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hellfirenacht · 6 months

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Plus One Chapter 1

Summary: Once upon a time, you made a deal with the school freak that if he ever got famous then he'd invite you to be his plus one at a red carpet event. Now a decade later an invite shows up at your house asking you to be the +1 to Eddie Munson, front man of Corroded Coffin.

Tags: modern!au, Eddie and Reader are in their late 20's/early 30's after the deal is made. Rockstar!Eddie. Friends to strangers to friends to lovers, references to Flight of Icarus characters eventually

The squeak of desks being pushed across linoleum flooring made you wince as everyone adjusted the classroom for partner work. It was too early for this, you hadn’t slept the night before and had almost been late to this class, taking your seat at the last second just as the bell rang.

First period science wasn’t your hardest class, but it wasn’t exactly your best subject either. You’d been floating along with a solid C and that was as good as you were hoping to get. As long as you graduated by this point, you’d be happy. It was near the end of your senior year, and senioritis was hitting you hard. It was your hope that you could just coast these last few weeks, pass your finals and get the hell out of the public school system.

There would be no coasting this morning though as you were all assigned partners. No one was thrilled about this development aside from a few peers who had been partnered with their friends. You weren’t exactly unpopular but you didn’t have anyone in this class that you would consider a friend or even an acquaintance. You’d borrowed a pencil once from Randy who sat in front of you, but other than that you kept to yourself first thing in the morning.

Which is why when the name ‘Munson’ was called out along with your own surname you’d barely registered who that was. A few people snickered and you caught one girl giving you a pitying look as you tried to connect the name to a face. It took your partner sitting down across from you for you to realize who you’d been paired with.

Munson. Eddie Munson. Eddie ‘the Freak’ Munson.

Ah. That Munson.

“Uh, hi.” he said, with a wave and you desperately tried to reconnect the tired wires in your brain to say hi back.

“Mornin’” you managed to spit out. He sat in the back of the class on the opposite side of the room. You rarely even saw him in class because you were usually here before him, and he was the first to get out the door when class ended. You never said a word to him the whole semester, but again, you didn’t talk to anyone in this class.

Worksheets were passed around and you stared at the different questions and equations. You might as well be sitting in Latin class with as much as this made sense to you.

“I know this is a higher level than what you all are used to, but this is what is going to be expected of you in college next year.” Your teacher explained, followed by a chorus of groans which included yours as well as Eddie’s.

The two of you stared at the worksheet for a moment before making eye contact. You felt a little nervous under his gaze; you’d seen him around school and had heard the rumors about the leader of the Dungeons and Dragons club. He’d been seen pushing around freshmen wearing the same shirt as him, and was often regarded as a loudmouth and a danger to everyone in school.

It didn’t help his case that he looked older than you. His broad shoulders were only accentuated by the heavy leather jacket and denim vest giving him the appearance of someone who absolutely should not be in high school. How old was he anyway?

“Eddie.”

You blinked, surprised he was the first to speak. You offered your name as well with a nod, neither of you going for the handshake.

“So... does any of this make sense to you?” he asked, looking back down at the worksheet.

You glanced down with a small laugh. “Not even a little.”

“Shit.”

He looked up at you with a sheepish grin, and you swear it took at least five years off his appearance. You found yourself relaxing just a bit, if he was as dangerous as everyone made him out to be, at least he wouldn’t do something stupid in the middle of class. Hopefully.

You grabbed your textbook and opened it up and Eddie leaned over the desk to read with you.

“Sorry, forgot mine.” He said and you adjusted the book so it sat between the two of you.

The next half hour was a testament of will as the two of you tried your best to work out the formulas put in front of you. The ancient calculators that the teacher had provided only caused more confusion between the two of you and you tried to figure out buttons that you had never had to press before.

“I’m sure someone, somewhere is using this on a daily basis.” you said as you jotted down a string of numbers that you were positive were wildly incorrect. “I understand that this is important to someone, but outside of a trivia game there’s no way I’m ever going to even think about this ever again.”

You were mostly talking to yourself, not expecting a response from your partner. He was looking at the calculator, and your string of numbers with equal confusion.

“Music is as advanced as my math skills go.” Eddie said. He’d removed his jacket at some point where you were staring at your textbook with a blank expression trying to understand how to apply the formulas. You couldn’t stop your eyes from occasionally flicking towards the tattoos that covered his right arm. So he was at least old enough to get tattoos... or to have a parent or guardian agree to let him get tattoos.

You weren’t sure why you were so hung up on his age. Maybe it was easier to focus on that mystery than the jumble of letters and numbers that was making your brain more numb than it already felt.

“What kind of music?” The question was out of your mouth without thinking. You didn’t think you’d seen him hang out with the band or orchestra kids before.

“Metal and rock music mostly.” Eddie said, erasing one of the numbers. His pencil was a cheap one, and only managed to make a huge smudge on his paper rather than clear his answer. You handed over your own pencil on instinct and he took it with a thanks.

“Do you play an instrument or something?” you asked, already checked out of the worksheet. Fuck it. It’s not like it was going to count for much anyway.

“Yeah I, uh, I’ve been playing guitar since I was a kid.” There was a light in his eyes that made you wonder why anyone would ever think he was dangerous or scary. In the half hour that the two of you had been struggling with this busy work the two of you had been making small talk that you’d found way more engaging.

“Electric or guitar?” you asked, and it was when Eddie let out a laugh that you realized what you had asked. You pressed your hands to your face with an embarrassed chuckle. “I didn’t sleep last night.”

“I play electric and guitar.” came the teasing response. “But I lean more towards electric unless my uncle is home or I need to keep it down.”

“Are you any good?”

“Good enough to have a steady gig at the Hideout.” he shrugged. “It’s not much, but it’s a stage. Sort of.”

Eddie had also given up on the worksheet and was using your pencil to absently doodle in the margins of the paper.

“I have no idea where that is.”

“Shady dive bar in the warehouse district. My band and I play on Tuesdays, you should come see us sometime. It’s a shithole, but it’s safe.” The last part was added hastily as he saw your weary expression.

A shady dive bar on a school night? Not a great chance of that.

“What’s your band called?”

“Corroded Coffin.” he dug around his pockets in his jeans and jacket before he pulled out a bent cut out piece of flashcard and handed it to you. It had the band’s name scribbled on it in sharpie and a list of socials on the back. It screamed home made and there was a charm to it that made you smile.

“I’ll check you out.” you said, tucking it into the book you had been reading for the past week knowing damn well that you were probably going to forget about it the second it was out of sight.

“Don’t worry about the worksheet being perfect.” the teacher piped up from their desk. “Just do your best, and it’s only being counted as pass/fail. I’m just trying to see that you’re all able to use your critical thinking skills to look up information.”

“I’m about to use my critical thinking skills to bullshit the rest of the worksheet.” Eddie muttered and you laughed.

You grabbed his worksheet and scribbled down a formula and some numbers and handed it back. “Long as there’s something written down she doesn’t care.”

That was good enough for the both of you as you set the papers aside. There was still a good fifteen minutes left in class, and you expected that the two of you would just sit awkwardly in your grouped desk facing each other until the bell rang. You almost laid your head down on the desk and try and get a power nap in, but curiosity was getting the better of you.

“So, you wanna do music for a living?” you asked, looking at him again.

“Ideally.” Eddie said, fidgeting with your pencil still. You decided that it was his pencil now, you had others in your bag. “I know it’s a long shot and most of my band is still gonna be in school when I graduate this year but we’ve got a few songs that we’ve been working on.”

“So you’re gonna be famous one day?” It wasn’t a sarcastic question, but a genuine one. Maybe this guy could be famous one day, you didn’t know. Maybe he didn’t even want to be famous.

Eddie shook his head and laughed. “I’ll be lucky to keep the lights on with my music, but I’m gonna try.”

“You’re going to be famous.” you told him with a firm nod. The lack of sleep was catching up to you. It’s not like anything in this class was going to matter in the future anyway. “I’ve decided it.”

“You decided that I’m going to be famous?” he asked slowly, as if trying to decide if you were fucking with him or not.

“Yeah, why not?” You replied.

He stared at you and his gaze turned intense as he sat up straighter. Eddie’s gaze swept over your face, looking for any sign that you were speaking with ill intent, when he found none, he gave you a smile.

“I’ll hold you to it then.” he said. “If I don’t get famous I’m holding you personally responsible.”

“Alright, but there’s a catch.” your smile widened.

“A catch? You won’t let me get famous on my charm and talent alone?” He tilted his head with a grin.

“Nope. I need payment. Deciding things isn’t cheap, you know.” you were delusional from lack of sleep, and you probably sounded crazy to him.

“Alright, what’s your fee?” Eddie leaned back in his chair, looking as if he were trying to start a business deal. His demeanor change starkly contrasted the long dark hair, band t shirt, and heavy metal rings he wore and you had to stop yourself from laughing.

You thought about it for a moment. “I want to be your plus one to at least one of your red carpet events.” you said. “I think that’s payment enough.”

He rubbed his chin in thought, as if carefully considering your offer. “And if I don’t.”

“If you forget to come back for Madame Zeroni, you and your family will be cursed for always and eternity.” you couldn’t stop yourself from laughing now at how ridiculous you sounded.

“Holes? Really?” Eddie snorted. “Alright, I know how that story ends. You have a deal.”

He offered you his hand and you two shook on it.

And because you two had at least ten minutes to kill, Eddie took out a beat up notebook and started drawing up a contract to make it official. The two of you debated on the wording, and how it should be drawn out. In the end, it was decided that Eddie would have at least five years after his first red carpet to invite you to an event (your idea) or else he’d be cursed and he’d end up on TMZ in a scandal involving a goat and a runaway parade float (his idea).

You each signed the fake contract, dated it, and had the teacher notarize it.

“Did you two even try to do the worksheet?” they asked, signing and stamping the notebook with a ‘GOOD JOB!’ stamp.

“We tried.” Eddie smiled at the teacher, taking the notebook back and trading it for the worksheets.

The bell rang and you two shook hands one last time. The last few weeks flew by in a whirlwind of spring break, prom season, and graduation. You barely talked to Eddie after that class, occasionally saying hi to him in the hallway, or the odd small chat during class. You’d managed to get him to sign your yearbook, but he hadn’t asked you to sign his. You felt a little sad about it, looking back. He’d been nice to talk to, and his reputation hadn’t lived up to that hour that you’d been forced to spend with him.

Graduation was the last time you’d seen him, when he’d run across the stage, flipped off Principal Higgins and ran off like a bat out of hell. You had looked for him passively in the chaos and sea of graduates and their families taking photos and congratulating each other. Okay, maybe you’d looked for him a bit more deliberately than you’d let on.

Maybe you had developed a small crush on Eddie in that hour that you’d spent working on that stupid worksheet. Maybe you had hoped that when you gave him your email in that contract he’d reach out to you to say hi. Maybe, yes, you did eventually remember the handmade business card for Corroded Coffin and had looked up their information a month into summer to find them as dead and dry as the Sahara desert, with only a muffled .mp3 of one of their songs to go off of.

There were a lot of maybe’s that came with being in high school.

But life moves on. You forget about the man with the long dark hair and boyish smile. Your yearbook gets tucked away in a box, out of site and out of mind. The homemade business card gets lost under the bed and eventually tossed in a deep clean as you get ready to move to college and move out. The muffled .mp3 sits in your computer for years until you get a smartphone and stuff a ton of your old music on it, shuffling it into your streaming playlists.

The song gets skipped over more often than you’d ever admit.

And now there you were in your new apartment a year after graduating college, living on your own for the first time. No dorm, no family, no roommates, no partner.

It was the middle of your work week, and you were outside checking the mail. You flipped through the envelopes of junk and bills for anything that would have been worth the walk from your apartment to the community mailbox.

A thick envelope with your name and address was in the middle of the pile. Your name was hand lettered in fancy script and you glanced at where the return address should be.

WR RECORDS

Who?

You pulled the envelope out and glanced at the rest of the mail to make sure there was nothing important there before tossing it into your neighbors recycling bin. You ripped open the envelope.

Inside was a thick black card, and your name was once again written in beautiful red ink that reflected off the dark card stock.

WR Records would like to invite you to be the +1 to Mr. Eddie Munson of Corroded Coffin to this year's annual Hellfire Awards.

And below that in chicken scratch handwriting that wildly contrasted the careful lettering of the rest of the card:

A deal’s a deal.

You stared at the words and read them over and over and over again, trying to make sense of them and only one question passed your mind.

“Who the fuck is Eddie Munson?”

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#nacht fic #eddie munson x reader #Plus One

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thepradapariah · 2 years

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Mercury 🌬. Your Love Language 🖤. How Do You Flirt 🙈🙊?

TO MY KOSMIC BADDIES & SPACE KADETS 🚀 !!!!

Hello to all the Kosmic Baddies & Space Kadets! I have missed y’all SO friggin much…you have ZERO idea! (Just FYI: I have Ketu in the 10H— Rahu in the 4H…if y’know, y’know…lol. Consistency will NEVER be my strong suit.) But I am SO happy to be back. I hope you enjoy this post. As usual, shoutout to my sister— she encouraged me to get back on the horse! And THANK YOU to all the people who have subscribed to my page. It has been really moving to see all of you that have interacted & sent such positive feedback. I appreciate you more than you could ever know! I’m in the process of growing, and I want you all to know here & now, you are some of my DAY ONES, so be excited for ALL of the things I have in store for you! If you don’t already, please consider following me on my other social media.

✨Instagram: @thepradapariah

@thewiiikedwitchofthewest

✨YouTube: Kosmostrology

I would love to have you be a part of an already active & engaging community!

✨INTRODUCTION:

ANYWAYS, I wanted to start off with something fun & light! As we officially move into Spooky Season— I couldn’t think of a better time to sharpen the witchy sexiness within us all. We will be looking at the Mercury placement in your natal chart & how it influences your flirtation style, while also exploring the pros/cons of each. It’s IMPORTANT to note, that Mercury is neutral & so other placements matter with how this can manifest in your life. Are you more aggressive & upfront? Or are you a hopeless romantic, imagining your lover rather than speaking to them…hoping they will notice you through telepathic signals?…WE SHALL SEE!!!

Love Languages are very important for a deeper understanding of how you receive & give love. This is NOT a definitive list, by any means, but I wanted to use the Zodiac to highlight different love languages that you MAY resonate with. This post will hopefully be a tool for you on your journey of self-discovery though dating! And this could be a good place to start OR a fresh perspective on stale dating situations.

✨Definitions:

Mercury:

Mercury, known as Budh in Vedic astrology, is the prince of planets and governs your abilities of speech, reasoning, and communication, as well as your digestive system, nervous system, and skin. It’s a neutral planet whose effects on your life depend on the alignment of the other planets in your horoscope [wikihow]

Flirting:

(to) behave as though attracted to or trying to attract someone, but for amusement rather than with serious intentions. [Oxford Language]

Love Language:

Our "love language" describes how we [give]/receive love from others.

They are:

Words of Affirmation - Saying supportive things to your partner

Acts of Service - Doing helpful things for your partner

Receiving Gifts - Giving your partner gifts that tell them you were thinking about them

Quality Time - Spending meaningful time with your partner

Physical Touch - Being close to and caressed by your partner

Each of us differs in the ways that we receive love. By learning to give love in the ways that our partner can best receive it, and by asking our partner to give us love in the ways that we can receive it, we can create stronger relationships.

[psychologytoday.com]

✨HOW TO READ:

You can read for your Zodiac Sign & House Placement!

— In this case, one might resonate more than the other! So I encourage you read for both placements!

If you’re feeling a little frisky, you can also read for your Venus placement because we are talking about “love”/relationships/dating

🌹ON WITH THE SHOW:

🌬Mercury in Aries/First House

Tarot Card: Page of Wands

If you have Mercury in Aries/1H, then you are a “get it how you live it” type b*tch! When it comes to flirting, shy is NOT the first word that comes to mind. You like to be upfront with your partners & can’t stand someone who beats around the bush. You ARE the bush. A burning bush…to be exact. (S/o to you if you get the reference.) You are a playful lover & have an optimistic & sometimes naive approach to dating— this can make you a very childlike flirt. Being ruled by Mars, you are extremely reactionary. You are the definition of picking up what someone else is putting down— As you get older, you will grow into initiating more, but you will ALWAYS be down for a fun, banter with someone you are interested in.

