closed, continuing on about how there were hundred of others who deserved to be the one to survive the fire. Stopping, he realizes how he is speaking in the Champion's presence and apologizes. Silence falls in the conversation for a few moments before the Champion redirects, and asks him what it was he was humming, prompting the Hornetfolk to smile with a downcast gaze. He explains it is a song from home, but doesn't know who started singing it. It's one of his favorites, going on about how his sisters would sing it when they came home from raids. The Champion will have the options of Sing or Leave.

Choosing Leave, the Champion excuses himself from Vyzerre telling him they will be waiting back at the tavern.

Choosing Sing, the Champion asks Vyzerre to sing the song for them to which he smiles and agrees drumming up a rhythm on his shield with his finger tips before he starts to sing. 

(It's a work in progress)

‘We were born early spring to beat of royal wings and the loving grace of Lumia fell all over us. 

O’ and every single night when the Knights would end their flight, they’d invite the neighbors out with this fine chorus. 

No sense to run and hide, if you've already caught our eye. Let's tell the world how you won your medals.

Let's tell them how the beat of wings made you want to run and scream, from our Queen and all her lovely dames of Vespa. While we went one to one and never did we run when we sent the Wraiths back into their burrows.’

His voice is warm, like the honey as it often was, but this time it held more pride like a father boasting of their child. The Champion settles next to him as they enjoy his voice and the picture he paints, until his voice wobbles for a moment, but the Champion excuses it, thinking  that it was their imagination, until it happens a second time, his voice wavering on another line. Opening their eyes they find Vyzerre with tears streaming down his face as he fights to keep them from his voice while he sings. As his voice is silent, he simply stares off over the path he had originally taken to come north, much like the Champion not so long ago his lips quivering as tears continue to fall.

The Champion rests a hand on his shoulder and smiles, snapping Vyzerre out of his would-be trance before he apologizes. The Champion tells him there is nothing to apologize for before pulling him to his feet, offering to buy him a drink back at the Frost Hound. Walking with Vyzerre back to the tavern the Champion is given the options of Drink, Sing Together, or Leave.

Choosing Drink,  The Champion chooses to sit and drink with Vyzerre, who after a few drinks turns smiles at the Champion hugging them suddenly telling them that they are the first person outside his Hive who he’s sung that song to and that he appreciates them listening. 

Choosing Sing Together, The Champion picks a pair of drinks from the bar before giving one to Vyzerre, drinking together for a moment before standing and telling him that they are glad this particular Knight found they’re way home starting the same beat they had heard earlier. The Hive Knight takes the hint, raising his pint to his lips and starts to sing with the player following suit.

Choosing Leave, The Champion drops Vyzerre off at the counter letting Garth take care of him before taking leave of the Hornet. 

#Corruption of Champions #CoC #CoC2 #hornet #a.knight #original character #monster boy

[addictedtooverwatch]

My Thoughts on 5v5 in Overwatch 2

Alright, so I need to rant a little. I am going to be talking about my opinions on 5v5. But before I get into that, if you want to see a short, but good analysis of the Game Developer update, I would watch this video on it. I really liked it.

Ok! I think that 5v5 is a terrible idea, especially for Offtanks. These are some of the general problems with having only 1 tank including:

You won't truly be able to play certain comps. Rush(Rein/Zarya, Rein/D.Va), Dive(D.Va/Winston, sometime D.Va/Wrecking Ball), or Double shield(Orisa/Sigma, Orisa/Rein).

Offtank playtime will go down because it is much harder for them to play without another tank.

Streamers that Duo on tank won't be able to stream together on tank(Emongg and Flats).

Overwatch League teams will probably drop some of their tanks since they won't need two for every match meaning PEOPLE WILL LITERALLY BE LOSING THEIR JOBS!

Tanks will probably need to play more defensive to make sure they can peel for their supports.

I've seen people saying that this is going to help DPS queue times, but it's only going to make them longer since fewer people will want to play tank by themselves.

Tank players are going to need to learn all of the tanks to some extent so they can play different comps which will be annoying if you already know how to play certain Main Tanks or Offtanks.

So, I was really excited to see this update! I'm not surprised we only got to see one new look, I have a feeling they will slowly reveal the new looks which is fine by me, but 5v5 feels like a slap to the face. I have only played Overwatch for about a year and a half, but over that time I have worked hard to get better at playing tank when it comes to knowing the different comps, how to play those comps, where to play those comps, and how to work with my other tank player without ever really communicating with them(I play on the Switch, nobody uses mics ever). I'm still excited about the PvE aspect of Overwatch 2, but that is really all I am excited about.

Anyways, what are your opinions on 5v5? I'm mainly an Offtank player so I know that I'm really biased. Also, what are your opinions on the new Anniversary skin? I posted my skin rankings the other day and I want to know what you agree or disagree with. Sorry that this is really different from the usual format, I just needed to get it off my chest. I hope you all are doing good and have a great day! ~Nova

#overwatch #overwatch 2 #overwatch league #developer update

[writingssummit]

𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐚.

𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘢 𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴

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𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴: 𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘩𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴, 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘵.  

𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵: 1.8𝘬  

𝘢/𝘯: 𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 ! 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘶 𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘪 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥. 𝘪 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵’𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵’𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 ! 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘢 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘥𝘢 𝘪 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘪 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵, "𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘵". 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘭. 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘪 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘰3? 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵. 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘶- 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 ��𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘣𝘤 𝘳𝘯 𝘪’𝘮 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢- 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯 :𝘋

like any other day, you’re sitting at the counter, twisting the straw wrapper between your thumb and index finger while reading over something on your laptop. the homey diner is quiet today, which is unusual for the place; it’s not often that the place isn’t super busy. but you welcome the quiet with open arms, since you’re actually trying to focus for once. work has been piling up in class lately, and it was sort of hard to keep up with. but these things came with college, so..could you really complain?

you’re a regular at the diner, you stopped keeping track a while ago, considering that you go so often. it’s a comfy spot, many locals come as well. so why find a reason, aside from the fact that the place has a really good homemade cherry coke? aside from the busy atmosphere it usually held, it’s also nice to just come here and work on your papers, your research-

you slide over a few dollars as compensation, and not soon after, a glass slides back over to you in return. “hey, careful! i can’t afford to buy another computer, you know!” you frown in the direction where it came from.

“right, my bad.” your silver-haired server leans on his side of the counter, a cheeky grin on his face. you take a sip, looking straight back. 

“why are you staring at me like that, bokuto-san?” you bite the straw. the man is always around and making jokes, smiling, and attempting to make you laugh- but the look he’s wearing is reserved for certain reasons, or future events. and that didn’t sit well with you.

“no reason, no reason.” he taps the wood with his knuckles, his gaze unfaltering. and to be honest, now it looks a bit foreboding. you don’t like it.

“i smell bullshit.” you point a finger at the cheerful man, and he raises his hands up in defense. 

“i told you, it’s nothing, yeah? say, how long are you staying today?” you chose to ignore his blatant attempt at a topic change. you check the time on the clock, pursing your lips in thought. how long could you stay? you aren’t in any particular hurry, but that didn’t mean you didn’t have other things to do. 

not that you’ll actually leave to do them.

“mm, probably a little longer. not too late though, i need to go home at some point.” you mutter, and then turn your attention back to the screen. you notice something inconsistent in your writing, and then rush to fix it. all you can hear is the clacking of the keyboard, and the faint sizzling and bangs in the kitchen. 

his grin widens out of the corner of your eye. “the boss wants to ask you something.” you don’t even hesitate when you shake your head. nope. you were not up for that today. or ever, really.

“no. no way. i already told him before, and the time before that, the time before that- how many times do i need to say it?” you snap, and then you both hear a clash in the back.

“i’m okay!” you hear matsukawa, the cook, a moment after. you and bokuto share a quick look, before he pushed himself away from the counter.

“he better not have spilled shit again, or akaashi will get upset- hold that thought, l/n!” and before you could even reply, he sped towards the kitchen.

your life could be considered a boring one, if you took out the visits to the american-inspired restaurant. you didn’t hate it, really. it was simple, and that was fine. you went to classes, worked hard to earn your degree; you were majoring in mathematics, with a goal to get a job as an astronomer.

a big dream, one that you know is difficult- but even if it was going to be worthless, with the amount of years you plan on putting into school? you’ll be just fine, as long as there is somebody who’d hire you with your future creds. at the expense of enough freetime, but that was just the price to pay. 

but you often spent as much time as humanly possible here, because it took some stress off of your shoulders. if you were going to spend most of your week studying and working, at least you could do it in a place you liked. which in turn led to you learning a lot about the establishment and people inside it. it’s fairly new, and the owner happened to be absent from the building a lot; but he worked hard. he’d apparently gone to college in the united states. hence the american styled food, theme, all of it. 

it was strange compared to all of the other little shops around, but it was unique that way.

and of course, you all were decently close, but it’s not like you knew any of them prior to coming here. it was really just because you were there so much, that you were able to build friendships with the workers.

bokuto being the first and most rambunctious of them all. he was almost always behind the counter, chatting up the guests, which includes you very often. but that’s the fun part of it all, it makes your stays interesting.

“oi, what’s going on!” the office door suddenly swooshed open, followed by a string of curses in the kitchen. out came their manager, the resident pretty boy of the group, as the rest dubbed him. you couldn’t help but laugh quietly as he makes his way to the back. they were in for a scolding.

“akaashi, this isn’t what it looks like, we were just-”

“bokuto-san, this is the 3rd time this week..”

there’s more bickering for a few minutes, and you just went back to sipping at your drink. you’re bored now, with nobody to really talk to; and the noise from the kitchen was making it hard to concentrate suddenly.

the bell suddenly dings behind you, and you turn your head a little to get a better view-

only to groan under your breath.

“l/n-chan, you’re here! good, i wanted to ask..” you want to bang your head on the table. repeatedly.

“oikawa, i say this as respectfully as possible, but please, i don’t want to be set up right now. or ever. especially if it’s you doing it.”

“you’ll say yes this time, please just hear me out!” he begs, grabbing your shoulders. if this hadn’t been the thousandth time he’s said this, you would’ve laughed. but only a little. you attempt to shrug his hands off of you, but without success. his grip is a bit too strong.

oikawa, the manager, has designated himself as the godly matchmaker. apparently, he was able to help out some of his friends with their things. but that wasn’t anything to brag about, if he had no proof. much less dub himself with such a title.

you gave oikawa the stink eye, while he just stuck his lip out in a pout.

“get me another, and i’ll hear you out.” you gave into his puppy face. he knew just how to get you, the bastard. letting go of you finally, he takes the glass with a hum to the other side of the counter.

“perfect! okay, so..this time, he’s a piercer-” he looks up as he’s filling the cup with some grenadine syrup. he knows exactly how much you like in it at this point. you’re watching him, but when he mentions the piercings, you just stare at him with a blank look. “..don’t give me that look.” he scowls.

“my look isn’t hurting you.” you respond simply, and he rolls his eyes, but clears his throat to continue. he’s now moving on to the coke part.

“he’s a piercer, and oh holy lord, he has some himself-”

“oh my god.” this guy is ridiculous. “i don’t care about that, just keep going or i won’t listen anymore.”

“you hurt me a lot, why do i even try to set you up?” he grumbled. “anyways. mr. tongue piercing is pretty eager to date right now, i gave him a little description of you..and he’s interested!” you raise an eyebrow. “look, just one date! if he’s an ass, i’ll get iwa-chan to beat the shit out of him if it’s necessary.” 

that’s comforting, to an extent. you didn’t know how you felt about a guy you barely knew coming down to his restaurant just to punch another random guy, but it’s the thought that counts, you guess. oikawa just wants you to be happy, and liven you up more- because as he says, you don’t do much besides study, and hang out at the diner. you don’t have anybody else to be around either, so that kind of just enforces the routine. not that you don’t have the opportunity to meet anybody, you just don’t want to.

and so he tries to make you.

“because we won’t be young for long!” a normal oikawa saying.

to be honest, the idea of seeing somebody is nice. you’ve thought about it before, but you honestly couldn’t care less right now- and the fact that you’re so busy with classes just makes it inconvenient. and the thought of unrooting the routine you’d gotten so accustomed to? it made you nervous. as much as you were lonely regarding the relationship aspect of your life, you didn’t know how you felt about being set up with a guy right now.

but, maybe you should at least try to be out there more. especially if it’ll get oikawa off your ass about it.

“maybe.” you finally say, which earns you a cheer, and a new glass of cherry coke.

there’s another crash.

“i guess that’s my cue to go straighten those three up, hm?~” he chuckles, but it doesn’t sound too amused. and then, oikawa joins them. 

you take this as your time to depart too. you end up leaving a tip, and a half-finished glass behind you. oikawa better at least text you what he looks like, because he hadn’t even bothered to tell you anything besides the fact that he has a tongue piercing. and there’s no way you’ll totally agree without knowing a bit more than a piece of metal in somebody’s skin.

is that really attractive? you don’t want to think about it, in case you actually do think it is.

why is that even a thought in the first place? you scold yourself in your head, trying to not delve into it any more than you need to.

your phone dings, and you reach down to check who texted. 

𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖: 𝚘��𝚔𝚊𝚠𝚊   𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚠 ~

you have half the mind to not show up now.

#terushima x reader #terushima series #haikyuu!! #haikyuu x reader #terushima fic #haikyuu au #haikyuu x reader au #is this even an au #idk bear with me LOL

[palettepainter]

Could I ask for some parent headcannons with Ectoloader? I’ve known of the ship but never seen art of them as parents. If no can I just have some headcannons of Haiya?

This ended up being mostly headcannons about Haiya and his relationship with some other students at UA and Ecto and Higari but a few at the start are Ectoloader

-Powerloader isn’t the most cleanest person. He has a little wash in the mornings, shaves if he needs too, and that’s it - off to work. With his job Powerloader often ends up a mess afterwards, even if he hasn’t used his quirk to go digging in the dirt. It gets hot in the design studio, and with Powerloader being stuck under that helmet all day he gets sweaty, and his hair becomes such a tangled mess, plus with his engineering he gets muck on his hands and trousers. Since no body really visits the design studio (besides students) Powerloader doesn’t really keep up appearances, unless of course theres some big meeting in which case he’ll clean up a little. Ectoplasm has tried to get Higari to take better care of his apperance such as taking a shower or a bath once in a while but Powerloader doesn’t really see the point in it - more times then either will admit but Ecto has had to chase Higari round the house just so he can take a damned bath. Ectoplasm may have a lot of clones but Higari has a lot of strength, plus being smaller he can find much more places to hide. Ectoplasm either gives up, manages to drag Higari to the bathroom, or compromises and joins Higari

-Based off an Ectoplasm x Powerloader story I read but Ectoplasm is ticklish. Higari discovered this accidentally when the two where cuddling and his hand brushed over Ectoplasm’s ribs making him stiffen and squeak. Ectoplasm had hoped Higari wouldn’t think too much of this, but he was wrong. Very wrong. Powerloader is a sneaky little weasel and has found through testing his theory that tickling Ectoplasm is one of the fastest ways to get him to unwind, and with Powerloaders added strength he has no issue wrestling Ectoplasm so that he can tickle him.

Higari isn’t as ticklish as Ectoplasm, but his weak points are his neck and ears. Ectoplasm had a suspicion that might be the case since his ears and neck are always covered by that scruffy mane of hair. One day the two where at home, Higari has pulled his hair into a loose ponytail that hung over one shoulder, leaving his neck open for attack. Ectoplasm watched him for a moment, before very lightly tickling his neck. Higari full on jumped at the unexpected tickling attack, actually surprising Ectoplasm, who hadn’t expected that great of a reaction. Needless to say Ectoplasm enjoyed getting his revenge    

-When Hatsume is over she becomes Powerloaders right hand in the design studio, and while she still is prone to blowing up the occasional machine every now and then Higari sees explosions and fires in the studio as just a regular start to a morning. Higari has come to just expect something to blow up when he goes into work, if sometimes doesn’t it’s a miracle. Ectoplasm doesn’t take Higari’s warnings on Hatsume’s inventions all that seriously, she’s just passionate about her work. One day, say their anniversary or something, Ectoplasm and Higari had planned to go out for the evening and thus needed someone to watch Haiya. All the other teachers where busy but in the end Ectoplasm manages to find a sitter and the two leave. While having dinner Higari casually asks who it was Ectoplasm found to watch Haiya, in which he replies Hatsume.

Cue Higari spitting out his drink - If Hatsume is watching Haiya then who’s watching Hatsume?!

They end up going home an hour early and return to find their home untouched, totally fine. Higari has a moment of stunned silence before doing a double take and looking round the home.The only problem they found was that Haiya was up a little late, that was it. Higari was still suspicious but Ectoplasm thanks Hatsume regardless. It’s only two hours later when Higari finds no hidden broken object or exploded oven does he awkwardly admit that Ectoplasm was right, and then apologizes for ruining their anniversary dinner. The two end up having a small make out on the sofa (At this point Haiya was in bed) and then counting said make out in the bedroom.

The next morning Higari lumbers to the kitchen to make a coffee..only to find the coffee pot broken. 

Powerloader made Hatsume but him a new one

-Hatsume and Iida end up having a kid, and dear old Powerloader was the very first to know, by that I mean Hatsume just showed up a work with a baby after he was born making Powerloader choke on air because ‘HATSUME  YOU BROUGHT A BABY TO THE DESIGN STUDIO?!’ - Powerloader isn’t bad with kids but he’s no Merry Poppins, but he was at least smart enough to know a baby of all things didn’t belong in a design studio. Dealing with one Hatsume was hard enough, and now he had a mini Hatsume crawling about the place. Powerloader ends up roped into babysitting becasue Powerloader was not letting Hatsume’s machines do the babysitting while she was gone somewhere. Dear little Tensai (Iida named his kid after his brother) grows up loving Powerloader and, to Powerloader’s relief, is less prone to blowing things up. Powerloader is dubbed ‘Grunkle’ by Tensai, a combo of Uncle and Grandad. Higari tried to get him to call him one or the other, and failed miserably. Ectoplasm finds the name quite sweet and can’t help but snicker at it

-Before meeting Ectoplasm Haiya was nervous about the topic of his arms, even with prosthetics he saw his lack of arms as a failure - his view on this was caused mostly by his biological parents, if they had raised him in a better way Haiya wouldn’t have grown to be as sensitive about it. Ectoplasm was called in by Eri who runs a therapy center in my NGAU. Haiya was brought to the center along with Kowai and Furu (I know I haven’t done as much stuff with Furu so to anyone who’s new she’s another MHAOC who goes on to be adopted by Bakugo and Sero) as orphans. With no biological or adoptive parents the three stayed at the center while Eri and other staff helped in their recovery. Whereas Furu was more defensive and hostile Haiya was more nervous, he didn’t (and still doesn’t) have an issue with heroes, but his low self confidence has led to him being somewhat anti social, it can be hard for him to start conversations with new people, especially adults or people he looks up too. Ectoplasm was a big help in boosting Haiya’s confidence, so much that by the time students where allowed to apply for courses at UA Haiya was given the opportunity to study there. With Eri’s parents (Aizawa and Mic adopted her) working at UA Eri is able to give kids at the center the opportunity to go to a proper school when she feels they have progressed enough to fit in with a school environment, and when their are spaces available on certain course

He was given the choice to be on the hero course, with his quirk it was likely he’d pass the entrance exam. Though Haiya himself has no issue with hereos or those who decide they want to be a hero, Haiya no longer wishes to be one, his old parents didn’t really give him much of a choice for his career, so Haiya decided instead to apply for general studies, so that he could explore his own interests.

-Haiya doesn’t like Jin. Jin is another OC who goes to UA and is in class 1B on the hero course. Jin is in short an ass, he’s coy and rude and will say whats on his mind, even if it’s impolite. Jin has a knack for hitting people where it hurts, since joining UA he’s gotten better with his attitude but he’s still got a long way to go. Haiya’s kind of scared of him to an extent so tends to avoid him. He’s disliked Jin ever since he made an arm joke

Jin: Hey Haiya

Haiya: Hm?

Jin: Mind lending me a hand?

Haiya:....Banned

Jin: What?

Haiya: That joke is BANNED!

-Haiya’s attitude can sometimes come off as overbearing. He’s very over the top and easily excitable, which can lead to people thinking of him as annoying or stupid. Haiya attends counselling with Hounddog to help with his anxiety, and he also writes stuff down in a book, he finds writing down his thoughts and feelings easier then talking. Haiya can be mature and chill when he wants to or if it’s needed, but that’s often rare. Haiya acts more childish then most kids his age because he didn’t really get a very fun childhood with his bio parents, he’s trying to make up for lost time

-Haiya has dyslexia, this is still something I’m learning to write about accurately so if anyone has any tips on how to write a character well with dyslexia let me know. In Haiya’s case he has difficulty reading and interpreting words and letters, and when Haiya was little and was in a public school, it deeply affected his learning. His parents thought home schooling would be better for him, but it just lead to Haiya becoming more anxious over his own intelligence. Due to this Haiya can be reluctant to try something new and sometimes needs encouragement from a friend, he also has a fear of failure so when he does pick up a new hobby he does genuinely try to give it his all. Praise gives him a lot of confidence so words of encouragement do a lot to his confidence. 

Before Haiya went to UA he along with others at the center got some school education. The center did classes for certain subjects over the weekdays and did stuff like small tests and gave out homework pieces for them to complete in their own time. Eri uses these classes to decide which kids would be better off going to a propper school, and which ones need more help then others. Haiya was one of the kids that needed some help with his work due to his dyslexia. Eri put two and two together when she brought Haiya aside to talk about his progress and he ended up admitting how he has difficulty with reading sometimes

-Before his arms where removed Haiya had both his mothers quirk, Overclock, and his fathers quirk, A quirk that allowed him to speed up or slow down the movement of an object based on touch with electricity he generated from his body - the draw backs to this quirk being that to generate the electricy he had to sacrifice his on energy. The more he generated the more tired he’d get.

With his arms gone his second quirk was also gone, so he only has Overclock now - however he can still use his second quirk, just in a different way. With his quirk Overclock Haiya can generate big amounts of electricity in seconds, I’m still planning on how Haiya discovers this as he himself isn’t aware he can do this, but the draw back to the quirk is that it’s essentially an instant knock out both for himself and his opponent. Generating large amounts of electricity all at once and so suddenly severely drains him of his energy, so it’s a guarantee when he does use this quirk that he’ll pass out shortly afterwards until he has better control over it.

#headcannons #MHA #BNHA #Ectoloader #Ectoplasm #Powerloader #Haiya #MHA OC #My OC

[jinruihokankeikaku]

Hello! I'd love to hear your take on a Maid of Space, if you'd be willing. :) And if not, no worries! I'm sure you must be overloaded on them!

Another canonical character’s Role – this time, Porrim Maryam!! Here’s wwhat I’vve got…

Title: Maid of Space

Title Breakdown: One who actively creates [conjures, makes for themselves, forges, generates] Space [physical size and distance, undefined possibilty, artistic creation, natural science, creativity]

Aspect: Space [Opposition: Time; Semi-sextile: Mind and Void; Trine: Life and Rage]

Class: Active Creation (-2); Inverse: Bard (+5); Passive Counterpart: Sylph (+2)

Role in the Session: A Maid of Space has to learn to create their own Space, to become self-reliant after spending a very long time trapped, isolated, and sequestered from the rest of the world. They are perhaps the most directly and overtly creative/artistic Class, and they thrive in contexts where their ability to create and hone Space on both a practical and an aesthetic level is valued. When we take what are arguably the Class and Aspect respectively most associated with creation, the Role resultant is one with a unique level of commitment to the pure and unadulterated process of creation, from the extraction of raw material to the painstacking process of shaping the most finely-wrought details. Space players are, notably, tasked with the process of creating the new universe itself through frog-breeding, and the Maid seems especially suited to this task, being as they are so Active a Class, and one so committed to raw creation. However, as with any Active Class, they run the risk of overembracing their Aspect, falling victim to its darker sides as they attempt to control it.

In this case, Space is associated with isolation, stasis, disarray, and lack of focus, all of which are domains in which the Maid could struggle. As previously mentioned, Maids tend to start out reliant on others for their Aspect’s benefits – the Maid of Space would require the care of others, rather than being a caretaker, perhaps, or they may lack creativity in favor of following pre-ordained schedules or methodologies when it comes to art, structural design, and similar. In any event, this is a situation which the Maid will escape, by generating (creating) their Aspect themselves – discovering within themselves a font of creative energy upon which they can draw to create their escape. The Maid’s Quest proper, however, begins after they have become self-reliant – their true personal challenge is to balance their internal coping mechanisms and their reliance on themselves (and particularly on their own Aspect) with the ability to express themselves, avoid repression, and appreciate the role that other Aspects and People may play in their life.

Their Planetary Quest will probably be fairly clear-cut – as the Planet’s challenges tend to be connected strongly to its player’s Class, and are to a degree a microcosm of the player’s internal struggles, the Planet will likely be barren, frozen, or simply unsculpted. The Maid of Space must bring it to life, and allow the Frogs that neccesarily inhabit the Land to grow and breed freely. By generating or providing Space, allowing the landscape to become open and vital again, the Maid will clear the way for a resurgence in Life and in all other Aspects essential to the Planet’s function, able at last to begin the process of conceiving a new Universe.