You may be the type of lover to start verbal arguments, just to spice things up a little bit. If you find yourself getting bored with a potential mate…well…they might as well kiss you goodbye & keep it pushing because you won’t stick around long for someone not willing to entertain your more youthful whims. If you have Mercury in the 1H in particular, you may flirt by telling a beaux about your accomplishments and lead with your competitive spirit. You may be attracted to people you meet at the gym— something about seeing someone all sweaty & fit can really turn you on.

The Pros/Cons of this placement is you LOVE the thrill of the chase. When someone has sparked your interest romantically, you will desire to be in constant communication with them. As I stated earlier, you are not shy. You don’t mind sending 2/3 text in a row if they don’t respond back quick enough. This can be enduring to the right partner, demonstrating loyalty & engagement, but to others, you may come off as “too much”. Don’t worry about it!!!! If you are “too much” for them, then by default, they are “not enough” for you. Just be mindful that not everyone has the speed that you possess when it comes to going after what you want. You will do well with a fellow Mercury in Fire Placement or Air placement. I suggest you stay away from Earth & Water sign Mercury until you learn patience within your own self— & that can be a lifelong journey. Your mind is very goal oriented, but also very short-sighted at times. Learn to balance it if you want to be in a long-lasting relationship. Everything can’t always move at your time.

Now, as much as you love the chase, you may not love the stability of “winning” as much. After you win the number one spot, you may want to mooooovvveeee on to the next cute thing that crosses your path. This can lead to attracting & entertaining truly unavailable partners. Because this is just a flirty post, it’s important to highlight that you are a MAJOR MAJOR MAAAJJOORRR flirt, but not necessarily because you are seeking a permeant relationship. This can manifest one of two ways (mostly), you can either fall head over heels with someone very quickly & then lose the passion for them just as quickly OR you never take relationships seriously to began with & you just enjoy catching a spark & getting a rise out of someone— (sometimes) a mixture of both. Either way, you are a flirt to your core & you love a little competition when it comes to your dating life with your partners. You love a good break-up to make-up type relationship, particularly in your youth, but you’re flirty power truly shines for letting people know what you want/expect quickly. You are not about wasting anytime!

🖤Love Language: Words of Affirmation

“Words of affirmation are words that communicate your love, appreciation, and respect for another person. They're positive words and phrases used to uplift someone. What's more, these compliments and words of encouragement don't have to be said directly to the person.” - verywellmind.com

🎶Song- Maneater by Nelly Furtado

“You either wanna be with me or be me (Come on, now)

Maneater, make you work hard

Make you spend hard, make you want all her love…

Make you cut cards, make you fall real hard in love”

🌬Mercury in Taurus/Second House

Tarot Card: King of Pentacles

If you have Mercury in Taurus/2H, your flirtation style is quite subtle. You possess an elegance in your speech, that most would envy. You also constantly have beauty, luxury & pleasure on the mind, so you lead with your senses. You may have a beautiful & sultry speaking voice, you may carry scent very well, & you CERTAINLY know how to set the vibe with great music, food & wine. Why? Because you ARE the vibe. Opposed to your Aries predecessor, you believe that slow & steady wins the race. You are a flirt simply because people are always trying to flirt with you! When someone approaches you, they may lead with “where did you get that shirt?” Or, “What perfume are you wearing”, just to get your attention. And the answer probably will be “you can’t afford it”. (Just kidding. Lol, you may know how to ball on a budget, but you tend to have expensive/exquisite taste.) You set the tone for some of the most sensual lovers.

Because you are so tuned in to your senses when it comes to dating, you take your time getting to know your partners before you spoil them with the full effect. You are a flirt who loves more of a slow burn & passion that builds overtime. You don’t mind taking things slowly, as long as you know the time is worth your investment.

The Pro/Con of this Mercury placement, is you believe in brutal honesty. This is a blessing & a curse. On one hand, your love interest never has to worry about where they stand with you or how you’re feeling. You have no problem opening up (after a while) to speak your mind clearly. And open communication is KEY to successful relationships. So this is a big big big ole plus. But…on the OTHER hand…you can be so caught up in your own truth, you may forget to actually listen to &/or consider your partner’s truth as well. BE CAREFUL. Taurus is a fixed energy, but fixed doesn’t always mean right…even if you’re right a lot. In the beginning dating phases, you may be too cutting with your words & turn parters off. This isn’t inherently a bad thing, but just be mindful that there is an art to honesty & it doesn’t always require brutality. You can soften your tone from time to time— sometimes the truth is overrated. (Now, full disclosure: I aaammm a Mercury in the 8H native, soooooo….I do admit that I’m the opposite & a bit biased, but there is balance to everything! I believe in a “need to know basis” type communication style.)

Once you are in a more grounded dating routine, you are a loyal, stable, giving, kind & a disciplined flirt. You will be far more consistent w your lovers when communicating— keeping an open dialogue when you move past some stubbornness. You appreciate a lover who is well-kept for. You’ll dish out the compliments to a well groomed, articulate & financially savvy partner, but your REAL flirt style lies in the way you touch. You will most likely communicate to your partners through cuddling & quality time. You will cook for people you care about, enticing them with all the goods in the world. You are more comfortable displaying affection through a soft touch or a simple kiss on the forehand. You love your partners to feel present in the moment, enjoying being alive & indulging in the sensual pleasures that life has to bring. YOU are a flirtation connoisseur!

🖤Love Language: Physical Touch

“If your love language is physical touch, then that means you prefer physical expressions of love over all other expressions (such as verbal compliments or gifts). Note that physical touch as a love language is not all about sex, although sex can be an important aspect of a romantic relationship.” -verywellmind.com

🎶Song: Satisfaction by Benny Benassi, The Biz

“Push Me

And then just touch me

Till I can get my

Satisfaction…”

🌬Mercury in the Gemini/Third House

Tarot Card: Queen of Swords

If you have Mercury in Gemini/3H you were BLESSED with the gift of gab. You are quick witted, light hearted & know how to entertain a person of interest with your sharp intellect. Because you are the most curious of the Zodiac, your flirt style involves asking A LOT of questions. You may find that as you’re getting to know people, you learn a heck of a lot about them & they know close to NOTHING about you. You could be SO good at being elusive, lovers may not even catch your name! There is a certain mystique that comes from this energy because you are the ultimate shape-shifter. It’s giving very Taylor Swift, “Find out what you want, be that girl for a month” energy with a fun & enthusiastic twist! When you flirt, people are enthralled by your knowledge. You know a little about a lot & can make yourself seem like an expert. You keep up with current events, gossip— basically anything that peaks your interest, & this makes you a one of a kind type person, not limited by close-mindedness & simplicity. In fact, some people could find you really difficult to keep up with. When it comes to small talk you are the best of the best.

The Pros/Cons of this placement is your mind is constantly racing. People who are interested in you/you are interested in may not realize just how deep into logic you fall at the prospect of a new relationship. Although you appear fluid & unfazed by casual dating & could be really good at it, you either desire something deeper bc of other placements in your chart, OR the idea of commitment really scares you. You let your imagination run wild very quickly & have a difficult time grounding serious energy. Again, this is a blessing & a curse. You’re able to navigate the dating world really well because you don’t take it too seriously, HOWEVER when it comes to making a deeper commitment you could take it FAR TOO seriously or not seriously enough. This can be confusing for your lovers because they never quite understand where they stand with you. Sometimes you’re all in & sometimes you’re all out. It would take a special person that would be interested in getting to know you past the shallow surface level that could truly peak your interest. You of all signs are able to hide behind banter, although you have a deeply curious & possibly oversaturated mind when it comes to getting to know someone. Regardless of how you flutter into people’s lives, they are always awe struck in your presence & feel a void when you leave. It really is a super power.

You are an amazing flirt! You get an A++ on the flirt test! Just be mindful that when you want something more serious & to explore truths in deep relationships, you will have to stop shape-shifting & be your authentic self—whoever that is. You have to truly let people in to your brain because people won’t naturally be able to keep up with how quickly you move. You could meet someone, imagine your life together and then “ooooo squirrel” & never think about that person again. Don’t hide behind your gift of being able to steer conversation— make an effort to have deep and meaningful conversations & you’ll be surprised how much people adore your natural, flighty & curious selves. I would stay away from Water Mercury placements more than anything. It’s not impossible, but because they operate from a more empathetic space, you would REALLY have to work on your communication because you may appear to cold & distant even if that isn’t your intention. It’s a catch 22 to have Mercury in a Mercury ruled sign because Mercury isn’t the most sexual of planets. You intellectualize relationships & could definitely find yourself on the Sapiosexual spectrum: meaning “Sapiosexuality is a type of sexuality that involves being more attracted by the contents of a person's mind than by the appearance of their body. In order to feel sexually attracted to another person, a sapiosexual person must first feel intellectually stimulated” according to verywellmind.com. You may not grasp the depth of others emotions because you feel flirting & dating is more of a mind game at times. Just be aware & have fun! Use your gifts wisely!

🖤Love Language: Words of Affirmation

🎶Song: Thinkin Bout You by Frank Ocean

“I'm thinking 'bout you (Ooh no, no, no)

I've been thinking 'bout you (You know, know, know)

I've been thinking 'bout you

Do you think about me still? Do ya, do ya?

Or do you not think so far ahead

Cause I been thinking bout forever, ooh”

🌬Mercury in Cancer/Fourth House

Tarot Card: Page of Cups

If you have Mercury in Cancer/4H, your flirtation style is sweet & wholesome. You may be VERY VERY VERY VEEERRRYYYY shy when it comes to expressing your emotions because you can be caught trying to rationalize your emotions logically which is inherently a trap door. You may not even consider yourself much of a flirt like your Gemini predecessors. Of all placements, Mercury in Cancer is one that may be most likely to be a demisexual; meaning “Demisexuality is a sexual orientation in which a person feels sexually attracted to someone only after they've developed a close emotional bond with them,” according to clevelandclinic.org. (You may or may not resonate with that label, it’s okay!!! I am not trying to define who you are & how you love. I’m just offering an outside perspective! Take it or leave it! Love you either way :)) Even if you are a flirtatious person, who is comfortable meeting people & having light hearted conversations, depending on other placements in your chart, you are most moved by relationships that make you feel comfortable enough to truly express how you’re feeling— even if you don’t know how to put those feelings into words just yet! There is a natural loving quality that you have within your speech. You love nurturing those you care about & would make sure that their basic needs are taken care of if you are truly interested in them. You’ll want to know if they ate, how their day went & if they need anything from you when they get home. This is the true power of empathy this Mercury placement can posses. It is truly enduring to the right person of interest!

The Pros/Cons of this placement is you are so deeply in tune with your own emotions, you can make the poor assumption that those around you can read your mind about how you’re feeling. TRUTH BOMB!!!! They absolutely can’t. In fact, I would suggest that you partner with a fellow Mercury in Water sign because there can be SOME telepathy (still not mind readers though), particularly Mercury in Scorpio/8H OR Mercury in Earth placement because they MAY have more patience when it comes to your communication style. You may be the type to burst into tears before you even start talking because you are so overwhelmed with emotions. THIS IS NOT INHERENTLY A BAD THING! This is just something to beware of and I suggest you channel this energy into something creative! For instance, instead of crying about how your lover didn’t notice that you cut your hair…write a song about it! This can be a highly creative placement as long as you’re able to express what you’re feeling in a constructive manner. You’re empathetic nature is a wonderful gift to give to the world, but most importantly to your partners! They will appreciate the care & consideration you give to them during the courting phases of a new relationship!

When you are able to balance your own emotions with understanding your partners communication style as well, you can have one of the deeper level connections— hence why flirting may work for or against you. If you are a flirt flirt FLIRT, you could be hiding behind your deeper emotions, not wanting to let anyone take advantage of your kindness…but on the other hand, if you prefer to stay in your shell, you should put yourself out there enough to meet someone who fulfills your needs for companionship— someone who cares about you the same way you care about them. Try not to be emotionally manipulative when it comes to dating either. You could fall into the trap of flirting by playing the damsel in distress role. Again, not always a bad thing (some placements play too tough & that’s not great either, there is always a balance) but when it comes to developing true & authentic connections, the victim/savior dynamic can only take you but so far & ultimately leave you feeling more abandoned than loved in the end. Lead with you caring side & you will find the partner who understands your need to be emotionally understood!

🖤Love Language: Quality Time

“People who speak the love language of quality time want to be the object of their lover's undivided attention. They want to feel cherished and prioritized, and rather than receiving gifts, words, acts, or touch, they prefer to simply spend meaningful time together.” — blinkist.com

🎶Song: Loveeeee Song by Rihanna ft. Future

“Boy, lately you've been stingy with your time

Got me wondering, I'm wondering if I'm on your mind

Boy, I just wanna be in your possession

You say I'm the one you want, so come express it…

I don't wanna give you the wrong impression

I need love and affection

And I hope I'm not sounding too desperate

I need love and affection”

🌬Mercury in Leo/Fifth House

Tarot Card: King of Wands

If you have Mercury in Leo/5H, your flirtation style is bold & in your face. You KNOW your worth & you get off on letting people know you know it! You know how to make an entrance & people are naturally entranced by your regal & authoritative nature. People of interest may find it hard to approach you because you seem so out of their league. It’s only natural that you get put on a pedal stool. You care a lot about your appearance & how you come off to others. You don’t like to be outshines when it comes to flirting, so you may be drawn to individuals who are well liked or already in relationships. Why? Not because you’re a home-wrecker, but because you may prefer some competition. You carry yourself in such a way, you are hard to miss. When you speak, people listen. You may also be HIGHLY creative, so your need for expression can draw in an audience that is amazed by your talent & beauty. Being ruled by the Sun, you really know how to light up a room.

There is an aura about you that screams “don’t talk to me, unless you can buy me a diamond ring”. You may or not be materialistic, of course this depends on other placements in your chart, but you do come off that way regardless. You only want the best of what the world has to offer— the best food, the best friends & the best lovers! You can be quite selective about who you chose to flirt with because you are naturally an extremely loyal person. You want to make sure that you are aligning yourself with the best, the brightest & the most beautiful. You are the definition of having standards when it comes to dating! And that’s an amazing gift.

The Pros/Cons of this placement is that you can come off as very “me” centered. People can take your need to feel important as you assuming they are less important, which isn’t necessarily the case. You are a very open & caring person & would fight for anyone you love— however, in the dating phases, it may seem as if you only care about yourself. How do you combat this? Just remember to take a step back from time to time & spoil your partner by listening to them & giving them your undivided attention. Combat your urge to interject with your personal antidotes. Don’t worry, you’ll have your time to shine again! I highly suggest you seek out like minded Mercury placements, like other Fire signs or even Air Signs. They will be able to understand that you are not so self-absorbed, but rather just speaking from your personal experiences. You will just have to be careful to not create an atmosphere that feels as if you & your person of interest are fighting for dominance in communication. This can be done with patience & understanding.

You are a razzle-dazzle kind of lover & anyone who is amazing enough to peak your interest is a lucky-ducky indeed! You will go to war for those you care about & your unwavering loyalty is something to envy. Those that are attracted to you will be overjoyed with how much fun & creativity you bring into their lives. You have great taste & only enjoy the best for you and your loved one! A great flirt you are indeed…to the rich— I mean “right”— person, of course!