On that note, I think that a Life player could be an especially effective co-player to the Maid – Life being as it is the Aspect of rebellion, youth, and diverse biological growth, as well as of food/consumption, and the Maid initially being tasked with escape from, or independence from, a constraining and spatially-constrictive force, the Life player (especially one with a Passive role inclined towards support, such as a Seer or a Sylph) could help guide the Maid towards that independence. Alternatively, if the Maid were too disorganized, disoriented, or distracted to complete their task, a Witch or even a Bard of Rage could help them overcome that, assisting them in clearing a Space for growth by dispelling illusions and distractions.

God Tier Powers

The Maid is the Active Creation Class, and while it is only slightly Active relative to Thieves/Princes/Witches, its powers nonetheless tend to focus on directly generating their Aspect when they most need it, or in places where it is absent. Space is the Expansive-Explosive-Actual Aspect, and often has powers related to alchemy, physical sciences, literal Space, and physical properties such as size, velocity, location, and so on. Here are a few ideas as to the sort of capabilities a Maid of Space might have once Ascended to the God Tiers…

Make Room!!!: The Maid of Space creates an extradimensional sphere, its size limited only by the time and focus they have with which to make it. While the space occupies physical Space, its boundaries are extended through careful manipulation of the spatial continuum, of the Medium itself, so as to allow rooms to be bigger on the inside; if multiple entrances are added to the space, it can become a long corridor between two adjacent locations, which the Maid can traverse nigh-instantly, but which others will have to traverse by whatever means are available to them.

Devise Structure: The Maid of Space can observe physical structures, large or small, and immediately realise the manner in which those structures are held together on both a visible and microscopic scale, in order to determine how those structures can be best expanded upon. If necessary, they can telekinetically “scale up” these structures in a manner consistent with their current substructure, to ensure that the increase in size doesn’t lead the structure to collapse – likewise, should they need to make space for structural additions inconsistent with the currently existing substructure, they can “scale down” structures as much as is physically possible, clearing physical space while maintaining the integrity of whatever it is you’re shrinking.

Sequester: I think I listed a similar power for the Sylph of Space, but basically, this is the ability to generate fields of force which halt matter and force in their tracks by continually stretching Space so as to indefinitely forestall their arrival anywhere near the Maid unless the Maid so chooses. When the force field, more accurately termed a Space field, goes down, the moving objects have already lost any kinetic energy, so they won’t immediately re-accelerate when the Maid’s attention lapses; as long as the Maid can create these fields fast enough, they’ll be functionally impervious to projectiles.

Personality: Maids in general tend to be enthusiastic, meticulous, and calm under pressure – to a certain extent. However, somewhat like their Inverse role, the Bard, they have a breaking point, and when they’ve reached it, their anger is near unparalleled. However, while in the Bard this tends to occur because some defense mechanism, usually one related to their inverse/opposite Aspect, has fallen through (A/N: See Gamzee’s wwiggin out after getting so8er, for example.), a Maid’s crisis tends to occur when their abilities, particularly their capacity to keep their cool under pressure, are taken advantage of or directed towards ends other than their own. Space players are creative and constructive, if not necessarily maternal, but like Time players, they tend to be emotionally distant from events that occur on a scale that’s closer to the human than it is to the cosmic.

A Maid of Space will be challenged to close the distance between their grand ethical and aesthetic principles and their perhaps less-grand - but equally important – personal relationships. While they’re less liable than Sylphs and Princes to find fault in existing things, they are likely to see where things can be improved or expanded upon, enhanced rather than simply repaired or corrected. Due to Space’s Expansiveness and the Maid’s tendency towards growth and expansion, a Maid of Space is unlikely to see any work as truly finished, which could prove to be both a strength and a weakness. They may well be discouraged by endings, or even avoidant to the point of avoiding conclusion or closure at all – though this is a dangerous path for them to follow, as it mirrors their Inverse, the Bard of Time, and stepping closer to inversion is almost never a good thing.

~

I hope you found this analysis informativve and/or entertainin!! It took me, once again, longer than intended, on account of my 8ein in the process of restructurin these analyses generally, but all the information I usually include should 8e there. Do let me knoww if you havve any other questions!!

~ P L U R ~

#Maid #Space #Maid of Space #Class #Aspect #Classpect #Homestuck #Classpect Analysis #anon #ask

[dottie-wan-kenobi]

song lyrics I use to characterize Dick Grayson

This is definitely not everything (& I would love to do more) but it’s also Extremely Freaking Long so. Many thanks to @zitkaplushie for chatting w me abt this! I would love to hear your thoughts/additions/etc. If u disagree w any of these, feel free to debate w me but please be civil!!

— OVERALL:

Drag Me Down by One Direction: okay there are tons of parts that fit but this line is the best: “I've got fire for a heart / I'm not scared of the dark / You've never seen it look so easy”

I think this one is kind of straightforward lol but. The first line kind of tells me that Dick is passionate, and feels more with his heart than his head. The second line is just kind of a tongue in cheek thing like obviously he’s not. And the third one is both Dick’s confidence and also that it’s just TRUE. He makes things look easy, all kinds of things. It’s just a fact. 

High Hopes by Panic! at The Disco: ugh this has such good lines but this one: “Mama said / Burn your biographies / Rewrite your history / Light up your wildest dreams / Museum victories, every day / We wanted everything, wanted everything”

So I think “Mama” thru to “dreams” ties back to him becoming Nightwing, or going through different identities and kind of letting himself go with it to an extent. Like he doesn’t let it hold him back. The rest of it, like...that’s just Dick’s superheroing career. “We” in this case could be him and Bruce, him and the Titans, him and Damian, etc etc

Catch My Breath by Kelly Clarkson: um. the whole song. the whole thing. buuuut one line I’ll analyze will be: “I don't wanna be left behind / Distance was a friend of mine / Catching breath in a web of lies / I've spent most of my life / Riding waves, playing acrobat / Shadowboxing the other half / Learning how to react”

“I don't wanna be left behind” - he knows this feeling well already and doesn’t want to relive it

“Distance was a friend of mine / Catching breath in a web of lies” - he has like no civilian friends in canon, and even then he’s always lying to somebody about something. There aren’t many people he can be truly close to and open with, other than like Donna and Roy and Kory

“I've spent most of my life / Riding waves, playing acrobat / Shadowboxing the other half / Learning how to react” - idk, when I see this it makes me think that he’s just lived this life that isn’t exactly normal and he recognizes that

Birds by Imagine Dragons: this one makes me so sad but: “I know that / Ooh, birds fly in different directions / Ooh, I hope to see you again / Ooh, birds fly in different directions / Ooh, so fly high, so fly high”

So obviously Dick has lost a lot of people important to him over the years, either because they died or DC said XYZ and Dick’s relationship no longer has any rights, but. This is how he would feel about that. Grudging acceptance, hope to see them again, wishing them well. 

Dance Monkey by Tones And I: I had to. “I said, oh my god, I see you walking by / Take my hands, my dear, and look me in my eyes / Just like a monkey I've been dancing my whole life / But you just beg to see me dance just one more time”

I’ll mention this later on, but I think that Dick projects an image a lot of the time that isn’t what he’s really feeling. This ties into that - I think at certain points in his life, he just gets exhausted and wants to take a break, but he can’t. He feels like everyone is counting on him, either to do this or that, or keep up this appearance. Sometimes they really are, and sometimes it’s pressure he’s putting onto himself!

Icarus by Bastille: tbh this is a song that I think applies to most if not all of the batfam, but for Dick, this is part of it that I like: “You put up your defenses when you leave / You leave because you're certain / Of who you want to be”

I prefer the version of canon where Dick willingly decides to stop being Robin, but even in the way that he gets kicked out, this tells me that he’s steeling himself for whatever may come, and that he’s sure of his actions. 

Stars by Grace Potter: now THIS one is freaking sad. “All those times we looked up at the sky / Looking out so far, it felt like we could fly / And now I'm all alone in the dark of night / And the moon is shining, but I can't see the light.”

Again, he’s lost a lot of ppl!! I usually think of this song as him referring to his parents or Bruce after he “dies”, but it could apply to anyone really. And these lines in specific just make me think that he feels lonely without whoever it is, that he’s not in a good place.

Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd: "Boy, don't you worry, you'll find yourself / Follow your heart and nothing else / And you can do this, oh baby, if you try / All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied"

Okay so maybe I hc that the Graysons were very much so free spirits who rubbed off a lot on Dick. But with that aside, to me this is Dick being determined to live a happy life, and knowing it’s going to be a struggle at times. “You’ll find yourself” and “if you try” are things that I think Dick keeps close to mind. Like, maybe he doesn’t know everything right now, but he will. He’ll figure it out. And he can get through anything if he just pushes through it.

Weight In Gold by Gallant: “I’m pulling my weight in gold / Call me anxious, call me broke / But I can’t lift this on my own”

I’ve already mentioned this but Dick has a lot of pressure on his shoulders, like all the time. And he’s also someone who reaches out to others, which is what these lyrics are saying. He’s aware when he can’t handle the pressure anymore and can admit it to himself. (I don’t think this fits him ALL the time, I mean it just doesn’t, but. Sometimes.)

Tears Of A Clown by Smokey Robinson: I really fuck with the idea that Dick is, still, an entertainer. that + the pressure he’s under = “Now if I appear to be carefree / It's only to camouflage my sadness / In order to shield my pride I've tried / To cover this hurt with a show of gladness”

The word “camouflage” stands out to me because I think sometimes the way he hides parts of who he is is to protect himself??? Dick can also be a prideful person, who might not want others to know that he’s been hurt by something they’ve done. 

The Show Must Go On by Queen: relatedly,,, this whole song fits him perfectly. but to do something not related to smiling: “Show must go on. / I'll face it with a grin. / I'm never giving in— / Oh—with the show. / I'll top the bill, / I'll overkill. / I have to find the will to carry on with the show.” 

This ties back to him hiding his real feelings, of course, but also it speaks to how he doesn’t do things by half. This makes me think about being Batman, about how he won’t give in to the pressure, will push through and keep going and uphold his dad’s legacy as best as he can

Pumpin Blood by NONONO: “It's so magical feeling, that no one's got a hold / You're a catalyst to your own happiness you know”

This goes back to my thoughts that Dick has this mindset that if he keeps going, keeps putting in as much effort as he needs to, then he can get what he needs. It’s also kind of those moments where Dick realizes that where he is is good, like being Robin, but it’s not great, and it could be great. When he decides to stop being Robin, it’s like he’s thinking, “I could be happier, and if I want that, I need to do it myself.”

Rocketeer by Far East Movement: this song fits in a lot of spots but. “Here we go, come with me / There's a world out there that we should see / Take my hand, close your eyes / With you right here, I'm a rocketeer”

Overall imo this is a shippy song but this lyric specifically could be Dick and anyone at all -- he’s the kind of guy who reaches out to others, who would enjoy showing people new things. I also think the last bit kind of speaks to how he can feel better and more empowered when he’s not going through things alone 

I Want To Break Free by Queen: “But life still goes on / I can't get used to, living without, living without / Living without you by my side / I don't want to live alone, hey / God knows, got to make it on my own / So baby can't you see / I've got to break free”

This goes back to a few things. For one, I feel that when he feels held back or held down, he’s VERY aware of it and doesn’t like it, and wants to have his freedom back. Another one is, considering all the people he’s lost, it’s like...he doesn’t want to live without them but there’s no choice, he has to. And finally, I also think this is to Bruce, like he’s feeling like he could do and be more if he weren’t being restricted by Bruce

Teams & Friends, Ships, Family, & Bruce under the cut!

— TEAMS & FRIENDS:

Young Volcanoes by Fall Out Boy: there’s a reason why I named my fic after this lol. “When Rome's in ruins / We are the lions / Free of the coliseums / In poisoned places / We are anti-venom / We're the beginning of the end”

I think that Dick really does enjoy superheroing, and that he’s proud of himself and those he works with for being courageous, kind, and helpful to the world. In his more positive moments, this is what I feel like he’d think of his teams and their impacts.

Home by Daughtry: I’ve always thought of this one as a batfam song but tbh I think it works better as a Titans one. “Well I'm going home, / Back to the place where I belong, / And where your love has always been enough for me. / I'm not running from. / No, I think you got me all wrong. / I don't regret this life I chose for me. / But these places and these faces are getting old, / So I'm going home.”

The way I interpret this is like...he DOES love Bruce, he does love the batfam, but ultimately when he thinks about home he thinks of his friends. This is kind of him talking to Bruce, at least in the second half. Another reason why I put it here is that there’s another lyric in the song that says, “I'm going to the place where love / And feeling good don't ever cost a thing.” In the batfam, as zitkaplushie said, love isn’t conditional or anything but it IS exhausting. It takes a toll on them. Love with the titans is just easier.