🖤Love Language: Giving/Receiving Gifts

“If one's love language is gift giving, it simply means that one received early in life the clear communication that giving a gift is an important, acceptable, and/or clear way to show others how you feel about them and that you love and appreciate them” — womenshealthmag.com

🎶Song: Get the Party Started by Pink

“Get this party started on a Saturday night

Everybody's waitin' for me to arrive

Sendin' out the message to all of my friends

We'll be lookin' flashy in my Mercedes Benz

I got lotsa style, check my gold diamond rings

I can go for miles if you know what I mean

I'm comin' up so you better get this party started

(I'm comin' up, I'm comin')

I'm comin' up so you better get this party started”

🌬Mercury in Virgo/Sixth House

Tarot Card: Queen of Pentacles

If you have Mercury in Virgo/6H your flirtation style is particularly unique & interesting. Why? Because you tend to be very shy & to yourself. You’re a deep thinker, constantly problem solving & attempting to get the most perfect outcome to any given situation. You tend to be EXTREMELY detail oriented & focus on the little things in life. Because you have this desire for perfection, you are very cautious with your words & expressions. You, like Cancer Mercury placements, tend to stick to yourself— you may not be the most open person when pursuing a new lover. Instead of talking about your feelings…you would THRIVE in the Era of love letters! You are beautifully articulate & well spoken, so when you are able to physically write your emotions out, you can use words & written language as a tool to express your most loving thoughts. If this placement was a movie— it would be The Notebook. Truly a romantic placement, but quite honestly, misunderstood when it comes to flirting. You, like your Leo predecessor, care A LOT about how you come off. You keep manicured nails & toes, clean hair, because you care about cleanliness & this is a subtle way of letting your person of interest know you are, in fact, interested. When you truly desire someone, you want to appear your best at all times. You get voted most likely to cancel a date because you broke a nail. Again, others may perceive this as shallow or you using it as an excuse to distance yourself, but that is so far from the truth. As Mercury is your ruling planet, you are a master communicator— particularly when it comes to poetry & prose— but Mercury is arguably the most a-sexual planet, so it is a bit of a catch 22. Like your brother sign Gemini, may THINK too much about love, instead of actually experiencing it. The difference is Geminis LOVE to flirt, kind of like an intellectual sparring match, where you love the idea of love & would rather write about it in your journal, rather than approach that person in real life. How cute!

The Pros/Cons of this placement is that you can be hard to read for your person of interest. You really have to make it a point to communicate how you’re feeling about them in poetic/artistic ways. Virgo/6H placement naturally carry a hermetic type energy, craving solitude to think things through. This is not inherently a bad thing, it just means you have to do due diligence of incorporating potential lovers into your life/routines & ultimately into your mind. When this placement is in a low vibration or simply underdeveloped, you may “flirt” by being nitpicky & starting petty arguments with your lovers. This placement can have an undying need to be right & miss the big picture because they are too busy focusing on small details. BE MINDFUL! This is something that makes your mind great & quick & honestly, necessary in the world to have such a wonderful problem solver— HOWEVER, this can be a turn off when in the early dating phases because it can come off in a way that you feel as if you a better than someone else OR that the people you date need fixing, & aren’t already good enough. This may not be your intention, but be sure to let people express themselves in the best way they know how. Critique to help, but don’t get stuck just criticizing to criticize. This can be a very thin balance, but vital for the longevity of any relationship.

You are a dedicated & service oriented type lover. You would much rather demonstrate your love through doing, rather than just out right “flirting”. You show up 15-minutes early for a date you are truly excited about & make sure to wear the finest linens. Although you may appear to go above & beyond for lovers in the beginning phases, if you feel as if you are being taken for granted, you are on to the next quick, fast & in a hurry, like you brother sign, Gemini. You don’t hesitate to keep it pushing. This is the beauty of having a Mercury ruled sign in the Mercury placement— your mind is quick, so sometimes you can go through lover’s quickly. Leaving them in the DUST for some of the pettiest reasons! While you’re young…enjoy!!! But as you grow, you may need to understand that the perfect partner doesn’t exist, so you’ll never find what you’re seeking if you don’t allow a little fluidity into your love life. Learn to have fun & be open! You’d probably do best with a fellow Mercury in Virgo person, simply because Virgo energy understands Virgo energy best…if not, Taurus/Capricorn COULD be a great match also!

🖤Love Language: Acts of Service

“In terms of intimate relationships, Acts of Service is a language that can best be described as doing something for your partner that you know they would like, such as filling up their gas, watering their plants, or cooking them a meal.” — verywellmind.com

🎶Song: Cater 2 U by Destiny’s Child

“Let me cater to you

'Cause baby this is your day

Do anything for my man

Baby you blow me away

I got your slippers

Your dinner

Your dessert and so much more

Anything you want

Let me cater to you

Inspire me from the heart

Can't nothing tear us apart

You all I want in a man

I put my life in your hands”

🌬Mercury in Libra/Seventh House

Tarot Card: Page of Swords

If you have Mercury in Libra/7H, You. Are. The. ULTIMATE. Flirt. Only rivaled by Gemini, although you can be FAR more touchy-feely. Of course this depends on other placements in your chart, but you KNOW how to turn on the charm. You are charisma personified. You are most likely an attractive person on the outside, but regardless of your outer appearance, you have an extremely attractive mind. You are balanced & logical & want nothing but fairness when it comes to your relationships. Unlike your opposite sign, Aries, you lead with the other person. You flatter them. You don’t mind dishing out the compliments & don’t see your romantic interest as competition, but rather a compliment to you. You, like Leos, have HIGH standards when it comes to your lovers. You won’t just settle down with anyone. You go through a LONG process of LITERALLY weighing your options, so you can be hard to pin down. You, of all signs, are able to find beauty & equality in all things…hence why you are SUCH a flirt. If you see something/someone you like, you have no problem telling them you like their shirt with a quick wink, HOWEVER, very rarely are you truly trying to make something last out of a simple playful interaction. This can lead you to having a plethora of admirers, but no one that you see anything seriously with. This is a great placement to have for business dealing & if you’re interested in politics. You know how to read a room, read a person & act accordingly. You are so dang likable it can be sickening! The irony in this placement is you take your relationships VERY seriously. You actually prefer to be in a commitment more than any other signs. You enjoy being dutiful & find purpose when you are integrated into someone else’s fabric of life. BUT. When it comes to casual dating, you are gone with the wind fabulous. You are here for a good time & not a long time. You can separate a serious commitment from a fling like no other. This can be INFURIATING to people who are trying to pursue you because you seem so unbothered even though you gave them a wonderful compliment & treated them so well.

The Pros/Cons of this placement is how long is can take for you to pick a partner to settle down with. In the dating realm, this is almost a perfect placement. You are considerate, passionate when you need to be, lovable & fun! But on the other hand, when it comes to taking a dating situation to the next level, you can get cold feet— again, weighing the pros & cons of being in a relationship because you actually understand the sacrifice that it takes to be in a commitment. And sadly, if you don’t think the person if worth sacrificing for entirely OR you’re just not in a space to sacrifice to being with...that lover can FORGET IT! As much as you enjoy beauty & light-hearted dating, Libra is still very much a masculine sign. Regardless of gender (or lack of gender), you tend to want to be the provider in your relationships. You enjoy the delicate balance of give & take, feminine & masculine energy, in any of your longterm commitments. And if anyone disrupts that, you will not stick around. On the outside looking in, you may seem wishy-washy & non-committal, but that actually isn’t the case. You WILL commit, but only after you have thought about it from all angles & sides. You are rational minded & sometimes this can hurt the people around you because what you said in passing may have meant nothing to you, but everything to them! PLUS, when you are in a full blown commitment, you may still come across as flirty, whether you intend to or not. Your partners will have to require a lot of trust & understanding about how you express yourself. You’re just a “nice” person who wants the world to be a more beautiful place— one flirt at a time. I recommend you stick with other Air Signs or Fire Signs Mercury placements, because other people may misinterpret your nature. But if you’re with a Fire sign, they will desire fast communication & that may overwhelm you from time to time so just be mindful.

All in all, this is a wonderful placement when it comes to communication & flirting in casual relationships because you are so fair minded. You don’t like to stop on people’s toes, but sometimes you can feel like you’re leading people on if they don’t understand that you’re just a naturally flirty person. You can hand out words, kisses & compliments out like candy! Be careful that you’re not rotting someone’s sweet tooth!

🖤Love Language: Physical Touch

🎶Song: Nevermind by Dennis Lloyd

“All I, I ever ask, ever ask

Are you gonna, are you gonna be my lover?

Tonight, and take it with, take it with me

Take it with me, hmm…

What if I left and it made no sense

And you tell your friends

And they hold your hands

Baby, nevermind, nevermind

Nevermind, nevermind”

🌬Mercury in Scorpio/Eighth House

Tarot Card: King of Cups

If you have Mercury in Scorpio/8H, your flirtation style isn’t so “flirty” in the traditional sense. With this placement, you tend not to trust people too easily, so you’re not the biggest fan of small talk. This inherent contradiction of a “non-communicative” mercury makes you an interesting & complex lover that people are drawn to get to know. You more so operate from “energies” & “vibes”, & people are either drawn to you like a moth to a flame or repelled by you like a moth to flying insect spray…lol. However, you have an unmistakable allure & you shift energy when you walk into a room. Just as elusive as a Gemini & yet somehow as dreamy as a Pisces— this unique combination makes your lovers fixed on you, projecting their deepest darkest desires on you, wanting to uncover whatever it is you’re hiding. Almost as if you are a lost cave of hidden knowledge & gems, just waiting to be discovered. Truth is…you’re most likely just shy! Now, don’t get me wrong, you are certainly one of the deepest thinkers of the Zodiac. You have fascinating interest in the occult & keep your feelings close to your chest, but this is usually a defense mechanism to an extent because you fear if people know what you’re thinking, then they may be able to control your mind. And as Mars as your ruler, you are all about control— and in this case, mind control. This works 2 ways. When you flirt, it may come off as obsession. Much like your brother sign, Aries, when you “want” something/someone, it’s not just want, it’s desire, it’s craving, it’s intoxicating infatuation. You can be a bold lover, striking when the time is right…but if the time is not right…you will wait & wait & wait & wait & wait— like a Jaguar hunting its unassuming prey.

The Pros & Cons of this placement is that you have a mighty powerful gaze & aura surrounding you. If the color black was a person, it would be you. You’re beautifully dark, but yet the depths & hues of the nuances of your personality are hard to tell unless someone is REALLY looking. You test lovers more than any other sign to make sure they are truly giving you their undivided attention— much like what you have given to them. You expect loyalty & honesty from your lovers ALTHOUGH you may not give them the same in return. Your version of honesty can be quite controversial. You believe in the “Policy of Truth”, if you truly care about someone & want to know them on a deeper level, you will leave out things that don’t put you in the best light. This placement can be very manipulative when it comes to how & what you choose to communicate to a person that you desire. Your lovers will have to earn your trust before you give them truth & this can be a SLOW process. Because of this personality trait, you may or may not be all that “flirty”. In Western Astrology, Scorpios are almost always described as the sexual beings of the zodiac & that is true…HOWEVER, you crave a deeeeeppppp level of intimacy & connection that casual dating/flirting usually doesn’t allow, making you one of the most difficult partners to actually end up in the bedroom with. You can come across as very fickle & hard to pin-down to people you are not equally trying to connect with. With this placement, you will not connect with just anyone, thus making you one of the least “flirty” Mercury placements at first glance. Although you may be able to develop a way with words as time passes, you must at least feel you will be able to gain something out of the exchange. You are far too intense for casual love affairs. Now passionate love affairs— is right up your ally!

Having Mercury in such a deep sign, again makes you a deep thinker, unlike other placements who gloss over people, you want to know EVERYTHING & I mean EVERYTHING about a potential mate. The irony here is, your way of flirting can be a form of stalking. You will dig & dig & dig & dig into the personal life of lovers, or you will ask the deepest questions to attempt to get into their psychology— deep psych evaluations & damn near hypnotism is your way of “flirting”. Many of your lovers may not even realize you are in pursuit of them, while on the other hand, you may not comprehend how deeply someone is wanting to connect with you. Due to the mixture of pure shyness & mystique, you are an astounding lover that oozes of pure, unfiltered, sex appeal WHEN IT IS EARNED. The trickiest part of this placement, is people will want to fill in the blanks about you if they don’t know. You can be subject to nasty rumors or people making CRAZY assumptions about you, but it’s simply because they want to explain the inexplicable. You have a certain energy that people dream of exploring, yet may not be up for how deep they would have to dive in order to truly get to know you. Any lover that only gets to know you in a causal sense will always be left with a lingering feeling of wondering what you were truly hiding in that closet of yours.

🖤Love Language: Quality Time

***For you of all signs, I probably say you’d need the most love languages to be demonstrated in order to feel safe & secure in a relationship. Everyone identifies with multiple, but you NEED to see all the proof in the pudding before you take a leap of faith with someone.

🎶Song: Every Breath You Take by The Police

“Every breath you take

Every move you make

Every bond you break

Every step you take

I'll be watching you…

Oh can't you see

You belong to me?

How my poor heart aches with every step you take.”

***hehe, this is one of my all time favorite songs…& it is FAR from a love song, but as a Mercury in the 8H person myself…I think it’s a funny song choice aaannndddd somewhat accurate! You know how we are! Lol

🎶Bonus song!!! (Don’t tell the others lol)

To The End- My Chemical Romance

“If you marry me,

Would you bury me?

Would you carry me to the end?

🌬Mercury in Sagittarius/Ninth House

Tarot Card: Queen of Wands

If you have Mercury in Sagittarius/9H, your flirtation can take quite a few different forms. As a mutable sign, you’re like Gemini & Pisces (Virgo, yes, but not so much in this case), so you are able to adapt to any environment, possessing a shape-shifter type energy. The major difference between you & the others is, you believe the truth will set you free, so after awhile, your true colors will always shine through to your romantic interested. You could be attracted to people who are different than you in some way. Sagittarius/9H energy is all about expanding your horizons, & connecting with people of different cultures & backgrounds is a way to see the world through a different set of lenses! This is a wonderful trait because you almost always carry an exoticness within your essence. You may not feel super special in your home town, but once you travel to different areas, people will know that you are not from around there. In this case, seeing as we are talking about Mercury, it shows up particularly in the way you think/communicate. Perhaps you have a distinct accent. You are just as curious as Gemini about the outside world, but instead of focusing on the day to day mechanics & “gossip”, you’d rather talk about more philosophical questions & debate about religion, meditation & yoga. You honestly flirt by preaching to those you are interested in. You crave someone who is a free thinker & can talk about anything. You are as much of a student of life as you are a teacher and you will not be caught DEAD flirting with a dumb-dumb. Intelligence is what turns you on, but it doesn’t have to be “book smart”. You are so open to different ideas in the world & you value someone who can teach you the laws of the land & navigate the way of the streets. It’s giving very Princess Jasmine & Aaladin vibes in this case. You will flirt & be attracted to the “street rats” of the world because they can offer you a different experience than what you are used to.

The Pros/Cons of this placement is you can come off as self-righteous and kind of a know-it-all to potential suiters. More than likely, you have received some form of higher education or have traveled around more than your next door neighbor. This is not inherently a bad thing, but this is the magic of knowing when to turn on and off the charm. You could easily want to lead with how worldly & experienced you are, which is an amazing thing, but understand, that is a privilege! So please be mindful not to “rub it in” everyone’s faces that you are an interesting and well-traveled person, and also try not to judge others for not being on the same level as you. Just smile & keep it moving, there is no need to argue. On the other hand, because this can be such a spiritual placement, you may find yourself to be quite “close-minded”, when it comes to YOUR religion, YOUR philosophy of life, & YOUR truth. The passion you posses about your views is something that most will admire, BUT if you’re coming off as someone who assumes they are better or have the moral high ground, again, this can be a turn off to any potential love interest.

Your love for learning & teaching is unique & extraordinary. You carry within you a vessel of knowledge & experiences that some would only dream of! It puts you in a little bit of an awkward situation when it comes to your love life though, because student/teacher relationships aren’t *supposed* to be “sexy”. This is a bit of a mixed bag. In today’s society, it can be assumed that a teacher is abusing their power by pursuing a student. (I am not speaking about elementary school through high school!!! I’m speaking about adult relationships!!!! Think Guru/Yogi student, Preacher/Subject in Congregation etc.) But in your case, you most likely wouldn’t have it any other way. You desire to learn from your partners. If they can’t teach you something, then they can kick rocks! You are humbled by a knowledgeable person, who has also spent their life seeking truth, the same way you have. You may find yourself drawn to certain professors or people in powerful positions where people listen to what they have to say. Or, you may be the person who draws a lot of people towards you because you have such a database of wisdom that people find attractive! This has the potential to be a GREAT love affair with the right person, but I wouldn’t say you are much of a “flirt” in the traditional sense. You’d hand your love interest a book that you found insightful before a bouquet of roses!