— SHIPS:

Make Me Feel by Janelle Monae: Dick is bi like this song and this line describes his at-times tumultuous relationships: “It's like I'm powerful with a little bit of tender / An emotional, sexual bender / Mess me up, yeah, but no one does it better / There's nothing better”

He takes comfort and strength from his relationships and sometimes that’s good, hence the powerful/tender part! But in all his relationships, not just his romantic ones, it’s (sometimes) easy for people to affect him

I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by Celtic Thunder: this fits all of his ships imo: “When I'm lonely, well I know I'm gonna be / I'm gonna be the man who's lonely without you / And when I'm dreaming, well I know I'm gonna dream / I'm gonna dream about the time when I'm with you”

He’s just a sappy boy who is in love. That said, I don’t think these feelings would overtake him!

— FAMILY:

Losing My Religion by R.E.M.: I read this heartbreaking fic recently that dealt with how Dick hid his feelings from EVERYONE and no one noticed anything was wrong, really, except Cass. so. “Every whisper / Of every waking hour / I'm choosing my confessions / Trying to keep an eye on you / Like a hurt, lost and blinded fool, fool / Oh no, I've said too much / I set it up”

Dick is more open than his siblings, but he does still hide things, especially from them. The line “I'm choosing my confessions / Trying to keep an eye on you” makes me think of Dick trying to take care of his siblings, whichever way he can

This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) by Kishi Bashi: “Home is where I want to be / Pick me up and turn me round / I feel numb - born with a weak heart / I guess I must be having fun / The less we say about it the better / Make it up as we go along / Feet on the ground / Head in the sky / It's OK, I know nothing's wrong... nothing”

“Make it up as we go along / Feet on the ground / Head in the sky / It's OK, I know nothing's wrong... nothing” - this reads happier than it’s sang but I do think it describes the more positive side of the family dynamics! 

You’re Not There by Lukas Graham: this one is abt (all of) his parents :( “I only got you in my stories / And you know I tell them right / I remember you and I, when I'm awake at night / So give it up for fallen glory / I never got to say goodbye / I wish I could ask for just a bit more time”

There are times where the deaths of his parents & Bruce (and Alfred) weigh heavily on him, and that everything he does is kind of continuing on where they left off, or doing something they didn’t have time to do. I think he would tell his kids stories about them and that he would try to be as true to them as he can be. And then of course, “So give it up for fallen glory / I never got to say goodbye / I wish I could ask for just a bit more time” is kind of his relationship with his parents after they die

— BRUCE:

(I gave him a separate section bc I have a lot of feels abt them okay??)

The Ballad of Dick Grayson by Crafty McVillain: there are actually a lot of songs abt Dick Grayson, but I picked this one bc of this: “Broken hearts improve, but my mind's broken too / Show me how to hurt and I'll hurt them with you / I'll take on the world, I will fight for you / But tell me how to stop, cause now I'm fighting you”

This is abt when Jason takes on Robin but I like to look at this like:

“Broken hearts improve, but my mind's broken too / Show me how to hurt and I'll hurt them with you” - this is when Dick first comes to the Manor, and when he’s first becoming Robin. He’s struggling and Bruce shows him a way to cope. (is it healthy? lmao)

“I'll take on the world, I will fight for you” - this is just...any time really lol. Dick is loyal to Bruce (to an extent) and will fight alongside him, will do almost anything for him

“But tell me how to stop, cause now I'm fighting you” - then this is how it feels when they’re broken apart for the first time, when they aren’t getting along and it’s just a change from the past few years, and Dick doesn’t know what to do about it

Let You Down by NF: “Feels like we're on the edge right now / I wish that I could say I'm proud / I'm sorry that I let you down / Let you down”

“I'm sorry that I let you down / Let you down” - this could be pre-emptive, Dick kind of thinking that no matter what he does, he’s most likely going to let Bruce down

Like how Bruce is always that 8 year old who lost his parents, Dick is always who he was the first night he went out as Robin, desperately wanting Bruce’s approval

He wants the approval and hates that he does, it feels like it holds him down

The Chain by Fleetwood Mac: “Listen to the wind blow / Watch the sun rise / Run in the shadows / Damn your love / Damn your lies”

When I read these lyrics, I think about Bruce and Dick when they’ve been arguing, having a quiet moment (the peace after the storm, zitkaplushie said), kind of reflecting, and Dick just thinks, “I want you to love me but I want you to stop lying to me.” Or like, “your love comes with your lies and I don’t know if I can handle that [right now].”

Numb by Linkin Park: “I've become so numb, I can't feel you there / Become so tired, so much more aware / I'm becoming this, all I want to do / Is be more like me and be less like you”

There’s this moment in canon, before he even gives up being Robin, where he’s acting just like Batman, hunting down criminals with a single-minded ferocity that has his friends legit concerned for him. I can’t remember exactly what he felt about it when he kind of snapped out it but these lyrics remind me of that. He doesn’t want to be like Bruce, he doesn’t want to be Batman, and especially as a teenager, that last line is big. Overall it also fits when Dick IS Batman, and he feels like he’s kind of being swallowed by everything that it is

The Archer by Taylor Swift: okay I’m sorry I can’t pick between these two: “I've got a hundred thrown out speeches / I almost said to you” and “And all of my heroes / Die all alone / Help me hold on to you”

There are a lot of things Dick doesn’t say to Bruce over the years, or things that he wants to say but doesn’t for however long until he can’t hold it in anymore or it’s the right time or whatever. Ultimately that line just tells me that their relationship isn’t one with great communicating

“And all of my heroes / Die all alone” - Bruce ‘dying’. “Help me hold on to you” - Batman when Dick is him. Or it could be about Dick’s parents, and then Dick trying to keep Bruce alive as Robin/Nightwing

#dick grayson #dick grayson meta #meta #dc #batfam #robin i #nightwing #my meta #sorry for all the OC tm today #im feeling manic lmao gotta do something #got sooooooo long #I FORGOT THE TITLE FUCK DKHFJKSH

[laylacooke]

Go Our Own Way || Celeste & Layla

timing: The night of the attack on Lucas. parties: @celestelavie & @laylacooke summary: A bummed Layla has a heart-to-heart with a supportive Celeste. ♥ warnings: Mention of abuse, because of Layla & Celeste’s shitty parents.

Celeste felt a certain affinity for Layla that she hadn’t quite experienced before. It was rare to exist in the realm of both hunters and werewolves. There was a certain contradiction to it that made you an outlier in both worlds with neither truly embracing you as you were. Once she learned Layla came from a hunter family, she could understand her hesitance to trust other wolves. She only hoped that others could show her the same kindness and acceptance that Ulfric and Ariana had. The poor girl was just a kid, she needed someone to care for her and show her how to navigate the world as a werewolf, not to be forced to live on the streets. She knew the damage Layla must have caused, but she had help now. 

She was looking forward to spending the evening with the younger woman while Ulfric and Ariana were out investigating that howl. She didn’t necessarily love Ariana walking into danger, but she had to trust the two of them knew how to handle themselves. She’d trained Ariana to be prepared for this sort of thing. Spending the time and talking with Layla would distract her from her own worry. She had felt Layla approach before the front door ever clicked open. Over the years, she’d gotten used to having goosebumps a majority of the time. The constant edge alerting you of someone’s presence. It had been unnerving at first, but she’d become accustomed to it. When she heard Layla walk in, she went back out into the living area to greet her and help put groceries away. “Hey, Layla,” she called as she walked out, “I hope there were no mime sightings on your outing?” 

It had only been a few days since Layla had experienced her first decent injury, and while she still felt the occasional light-headedness, it was mostly her ribs that gave her trouble, so when Layla had returned with a borrowed shopping cart full of groceries, it was no longer apparent that she could hide anything from Celeste, unless Ariana had already told her, “No, mime sightings.” Thank goodness. That was the last thing she could handle right now. “But I did get potatoes for the banned French Fries.” She pushed the cart up as close to the trailer steps as she could, before she had picked up a few bags; deciding not to “strong woman” it today and get them all in one go.

As she slowly walked up the steps, she spoke, “So... you’re positive Ariana and Ulf don’t need my help, because I can go, if they need back up.” Since she had met Ari, Celeste, and Ulf, all Layla had wanted was to learn how to be a werewolf. Out of all the wolves she had heard about, she had truly felt like the weakest of the pack. It had been a blow to her self-esteem, when she was told to stay home, but at the same time, she knew it was probably for the best and hiding her injuries from the fight with Fran and Rio, didn’t exactly help her case, but just in case they had changed their mind, she had to ask.

Teenagers were damn good at finding trouble, though after two mime encounters of her own, Celeste decided she hardly had room to judge. She was still sore as hell from reopening the stitches on her leg after fighting Kaden’s mime. Ariana had casually mentioned it and she knew better than to press. She had a little more leeway with telling Ariana what to do, but even her input on that seemed pretty nonexistent these days. It was no matter; Layla had made it home safely and mime free. “I suppose I should make those French fries I promised you then.” She set the groceries down on the counter and unloaded them into the fridge and cabinets, leaving a few potatoes out to make French fries with shortly. 

Celeste’s head tilted to the side slightly, her lips curved slightly upward and her eyes soft, as she answered, “Layla, we’re both injured. Ariana and Ulfric are better off without us slowing them down.” She could tell she wanted to help. It seemed she and Ariana had quickly become attached. Wanting to help the people she cared for was something Celeste could understand, but there was far too much at risk. “One day I’m sure you’ll be out there trying to save the day with them. This is all still new to you and when you’re not physically at your best is not the time to be charging right in.” While she was not necessarily helpful with the wolf stuff, her face lit up as she exclaimed, “You know, once we’re both healed up, we could practice some more self-defense. I’m sure your parents made you practice plenty, but I’ll try to make it more fun than educational… Do pink boxing gloves make things more fun?” 

Layla sat her own haul down, “You don’t have to make them just for me. We can wait.” Turning around, she slowly walked back out to the cart. Grabbing the rest of it, she came back in and shut the door behind her with her foot. Putting the rest of the bags on the counter, she started to take out the remaining items, but made sure to stay out of Celeste’s way. The kitchen was already small enough as it was and two people putting away groceries was a nearly impossible feat. Instead, she went to the couch and sat down. Leaning back, Layla closed her eyes for a moment trying to let her body relax with the release of a quivering sigh.

The woman’s words seemed to have caught her attention, “Ari told you, didn’t she?” Layla looked to the floor with defeat. How had she been so stupid to go out and get herself injured already. She had just found a place to stay and someone to hang out with, and, now, she was missing out on potentially learning all the ways she could use her curse for good. “I know, but you don’t get it, Celeste...I finally find people like me who accept me,  and they’re out there doing things I need to know how to do, if I want to be able to survive, and then just like everyone else, they shut me out.” She growled under her breath, her eyes burning in frustration, but with a few, slow, and currently painful, deep breaths, she calmed down to see a smile on Celeste’s face, “Yeah, okay. I’ll go get my bow.” She realized what Celeste might think, “Not tonight obviously. Lord knows we wouldn’t want baby wolf sticking her nose in where it doesn’t belong.” She realized she was being temperamental, “Sorry. I know you’re just trying to help.” Had Layla even told Celeste, Ari, or Ulf that she carried a bow with her? If not, she did now.

Celeste nodded, “French fries when everyone gets home it is.” A little more time relaxing would be nice. Her leg was still throbbing from where she had to re-stitch it and she was secretly hoping Ariana would cook anyhow. She turned to Layla and smiled as she took the seat beside her on the couch. They hadn’t much of a chance to speak alone. Given, it was a fairly crowded trailer at this point.

She shook her head lightly, it had been obvious she was a little sore, but Ariana had mentioned as much when she told her they weren’t asking Layla to come along for tracking down the howl. Even Ariana going with Ulfric wasn’t something she had necessarily approved of, but to some extent, she had to let the girl make her own choices. She’d trained her well and hopefully that would come into play. “She did mention it,” Celeste reasoned, “I know you want to help and one day you will be.” She shifted in her seat, trying to put more weight on her uninjured leg. Her face was serious as she looked at Layla and explained, “Sometimes the best thing to do to help is stay put. It’s the same reason I’m here right now. We’re both injured which means we’re not at our best. A small mistake can be costly to everyone’s well being. Give it time, you’ll heal, and you’ll learn even more, and I have no doubt with your training, you’ll be unstoppable.” It was strange how she could see both herself and Ariana in Layla. Considering her parents wanted her dead, she had no doubt their childhoods were similar, but she had Ariana’s hot head. She sighed lightly, “I don’t believe it’s like that, Layla. Ari cares for you, I’m sure she doesn’t want you rushing off into danger when you’re already hurt. I’m sure soon enough she’ll be wanting you coming along everywhere with your bow on the ready.” She offered a small laugh, hoping the girl was a little more at ease. Offering her a good amount of support was vital, but it wasn’t always easy to know how to help. Her eyes lit up, “You know what we could do tonight that would be helpful and not too strenuous?” She slowly rose from the couch and pointed toward the window, “Have you seen the little weird squirrels in the yard? They’re agropelters and they have a real appetite for fingers. I have some traps we could set, but if you wanted to practice with moving targets, I’ve got a few weighted knives that’d do the trick.”