🖤Love Language: Quality Time

🎶Song: Part of Your World by Halle Bailey

“…And ready to know what the people know

Ask 'em my questions and get some answers

What's a fire and why does it, what's the word?

Burn?

When's it my turn?

Wouldn't I love, love to explore that shore up above?

Out of the sea

Wish I could be

Part of that world”

(yes, the black one!! S/o to representation, but also s/o to Jodi Benson, the OG Little Mermaid, she served on this song!)

🌬Mercury in Capricorn/Tenth House

Tarot Card: Page of Pentacles

If you have Mercury in Capricorn/10H, your flirting style is business, business, business. This is not to say that you are NOT flirty, because you definitely can be— particularly as you get older— but you flirt with a goal in mind. You’ll flirt for a job promotion, you’ll flirt for priority seating at the fanciest restaurants, you’ll flirt for a discount at Trader Joe’s. You flirt to save money & flirt to earn money. That is what really matters to you. Again, this may come off as shallow, or “gold-digger” type vibes, but there is nothing more than this Mercury sign craves more than mental SECURITY, which goes hand in hand with financial security. You depend on stable relationships, so you can take dating toooooo seriously. If you don’t see the benefit of investing in someone longterm, then…you just won’t. It’s open & shut. With this placement, you are VERY selective with your words. You don’t like to waste time on meaningless conversations because you are a firm believer that time is money. HOWEVER, when you find someone that is worth your time, you give everything to that person & more. It is worth noting here, that Capricorn energy is represented by The Devil card in Tarot. Meaning, that Capricorn energy is the embodiment of temptation & desire. You, more than any other sign, actually know how to entrance your person of interest by talking. You can speak of wonderful plans & goals you have, expensive things that you’ve bought, rare wines that you’ve tasted & lure in an unassuming subject like pray. You even may have a very distinct & sultry voice that is low & earthy. You have a resonance with others because you appear so grounded, cool, calm & collected when you speak. This can instantly be a turn on to the target you have in mind.

The Pros/Cons of this placement is you can take quite a long time to learn how to express yourself, leaving your partners in a very confused state. You, like your Cancer opposite, can spend too much time trying to rationalize your needs in a relationship, rather than actually experiencing the relationship. Because you can be so goal oriented, you don’t leave much time for error or fun in your early years. This can come off as cold & distant to people attempting to pursue you in a romantic way— it’s almost as if you are always just out of reach because you are too busy working on your next big project! This isn’t a bad thing, per say, it just means you have to carve out time for your lovers & be intentional with your dating. Dating & getting to know people just for the heck of it, isn’t a waste of time! It can be nice to go out, laugh & take your mind off of the stress of work or your ambitions. So there is magic in remaining open to potential lovers, you may be surprised at how much you enjoy other people’s company that aren’t talking about work work work. You are WAY more of a do-er than a talker & this can be taken for granted in your relationships. Make sure you end up with someone who understands your need for validation when it comes to the work you do & the bacon that you bring home. You will be the BIGGEST flirt on the planet for someone who acknowledges & appreciate the level of focus & discipline you exude when it comes to your work & romantic relations.

You honestly have the potential to be one of the more flirty signs of the Zodiac, because Saturn, your Mercury ruler, is all about delay and NOT denial. You could have had issues reading or writing as a child that have made you shy, but I bet you’re one of the best readers & writers now! Same with flirting! You may feel awkward in your teens & young 20s, not knowing how to navigate such a crazy dating world, but as you learn the tricks of the trade, you will be able to have one of a kind banter with powerful & influential people. You age like wine, only getting better, tastier & more expensive with time!

🖤Love Language: Acts of Service

🎶Song: Chemtrails Over the Country Club by Lana Del Rey

“I’m on the run with you, my sweet love

There's nothing wrong contemplating God

Under the chemtrails over the country club

Wearing our jewels in the swimming pool

Me and my sister just playing it cool

Under the chemtrails over the country club

What to do next? Maybe we'll love it

White picket chemtrails over the country club

My love, my love…

It's never too late, baby, so don't give up”

🌬Mercury in Aquarius/Eleventh House

Tarot Card: King of Swords

If you have Mercury in Aquarius/11H, your flirtation style is hard to easily put into words. You’re really not much of a flirt UNTIL you are SUPER DUPER comfortable with someone. You flirt by making friends. You’re open-minded, like Sagittarius, but you’re retrained like Capricorn. This puts you in a very delicate balance when it comes to casual dating. You tend to be extremely futuristic & innovative in your thinking— in fact, this placement can signify a genius level comprehension skill, great scientist & technical/skilled artist have this placement— so it may be awkward for you when first meeting new love interest. You may have deep interest in Sci-Fi or technology. You like gadgets & can constantly be tinkering with things, or have a very niche interest like…Vedic astrology for example, so it can be more difficult for you to connect to people on a day to day basis just because your ideas can seem so radical and “out-there”. This is a BEAUTIFUL thing to someone who understands you. They will never be bored with the conversation, although at times, they may have trouble keeping up. I suggest you date fellow Air sign Mercurys because they will be interested in the same things you’re interested in, or at least be curious enough to look into it! Because you march to the beat of your own drum, your flirt style will be equally as unique as you are. You could flirt by explaining to someone quantum mechanics or by telling them how Picasso was an absolute genius when it came to the color blue in his blue series or the difference between the tropical astrology system & the sidereal. The conversations are limitless with you and a person of interest!

The Pros/Cons of this placement is you may feel quite isolated when it comes to communicating your ideas to potential lovers. You may feel as if your ideas are “too weird” and you don’t want to scare them off! OR you just have troubles relating to the “common man” because your brain is just far beyond keeping up with Kardashians. You care about world peace, and helping others, so you may not be super interested in the latest gossip. I mean C’mon…THERE ARE KIDS DYING IN AFRICA, KIM! (That’s a joke…lol) You care more about how the algorithms work on instagram, rather than scrolling through the content, so this can make you feel outcast in the dating scene. Feeling excluded is the hallmark of Aquarius energy. THIS ISN’T A BAD THING!!!!! It just means it may take you a longer time to find your soul tribe & chances are, your soulmate will be a friend first before a lover. Because you have a fixed placement, you cherish the people who come into your life that understand you on a mental & spiritual level. You may not care as much about looks, gender or social class as some of the other placements do when it comes to dating— you can be very flexible when it comes to who you fall in love with, just because it’s so hard for you to find people who vibrate on your same wavelength. YOU have the mind that keeps the culture moving forward. You are the inventors & creators of the generations! You’re the trend setters & trailblazers which can be a lonely lonely road when it comes to causal things like dating. Again, it is imperative for you to find likeminded people who get you or get that they don’t get you but still don’t judge you for it! You’re more of a mental flirt than anything else! You enjoy intelligent conversation & would die of boredom listening to someone who is small minded.

You will be one of the most fascinating & intriguing lover to anyone who actually takes the time to get to know you! In some cases, a Scorpio/8H mercury may be compatible because they will view you as a never ending puzzle they need to solve. Either way, you’ll need to be with someone who wants to dig deeper into you, past your seemingly eccentric nature & get to know the loving kind side of you. You are more likely to fall for a friend or someone in your friendship circle because you know you have things in common. You could also be far more comfortable dating on an online setting, in virtual realities of some sort! Things in common/true compatibility in the most important thing to you when it comes to flirting & dating. You don’t care much for frivolous banter although you may be good at it— there will always be a voice inside of you saying “this person is sooooooo dumb”. All I ask, is that you remain humble when meeting people, different people are in different areas of life & we can’t judge them on the level they are on. The moment you do that & start accepting people for who they are, the “Right” people will be drawn into your energy field & you’ll feel truly accepted by those that love you & that you love!

Side Side Side note: You are also the sign that would most likely thrive in a polyamorous relationship (multiple partners at once), because you are capable of loving multiple friends at one time. You very well may not be interested in open-relationships, because you are a fixed sign & value loyalty  & stability…but you may do well in one. You wouldn’t fall victim to jealousy & possessiveness as much as other signs.

🖤Love Language: Words of Affirmation

🎶Song: Dirty Feeling by Lolawolf

“I got a dirty feeling that it's going down

I got that dirty feeling

Look at ya, look at ya

Move slow

Slow on the low, slow on the low

Low, low

Low

Boy you should go now

Boy you should go

I can see what's coming, oh no

I know you've been gunning

I got a dirty feeling that it's going down”

🌬Mercury in Pisces/Twelfth House

Tarot Card: Queen of Cups

If you have Mercury in Pisces/12H, your flirtation style works on a cosmic level. You radiate vibes, like sonic waves, that lure in your object of desire. You can be quite shy in real life, but there is an elusive quality about you that causes people to yearn for you & be drawn towards you. You are extremely slippery when it comes to the dating field, because you, like Aquarius, your predecessor, are naturally extraordinarily other worldly! (After all, you are 2 houses after the 10H of the world, so you’ve busted out of the matrix in some way). You seem to be neither here, nor there. You float through life & people may never know or not know where they stand with you because chances are, they may not even know where you are. Your dreamlike nature is a literal dream come true for some, & so flirting with you seems as if they met someone from the movies. You’re real, but are you real? You’re here, but are you here? That type of energy. When you like someone, you will want to dissolve into each other’s world. You’ll want to be with them, meeting on such a spiritual level, that language isn’t the prime way you communicate. You feel your partners rather than listen to them…which can work for and against you, depending on how strong your relationship is with the other person. Because you are one of the most empathetic placements, when it comes to a person of interest, you want to be valuable to them by helping them through their personal spiritual journey. Due to this nature, you may be attracted/drawn to lost souls & lost souls may be attracted/drawn to you as well. You prefer a partner with a past, because you desire to show them a bright & escapist type future. You are called to break chains for your lovers, so your flirty style can be wholesome & very loving.

The Pros/Cons of this placement is exactly what makes it great— you’re otherworldliness. You understand the world through vibrations & energies, not necessarily though words & actions. You see deeply into people & have an extremely psychic ability that only a privileged few are privy to. You probably communicate through music & sound. You would be far more comfortable sharing a song or writing a song about your feelings for someone than being able say it! And to be fair, the songs you write/share may not even have lyrics! You would be more likely to flirt by telling someone “you make me feel like the color orange” or “you remind me of the discord in Beethoven’s Fifth” than being like “hey, I think you’re cute!”. This is wonderfully romantic, but if your partner doesn’t think like you do, well, then you run the risk of feeling rejected & emotionally abandoned by them. This mercury sign, more than other, has to learn how to communicate on a practical level. With your opposite sign being Virgo, master communicators, you get left holding the bag of trying to figure out how to put your experiences into words that people can relate & identify with. Of COURSE, I recommend that you channel your energy into art, you will be understood by some, but you have to put yourself out there & not get lost in the fantasy of it all. Jupiter, your ruling planet, is all about blending the lines & expansion, which is a beautiful thing, but sometimes the real restraints that we have in the world can limit people being able to connect— especially when it comes to fleeting relationships.

Your nature can be so light & inviting, or it can be like a dark black abyss with no end in sight…much like the oceans fish inhabit. People will want to project their deepest desires/fears on to you, because you reflect back to them like clear water. They see a distorted version of themselves in you & this can be very challenging when it comes to dating & flirting. You will need partners who are grounded & level-headed, but also understand your need to be understood in non-traditional communicative ways. You have a gorgeously creative mind that sees the possibilities in the world, rather than the poverties. You are able to find beauty in the most broken of people, places & things, because you perhaps feel broken and forsaken by the world yourself. This is not an easy placement, but it has the most potential for true spiritual enlightenment! Dating may not be your strong suit, but connection to source sure is! You will find people who appreciate & celebrate the gifts that you have to offer, even if it gets lost in translation from time to time! You are an exquisite mermaid from beyond the sea!

🖤Love Language: Giving/Receiving Gifts

🎶Song: In My Head by Lil Tjay

“I got some funny feelings in my head

And girl, I don't know what to call it (call)

Too iffy and quick, I can't say that it's love

But I know that I want some more of it (more)

These feelings, been stuck in my head

Ain't too big on love, but with you, I'm all for it (no)

See the world, me and you, we can tour it

Fuck all them bitches, they ain't shit, they ignorin'

Daily you be on my mind

My heart hurt beat and bruised, from the owner before it

Got a good feelin' this time”

#Spotify #music #astrology #vedic astrology #astro notes #astrology observations #sidereal astrology #astrology notes #astro observations #tarot #witchlife

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hiccupologist · 5 months

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more fanfic WIP stuff; this one is kind of an anomaly because it's a broad multikink effort!crackfic that I started like right after I finished FaC and was actually considering posting on my main ao3 account as a Totally Joking Guys WINK comedy thing until uh, the outline kind of expanded to a degree of detail that made me reconsider that

anyway these bits don't heavily involve the usual fare for this blog, although there is a fair bit of feederism stuff slated for later. content included (oh boy hold on): established Fionna/Simon, Everyone Lives AU, selfcest, cringe/uncomfortable interactions, sadomasochism, fat fetishism + combined teasing/appreciation, yandere/sex pest!Winter King, poorly negotiated kink, Simon getting dressed up like a doll because his central nervous system paralyzed him out of anxiety like one of those goats that falls over, ...coerced throuple formation??, choking kink reference, okay I think that's everything but like be cautious in there

I plan on still working on this later and I sew stuff to the bones every once in a while, but it's not a main project rn

Dearest (fellow! wink! ;3) Simon,

It’s truly unfortunate that your and your sweet young companion’s visit was cut short by that pesky sleet storm/brain fungus zombie elk stampede, but these things are simply a fact of life on the exciting frozen frontier! I would LOVE it SO MUCH if you and Fionna came to stay in the Winter Kingdom for a while, with no high stakes universe-jumping pressure on us this time. Just the three of us getting to know each other, mano a mano. Maybe you and Fionna could do couple stuff? Maybe we could gain a deeper mutual understanding of our shared Simon-ness? Maybe things would escalate to a little more? WHO KNOWS. But you could easily find out!

Until I hear from you in the form of a timely RSVP and with all my love,

The Winter King xo

To the beautiful Miss Fionna Campbell,

I’ve been thinking about you and the cute little dried up tumbleweed of a man you dragged into my kingdom ever since you left, and under such rushed circumstances! I can’t seem to rid myself of the idea of you and Simon visiting me for a week or so, with the express purpose of exploring our intimate relationship. Which is to say: my princess, you are hereby cordially invited to rule over your two little hapless fuck pets as the iron-willed warlord I feel in my loins that you can be. Any necessary furniture, sexual costuming, etc. will be provided~* Do think about fun and interesting ways to torment us in the intervening!

Awaiting your velvet gloved fist with aching bones,

“Winter” uwu xoxo

“He sent separate invitations.” Simon said, blankly. They were even on separate stationery; an official-looking albeit pastel blue letter decorated with what Simon assumed was his own fabricated royal heraldry, and some kind of diaphanous artisanal paper pressed with tiny flowers and silver sparkles.

“He gave me a photo, too.” Fionna added. “But, um, I don’t think it’s the kind of photo you can show people without asking.” She was clearly a little unsettled, but not enough that Simon felt completely secure in the situation. He supposed that a young woman used to reading fantasy romances, without the prior experience of… that situation, would find the Winter King’s offer appealing.

Yet, Simon felt a disgusting magnetism tugging at his guts, an embedded fish hook he’d forgotten about. He’d been thankful that they left so quickly, really. Not only because he found his double deeply uncanny to interact with and watch, but because also present was a sort of dizzy, nauseated attraction. He wasn’t sure if it was sexual or some kind of psychological glitch, produced by gazing too long into a distorted reflection. “The call of the void” was the only phrase that felt appropriate to describe it. He didn’t know what the equivalent of jumping off a cliff would be in this situation, though.