Layla was kind of caught up in her own mind and thoughts when Celeste had sat down next to her. She knew the woman didn’t know her that well. She also knew that she had been acting childish. This world was still new, and even more so with all the strange and weird creatures it held. She had only learned about a handful with her parents; partly because she hadn’t been interested. Their ideals and laws just hadn’t set well with her. But for that, she was now paying the price. Getting herself into more trouble than she could handle in a town she had never even heard of.

As she let her eyes fall onto Celeste, she listened without much debate. Everything she was saying held the truth. Layla was just eager and headstrong. She wanted to prove herself to everyone and show that taking a chance on her wasn’t a mistake. It hurt when people hadn’t even given her a chance, and now that they were, she didn’t want to blow it. But if she couldn’t keep herself safe, how was she supposed to keep anyone else safe. Basic principles of psychology that she had learned in her class in school, “I know everything that you guys are telling me is true. I guess I just don’t want to fail at this. I’ve already been kicked to the curb more times than I can count and letting down the people who actually decided to take a chance on me is the last thing I want to do.” She sighed, but Celeste’s suggestion had caught her attention, “Agro-whats?” She had seen those squirrels. They were cute in a hideous sort of way, but she didn’t know they fed off fingers. However, the idea of killing them had Layla sinking back down again, “Something I should probably explain...One of the reasons me and my parents didn’t get along so well was my belief in pacifism and not hurting living creatures or causing violence. Unfortunately, it seems like no matter what I do now, especially when I change, I can’t get away from it. And my bow...I shoot competitively, not to hunt…Thought I should clear that up as well. Some werewolf I am…”

Celeste knew she had to grow up faster than most. Outside of the ultimate act of defiance in hunter families, she had to quickly learn to be level-headed in order to care for a child. Even with Ariana, it was easy to forget just how normal teenagers acted without having supernatural drama even thrown into the mix. She reminded herself patience was key if she wanted to be able to help. At the mention of pacifism, she could see why she really didn’t seem to fit into the hunter world aside from the fact she was a werewolf. That also had to be a principle that was difficult for a young, recently turned werewolf to maintain as well. 

“You’re not letting anyone down. No one wants you to be anything more or less than what you are,” she assured. To find any sort of peace, she was going to need to embrace some part of her nature, but that would take time and adjusting. She could understand the parents thing though. Hunting had never really been something that held Celeste’s passion. While she always desired to help people in some way, she never quite saw how hunting was the best way to do so. It didn’t matter that her father forced her into a number of terrifying scenarios, part of it just always felt wrong. The boom of her father’s voice had always been more fearful than any of the small monsters he’d try to put in front of her. Until she’d been faced with the reality of having to kill a child, she thought she’d be able to fit into that perfect little mold her parents had built for her. She looked to Layla, “Then we’ll leave the strange squirrels alone. Classic target practice it is. I’d never want to make you do something you’re uncomfortable with. I’ve been there myself. I’ve clearly really taken on hunter ideology.” She reached over to give Layla a gentle pat on the shoulder, “What being a werewolf is for you will look different for you than it will for anyone else. That doesn’t make you more or less deserving of support from those you care for.” 

How had Layla managed to find people so like her own personal situation? She knew they had their own unique set of issues, but the fact that together, it was as if the girl saw herself in both Ariana and Celeste. Regardless, she was grateful to be with them, despite the ever-growing doubts about certain things that regularly plagued her mind. Still, though, she would be hard pressed to find another set of people willing to take her in who understood what her life had become in a little less than a year. And while she had wished so badly that she could be out following Ariana and Ulf around, this time with Celeste was turning out to be so much more valuable than she could have imagined.

Taking the woman’s words to heart, she made sure to tuck them away in her memory, so she could think back later and reassess all the things Celeste had said to her. But one of the biggest things that had made her trust Celeste more, and accept what this night was becoming, was how she had accepted Layla’s beliefs and wasn’t trying to pressure her into anything, “You don’t know how much what you just said means to me. If it were my parents, they would be forcing me to hunt those squirrel things right now, even if I begged them not to make me do it.” She looked into the woman’s eyes, “Thank you, Celeste.” Layla felt the pat on her shoulder and the kind words to follow but knowing that she would get to throw something at a target had brought a smile to her face. She hadn’t shot her bow in so long. She had missed the feeling of it, and even if knives were different, she had found a reason to be a little happier. However, as she climbed to her feet, she could feel the pressure in her ribs, and she winced in pain.

Sometimes a little patience could go a long way. It was a virtue that Celeste had made a point of adopting into her everyday life. People could really surprise you when you weren’t pushing them too hard or too quickly in an undecided direction. It would likely be a long while before Layla truly felt comfortable with what she was and that was perfectly okay. Everyone did things in their own time and that was something Celeste had to remind herself of everyday. It was easy enough to feel like she’d been behind where she was supposed to be herself. Taking care of a child had played a big role in that, but she wouldn’t trade it for anything. It just meant her timeline wasn’t quite the same as everyone else’s. 

There was a soft smile on her face as Layla thanked her. She hadn’t thought she said anything too profound, but she knew just how much showing support to someone could make all the difference. As she leaned back into the couch cushion, she reassured, “Of course. I know how that goes and I wouldn’t force it on anyone else. I always hated being forced into that kind of stuff, too, though I never dared to argue it. Well, not until… I’m sure you can fill in the blanks seeing as I’ve essentially raised a werewolf.” As a kid, her father had somehow managed to be more frightening than any of the creatures he’d put her up against. Hunting them had never brought her much satisfaction, but it had provided security that neither the creature nor her father would hurt her. The thought made her stomach twist slightly. It’d only be a matter of time before she was forced to see the man again. Her mom would be easy enough to deal with. Her father was a whole different story. Something about his presence made her feel like she was regressing, and she’d been thankful Ariana had been far away the last time she’d seen him. She knew she appeared a bit spaced out and shook her head slightly to see Layla wincing as she stood. “You know, we can save target practice for when we’re both feeling better. My leg isn’t a fan of the whole standing thing right now anyhow. How about I put Legally Blonde on?” 

The idea of a movie instead had sounded better to Layla. As much as she wanted to throw knives at a target, she also didn’t really want to move either. She had gotten into a few tight spots on her journey north from Tennessee, but nothing as intense as she had currently been in.

Deciding to sit back down, she eased her way back into the nice, worn couch, “Guess I didn’t anticipate how painful broken ribs could be.” She sighed. Though she had been excited about going outside, until her body told her no, she had let what Celeste said swim around in her head. Her parents had a knack for forcing her into situations she didn’t want to be in and killing and hunting things was one of them. But for a moment, she tried to put herself in Ariana’s shoes, wondering what it would be like to be raised by Celeste, instead of her parents, and it brought a soft smile to her face. It also brought sadness into her heart knowing she never would have met her girlfriend had life been different, “Do you ever wish life could be different?” She didn’t want to offend or upset the woman, but she was curious. “Like if your parents had just been normal and you could just be normal?”

The weight of Layla’s question sat on her. Celeste knew the answer wasn’t quite so simple. Even when they were on the run, the bond she’d built with Ariana was something she cherished. In a lot of ways, she felt the young wolf saved her from a much darker path, but had she just been from a normal family, Ariana would probably still be living happily and peacefully with hers. Or maybe she wouldn’t have. It was hard to say. She chewed her lip as she thought it over. “That’s not an easy one, kid.” 

She wrapped her arms around her knees as she went on, “In darker moments, sure, I’ve wished things were different. That I could worry about solely normal things, but when I really think about it, I wouldn’t trade what I’ve gained in place of and because of any of that pain. Even if things are complicated, I’ve loved being able to take care of Ariana.” With a glance around the living room, which was becoming filled with all of their things, she was reminded of the kindness the world had to offer even when things seemed bleak. “Things are a bit rough right now with the whole bounty thing, but there’s still light in it all. Take Ulfric, taking all of us in, even given what I am and what you were raised to be. It doesn’t mean things aren’t hard, but I think it’s important to remember that there’s good even in the bad. At least, I’ve found it helps.” 

Layla had been struggling to see the good in things, especially in people. The way she had been treated after the bite had broken her heart. The only person who had continued to show her kindness had been Frankie, and even that led to her making a dire decision that had wrecked their relationship, because of the consequences of Layla being a baby werewolf. But after she had fled her home, it was relying on other people and packs that had allowed Layla to see some of the true hatred, anger, and self-concern that lived in some people. Being shunned felt horrible, and on most days, she had found fending for herself a way to protect her heart, rather than taking a chance on strangers who continually seemed to let her down. It’s why she still found doubt in Ariana, Celeste, and Ulfric sometimes, wondering if there were more selfish motives at play, instead of what was best for Layla, “I’m glad that you guys have each other, and that Ulf was able to take you in, even with his instincts probably screaming no.” She had thought about Celeste’s answer. Had taken it to heart even, but it was still hard to fully give herself to these people, when she had only known them for less than a month, and it’s why she still remained closed off to what they had to offer to her most of the time for fear of what lay just around the corner.

Celeste remained quiet for a moment. As odd as their current situation was, she was grateful for Ulfric. It was obvious enough he was weary of her though he did his best to hide, but he’d made it clear he’d do anything to keep Ariana safe. There was a good chance things would get dangerous when her parents arrived. No matter what happened, it was a comfort to know that Ariana would have Ulfric. It was a darker thought. Even so, she didn’t mind acknowledging it. She gave Layla a somewhat wistful look, hoping for the day when they could have their own home again. With a weak smile, she explained, “Ulfric has shown us a great deal of kindness. I know Ariana is very attached to him and it’s evident he’s very protective of her. I know his instincts are against my very existence, but I admire his ability to overlook that and focus on the greater cause. He’s very keen on protecting both of you the best he can.” If her parents could hear her now, they’d probably slap her or worse. She hoped it offered some comfort to Layla knowing that Ulfric was inclined to protect both of them. It must have been some sort of pack instinct that he took to heart. She had to be grateful for it. “Trust takes time, though. One day, I’m sure we’ll all learn to trust each other,” she offered. These things took time, but she had no doubt one day Layla would realize that they all wanted to be here for support.

Celeste seemed well beyond her years with the advice she had given Layla, and the young wolf knew that it was all from the heart. The doubt that filled her mind was hard to break but sitting next to someone who reminded her so much of herself was reassuring. She listened intently as the woman explained things to her, including trust. And it was true. It would take time. Layla hadn’t known Ulfric like Celeste and Ariana had. She barely knew Celeste, but they had taken a chance on her. And Ariana was quickly becoming a friend she could whole-heartedly trust and rely on. Yes, the fact that she wasn’t out with the wolves investigating had stung a little, but she had her own inner demons to work on. However, tonight was supposed to be something different. Celeste had promised her a movie, and Layla had turned it into something more serious, but she was ready to move past that. At least for the time being, “You’re right. It does, and this was supposed to be a fun night. Not Baby Wolf moping night. I’m sorry. I’ve got a bad habit of doing that.” She glanced around wondering where they kept the movies, “You said something about Legally Blonde?” A movie and a good laugh were something they had both needed, and the night was still young. No, Layla wasn’t learning how to wolf, but she was learning how to become the one thing she was so desperately trying to cling to, being a better human, and who better than to learn from, but a human herself.

#para: go our own way #celestelavie #wickedswriting #abuse tw

[sumukhcomedy]

The Rebel Flag, The Noose, and Racial Intimidation

A month ago, I had no idea who Bubba Wallace was. While I love sports, I can’t say I’m a NASCAR fan. I know a certain number of drivers. I’ve watched a Daytona 500 here and there over the years. That’s about the extent of it. If you want to know how confused I was, when I heard Bubba’s father’s name was Darrell Wallace, I assumed he was the son of a driver but then realized I combined two drivers in Rusty Wallace and Darrell Waltrip to make a driver.

I grew up in the Midwest and so NASCAR never was exactly accessible. It was highly popular in the South and it didn’t appear like its fans were exactly the most open or inviting people. The sport didn’t feel that way either. It’s not as if I could hop into a car and start racing around a track the way I could grab a basketball and head to a court. If I did watch any racing, it was usually the Indianapolis 500 and I preferred IndyCar. I remember watching the magnitude of Dale Earnhardt’s death as I was waiting to watch FOX’s Sunday night comedy lineup. Regardless, I grew to appreciate the sport even if I didn’t watch it with any regularity or understand the inner details of it.

Over the past month, from an outsider like myself, NASCAR has made incredible leaps and unbelievable stances that I would never have expected out of the organization. For NASCAR to make a public statement on the removal of the Confederate flag was huge. For Bubba Wallace to then get behind the wheel of a Black Lives Matter car seems unthinkable. For a legend in Richard Petty to be behind that car and be fully supportive is wild. In the same way that the well-meaning white person may be overrun with guilt over the past month, the racist white person is likely losing their mind over the decisions of NASCAR.

Then, late last week, a noose was found discovered in the garage at Talladega for Bubba Wallace’s team. An investigation proved that the noose had been there since late 2019. But, in understanding race and intimidation, the investigation was necessary and its transparency important to our current discussion on race.

Almost immediately after the investigation began, extreme conservative Twitter wanted to spread the doubts over the situation. They began to compare Bubba Wallace to Jussie Smollett. They began to throw out inaccurate and made-up stats about hoax hate crimes.

First, we need to understand how intimidation plays such a strong role in racism. The Confederate flag is a symbol of intimidation whether its supporters or “free speech” lovers want to believe it or not. It’s basically now associated with racists and white supremacists. It’s carried around and worn by those who are aggressively racist. It’s been connected with murderers like Dylann Roof and so many other violent individuals. There is nothing about this flag that seems peaceful or open to a connection with people of other races. If I see a Confederate flag (and I have seen plenty as someone that travels the country and enjoys nature), it is a message by that property owner or that individual that I am not welcome. I steer clear because there is no need for me to possibly die at the hands of a racist.

So, first, for NASCAR to make the step to remove the Confederate flag was to say to all their fans that they no longer support the presence of racism and intimidation on their tracks and in their organization.

So soon after such an announcement and the sweeping, positive decisions of NASCAR, a noose is found in Wallace’s garage. Wallace is the Black driver of NASCAR. He is driving the Black Lives Matter car. He is the focal point of all these decisions. As a result, he is also the focal point for racists and the opposing side to target. Simply hearing the word “noose” or seeing that image conjures up one memory for people of color: lynching. For white people, it should do the same thing but perhaps they think of hangings and executions of 15th and 16th Century England. I have no clue what goes on in the minds of white people towards this. But, plain and simple, in understanding how race functions in this country, a noose is equated to the country’s history of lynching Black people.

So, for Wallace and NASCAR to be outspoken, a noose appearing in a garage just days after seemed too coincidental. No one does that without a message being sent. That message is you are unwanted and we could kill you just like we killed Black people in the past (and, even how Black people are being killed right now given the wave of suspect public “suicides” occurring).

For the FBI to investigate such high-profile intimidation is necessary. For it to turn out that it was, in fact, coincidental are quite the odds. But NASCAR’s transparency should be hailed. They’ve supported the investigation. They’ve supported Wallace as part of their family. They shared a photo of the noose that was hanging from the garage door. They’ve expressed that such a type of noose is not present in any other garage doors within Talladega. So, these are a massive amount of coincidences that could be investigated more thoroughly to understand how this even could happen. Or, we could just understand that the investigation was still positive in presenting the importance of intimidation in our discussion of systemic racism as well as to firmly show NASCAR is taking an appropriate antiracist business approach: they are condemning racism’s presence in their sport while also being transparent about race and its discussion both inside and outside the sport.

Of course, those who defend the racists and are unwilling to have a real discussion on race were frothing from the mouth at these results. It allowed them to spin their conspiracies. It allowed them to say that so many allegations of racism are hoaxes, that everything is about race now, or worst, equating Bubba Wallace to Jussie Smollett, which is racist and inaccurate commentary.

What Jussie Smollett did was his choice and a poor, inept choice. Once the investigation revealed that it was all his plan, it’s not as if Black and Brown people came to his defense at all. In fact, most understood this was a terrible decision on his part because a false or made-up allegation puts the lives of Black and Brown people back a couple steps. The moment may have been made fun of no better than by another Black man, Charles Barkley, on live television.

But comparing Smollett to Wallace is just plain wrong. The accuracy is wrong. The jokes are wrong. The numerous memes are wrong. Smollett MADE UP a hate crime in the most dumb way possible apparently to further his career. Wallace did not make up a hate crime. A possible hate crime HAPPENED to him. It was investigated and determined that what happened was not a blatant act of intimidation by someone. It also determined that Wallace was not responsible for that act.

This is where the line between race, accuracy, and comedy gets all blurry. A responsible comedian or meme creator would not make jokes connecting Smollett to Wallace because it’s simply not the same thing. It’s not a good joke based in that comparative way that so many jokes are. Also, just a responsible person would understand that Smollett and Wallace are two very different situations. Also, a responsible person would know that Smollett and Wallace are two different people. But that’s not the case in the world we live in. Smollett and Wallace are the same because they experienced a hate crime. Smollett and Wallace are the same because they are high-profile individuals. Smollett and Wallace are the same because they are biracial men with Black blood. Smollett and Wallace are the same because their allegations did not prove without a shadow of a doubt that a hate crime occurred. If you add up enough of these comparisons, you should be able to understand that comparing Smollett and Wallace is racist in and of itself.

I applaud NASCAR. They are strangely well ahead of our more prominent sports organizations in handling the country’s current racial dynamic. They still have a lot to learn. We all do.

But, in this case, they fully supported Bubba Wallace. They investigated the matter and have done so in a transparent, nuanced way deserving of the issues that come up with systemic racism. They still support Bubba Wallace and all other drivers as they are part of their family. The other drivers support Bubba Wallace as one of their own.

Rather than get angry over race, a Confederate flag, or a noose, one should actually realize that NASCAR is going down the right path to the unity and equal justice that is the reason so many people are vocal and protesting.

#nascar #bubba wallace #race #blm #black lives matter #confederate flag #noose #racism #jussie smollett #charles barkley

[whatelsecanwedonow]

I’m picking out parts of this conversation I found especially interesting. Italics are mine:

You know, I’ve been trying to think of some precise, encapsulating question to ask you about what we’ve been witnessing over the last few weeks, and everything I was coming up with felt forced or phony. Maybe it’s better, because you’ve been eloquent during times of crisis in the past, just to ask what you’ve been thinking about and seeing in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing? I’d like to say I’m surprised by what happened to him, but I’m not. This is a cycle, and I feel that in some ways, the issue is that we’re addressing the wrong problem. We continue to make this about the police — the how of it. How can they police? Is it about sensitivity and de-escalation training and community policing? All that can make for a less-egregious relationship between the police and people of color. But the how isn’t as important as the why, which we never address. The police are a reflection of a society. They’re not a rogue alien organization that came down to torment the black community. They’re enforcing segregation. Segregation is legally over, but it never ended. The police are, in some respects, a border patrol, and they patrol the border between the two Americas. We have that so that the rest of us don’t have to deal with it. Then that situation erupts, and we express our shock and indignation. But if we don’t address the anguish of a people, the pain of being a people who built this country through forced labor — people say, ‘‘I’m tired of everything being about race.’’ Well, imagine how [expletive] exhausting it is to live that.

Does the scale and intensity of the protests suggest some positive strides toward accountability? Maybe. Look, every advancement toward equality has come with the spilling of blood. Then, when that’s over, a defensiveness from the group that had been doing the oppressing. There’s always this begrudging sense that black people are being granted something, when it’s white people’s lack of being able to live up to the defining words of the birth of the country that is the problem. There’s a lack of recognition of the difference in our system. Chris Rock used to do a great bit: ‘‘No white person wants to change places with a black person. They don’t even want to exchange places with me, and I’m rich.’’ It’s true. There’s not a white person out there who would want to be treated like even a successful black person in this country. And if we don’t address the why of that treatment, the how is just window dressing. You know, we’re in a bizarre time of quarantine. White people lasted six weeks and then stormed a state building with rifles, shouting: ‘‘Give me liberty! This is causing economic distress! I’m not going to wear a mask, because that’s tyranny!’’ That’s six weeks versus 400 years of quarantining a race of people. The policing is an issue, but it’s the least of it. We use the police as surrogates to quarantine these racial and economic inequalities so that we don’t have to deal with them.

...we’ve got a [expletive]-up permanent campaign system with too much money in it. Don’t people know that already? The politicians don’t even know how [expletive] up their system is. Nancy Pelosi was on ‘‘The Daily Show,’’ and we were talking about how money has a corrupting influence in politics. I said, ‘‘You raised $30 million. How does that money corrupt you?’’ She said it doesn’t. So money corrupts, but not you? That’s someone within the system. And when I went down to Washington for the 9/11 victim-compensation bill, I learned something that shocked me. We had a program that was working. Bureaucratically, it wasn’t broken. What is broken about Washington isn’t the bureaucracy. It’s legislators’ ability to address the issues inherent in any society — and the reason they can’t address them is that when you have a duopoly, there is no incentive to work together to create something better. Plus, you have one party whose premise is that government is bad and whose goal is to prove that, which makes them, in essence, a double agent. All these things coalesce to make problem-solving the antithesis of what we’ve created. We’re incentivized for more extreme candidates, for more extreme partisanship, for more conflict and permanent campaigning, for corporate interests to have more influence on the process, not less. The tax code isn’t complicated because poor people have demanded that it be that way.

What do you think of the news media’s handle on this political moment more generally? I don’t think it has ever had a good handle on a political moment. It’s not designed for that. It’s designed for engagement. It’s like YouTube and Facebook: an information-laundering perpetual-radicalization machine. It’s like porn. I don’t mean that to be flip. When you were pubescent, the mere hint of a bra strap could send you into ecstasy. I’m 57 now. If it’s not two nuns and a mule, I can’t even watch it. Do you understand my point? The algorithm is not designed for thoughtful engagement and clarity. It’s designed to make you look at it longer.

Have there been any positive changes, though? Let me give you an example of what might be one: When you were doing ‘‘The Daily Show,’’ part of what made you unique was your last-sane-man-in-Crazytown quality. You would actually say that someone in power was telling a lie when the nightly newscasters wouldn’t. Now they will say that. Is that a step in the right direction? The media’s job is to deconstruct the manipulation, not to just call it a lie. It’s about informing on how something works so that you understand the lie’s purpose. What are the structural issues underneath the lie? The media shouldn’t take the political system personally, or allow its own narcissism to rise to the narcissism of the politicians, or become offended that the politicians are lying — their job is to manipulate.

How much might his administration’s response to Covid-19 hurt him in November? That’s the question the media asks. What they should be focused on is, here’s what happens when you hollow out the pandemic-response team. You have to go after the case of competence and anticorruption. The media wants to prosecute the case of offensiveness. That doesn’t matter. But there were decisions about P.P.E. and the states that were made without any federal response, and that does matter. It’s really about, what is government? Are we the Articles of Confederation? Are we the Constitution? Are we the United States? What are we? If we’re just 50 states, and if New York can push Delaware out of the way and get masks, and now Delaware has got to pay 10 times what it was going to pay — are we being led or not? It’s the wildest thing. I’ve never seen anybody who can say in the same breath, as the president does, ‘‘I am in charge, only I can fix this, and I take no responsibility.’’ You cannot process that. So what you have to process is the actual process: How do masks help? Do they help? You have to really explain it to people, but we allow the mask-wearing to be reduced to its symbolic meaning. Things like masks can’t just become another avatar of political representation. That’s where we go wrong.

This might be a little Civics 101, but I hope you’ll indulge me: A lot of your work has fundamentally been about interrogating certain truths or ideas about America and the American experiment. Things like: What does this country mean? What are its ideals and values? What’s its character? Over the last few years those questions have only become harder to contemplate in any coherent way, let alone answer. Do those questions still hold for you? Every society lies to itself to some extent. Every person does. And sometimes you have to face the truth. The truth of the American experiment is that government is messy. It’s hard to manage. We are melding cultures and religions in a way that most countries don’t. But we have an exceptionalism that we have taken for granted, and we get lost in the symbolism of who we are rather than the reality. The reality of who we are is still remarkable. You can’t take the anecdotal and pretend it’s universal. You can’t take a picture of the Lake of the Ozarks and people on top of each other drinking and say, ‘‘That’s how America responded to the pandemic.’’ Because it’s not. The boots-on-the-ground response has been phenomenally resilient and responsible and courageous. The sense that this could all turn into ‘‘Mad Max’’ tomorrow always hangs over everything — but it hasn’t. There are issues, but again, we point a spotlight on the anecdotal and pretend that it’s universal. What that does is feed the narrative for people who want to use it for their own purposes. That’s what drives me bananas. We’re basically having giant public fights about symbolism, while the reality of our situation goes unexamined.

Are you hopeful about what lies ahead? Always. Because the view we get of the country is not accurate. We get the artifice of it, the conflict of it. I’m not naïve. I don’t think that true divisions and animosities and bigotry and prejudices don’t exist. We see that every day. But fundamentally, we are a resilient and strong and resourceful nation that has oftentimes overcome our worst tendencies — ‘‘overcome’’ is probably too strong a word. But our biggest problem as humans is ignorance, not malevolence. Ignorance is an entirely curable disease.

How? Information and work. You need to talk to people. Ignorance is often cured by experience, by spending time with what you don’t understand. But I honestly don’t know. Well, you know what? I do know: In the same way that Trump’s recklessness is born out of experience, so is my optimism, because good people outweigh [expletive] people. By a long shot.