“Well, we’re certainly not going to dignify that with a response, are we? That would be… ugh.” He grimaced. “It would be insane. Such a poor decision. Right?” Did it sound like he was trying to convince himself?

“I don’t know.” Fionna said. She turned the letters over, giving hers a few inquisitive sniffs. “Cake has been bugging me to go on a road trip so she can shapeshift into a catwoman and pretend her name is on the apartment lease for a few days. Also she wants to bang this one werewolf dude, which is probably the main thing.”

“You want to leave your house so your cat can have sex in private?”

Fionna shrugged. “She’s my roommate.”

---

“Ah! That’s what I was wondering about.” Winter lightly grabbed the roll of fat hanging over Simon’s boxer briefs, and Simon found himself frozen in what he assumed (and hoped) was outrage as his alternate self’s chilly hands roamed exploratorily across his paunch and under his shirt. Finally, Simon came to his senses with a horrified gasp and pushed the curious set of hands away from him.

“What the fuck?” Simon choked out. Even after living through years in an apocalyptic wasteland, he rarely felt a need to drop F bombs, largely due to being kind of a nerd. But this… Sure, fine, he would accept a sex vacation with this unsettling hybrid of him and Ice King and… what? An anime love interest? But for some reason his boundary was at that mindfuck man touching his stomach. Even his dick would have been better. But you don’t touch a person’s fucking stomach. That’s so messed up. Or maybe he was messed up and that was why he felt these things so strongly. Either way. Not cool.

“Sorry!” Winter said brightly, with no hint of remorse. “I was just wondering if you still had a little belly like we did during our antiquarian, pre-crown era. I’ve adopted a more ergonomic form these days, but I do miss it sometimes… And I wasn’t able to get a good look at you last time when you were changing into your suit!”

“You were watching me change?!” Simon was starting to wonder if maybe he wasn’t any better than Ice King after all. In fact, maybe he was worse, since now he had self awareness… Well, a degree of self awareness.

“Oh, don’t be so offended! Sure, it’s a little creepy, but you need to understand that you’re just so cute, I have to be a little creepy sometimes, or I’ll basically die.” He leaned down to Simon’s eye level, still smiling. “But you know that! Because funny enough, I decided to see what I can remember about that Betty girl… and you know what?”

Simon didn’t respond. Beyond how awful it was to hear him say her name with so little respect, there were a number of possible memories he could be referring to and none of them reflected well on him. Objectively, though, why would he be ashamed? He hadn’t done anything that crossed actual physical boundaries, not like peeping on someone naked behind a dressing screen that, in retrospect, seemed like it may have been painted with a motif of nude men being fucked by giant swans. (But that was something to investigate and unpack another day. The screen, specifically, not his unrooted sexual shame.) They were just thoughts. Thoughts and a few entirely self-directed physical actions in the privacy of his own home, which he would never attempt again now that he was more fully aware of the fragility of the human body.

“I remember she touched our hand, and that’s how we met. And I remember that before we even went on our first date, I- we, Simon, thought about how her hand felt, didn’t we? And like, immediately our brain went to her choking us! Wow, we jerked off to that like crazy, huh? Pretty messed up!”

He winced. Well, at least that was a relatively tame entry from his mental archives. Fionna told him (with much consternation) that choking was basically considered mainstream these days. But there was the issue of his tone. And body language. Simon couldn’t tell if he- the other he, god this was semantically and psychologically weird, was disgusted with himself or… what? Everything he was saying sounded inappropriately playful. But clearly he was capable of regulating his- oh, fuck. The grim realization dawned on him. This is how he acts when he’s horny.

Simon knew why he was ashamed, now. Because he was talking to someone with his same brain, as frozen and fucked as that particular copy of it was. The Winter King knew exactly how he felt about himself and those desires, it was just that, maybe he was able to process them better? Or had too little impulse control to feel shame? He couldn’t quite put his finger on what was going on in that vacant, fluffy-haired head yet.

He still couldn’t bring himself to say anything. He realized how stupid and ineffectual he must have looked, sitting paralyzed and probably red-faced on a quilted velvet vanity stool with his pants unbuttoned. He hated himself for it, and that made it harder for him to move, or even make a disapproving sound. It was like his self-consciousness was so focused it was burning. He couldn’t even tell if he hated what was happening or if, well, something else was going on. Or worse; both scenarios applied.

“What I’m getting at here is…” Winter simply continued tugging at Simon’s clothes like he were a doll as he spoke, industrious and cheerful. “I’m very well-acquainted with what makes you ‘tick’, so to speak. And if your mind works the way mine used to… you’re not very confident with girls, are you? Talking about bedroom matters. So I thought I would be the perfect Cyrano to express your deepest desires to your sweet lady love! Although, I suppose this would be a production that ends with Roxane viciously sexually dominating both of our heroes.”

He felt himself becoming hot and sensitive as the Winter King helped him change, still rattling on about their shared sexual fantasies. Yes, he’d come here for the express purpose of having polyamorous sex with the man, but it had just seemed like something he would neutrally experience to broaden his horizons and spend time with Fionna, like when he agreed to take that dubious catfish noodling class held in a culvert runoff that Betty insisted would “provide valuable texture” to their lived experience. But, now that he was examining himself more closely… Was he really telling himself that he was going to be physically intimate with another man- not just another man, another him, just to have a story to tell later? Regardless, his hands were dexterous and gentle, and being paid physical attention to while praised verbally was activating certain chemical processes in his body.

“There we go! Look, we’re so pretty.” The king dragged Simon bodily to an ornate full-length mirror so he could properly admire himself. If his muscles weren’t responding before, now it felt like they were locking up. He had been coerced into some kind of black fuzzy outfit (he wondered for a moment if it was the skin from one of those megafauna penguins he’d seen on the grounds) involving a cupless corset that tied with a thick ribbon just below his navel, uncomfortably emphasizing the soft swell of fat there, and. Something resembling pants? Legwarmers? They weren’t attached to his underwear in any substantial way, that much was clear. “I notice you looking at the pants! Those are for modesty. See? I just want you to feel comfortable.”

#spider's kink wips

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salamanderinspace · 9 months

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Find a Doctor

Kind of trying to connect to literally any specialist to manage my condition, since my general doc (Primary) won't really prescribe anything that doesn't fall under "general" health issues. That's not just her--they always try to send you off to a specialist, who usually tries to send you to another specialist. And they all want follow ups every month so they can charge a copay and do nothing. That's how it used to be, anyway. Not anymore, as I would discover...

So I reached out to a place I used to go, a neurology clinic. With EDS there's really no specialist to handle our particular dysfunction--rheumatologists aren't trained in it at all. Neuro guys can at least treat migraines, monitor CCI, and keep an eye on any nervous system weirdness caused by prolonged chronic pain's affect on glial cells.

So I called them up and they said it would be 20 weeks. 10 for intake and another 10 to actually see a doctor. I said "sweet, put me in." So she asked for my address and it turns out their service area has changed and I'm outside it.

Ok. Fine. Plan B. I asked my doc to refer me to a place. She gave me one that's known for telehealth - perfect! She puts the referral through fastest I've ever seen, and they email me the following week with intake paperwork. I submit it, schedule an appointment. Wait for appointment. Show up. Am told that they cannot order tests or prescribe meds in New Hampshire.

Well. You are not a doctor, then. You do not do the things.

So I call back PCP and she refers me to another place. I don't hear anything for 2 weeks so I call them. The receptionist says they don't do telehealth, and the practice is kind of far away, AND there's a wait. Until December.

Boy it sure is a good thing I don't need any kind of medical care. For my brain. That doesn't work too good.

So! I went on the insurance website, did a search for neuro in my area. I've called three places so far. One turned out to be a Headstart office, not a doctor. Another was a place called Geriatric Mental Health Center. Nope. Third place only handles sleep medicine. On to the next...

#healthcare #chronic illness #spoonie life

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yourmcu · 3 years

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Forgotten (CONTINUED VERSION)

Pairings: Tony Stark x daughter!reader, Peter Parker x Stark!reader (platonic)

Request:

Hello i love your story could you do angsty tony x daughter reader. Wherein the reader has a twin brother and Tony and the avengers prefer the twin brother and becaus of that, the reader became rebel and badass. She always getting trouble and almost drop out student. The avengers and her father were seem disappointed and dont know what to do. Not until the reader involve into car accident and she's critical injured. The reader also slipped to coma. Everyone is devastated about the reader conditione. And they realized that the reader only rebel because she wants to get attention from them. It depends to you what the end come, I just want a full angst this week and I hope you dont mind my English. Anyway I hope your alright.

A/n: y’all wanted it, I finished it :)

Word count: 3,984

(more notes at the end!)

Warnings: angst, hurt/comfort? bad writing of an anxiety attack, accident, knife, hospitals

read it on ao3!

gif not mine! credits to the owner^^

Being a genius/billionaire/superhero’s kid doesn’t always sound nice like it usually does.

You were one of the Stark twins, the other half being your brother, Ethan.

The both of you showed signs that you inherited the commonly known Stark trait (intelligence) at a young age. But Tony mostly focused on his son, showing him all his inventions and gadgets, teaching him everything he knew while you on the other hand, were being babysat by Happy or Pepper, sometimes Rhodey.

You tried so hard to get your father’s attention but he always had his excuses:

“I don’t have time for that.”

“I’m busy with Ethan right now.”

“Maybe later.”

At first you didn’t mind if your brother got all the praise and attention. It wasn’t until your mid-teens that you really started to feel left out and ignored.

You were left to frown when the other Avengers never found anything interesting about you, just like Tony did. They all liked Ethan better. The topic of him being the next Iron Man when Tony retires is getting exhausting.

There was this one time when Tony announced that they were all going out to dinner since Ethan got, yet again, a full set of A’s on his report card.

“Did you get my card?” You tapped on Tony’s shoulder lightly.

He gave you a side glance, “ah shoot, I forgot. I’ll go get it tomorrow.” Then returned his attention to your brother.

But he ended up forgetting again the next day and you had to convince your teacher to give it to you instead. Your marks had A’s, but littered with B’s as well, of course that was no match for your brother’s perfect marks.

And that sort of scenario wasn’t just a one time thing, Tony forgets to pick up your report card every. single. time. The messed up part was you and Ethan literally attended the same school, he was just in a more advanced class than you.

As time passed, Tony went from ignoring you to getting annoyed and pissed at you for everything you did. In his eyes, you were always in the wrong. And the reason? You didn’t know.

“Dad? Can I borrow Bruce for a minute?” You knocked on the glass door of his lab to get him to look up.

He didn’t, but responded, “kinda busy with him right now.”

You looked at your fractured arm, regretting your decisions. “W-well, Ethan was training with Nat, and... and he wanted to try the new moves he learned on me. He went a little hard and - I think my arm’s broken, I just wanted Bruce to check it out-”

“Goddammit!” He shouted after you heard a glass shatter. Bruce covered his face with palms, muttering an ‘oh no’.

Tony glared at you, striding to where you were standing. All that was left for you to do was to brace yourself for what was about to come. “See, this is why we never let you do anything with the team,” he spat. “That right there?”-he pointed to your arm-“that’s on you. Things go wrong because you’re in the way!”

“I’m... I’m sorry-”

“Just get out of here.”

Your arm remained untreated after that.

Then Peter Parker came into the picture. Friendly guy, he was actually nice to you. Him and Ethan got along right away when Tony first recruited him. The fact that he treated Peter better than you made you even more miserable. It made you think he never wanted a daughter in the first place.

You first met Peter when he accidentally entered your room without warning, thinking it was the bathroom. Cliche, but that’s what happened.

“It’s on the first door to your other left,” you stated.

“Yeah, yeah okay, thanks,” he turned around to leave but stopped to look at you again. “I’m Peter Parker, by the way.”

“Y/N Stark.”

Peter’s eyes lit up at your last name. “I... I didn’t know Mr. Stark had a daughter - no offense! It’s just-”

You sighed and waved him off. He didn’t even notice the similarities you had with your twin. “It’s fine. I get that a lot.”

After many events of being, to be blunt, treated like shit, you finally had enough. You neglected your studies, only went to school when you felt like it (which was rare). No one cared your grades anyway, so what’s the point? You became a whole new person, you surrounded yourself with the wrong sort of people, causing you to dabble into smoking and alcohol.

Since you were always in trouble, you could recite Cap’s detention speech at school by heart now.

The principal of your school wanted to see Tony to talk about your behavior. Normally he’d make an excuse not to go if it wasn’t that important but he got flooded with messages from the school, so he couldn’t say no.

You had your legs crossed, sitting across from Tony who had his eyebrows furrowed as he listened to the principal. For some reason you didn’t feel nervous. “Y/N barely attends her classes. I’ve seen every attendance. Are you aware of this, Mr. Stark?”

Tony only maintained his usual relaxed posture and avoided your gaze.

“Some students have also seen her smoke in school grounds. We gave her a few weeks suspension for it, but it doesn’t look like she’s learned her lesson.” They pulled out a couple boxes of cigarettes from the desk drawer. “We found these in her locker.”

“You went into my locker?” You shot up from your seat. “You can’t just do that!”

Tony cleared his throat and got up, gripping your wrist. “I’ll take it from here - will that be all?”

On the way out he doesn’t say a word to you, only that his grip on your wrist got tight as you near the car.

“So,” he started the car. His voice was calm, but it screamed that you were in deep trouble. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

You sighed and slouched in the passenger’s seat, crossing your arms. “I’m... sorry you had to know...?”

“Yeah, I’m just gonna be honest with you here,” Tony still doesn’t look at you. “When I found out I had two kids, I got worried about Ethan.”

You let out a snort. Of course he would.

“I didn’t want him ending up like me. But surprise surprise, my daughter did instead.”

“I’m not ‘ending up’ like you, Dad-”

“Then what do you call - this,” he referred to you. “What, you’re just gonna waste your life, drop out of school? You’re a fucking mess, Y/N, and here I thought I raised you right. Sometimes I think: why can’t you just be like your brother?” He had a hard grip on the steering wheel as he drove, the way he spoke affected the speed of the car greatly.

You opened your mouth to speak but you couldn’t fine the exact words you wanted to say. “I... well, I’m sorry I’m not a goody two shoes like him!”

“That’s not what I-”

“Please, that’s exactly what you meant.”

He scoffed, shaking his head. “Look, I’m grounding you until you pull yourself together, understand?” And he did. He gave new orders to Friday when the both of you got home. You weren’t allowed to leave the compound without Tony’s permission.

Were you giving up that easily? Of course not.

You were on your laptop for the rest of the day, hacking into Friday’s system, the security to the elevator and the entrance. That night, your executed your plan and everything went smoothly.

“This is why you never underestimate me,” you sighed, deactivating the hack once you were out of the building.

Your friend who was picking you up was already waiting a few blocks away from the compound. “I hope you’re cool with me staying over for a couple days.”

“If a bunch of Avengers come and destroy my place to look for you, I’m not going to be friends with you anymore.”

You laughed at out, “oh trust me, they don’t care.”

----

The next day no one noticed your absence, nobody did for another two days. Tony just assumed you were mad about your punishment, so he didn’t think of it much.

Not until Peter came to the compound on the third day, wanting to hang out with you.

“Whatcha got there, Pete?” Ethan asked.

“Star Wars movies. I wanna watch them with Y/N - she could use some company, don’t you think?”

The older Stark twin shrugged, “yeah, I guess she could.”

Peter then headed to the elevator and stopped at the floor where your room was. He knocked on your door and waited a bit, after a few minutes of silence he knocked again, still nothing.

“Y/N? Is it okay if I come in?” He called out. No response. He hesitated a bit, for all he knew you were probably changing or something, or you could be in danger. He went to open the door anyway. “I’m coming in, I’ll close my eyes just to be-”

To Peter’s surprise, your room was empty.

----

You were at a 711 parking lot, waiting for your friends who were buying supplies for a house party. You gave them your wallet, not really caring about anything anymore. Your phone was starting to pile up with messages and missed calls from Tony, Edward and Peter, occasionally from the others as you scrolled pass more.

Without thinking you threw your phone to the ground, cracking the screen, breaking it completely. They’d be able to track you through it now that they know you ran away. You really had no intention of coming back. You weren’t wanted, what’s the point of going back?It’s early but you’ve had a few drinks already. You weren’t sure if breaking your phone was a good idea but there’s one thing you’re sure: you didn’t care anymore.

You didn’t have to turn your head to see who just arrived and ambushed your friends inside the store. They ran out and left you behind. The sound of webs coming out of his shooters was enough for you to tell.

“You shouldn’t be here, Peter,” you sighed defeatedly.

Peter gently took a seat next to you, not removing his mask since you were in public and handed your wallet back. “I don’t understand why you left.”

He took in your awful state. His suit scanned how intoxicated you were, estimated how many cigarette packets you’ve had. His frown deepened at the information.

“I care about you. We all do. Mr. Stark’s not going to stop the search party until you come home.”

You rolled your eyes at the term. “Stupid search party – pathetic – I’m not coming home anymore, Pete-” you slurred and tried to get up but stumbled back, almost twisting your ankle but fell to Peter’s side. “Ow.”

He sighed, struggling to get ahold of you since you always pulled away.

“Stop being so stubborn, okay?”

“If you don’t like my stubborn fucking ass then maybe you should just leave,” you stated. “I’m not wanted there. I got the message. I didn’t run away just to be fucking found.”

Peter stared at you for a moment. He didn’t know why you got grounded in the first place, how you got here and why you didn’t want to go back home. There was something off in the father-daughter relationship, he knew that, but it was news to him that it was that bad. That bad for you to waste your life, to run away. He always thought Mr. Stark was an awesome parent, the way he was treating Ethan, and him…

“It’s unfair,” you ranted. “God, if you only knew how pathetic I feel whenever he tells me off. I’m always annoying to him - not just to him, to the whole team, I’m always wrong in everything I do and it’s honestly tiring? What the fuck do I have to do just to feel loved and wanted?”

You went on rambling while Peter tried to comfort and deny every negative thing that came out of your mouth. He didn’t believe any of it, but the way everyone’s been treating you. He hated that he didn’t notice sooner. He could’ve defended you.

“I have nothing against you, I really don’t,” you sighed. “But you should be grateful they’re treating you perfectly.” You got up and strode to the opposite direction, mentally cursing because your friends ditched you and you has nowhere to go, phone destroyed and everything.

But you were staying true to your word: you didn’t have any plans to go back to the compound. You were going to figure your life out on your own.

“Y/N, I… I’m not leaving you alone out here!”

You were so fed up of the spider-ling. How good he was, how perfect, how Tony clearly wanted him more than you, how he always wanted to do the right thing, because none of you expected what happened next when he went to grab your shoulder. The action was so sudden that it Peter didn’t have time to avoid it.

Knife, shoulder, really deep.

Maybe it was just how wasted you were, because he knew you would never do anything like that.

“You’re really annoying, Parker,” you muttered, not wasting any more time watching him stumble out of shock and pain, sprinting across the streets.

With his uninjured arm, he shot webs while trying to pull the knife (the blade wasn’t even visible anymore on how deep it was) out of his shoulder. There was a loud bang, and Peter never sprinted so fast in his life, not caring less about the pain and blood, because what mattered most was your safety. When he got there, you were far from safe.

-----

A week went by. And during those seven days Tony was on edge, I mean, how can be calm at a time like that?

Peter managed to show up at the compound the same night, breathless and shaky. His state made everyone worried but he wasted no time telling Tony what happened. He got you to the hospital, making sure you were being sorted out right before leaving to break the news.

Tony didn’t think twice and went to the hospital where you were admitted, not listening to Peter’s apologies and leaving Steve to sort everyone out on what they should do.

They didn’t expect you to show signs of waking up after only a week since the accident got you mangled up, it was mostly a blow to the head and as expected, you slipped into a coma.

Right, what happened: an awful timing really, not sure if Peter’s the one to blame but he accidentally stuck you to the ground with his webs, and it just so happened a car was driving at a fast speed – there you go.

Tony made sure you got the best treatment possible. He even went and asked Strange if he could do all the surgeries needed, but he declined, claiming he couldn’t anymore despite the sympathy he felt inside. Instead he asked the best doctors he knew, but still helped out sometimes in any way he could.

You took a breath, trying to open your eyes but the blinding lights of your room and them almost feeling as if they were glued shut from not being open for so long prevented you. You also tried moving your hands, only to feel a warm one rest on top of it, you finally opened your eyes.

“You’re awake,” Tony mumbled, rubbing a thumb on the back of your palm soothingly. “You’re awake and you’re okay.”

“Mr. Stark?” Peter called out, spotting his mentor sitting outside the room where they were doing the final surgery on you. It was his first time visiting, seeing as the knife wound was worse than he thought. “I’m so sorry, I-“

“What happened?” Was the only thing Tony said, not looking up to look at the kid. Peter stood there for a moment but told him everything that happened.

After that and after he made sure you were okay, resting in your room and everything, he let Natasha look after you for the night and headed back to the compound.

The kid would never lie to him but he had to see it all for himself. The Spider-Man suit caught everything through the baby monitor protocol. From when he arrived to the convenient store, when you told him countless of times that you weren’t coming back, and when your drunk self ranted about what you felt.

“What the fuck do I have to do just to feel loved and wanted?”

“He seemed to like both of us equally when we were younger,” you sniffled. “Of course he would, but… my brother just turned out to be special and talented and,” you frowned, “he’s all Tony ever wanted for a kid. Maybe I reminded him of the chick he fucked, I don’t know – must be it, right?”

“Y/N, you’re just as special as-” Peter tried to reason but you threw him a glare. Tony could see the pain and heartbreak in your bloodshot, tired eyes. One that said you didn’t want to hear anything like it anymore. You didn’t want to believe it.

“The thing is, they only want you when you’re gone. Missing. Dead,” you shrugged. “I can take a hint, you know? My only family hates me. My only family doesn’t want me. Now you – all of them – are looking for me… why?” Peter flinched at the loudness of your voice. You truly were broken.

Tony fast forwarded, it didn’t clearly show how you got hit, but he had enough anyway. He wanted to make things right with you. He could only hope that you make pass this, hoping that you’ll let him make it up to you.

“It’s not too late, you know,” Steve said from the entrance to his lab. “Y/N is strong. She’ll make it.”

“Why am I not dead?” You croaked, looking at your father with an anxious expression. You letting out another shaky breath as you struggled to move and look around. “I should be dead. Why am I here-”

“Take it easy-”

“Don’t you understand?” You felt your throat aching, breath quickening. “I don’t want to be here!”

“No, you’re okay. Y/N you’re okay,” Tony tried to calm you down when he saw the lines in your heart monitor go up and down in rapid pace.

“I’m not - no I’m not - not okay,” you struggled to let out. It felt like you were choking on your own breath, getting harder and harder to breathe by the minute, soon tears started to prick your eyes. “I don’t want to be here!”

“Tony, what's going on?” Steve bursted into the room with an alarmed but calm expression.

“Call Strange. Anyone.” He told the captain but his eyes never left you. He rubbed a part of your arm that wasn’t injured soothingly in attempt to calm you down. “Just breathe for me, okay? I’m here and you’re okay.”

Something about the softness and encouraging look in his eyes made you nod eventually and follow his breathing patterns. He held a glass of water for you to drink, holding your struggling hand softly to get it out of the way.

He’s never looked at you like that before.

Most of the time he ignored you, most of the time he looked at you at anger or annoyance when you’ve fucked something up.

“There we go, we okay now?” You looked away and nodded lightly. That was enough for him. Tony wanted to let you know how sorry he was so bad, but thought against it, at least for now. He was scared you might start freaking out again.

Stephen entered the room with the doctor, the other Avengers following closely behind. The amount of people in the room overwhelmed you a bit, but you were strangely calm because of how your father’s acting. Soft and caring, it made you feel safe.

Both doctors concluded that you had some sort of amnesia. In English, your past memories were blotchy, all of them even from your childhood. Again because of the blow to the head it was already expected. But you remembered the recent ones clearly, which was the reason why you avoided looking at Peter and his patched up arm.

Which also meant it was possible you didn’t remember all of the pain you felt concerning your family. It was unfair on your part.

Strange insisted that you stay a few more days, or one more week, just to run tests and make sure you get enough medicine and stuff.

They decided to see how bad your memory loss was.

“I did that to you,” you still refused to look at Peter completely. “I’m sorry, Peter.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay.” Peter gave you a smile.

You moved to the next person. Red hair, seemed to give off a friendly but civil nature. “Natasha? You’re Natasha.”

The Russian merely smiled and crossed her arms.

“Steve,” you stated, moving to the next person. “You always read old books in the kitchen.”

Steve chuckled, nodding to confirm.

“Ethan,” you smiled as you looked at your twin. He gave you a small wave even if he felt as guilty as Tony about everything even if he wasn’t the one to blame.

You stared longer at the next person, almost shoulder length dark brown hair, he’s wearing a jacket to cover his metal arm but you knew it was still there.

“Ducky?”

Peter let out a giggle, so did you brother.

“It’s Bucky, doll,” Bucky smiled, covering his face with his hand to suppress a chuckle as the rest laughed.

“Oh, right, I’m sorry,” you let out a weak giggle yourself.

You meet Tony’s eyes again, the softness still there.

“Dad,” you stated. “You’re my dad. Tony.”

No, you didn’t completely forget how he treated you. You knew he was annoyed with you, which lead you to think that you did something that made him act that way. “Am I bad?”

Tony’s hopeful expression dimmed. “What do you mean, sweetheart?”

You shrugged. “You’re mad at me, I just… I guess it’s just not clear on why.”

Steve thought it would be best for everyone to head out for a bit so he ushered everyone out of the room except for your brother who took a seat at the corner.

“About that, it’s about time we talked, yeah?” Tony sat on a chair backwards beside your bed. It made you nervous, but you were reassured. “You’re not in trouble, don’t worry.”

He exhaled, resting an arm on the top rail. “You deserve so much better. I should’ve treated you better,” you opened your mouth to ask but he continued. “Look, I haven’t been fair with you and it’s a problem. You’re smart, talented and beautiful. I figured you needed to hear it more often because it’s true. What I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry. I really am.”

Your bottom lip involuntarily trembled. “You – you really mean that?”

“From the bottom of my heart.”

You sighed, a genuine smile plastered on your face. “Thank you. And I’m sorry if I was a pain in the ass-“

“You never were,” Tony shook his head. “You always did your best and I really should have acknowledged it more. Give me a second chance?”

“Of course.”

Tony smiled, getting up and planting a gentle kiss to your forehead.

Everything in life was so much better after all that. Tony treated you and Ethan equally, same goes for Peter. The other Avengers were nicer, not the kind of nice that was almost fake, but it was genuine. All of them were. And you were thankful.

----

TAGLIST: @contanto-que-voce-me-queira @angeldreineedshelp @legendarymcnuggies @zoeyserpentluck @vienmiaprendere @alainabooks143 @hessogxlden

DID ANYONE MISS ME? BC I MISSED THIS PLACE

I highly doubt anyone’s still waiting for this, it was an unplanned hiatus I’M SO SORRY but I decided to post anyway :))

also I hope this wasn’t underwhelming, that’s one of the reasons why I was hesitant to do this but I hope its good heh (I’ve included the parts from my first post as well, just so it feels like a full fic)

WAIT I ALSO HIT 300 FOLLOWERS? INSANE. THANK YOU. I MEAN IT.

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jq37 · 3 years

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The Report Card – Fantasy High: The Seven Ep 1

Meet the Maidens

It is back to school baby, both for D20 and, funnily enough, myself as well (something I hope will give me more time to get the recaps out in a timely manner fingers crossed).

As I’m sure you all know if you’re reading this, this season of D20 takes place in the world of Fantasy High but with a focus on Aguefort’s OTHER most badass adventuring party who we’ve so far only seen on the sidelines, the Seven Maidens! You’ll recall, they’re made up of the seven girls who were captured by Penelope and co. to fulfill the prophecy that would let Kalvaxus rule the world freshman year. And, in fact, we start with a flashback to freshman year so let’s just jump right in.

We find our seven soon-to-be heroines chained in the Red Waste in front of what we know and they will shortly learn in Kalvaxus’ lair--a crucial part of the prophecy that was the subject of season 1. The structure of this episode is sort of like 2 rounds of introductions--first here with the maidens meeting each other for the first time and then again at home with their families a la the first episode of Freshman Year so I’ll be glossing over certain things that we’ll get to later in their second intros.

Anyway, the first two to wake up are Danielle (aka Yelle: half-elf, druid) and Zelda (satyr, barbarian as we know). Zelda is her usual, adorably nervous self in contrast to Yelle who is no less sweet but in a super chill, granola girl, fuck the system kind of way. We actually learn that Penelope had her on board with the plan for a hot second when she thought it was just “overthrow the government” but didn’t know about the “install a just as bad if not worse evil dragon overlord” part.

Ostentatia (dwarf, cleric) wakes up next and is, as Izzy--her player--describes her “Jersey Trash.”, all blinged up with jewelry that she secretly made herself and didn’t buy. She wakes up pissed and ready to bodyslam Aelwyn which are both extremely valid emotions as much as I love Aelwyn. By the way, all of the girls recognize each other as girls who go to their school but none of them are really friends though they very quickly start throwing the label around because that’s what you do when you wake up chained with 6 other people in front of a dragon’s lair in a place called the Red Waste.

Katja (half-orc, fighter) wakes up and immediately cares about nothing more than the status of her beloved horse, Cinnamon and declares that if Cinnamon dies, she’ll die. This is a fantasy world so Ostentatia and Danielle are a little concerned that might literally be true via a soul bond or something but it’s more that Katja just really, really loves that horse. Danielle tries to cast a spell to locate the horse but can’t get the somatic components quite right with her hands manacled.

They all get into a discussion about the fact that everyone for a fact knows they’re all virgins now (you know, the real issue here) and what exactly counts as “virginity” for the purposes of this prophecy (like, does second or third base count or only traditional home runs using the baseball analogy) when Penny wakes up and is, just so excited to be here gang! Penny (halfling, rogue), who is one of the girls who has been kidnapped the longest, is adorably and honestly a bit concerningly exuberant to be surrounded by all these new friends, totally disregarding the fact that they are clearly in some deep shit. Zelda mentions that Riz, her old babysitee, knows they’re kidnapped and is trying to help and she lights up.

Next up is Sam (water genasi, sorc/bard) who immediately starts thrashing to get out of her chains and, when she can’t get free, is devastated by the fact that her ex betrayed her (!?) Finally Antiope (human fighter/ranger) wakes up all out of sorts having started her growth spurt while in the crystal and also having needed to pee right before she went in which becomes a problem all over herself (which Sam helpfully cantrips away).

With all of them awake, the stones they’re chained to light up and some of Kalvaxus’ minions (the ones who tied them up) show up to do minion speechifying. Yelle does a horrifying Animorph style morph into a waterbear (a tardigrade if you wanna get all Bio 101) to get out of her bonds but then Sam who has a serious one track mind re: getting out of here (Correct) and has exactly zero patience for these guys casts Tidal Wave and just knocks them off the cliff. Yelle frees Ostentatia who frees everyone else with Animate Object on their chains. Hands free, Yelle also casts Locate Animal and tells a very pleased Katja that Cinnamon is doing a full Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron down the highway searching for her.

The girls decide to explore the cave which has recently had most of its treasure moved (it’s currently in the gym for the Prompocolypse fight which is currently happening). Penny and Sam (who are in insanely different emotional places) find all these broken mirrors which Sam takes as a cue that they need to GTFO (which is what she was already doing) and Penny thinks would make a great material for friendship bracelet making which she starts doing as Sam physically pulls her away. Sam hears someone doing post-cry sniffles and is like, “Not today Satan,” still trying to leave. However, Penny sees that there is one mirror left and, inside, sees a ethereal looking human with flowing, preternatural, black hair who senses their presence and asks if Penny is someone named Anima. She asks for their names though she declines to give hers (hmm, feels very fae) and the girls give the fake names of Kelly and Cecelia which the figure says she will guard and not misuse. The figure says she is looking for her sisters (who she says when Penny asks are at Aguefort which...hmmmmm) and, all of a sudden, Sam and Penny are having a bad feeling about those mirror shards.