#the good people have to be in control tho to speak to the last two sentences #the weight of the good must be felt #but 'you can't take the anecdotal and pretend it's universal' is!!! #'we're basically having giant public fights about symbolism' #yes #b/c it's listless insanity there's no one at any wheel #being able to succinctly discuss topics like this is a hell of a thing #i don't rly care to tag this and have randos interact #'an information-laundering perpetual-radicalization machine' is also twitter dot com #and like... all of social media #anyway #long post

[carat82]

To my readers I ask a question- “What is the most important aspect you look for in a historical era heroine?”

Her wit? “Why should I be embarrassed I was fully clothed?”

Tenacious spirit? “My courage always rises with every attempt to intimidate me.”

Intelligence? “It is not what we think or feel that makes us who we are. It is what we do...or fail to do.”

Her ability to stand up for herself? “I have as much soul as you-and full as much heart!”

Hair?

Clothes?

“Wait what?!”

“I though we were discussing aspects of the heroines endearing qualities? Her hair? Isn’t that kinda superficial?” Yes,yes it is. Yet even in our day and age despite the need for us to see strong independent women portrayed on screen, some tend to nit pick the appearance of our heroine more then anything else. People have become experts about an era they never lived in or rely solely on what they have seen in portraits of that time period or perhaps read. Let’s face it we all have done this to a certain extent. But when such things as hair styles or perhaps even some costume choices in film or TV adaptations are different from what have been taught are indictative of that era, is this a valid enough reason to insist the story is no longer worthy to watch or to discourage or disparage others from entertaining themselves with that series or movie? To some the answer to that question is an unequivocal yes. To others the answer is a resounding no. The purpose of this latest blog is to broaden our horizons as to why certain choices are made in regards to the outward appearance of our heroines - at perhaps the expense of “historical accuracy”. For those who stand by their views of 💯 accurate, this is in no way meant to offend or upset you. Just a different perspective.

So without further adui let’s begin shall we?

(*note- when I use the term “many” this does not imply that there there are not those who completely diagree with my assessment. I know the examples I’m using have some or perhaps many who do not regard such as good adaptions and even have issues with the acting. Again just using these examples as a whole)

Many adaptations of the Regency era have been done on film and TV over the past 80 years. One of the first was Pride and Prejudice with Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier

This is regarded by many as a fine and worthy adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. But let’s face it anything with Sir Olivier is perfect in my book🥰. Both these actors do a fine job portraying these classic characters. But look closer....what is she wearing?? Wait is that dress from the 1830-1840’s. Yes it is. Isn’t this is supposed to be 1813? Yes, yes it is. So what happened? Well movie studios, back in the golden age, were known to reuse costumes in an attempt to save on the bottom line. Since MGM had produced several movies set in the middle to late 1800’s up to that point and had plenty of costumes to therefore reuse, we have Elizabeth Bennet wearing a full style dress that would come into fashion years from when the book was set. However, this in no way takes away from the performance of the actors and the movie as a whole. Even the most strict historical accurate fans still watch and enjoy this film for what it is. Yet, when other adaptations of novels come along and choices in costuming and hair are made that are more “modern” and deviate somewhat from that time period, those films and shows are chided for not following the rules. Why? How is what the studios did back in the in 40’s to Pride and Prejudice different from what is done now? Why the double standard? Let’s skip forward to the 80’s and 90’s. We saw costume dramas stick very closely to the correct rules of dress and grooming. Several adaptations were delivered to our TV and movie screens that are now considered the gold standard- Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensability, Emma,etc. Majority of us still enjoy and praise these adaptations 20-30 years later. But I must admit that when I rewatch these now, there is a dated feel about them. Now don’t get me wrong, they are still wonderful but it is quite obvious that they were produced 20-30 years ago. The musical score, if it had one, was fairly basic. Nothing that really stayed with you. The costumes were fine and the hair was... OK. Again most of these things stayed the same from one adaptation to the next . What stood out in these movies and series was the acting! Regardless of what they wore or how their hair was styled, we loved these adaptations because of how the actor embraced these roles and delivered to us the audience a memorable version of a beloved character.

So as we entered the 2000’s, filmmakers, who love these stories as much as we do, decided that it was time to “update” the look and feel of a period piece. They wanted to reach a younger more modern audience that perhaps had never watched a classic period piece before. And there was nothing wrong with that! These directors wanted others to enjoy the classics as much as they did. But they were wise and realized that a fresh take was needed to entice and draw a new audience in. This could not be a costume drama that their mothers and grandmothers watched. No, they needed to appeal to a younger audience. Which is what ALL filmmakers do, regardless of the genre. It’s how the big and small screen survive. So out went the hair and wigs with the historically accurate styles. The costumes had a few more modern cuts to them but all in all stayed relatively the same. Some of the dialog had a few updates so that an audience with not much experience in 1800’s literature ( which let’s face it is majority of us) could understand. Musical scores were updated so as to play on our emotions and draw us deeper in the story. And the result- some very fine and worthy adaptations- Joe Wright’s 2005 Pride and Prejudice. Andrew Davies 2008 Sense and Sensabilty. Jim Hanlon’s 2009 Emma. Let’s just focus on one of these adaptations- 2005’s Pride and Prejudice.

Kiera Knighly delivers to us the audience a fine portrayal of Elizabeth Bennett. But notice her hair. It’s down in some scenes.

We had not seen this before in other adaptations yet here we have Lizzy approaching Netherfield with long flowing hair. Why? We as the audience need to connect with Elizabeth. Again remember- new audience, younger demographic. This tells us that she really doesn’t care what the opinions are of a certain Mr. Darcy and the Bingleys. She is being herself-walking to the house alone and not caring about the state of her tresses. Does this detract from the story and Kiera’s acting? No. It gave me the audience a new fresh way to appreciate her character. Joe Wright wasn’t trying to mimic adaptations of years past. Why should he? His Pride and Prejudice was a much needed change from that we had seen before. And guess what? It paid off. A younger audience who had never seen Pride and Prejudice came to love this movie and 15 years later this is still their go to PP. After all isn’t that what we all want? For more people to experience Jane Austen’s stories? Who says that they have to be portrayed the same way each and every time. Isn’t that kinda... boring? Predictable?

Now let’s skip ahead to 2019. If you have read my other two blogs you know where this is going. So if you don’t want to hear about my defense of Sanditon I suggest you turn back now.

Andrew Davies introduces to us a character of Jane Austen that has never been portrayed on the screen before-Charlotte Heywood.

And as such we do not know who or what her character is like. We find out that at 22 she had never left home, having grown up on a farm with 12 siblings. That alone tells us that her appearance is going to be what some call “modern” and out of place but what I call practical and normal. Her father,while respectable and gentleman, is a farmer. She more and likely had chores like anyone else. Do you really think she had the time to care if her hair is pinned up. Uhh...nope. The first scene we see her in she is shooting rabbits! This tells us she is not Elizabeth Bennet or Marianne Dashwood or Anne Elliot. And Miss Austen wasn’t trying to write her as such. She is her own person. And as such will have things that set her apart from other Austen characters. As the series progresses we come to to learn she is practical, intelligent, sweet, but naive and inexperienced. Davies also decided to make a choice that would serve as her hallmark- her shoulder length hair that she wears down most of the time. Again, filmmakers have to appeal to their current audience. And again, like Joe Wright, he was hoping to get a younger more modern audience to tune in and enjoy a period piece or perhaps a Jane Austen adaptation for the first time. Frankly, this was a clever move on his part. He needed to show throughout the series that this adventure to Sanditon is truly unlike anything she has ever experienced. Charlotte is full of youthful exuberance with those doe-like eyes that are longing to experience life outside sleepy Willingdon. But remember, that while we love her, she has a lot to learn and is truly out of her depth at first around some of the situations and people she encounters. However, despite that she is true to herself- which is also a hallmark of all Jane Austen heroines. So as such there is no reason Charlotte needs to change her hairstyle when she comes to Sanditon. She is accepted as who she is by those around her. She is our Charlotte Heywood- using her ingenuity to help with the growth of Sanditon, trying to be a good friend, and exploring her new surroundings. Her hair is the least of anyone’s worries. And as an audience we find that Charlotte’s unpinned tresses make her approachable.Unpretentious. Human. More like us. Is there anything wrong with that? No. Being historically accurate is all and well, but when that is placed above all else in a series or movie it runs the risk of being just another adaptation. And that does not draw in a new, younger, more modern audience. Regardless of whether you agree with that statement or not, that is how the entertainment business is run today. So please if any readers are on the fence to watch this series because of some more modern uses in hair and grooming I ask that you to accept why the production crew made these choices and give it a try. As us fans wait on baited breath to see if another network will pick up our beloved Sanditon and continue with a second season-just remember you may get your heroine wearing her hair up. After all, Jane Austen characters usually go through a metamorphosis of some kind due to the need to adapt, grow, and perhaps even survive. Our Charlotte may find herself more grown up and guarded after a summer spent in Sanditon and this could well show in her appearance next time we see her... or not. I guess we will have to wait and see.

[aliceslantern]

Beyond this Existence: New Life, short 20--Storied

Recovery is a tedious, nonlinear process. Demyx, Ienzo, and the others living in Radiant Garden's castle have to learn to come to terms with their pasts and their memories, learn to grow, and begin to understand what, exactly, it means to be human. While there is unexpected joy in this, there is also unexpected sorrow. A series of oneshots set after Beyond this Existence.

Current short: “Storied.” Ienzo and Ansem attempt to repair their bond.

Read it on FF.net/ on AO3

---

Ienzo and Ansem were still getting used to one another. It was not at all like the halcyon days of his childhood; the ebb and flow of tension was a near constant.

Ienzo knew that really he should be more bitter towards the others, rather than Ansem; but he could not reconcile the feelings towards anyone else. Maybe it had something to do with their relationship with his Nobody? A child’s feelings were not necessarily logical, as much as he had thought he was an intelligent one; it was a stone in a river, causing infinite ripples.

He wanted desperately for things to be better between them, but there was so much muck to wade through; the collective mistakes of their pasts. It was one thing to want to forgive and forget; another to put in the work.

Ansem was waiting for him one afternoon, in his quarters. It seemed to be a neutral ground; it was one of the few spaces they'd spent time together that was not mired in bad memory. "I found a rather delightful brand of tea when I was out shopping. I do think you'll enjoy it."

"I'm sure I will. I'm not so picky. As long as it is warm." He was so much more sensitive to temperature than he used to be.

For a while they sat by the window, watching the pale sunshine. Ienzo found the tea to be a bit too citrusy and sharp for his tastes, but he was able to get it down without much fuss.

"I appreciate you coming to spend time with me," Ansem said. "I'm sure you have more pressing, and more desirable, things on your plate."

"It is my pleasure. I… know we want to get to know one another again."

"Indeed." Ansem took another drink, a longer one. "How are you, Ienzo?"

"I am faring… decently." He did not want to bring up his breakdown in front of Even… or, in fact, the one he'd had in front of Aeleus. Goodness. "To borrow a phrase Demyx uses, "a bitch be going through it.""

Ansem chuckled. "And things are going well on that front?"

"Well, yes," he said. "I feel… quite attached."

"I'm glad you have someone you can rely on."

"Things between him and I are not so complicated. At least, not as they are between the rest of us. If I may be so candid."

"Yes?"

To tell such naked truths was still difficult. "Ma--Ansem." Ansem insisted they be on a first name basis. "I did not think this would ever be something I'd experience. The ways we hurt people in the past, using their bonds against them… it all makes so much more sense. I can feel the pain and regret so much more acutely. If someone had done to me what I did to them, I'd be… shattered." Ansem opened his mouth; Ienzo interrupted him. "Before you say this is not my fault. I know this. Yet, there's the survivor's guilt, on top of what happened after all that. There is so much more to my past than those few awful months."

Ansen sighed heavily, and folded his hands tightly in his lap. "I realize this."

"We mustn't dance around it anymore. I did not metamorphose from the child you remember into the adult sitting across from you. There was a point when I was someone else. As were you, if I recall correctly."

Ansem shook his head. "DiZ," he said softly. "I believe I… understand what you're speaking of. I did not simply emerge from the darkness eleven years later. I dug myself out of it the only way I knew how--I embraced it."

Ienzo crossed his legs, letting the silence stretch for a few moments, running his eyes along the patterns in the worn carpet. "To a degree, some of what we did, we did to survive," he said slowly. "Neither of us could have possibly escaped those situations otherwise. I… for the sake of my sanity… had to believe wholeheartedly in what they did. In what I did. For the sake of the greater good. Knowledge. The potential for humanity, for a better world." He hadn't quite let himself go to this place in his mind, even all these months after he'd woken.

Ansem squeezed his hand. "Peace, Ienzo."