They ask her a question about the mirror and she gets really aggro when it’s referred to as “her” mirror as she would very much like to be out of it. The woman really wants to get out and says she can give them lots of power if they help. Sam pulls out her compact Mirror of the Past (magic item that does basically what you’d expect--shows you info from something’s past though in a cryptic way usually) to try and get some info on this thing and just barely avoids losing her mind in the process because this thing is ancient. Like eons old. She also learns the woman’s name (or maybe title): The Ending of Things (will be calling her Ending for now).

Yikes!

Right around now the other girls come in and can see at the angle they’re looking at her at the woman in the mirror is Not Really A Person and Antiope points at her and reflexively casts a ranger sense spell to try and clock its weaknesses and stuff but Ending grabs the spell energy like a lasso and tries to drag her into the mirror. She does however find out that she’s stacked with hella resistances (total immunity to necrotic damage and non-maj weapons, resistance to most elemental damage, and more).

Sam briefly considers using Lightning Lure to pull Antiope back before deciding on a much less ouchy Counterspell. Unfortunately, it’s not strong enough and now she’s being pulled in by her spell energy too. Yelle casts Erupting Earth which has some pros and cons.

Pros: Antiope and Sam are saved! Yay!

Cons: The mirror breaks and whatever was in it is fully freed. Not yay!

Shortly after (but not before Penny gives everyone their new friendship bracelets), someone calls into the cave looking for them--it’s Fig’s mom, Sandra-Lynn (with new art)! She’s happy and impressed that everyone is OK (also, Katja and Sam both have little lines that foreshadow their ~parental issues~ for the season--Katja being very moved by the simple act of Sandra-Lynn showing up for them and Sam saying that in her experience moms can be very evil).

As they all leave the cave, they all do checks and get some info:

Ostentatia: The mirror was kinda like a palimpsest (the crystals they were trapped in) and whatever this thing is is ancient and powerful.

Yelle: Gets the above info and the fact that when the thing left it wasn’t quite a bad vibe, just the vibe that something big and important is at play.

Penny: On an Arcana check she knows that what Danielle did 100% saved Antiope and Sam’s lives from whatever and wherever was on the either side of the mirror but the contact marked them in some way.

Katja: With History she sees some Primordial writing which is the writing of elementals (one of the things Ending has resistances to which might be relevant; also Sam reads Primordial but doesn’t get to read what it says)

Antiope: She knows that she and Sam are connected to Ending now somehow but it’s a two way connection which means they can also use it to their advantage.

Ostentatia casts Mending on the mirror shards which I think was to reconstruct the mirror but what it actually does is someone link their friendship bracelets. Cute!

And, with that, we cut to the present a year and a half later (which is Jr or Sr year for everyone).

We hop from kid to kid as they get ready to head in to school and get glimpses into their homes lives! Let’s do a quick rundown for each girl:

Antiope Jones

We see that Antiope is the youngest of five in what is essentially a military family full of basically every kind of fighter (she says she basically lives in a “Crossfit box”). There’s an 8 year gap between her and her sister Corsica who is the second youngest so her parents are kind of already living like empty nesters. When she comes downstairs she is promptly handed a protein smoothie and told two pieces of info: (1) from Corsica she learns that she overheard at school --where she teaches--that Aguefort needs to talk to her for some reason but she won’t say why which annoys the crap out of Antiope and (2) her parents lined up an internship for her at the Ministry of Adventure. She and her mom verbally spar a bit about them being all up in her life and how stressed she is and how she likes what she has going now with the Seven but her mom wins ofc because she’s a Mom and also a master tactician with a deft hand for loving mom guilt. On the way to school her bros (who include a gunslinger and an eldritch knight cause they run the whole gamut of fighter classes) Facetime her like, “Yikes Ant, heard about what happened with Mom, this is why you don’t fight her lmao.”

Sam Nightingale

This is a heavy one so strap in.

We check in with Sam who isn’t at her own family’s home but at Penelope’s family home which is off the bat eyebrow raising. It’s an upper middle class house and, on the way down, she has to pass Penelope’s bedroom which is conspicuously empty. Downstairs she’s greeted by Penelope’s human mom Rebecca who she learns is moving out soon because her elf husband is both cheating on her while away in Falinel and starting the divorce process. Sam clearly sees Penelope’s mom as a surrogate mom (for reasons we’ll learn in a second) and goes full ride or die assuring her that her ass is better than the ass of the woman he’s cheating with and offering to help burn his stuff even though drowning is more her specialty (she’s so cool). She also is a little stricken at the thought of Rebecca leaving her in the house alone but Rebecca says she can come with if she wants, she just didn’t want to disrupt her school life.

She also tells Rebecca that her bio-mom called recently which immediately sets Sam off. Through the convo we learn a couple of things:

Sam used to be an actor it seems.

And it seems like she was kicked out of the house after she transitioned or something similar which is why she lives with the Everpetals.

Now that it’s more “fashionable” to to be trans (her mom’s words, not mine) she wants Sam to talk to her so they can get her back in the game.

Sam is having none of that and tells Rebecca to just delete her mom’s number. Then they have a cathartic session of burning her cheating husband’s shit before Sam leaves in Sebastian--her sentient, seafoam blue, self-driving car with a very hot male voice which I am extremely jealous of. She picks up Zelda on the way to school and they commiserate a little and have a heart to heart about adults and change and how much Zelda wants to body slam Sam’s mom.

Penny Luckstone

Penny’s house is a whirlwind of activity and her harried parents get her and her 19 young siblings ready for school (no wonder she’s such a good babysitter). We see where Penny gets her type-A ness from as her mom and dad both have this cheerful but overworked energy of “EVERYTHING IS FINE” like that Good Place sign. Her mom spares a second to tell her that she recently got a letter for The Society of Shadows which is like a super secret rogue college (which her parents assume is legit even though they haven’t heard of it cause they’re Mumple people and also, if you've heard of a rogue school, how good could it really be?) Penny is excited except that it would mean she’d have to move and leave her party. Her mom is like “hey it’s a full ride and there are 20 of you guys so just take that into consideration but it’s ultimately your decision” before she dashes away to get to work because it is always Go Go Go with the Luckstones. She texts Sam for a ride and Sam swings by to grab her. This is not plot relevant but she has a booster seat in the back of Sebastian with her name carved into it and it’s important to me that you know that.

Katja Cleaver

Next up is Katja who lives in a Richie Rich style mansion and comes from very old money as she is descended from one of the first adventurers in Solace. She is in the barn with Cinnamon and the bugbear farrier they have employed (her name is Gertrude and a farrier is someone who does horseshoes). She eats the same breakfast as Cinnamon (hot dry oats and berries baybee) wo she loves so so dearly. Cinnamon is a magical horse--basically like a Find Steed spell that’s on all the time. She’s modeled the horse in her fave book series--the Babysitter’s Horse of course. Lockwood, the staff’s hobgoblin butler, is also there and they get a fantasy Zoom call from Katja’s dad who is in the middle of the insane 20th level adventurer stuff which he says might make him miss her graduation. She is extremely disappointed but just barely hides it from her dad (who seems to really care despite his not being around). She can’t hide it from the staff or Cinnamon however and Cinnamon offers to give her a ride to school via the scenic route.

Note: We also learn two sad facts about Katja from the conversation with her dad.

Her mother is Disney Princess dead* and

She wears one half of a friendship necklace and it seems like she’s waiting for someone to give the other half to. It’s implied earlier that the way Penelope got her was by promising to be her best friend. Sad!

*Edit: Well, she’s gone and we’ll leave it at that until next recap.

Ostentatia Wallace

Ostentatia wakes up and goes downstairs to have a very high energy in both directions interaction with her very fantasy-Italian mom and grandma. Her grandma is concerned her beard isn’t coming in--not knowing she shaves it on purpose which her mom is like, “Listen it’s fine but don’t tell grandma it’ll kill her.” She clocks very quickly that her dad isn’t there and his mithril working tools are gone. Her mom tries to play it off but she knows she’s being lied to and her mom relents. Her dad is at a meeting with the other workers of the shut down mithril factory and negotiations have ceased. It looks like he’s gonna be long term out of work. That explains where her dad is but not why the tools are missing. She decides to go do some investigating on her own and ambushes her dad in his car where, with the inaugural nat 20 of the season, she realizes he pawned his tools to get her 5 revivify diamonds. She's upset by this and he’s upset that she’s, in his eyes, questioning his ability to take care of his family. She’s like, alright, you did a thing for me, I’ll do a thing for you and she casts Animate Object to make his stuff steal itself back in a sequence that involves an animated crowbar using another crowbar which is just wild.

Danielle Barkstock

I’m gonna be real, Danielle’s life is exactly how you assume it is based on Who She Is As A Person so this one will be real short. Eco-friendly off the grid geodesic yurt. One super chill peace and love elf sorc mom and one rough and tough human ranger mom. She also knows and helps the Cubbies with their anarchist machinations because yeah, duh. She gets some messages from school on her crystal--one being a message from the principal saying that she and the rest of her party have first period off to meet with him and the other being a newsletter from the school showing, among other things, a photo of the Druid class doing a project but she’s not in it for some reason. She texts one of the other druids to see if she can figure out why she wasn’t invited but fully gets left on read. Brutal. Of course, she hasn’t messaged that person in 6-8 months so maybe that’s why.

Anyway, with that, all seven of our maidens make it to school and are all exuberant to see each other in a very teen girl way before getting to the principal’s office and learning that their party will be broken up at the year!

Bad!

Superlatives

I wanted to do something a little different for these recaps than the Bad Kid ones so instead of Honor Roll/Detention we are doing Superlatives and the inaugural one goes to...

Sam: Most Like To Survive a Horror Movie

Man she woke up chained in a ritual magic circle and she was Ready To Go Immediately. You will not catch this girl doing horror movie victim BS like exploring the spooky house or giving the creepy obvious ghost the time of day. She is hyper-competent and her goal is making it out alive and dragging her friends with her. Love her.

Random Thoughts

The season immediately starts with a bang or I should say a bing with Izzy trying to say “bling bang” and accidentally saying, “bling bing” and immediately getting roasted by everyone. I love the authentic girl group vibes (which include everyone clowning on her then immediately hyping up Zelda to the max after being way more awkward).

Handshake meme with Danielle and Moonshine from Naddpod. Also, Cinnamon and Horse from Centaurworld.

I love that Rekha and Erika just straight up were like, “Our characters are Asian”. Like obviously, make your characters Asian coded in your fantasy world--all my D&D characters are black like me--but it’s funny that they completely disregarded the, “There’s no Asia in this world so I guess they’re this world’s equivalent to--” Nah just, “I’m a half-elf and I’m Asian.” You love to see it.

I absolutely LOVE the choices the cast made to flesh out their characters based on the little info Brennan had about them, none moreso than rich horse girl Katja. Rekha is a genius.

“I only want one thing and he’s working” KATJAAAAAAA

Man if I was in that flashback I would have been wilding out so much with my flashback plot armor.

I appreciate that the first thing that Aabria has Antiope do is extremely uncool. I love it when players aren’t concerned about just being cool and on point all the time. Sometimes (read: often) that’s the less interesting choice.

But on the exact opposite side, she’s a ranger and an arcane archer which I think is extremely cool. Lmao also I didn’t mention in the recap but she HATES dragons now which, understandable. I’m guessing they're her favored enemy.

I can’t wait to see another group of kids interact w/ madman Aguefort.

Also, as a known Aelwyn-stan, I am very excited for the possibility of the Seven interacting with her cause as much as I love her they are under no obligation to acknowledge her redemption arc and I would love to see them throw hands.

I love the Greek myth naming scheme of Antiope’s extremely cool family as with her on the spot nickname “L-Cab” short for long caboose since she’s the youngest by a mile.

Also this is out of character not in character but Sephie is an extremely cool nickname for Persephone.

I wonder why Brennan didn’t let Sam read the Primordial in the cave. He just glossed right past her saying that she speaks it and she didn’t push it. Would it have solved his entire plot in the span of a flashback or was he just keeping things moving?

Sidenote, if I was married to an elf man and worried about aging like Rebecca, I would simply become a druid (or a monk or up my wizard levels so I could learn True Polymorph or Wish or something).

I wonder what the deal with Ending is. She seemed relatively sincere in the mirror but that doesn’t mean anything. She could be sincere and also Very Bad News.

There is an offhand comment by Brennan about how the dwarf forge god gives spells but doesn’t talk to his followers which I think means that Ostentatia is gonna be getting a direct god call soon enough.

Also she mentions that her dad is doing some criminal activity on the side which seems like a Problem for later. Honestly all of the kids have some pretty rich parent drama happening which should be interesting to see explored.

No nat 1s this ep and 1 nat 20 as I mention from Ostentatia.

#dimension 20 #fantasy high #the seven #fantasy high spoilers #dimension 20 spoilers

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waveypedia · 3 years

Text

New Days

Rymin Week Day 4: Off the Train

1 2 5 6 7

Ao3

Contrary to popular belief (his parents), Min-Gi is not a morning person.

He’d trained himself into getting up and going to bed early, first at his parents’ insistence, then as a necessary skill for all the classes he was taking in high school (Gotta make that college application shine!). Yet given the choice, he would happily stay up all night and wake up extremely late.

On the train, all of Min’s obligations and restrictions suddenly vanished. Although his schedule was primarily dictated by not dying, which led him to sleep and wake up at odd hours (and telling time on the train is a complicated task anyways), he started sleeping in later and later. Now that he’s off the train, and most of his days consist of driving, songwriting, and practicing, he’s free to wake up as late as he wishes.

It’s why he finds himself slowly slipping into the world of wakefulness one unassuming Thursday morning. The van is already moving, as per usual - Ryan doesn’t mind the quiet mornings as Min sleeps away. Golden rays of sunlight peak through the van’s windows.

In the driver’s seat, Ryan is spotlighted in one. The sun’s brilliant hues turn his brown hair into shades of tree bark and make his soft skin glow. He’s beautiful.

Ryan is a morning person, in contrast to Min, but he would very much like to be a night person. They’ve spent ages lamenting the fateful injustice. Unlike Min, who used to force himself to go to bed early even if it meant lying awake in the dark for hours, Ryan chooses to just run on little sleep. He’d go out and party and/or perform all night, crash for a few hours, and wake up at his usual time.

He’s been getting better, though. Just like Min, they’ve both been making bounds of progress now that they’re off the train and free from restrictions. Every time Ryan goes to bed at a decent hour, it eases the worry in Min’s heart.

They’re both doing so much better now. Min never thought he’d be grateful for getting spontaneously kidnapped by a magical death train, but he and Ryan are so much happier now than they’d ever thought they’d be.

Ryan glances over, smiling fondly. “Good morning, sleeping beauty.”

It’s a running joke between them, one that started way back on the train with Kez, but Min’s heart never fails to make a little jump whenever Ryan calls him beauty.

“Morning,” Min replies, stretching. He digs around in a bag at his feet. “Did you move the songbook?”

“Yeah, I was working on it earlier,” Ryan says. He jerks a thumb behind him without taking his eyes off the road. “I left some new lyrics and chords for you to look over.”

Min smiles. “Thanks.” Following Ryan’s directions, he grabs the songbook, a blue pencil, and his coveted mini-synth. Items in hand, he carefully slips into the passenger’s seat and buckles up.

Ryan shoots him a quick grin and turns his music off so Min can write.

For the next few hours, they stay as they are - Ryan keeps them on track to their next gig, while Min tackles the lines Ryan wrote earlier. It was a bit of a learning curve, figuring out how to write songs together, when they first started out. Ryan only knew chords and tablature, while Min only knew notated music from his viola days. Now, though, a couple months into their journey, they’ve worked out a good system. Whoever comes up with lyrics or a melody first (usually lyrics, and usually Ryan) will pen it along with any chords or notes they can think of. The other will look it over, edit it, and add the missing element. It usually makes for a solid first draft.