"I know." He took a breath, feeling the sharp lump in his throat. "If you would bear with me, I… would like to follow this train of thought. I think I need to." Ienzo took a moment to compose himself. "We engineered the fall of worlds," he said, with difficulty. "We manipulated those in power--using the same techniques we used here. It really can take so little to make or break a heart. And who do you think was at the center of this? The planning, the strategies? It was another puzzle, Ansem. And you know I love puzzles. Perhaps I did not kill anyone with my bare hands, but that likely would have been a mercy compared to what I did do." He found it difficult to look up. "The illusions were capable of so much more than frippery, self-defense. Show someone their greatest fears, or their deepest insecurities, and they'll eat out of your palm." He looked down to his own hands, which were trembling. "The most disturbing thing about all this was that I enjoyed the power. The sensation that I had their minds in my hands, that I could influence… whatever I wished. I said I only used that power for the greater good, but I believe I deluded myself into submission."

Ansem looked more sad than anything. "I did not… realize the extent to which they controlled you."

Ienzo could feel his face reddening. "It wasn't all them, Ansem. This you must understand. I committed… atrocities. Puppet or not, there was a point where I should have known better. Where I should have realized--" His voice was starting to break.

Ansem stood; for a moment Ienzo thought he might leave, his expression was unreadable. He crossed over to Ienzo in his chair and embraced him.

Ienzo took a sharp breath, a few strangely cool tears breaking through. A shuddering sob cut through him.

"Oh, my boy," Ansem said. "Are we not all guilty in some way? Every single one of us have done horrific things we regret--including your beloved. And you do not despise him for it, do you?"

"...No," he said at last, still crying freely.

"We are all atoning in our own ways. You mustn't despise yourself for it, either."

"I am trying."

"I know. You are excelling at it… as you do for everything you devote yourself to." Ansem stroked his hair. It was an oddly familiar gesture.

Ienzo tried to pull himself together. He realized he was clinging to Ansem, and let go. He dried his eyes quickly. "I… apologize."

"Whatever for?" Ansem smiled a little. "I shouldn't mind to take care of you. I have years to make up for."

"There is no point mourning what could have been. All there is… is now." He sat back a little, and Ansem returned to his chair.

"...Indeed."

What was left of Ienzo's tea was cold by now, but he needed it to soothe himself. "...Will you tell me? About what it meant to be DiZ?"

Ansem frowned. "I am not… proud of those days," he admitted. "As you said, I had the best intentions." This he said with malice. "Reeling with the unkempt trauma of the darkness, I only had rage. I was angry--with my wayward apprentices--with you."

Ienzo smiled.

Ansem seemed befuddled. “Why is it you have this reaction?”

“I was angry with you too. It’s good to know our feelings were reciprocated.”

Ansem laughed a little, but after a moment, he sobered. “I was selfish,” he said. “I sought vengeance, mostly for myself, and for my pride. I… believed that Nobodies did not deserve to exist, therefore justifying my abuse of Roxas in the digital Twilight Town, and also of Naminé. That poor girl’s life has really been nothing but horror, and Roxas didn’t fare much better.”

“If it’s any consolation, they are both flourishing,” Ienzo said politely.

“This I know--no thanks to me.” He smiled sadly. “I used them as pawns--and while I believed, like you said, that I was working for the greater good, to save Sora from the mess he ended up in after Castle Oblivion, how is my exploitation of them any better than anything you did in the Organization?” A pause. “Ienzo, we have both made mistakes. But we’ve learned. Once I… collect myself, I hope to devote my life to atonement.”

Ienzo considered this. He’d gathered from the scraps of information he’d had what Ansem had been up to, a year or so ago. He had a feeling there were still pieces of the story he was withholding; namely, the previous ten or so years he’d spent in the realm of darkness. “How are you faring?”

Ansem thought about it. “Better than I was, on the whole,” he said. “I do… write a lot. It helps to make sense of these things once they’re on paper. I doubt these memoirs are very palatable.”

“I do not need to see them, unless you wish to share them.”

“Perhaps someday.” There was a significant pause in the conversation, long enough that Ienzo wondered if it were impolite to excuse himself. But then Ansem added, “You’ve walked the realm of darkness, have you not?”

“Many times.”

“Did you ever… feel anything? Oh, that’s a vague query. Let me think.” He put a hand under his chin. “Rather, did it manipulate the way you saw things?”

Ienzo blinked, then squinted through the veil of his ever-weakening memory. “I cannot be certain, if I’m being honest,” he admitted. “Nobodies do not… experience emotion in the same way humans do, if they do at all. Even when I became older, and theoretically began to grow a heart, it was very… matter-of-fact. If I experienced any instances of ill temper while moving through it, I likely attributed it to something else.” He tried to think. “It takes a spark, and more than that, nurturing, to allow a heart to be that sensitive to such things.”

Ansem nodded slowly. “This… numbness. How much of it was your biology, how much of it was manipulation, and how much of it was the sheer level of trauma inflicted upon you?”

For a moment, Ienzo skimmed Zexion’s memories. In context, it made much more sense for Xemnas’s ideology that they were unfeeling, and therefore inferior (or superior, depending on the day) to take root. “Apples, oranges, pears,” he mumbled.

“Beg pardon?”

“It’s essentially tit for tat. Regardless of how exactly it happened, I did not feel much of anything. Versus now, when I feel… everything. ”

Ansem chuckled. “Making up for lost time.”

“So it seems.” He settled back a bit more comfortably in the chair. “I’m teaching myself to not mind these feelings. In the beginning--that is to say, my new life as Ienzo--I forced myself to exist in a false spectrum of logic and emotion. But that is simply impossible. I will feel regardless of how well I try to reason through it.”

Ansem leaned forward a little. “I hate to cause offense, but this is all rather psychologically fascinating.”

“It is.” He paused. “Some of these feelings, such as love, or joy, are intoxicating. But on the other hand… the guilt, the fear, the existential dread… is equally overwhelming.”

He twisted his scarf in one hand. “To a degree I feel the same. My numbness was deliberate, instead of biological. I used my anger to bolster myself against the pain of the betrayal.”

“I am sorry.” The words left him almost unconsciously.

Ansem squeezed his hand. “You were not at fault, dear Ienzo. At that moment in time you were so manipulated you could not have known better.”

“I know this.” He looked up, again fighting tears. “I still apologize.” He took a breath to smother the urge. “Do you still feel much… bitterness, towards the others?”

This question seemed to catch Ansem off guard. “We are not as… plastic, as you are,” he said. “I believe we need to process what this all means to us before we can begin to understand what we feel towards one another. I’m sure they all feel remorse, in their own way, perhaps more intensely than I can conceive.”

“But do you?”

Ansem scratched his beard. “How can I not? I trusted these men with my mind, my heart--and they took everything I worked towards and perverted it. I know they were under Xehanort’s influence, and had I not so foolishly taken him in we might be in a very different place. All the same, it is hard not to see that… when I look at them. It is hard to trust them.”

“Yes,” Ienzo said.

He let Ansem digest this for several minutes. Finally, he said, “I do thank you for sharing all this with me. I realize it is not easy to trust me, either.”

“It is becoming easier each day,” Ienzo admitted. “That day you called me your… son. Do you feel that way, despite everything that’s happened?”

Ansem seemed to not know how to answer the question; he hesitated. “Legally speaking, I was your father.”

“The law no longer exists as it once was. And I am grown.”

He thought about it. “I… would like to,” he admitted, with some embarrassment. “I’ve done nothing but made your life difficult save for a few moments of tenderness. But I care for you deeply, Ienzo.”

“I… feel the same.”

Ansem smiled; it seemed more genuine now.

Ienzo met his eyes. “I’m still… learning about the concept of family,” he said. “I know it’s what we once were. Not just you and I, but… all of us.”

Ansem scoffed. “A motley crew.”

“Yes. And among the many things Demyx has helped me realize, I… want nothing more than to have that again.”

He nodded. He seemed to relax a little, looking into his already-drained teacup as if it might spontaneously refill. “I admit, when I found out about the two of you I was… hesitant. Not as a critique of your orientation--never that--but because, well, we were all reeling badly. I did not see… what was compatible in the long term, and the last thing you needed on top of everything else was heartbreak.”

Ienzo took a deep breath.

“But now that I’ve gotten to know him as well… I think you truly balance one another out.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

“I suppose I figured I was entitled to defend you, to make decisions for you. Alas, I am not.” He laughed.

“No, you’re not.” But he said this with humor. “This will… take time.”

“Indeed. Though it seems that things will only get better from here on out.”

“I should hope so, after all the trouble we’ve gone through.” Ienzo shook his head, to himself mostly; “trouble” was putting it lightly. “Well. I believe I should go start dinner. Would you like to join us?”

This startled him. “That would be… quite nice.”

#beyond this existence: new life #ienzo #ansem the wise #beyond this existence

[quirofiliac]

ok,,, so lil-it’s-actually-not-lil dump on this guy

full name is jiro mori, properly formatted as mori jiro

doesn’t like going by either jiro or mori tho. call him j or jay, instead.

japanese with very very very vague american roots. someone in his family was american... somewhere. he’s never bothered to look deep into it.

mid-to-late twenties. maybe 25-29? maybe even in his thirties. not sure yet. he doesn’t drink. he doesn’t smoke. he just... looks tired all of the time.

about 6′0′’ in total but slouches a lot. doesn’t like standing straight bc of a bad back and also fully knows that his posture is a reason for his bad back but also? who cares. he sure doesn’t

cis male with very loose identifications into agender, meaning he doesn’t care much about the binary nor does he see the point in it. as a general rule of thumb tho, he goes by he/him pronouns as default and responds the fastest to them

wears pajamas, unironically. fancies bright, gaudy colors the most and whatever is most comfortable to him. he’ll wear a tie and a belt over these to, like, give the illusion of “professionalism” but overall doesn’t care. over all of this, he likes wearing a fur-lined coat and thin, medical gloves. the mask? he has a distaste for people seeing his entire face, and he’d prefer if u just drop the subject right now tbh.

he’s a... doctor. on the black market. he makes money by doing freelance work and, basically, fixing up those that can’t legally receive “normal” medical attention. most of his patients are fixed up in just about 3-4 hours after receiving care and no one really knows why. but they’re not gonna question it since he does his job well enough

monotone in tone, usually. has a strange vocal fry that sounds like he’s droning on and on and on, kinda has the effect of dragging on certain words for longer than what they’re meant to. it has this effect on making other ppl feel kinda... exhausted? kinda tired after listening to him for a long time.

this is why he tends to be very brief in his conversations. he gets straight to the point and doesn’t like extended periods of conversation, unless you’re someone he finds interesting-- which is very... very very rare for someone like him. unlike other people, almost every bone in his body is mean and he doesn’t particularly care enough to fix it. with his patients, he’s curt and polite enough but it’s clear that he doesn’t think of them as friends if u were to dig deeper

nonetheless he knows how to keep consistent enough service. he’s not extremely charismatic but is more than capable of keeping up with a conversation if he has to and being “personable” enough to ensure that a patient will be willing enough to come back for future endeavors.

he’s probably gonna be primarily part 5 based. he does not like gang shit. he’ll help you, stitch you up, put back whatever organs or bones that need to be put back, etcetc but that’s it. he doesn’t ally himself with anyone. he’s in it for the money and not much else. survival, too. but mainly money.

he likes money. i think i mentioned that. but he really likes money. 

he was raised by a single dad. his mom was abusive to both him and his father, and he’s learned to be relatively distant and numb to the world at large because of her abuse. one of the few people he was notably warm to was towards his father up until his passing from cancer around j’s twenty-third birthday. his dad was a stand user, but j doesn’t know this as his stand didn’t “develop” until after his father’s passing.

his dad “killed” the mom out of self-defense, and j was there to see it. his dad made him promise not to tell anyone to which j had no problem in keeping as a secret. as far as he’s concerned, his mom just up and disappeared one day. so sad. very traumatizing. yeah.

stand: ramalama

song inspiration: ramalama (bang bang) - róisín murphy

stand looks a lot like this. it’s completely silent by nature and is very... twitchy. it’s sentient to an extent but is most comfortably remaining tethered to j and his various actions. it’s about... seven feet tall, towering over just about everyone and everything but it’s not violent by nature. more-so it’s a bit of a gentle giant, preferring to watch and observe silently. occasionally it’ll murmur nonsensical stuff, mainly soft, gentle mumbles that sounds like it’s trying to hum instead.

ramalama allows for j to reach into a person’s being, grab onto an organ or a bone, and pull it out without all of the gory details. no pain will be felt unless j wills it to, and he’s capable of adjusting, altering, and/or changing anything about the “personal extremity” as much as he wants. meaning, he’s capable of fixing up a heart problem, he can switch out an unhealthy organ with another, he can fix or break a bone, etcetc.

additionally, he can also just... take a person’s organ or bone or the like if he can switch it out with something else with equal... size. basically, he could take a person’s heart and replace it with a phone, instantly killing them. the main weakness in his stand, though, is range. he has to physically touch a person in order to “receive” their parts. otherwise, he’s an easy target.

#tbd / #ok dats dat! #＊ 💥 摘発：out of character.