Min twirls the pencil in his hand. Blue. His favorite color. Ryan usually writes in a red pencil, from a set of colored pencils he stole from his younger brother before leaving. It makes contributions easy to distinguish when writing and editing.

Every so often, while Min looks over Ryan’s ideas, he’ll pull out his mini-synth and tap out a melody. Both of them find it easier to create melodies with an instrument in hand. Min may not play his mini-synth on stage like Ryan plays his guitar, but it still makes him happy to play it regularly. Not as a toy, not as something he has to hide from his boss and his parents, but as a genuine instrument.

As he writes and plays, Ryan listens. He keeps his attention on the road and map, but chimes in every so often with little affirmations and suggestions.

“Is that a D?” Ryan muses. “Under a G?”

Min thumbs the corner of the page. “Yeah, I think it sounds cool. Thoughts?”

Ryan graces him with a patented Ryan Akagi grin, all teeth. “I like it! I’ll look it over when you drive.” Ryan squeezes his fists on the steering wheel. “I’m really glad we’re working together, Min. This is way better than anything I’ve written solo.”

Min ducks his head, cheeks flushing. “Oh- Uh- I like writing with you too,” he replies. “

In the afternoon, they pull over and Min takes the wheel. Sometimes at this time they stop for food - they’ve made it their mission to catalogue all the small restaurants across Canada and America on the way to New York for future reference. But today Ryan got a late start on driving because he was songwriting (“Inspiration strikes when it strikes, Min! Who am I to deny my muses?” Never mind that Ryan is uncharacteristically close-lipped about what/who said muses even are), so they eat separately in the car. They step out to stretch for a minute, and Min hands over the songbook and food. Then they’re off again.

Ryan makes a few more edits with his red pencil, but they always collaborate on the second pass. At both of their insistence, they have to wait until one of them isn’t driving to truly discuss it. Min thought he might have to put his foot down on this, but Ryan was insistent - he’s an experienced driver and knows far to well just how dangerous and difficult driving is.

The afternoon passes without much fanfare. Min keeps his eyes on the road while Ryan edits and eventually breaks out his guitar. The highway is long, flat, and unassuming. Few other cars pass them.

It’s for that exact reason Ryan gets an idea that is both brilliant and stupid.

“Min. Min. Minminminminminmi-”

“What.” A feeling of dread washes over Min before the words are even out of Ryan’s mouth.

Ryan grins toothily at him. “I’m gonna stick my head out the window.”

Min chokes on air., surprised. “Wh- Ryan. Why would you want to do that? Didn’t you have enough thrills on the death train?”

“Eh,” Ryan says, shrugging. “I’ve always wanted to do it, but i couldn’t exactly do it while driving when I was touring alone. Besides, my parents would never let me.”

“For good reason,” Min grumbles, but in his gut he knows Ryan’s already won.

Ryan frowns at him. “Look, I’m not stupid. I’ll be careful. I won’t lean so far out of the car that I’ll fall. I’ll come back in if there are more cars or it looks like I might hit something.”

“Or if we start turning,” Min warns.

Ryan’s replying smile is blinding. “Does that mean it’s a yes from you?”

Min rolls his eyes. “Just try not to die. If I show up to the venue with only half the band, the manager won’t be happy with me.”

“Yes!” Ryan punches his fist in the air and dances triumphantly - or, he dances as much as one can while sitting in the seat of a moving van.

Ryan rolls down the window and sticks his head out. He’s crouching on the seat, half-standing, in order to fully fit through the window. His upper body is out of the car. His arms wave and flail, making his jacket sleeves flutter even more violently in the wind.

Min starts to shout a warning, to yell about safety precautions, to give into the panic in his heart and yell get down, but the words die in his throat the minute he lays eyes on Ryan’s face.

Ryan is joyful. Euphoric. Happy. He has always been a smiley person, but times where he is truly, unadulteredly happy are rarer than you’d think. Here, riding half-outside of the van while they drive to their fame and dreams, he seems truly free.

Min smiles. God, he loves that man.

Ryan glances back, the light reflecting off his glasses, and flashes Min an adrenaline-fueled grin and a shaky thumbs up. His ankles wobble a bit. Before Min realizes what he’s doing, he reaches out and grabs Ryan for support.

Ryan’s mouth drops open in a small ‘o’. Min moves to take his hand back, but before he can, Ryan twists and reaches back inside the car to grab Min’s wrist, stopping him in his tracks.

Min freezes.

Ryan is smiling, more bashful and careful now than before. He’s still happy, but… nervous? Anxious?

Min’s heart flutters. He manages to smile back.

“I got you,” he says, although it comes out as a whisper.

“O-oh,” Ryan whispers. His eyes are wide and soft. “I… thank you, Min.”

Min ducks his head awkwardly. “You’re welcome.”

The rest of the drive is quiet. It’s not awkward, but it’s not as comfortable and natural as it usually would be.

Something has changed.

Min grips the wheel tighter and stares down the road, for a lack of real target. If looks could kill, the road would be up in flames.

It’s… confusing. He’s not sure why a change in their dynamic is so upsetting and off-putting. He and Ryan have gone through so many changes over the years, and they’ve always been able to come back to themselves in the end.

Besides, it’s not like they had an argument. Or even a misunderstanding. All they did was hold onto each other to keep balance. Why does this feel so monumental?

Min chances a glance away from the road to look at Ryan. He’s curled up in the passenger seat (because Ryan seems incapable of sitting normally when he’s not driving) with his guitar. The songbook, flipped open to their latest draft, is balanced precariously on Ryan’s knee. He’s bent over to read it accurately, which must be difficult, especially in the dim light. But he seems to be managing. He’s humming softly to himself, almost too quiet for Min to catch it. As he’s focused on the road (no matter how much he wants to listen to Ryan’s ethereal yet natural and homey singing) the melody floats in and out of focus. Ryan is also plucking at his guitar, playing mostly individual notes instead of chords. It’s calming and comforting, not to mention beautiful. If Min weren’t driving, he might just fall right asleep. Even though he’s the one playing, Ryan seems drowsy as well, judging by the way he’s leaning against the back of the seat.

As they draw closer to their destination, Ryan seems to consciously shake himself into wakefulness. He sits up and puts the songbook away to focus fully on his guitar. As Min pulls off the highway and navigates the city streets, Ryan tunes his guitar and warms up.

They run through a couple vocal exercises together, practicing harmonies and lyrics as well as warm-ups. Min is a bit shaky since he’s focused on the road, but he and Ryan know their songs by heart, and the warm-up does the job. He’s still a bit jittery as he pulls into the venue parking lot, but that’s normal. He hasn’t quite shaken his stage fright yet, but as long as he has Ryan at his side, he’s able to perform. More than that, he has fun performing.

Besides, Ryan confided in him a while back, before their first real show. “You’re not the only one with stage fright, Min,” he’d confessed. “Yeah, I love it, and the adrenaline basically cancels out the fear, but it’s still there. You just have to go for it.”

Min had felt comforted enough to perform with that, with the admission that even the seemingly-fearless Ryan Akagi, who’d always seemed more at home on a stage than at his actual home got stage fright. But then Ryan had hesitated, glanced down, and taken Min’s hand. Min’s heart had nearly stuttered to a stop in his chest. He almost missed what Ryan said next.

“Besides, it doesn’t matter if you get stage fright or not,” Ryan had said cheerfully, too cheerfully, although Min barely noticed. “All that really matters is if you enjoy what you’re doing. It’s more admirable to conquer your fear in order to chase your dreams than to not have fear.”

Min had smiled back, shaky but euphoric. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, not unlike how he felt onstage. “That’s very profound.”

Ryan had laughed and squeezed his hand. “Eh, I have a lot of experience. Listen to me, I’m the master!”

The mood subtly shifted with the joke, and suddenly they were laughing and Ryan let go of his hand and they were pushing the synthesizer on stage and it was all a blur from there until the curtain went down and Ryan was squealing and hugging him and picking him up and screaming We did it! You did it!

What a first show.

Min shakes himself back to reality and pulls into the venue parking lot. Ryan jumps out of the van before Min is fully parked, despite Min’s loud protests. He rolls his eyes and lets Ryan run ahead anyway.

While Ryan gets checked in with the manager, Min parks and unloads Barold and the rest of their equipment (which is pretty much just Barold now, since Ryan took his guitar with him in his haste). He heads inside, he and Ryan set up, and then they’re standing onstage behind a lowered curtain, waiting in darkness and silence for their cue.

Suddenly, Ryan turns around and flashes Min a thumbs-up and a bright smile. It’s more jerky and jittery than usual, probably because of the nerves and adrenaline. He seems a little more on edge today, though.

“We’re gonna do great!” Ryan promises, grinning.

Min smiles back. “We’re gonna do rad,” he replies. The tension between them dissipates, and the curtain goes up. Ryan turns toward the crowd, beaming his particular I’m-on-stage-but-I’m-really-enjoying-myself smile, and greets them. The crowd goes wild.

Energy floods Min’s body, and he grins back at the crowd. Ryan counts them off, and they burst into their opening number with the power and passion it requires. The crowd screams, but Min can barely hear them over the music and Ryan’s voice.

He’s living. Far more than he ever was before.

They both are.

After the show is a blur of chatting with audience members, grabbing something to eat, and scheduling another show. By the time they head to the hotel, Min’s exhausted. But he dutifully puts all the equipment in their hotel room and locks up the van before he collapses into bed.

Ryan is already in their room when Min comes in. He’s sitting on the bed, facing away from the door, with his hands on his lap. Most striking is the absence of his guitar. Ryan may have been playing all day, but it’s rare for him to be without his instrument and yet so still like this.

Ryan, to his core, is always moving. Even when he’s not physically moving, he’s always singing, humming, thinking. Yet now, he sits in absolute stillness.

“Ryan?” Min whispers. His voice is quieter than he intended, but Ryan jumps at it all the same.

When he turns, he’s smiling disarmingly, but it’s too wide and shaky to be natural. Ryan may have convinced someone else with that expression, but Min knows him too well to be fooled.

Min strides into the room with three short steps, locking the door behind him. He stops in front of Ryan, so close their knees are almost brushing. Ryan blushes. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I- Nothing.” Ryan won’t meet his gaze.

Min scowls. “Come on, Ryan. Aren’t we past this? Didn’t the train teach us not to do all this not-talking crap?”

Ryan flinches. “I- Sorry. I didn’t mean to. I’m just… thinking.”

“About what?” Min finally moves, stepping around Ryan to sit on the bed beside him. He takes care to keep his voice soft and gentle. He doesn’t want to scare Ryan again. Whatever’s going on seems to have him skittish all of a sudden.

Ryan bites his lip. “Min, I… you know I care about you, right?”

Min blinks, surprised. “Of course I do.” Hesitantly, he reaches out to take Ryan’s hand, running his thumb over Ryan’s knuckles. “I care about you too.”

Ryan blushes. His cheeks are nearly scarlet right now. Min’s a bit too tired to unpack that all on his own right now, but he knows it means something. It spurs him on, gives him a burst of courage and energy in the adrenaline crash phase after a show. “I’m glad we’re-” He’s about to say friends, but the word dies on his lips. Suddenly, it feels all wrong, but he can’t put his finger on why.

Slowly, Ryan turns to face him. His eyes are wide and anxious, his lips slightly parted, but there’s a set determination in him that shows in his face. He reaches out to take Min’s other hand, and… leans in closer.

Min finds himself leaning in simultaneously. Soon they’re close enough Min can feel Ryan’s breath on his lips. It’s hot in more ways than one.

Oh. Oh.

So that’s why today, Ryan’s hand on his wrist, the trusting and yet shocked expression of his, felt so weird and so right at the same time.

Their eyes meet. A silent exchange passes between them.

Do you want to do this?

Yes. Do you?

Yes.

If asked after, Min couldn’t say if he initiated it or if Ryan did.

All he knows is the gap between them is now nonexistent, and Ryan’s lips are on his, and suddenly it’s everything he’s ever wanted.

The kiss is slow. Hesitant. Exploring new territory, figuring out boundaries. But it’s not awkward.

No, they are Ryan and Min, Min and Ryan, Chicken Choice Judy, and they have come much too far to be awkward. They’ve been building towards this moment since they first met, even if they didn’t know it.

It feels like a found puzzle piece of himself Min didn’t even realize he was missing. Now, he is complete. Now, they are complete.

Now, they are both truly living their lives to the fullest.

this fic is just: *headcanon* *headcanon* *headcanon* *hea-

oh man i almost didn't finish this one in time. it's still the 12th here, though (by a couple hours!), so i'm good! it's hard to write a full one-shot every day, but i've already come farther than i thought i would! i told myself i would finish this today, and i did! i also told myself i would finish the week and my remaining prompts, and i will. :)

title is from new days by dreamcatcher. that's the second time i've used it as a title but the last one was for a zine fic so i can get away with using it here, lol. i really love that song, so that's why. the lyrics translation are absolutely nothing like this, but for some reason it gives off road trip vibes (at least to me), so it works really well for this particular piece!

okay confession time: i think this is the first kiss scene i've ever written lol. i was writing it and i was like "hey wait a minute i have no clue what i'm doing have i done this before??? i don't think so???" it didn't help that i didn't intend to write a kiss scene, but i got to the place where i'd intended to end it and it felt like the natural progression. i'm gonna go research good kiss writing after this. i would've done it while i was writing, but i didn't want to post this any later than i had to

i have a bunch of infinity train snippets and wips i wrote right after book 4 aired and my interest in the show peaked, and i really thought i had something that would fit well for off the train but i guess i didn't?? maybe i just daydreamed it and never actually penned it skfhksl. so i was kind of flying by the seat of my pants for this one. i think it's my favorite of rymin week so far though! it was also the most fun to write. i really love introspective pieces. ryan and min off the train, after their relationship is repaired, when they're in a much better place and truly happy with each other, is also my favorite time in their lives to explore. they're so much happier and healthier, and they can truly start to explore themselves and realize their dreams.

if you have a piano or something on hand you should play the d and g notes together. they sound heavenly. in choir two years ago we had that chord and i have never forgotten it because i love it so much.

if you ever wanna talk infinity train, writing, these amazing characters, or really anything hmu here on my tumblr or twitter! thank you for reading, and please leave a reblog/like/comment if you enjoyed it!

@ryminweek

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fellowstrangetownappreciator · 3 years

Text

The Strange Case of The Strangetown Metamorphosis

There is a mysterious Sim that appears in Strangetown.

That's like saying "there is a fish that appears in the ocean", I know, so I'll be a little more specific.

They are an adult whose memories show inconsistencies with those of their family members. Something is missing!

Alright. That's also not saying much, that's like half of the premades in vanilla, non-clean hoods.

They are immediately recognizable by their appearance and, dare I say it, have distinguishing features unique to them.

Well, that also kinda fits everyone...

They feature in more than one installment of the series.

Again, not that helpful. I mean, almost everybody from the base game hoods is (for better or worse) represented in TS3 or TS4.

They appear in TS2 for PSP!

Hmm...

They are a member of a wealthy family connected to science and paranormal.

And...

They are somehow connected to (possible) cloning.

I imagine that now you’re probably rolling your eyes and asking: Why didn’t I just simply say I was going to talk about Bella Goth?

Because... I’m not!

It’s Loki Beaker. In this mini-essay I’m going to speak about Loki, what is the mystery around him, what hints are there and what are some of the theories and which one do I fancy.

It’s basically a routine round of the popular game “connect EAxis’ oversights and glue them together into a headcanon”.

So without further ado, let me introduce you to:

The Mystery of Loki Beaker!

0: Preface: Loki who?

“As soon as he perfects his latest invention, Loki is sure to get the recognition he knows he deserves. In the meantime, he keeps himself busy by trying to assemble a nuclear reactor out of common household items.”

On the first glance, Loki as a Sim seems quite straightforward. He is a Knowledge Sim with a very eccentric personality. All his trait points are in the extremes, as you can see:

He is a scientist, a competent one at that, as proven by his high career level and the fun fact that some of the game’s horrible machinery you can buy for Aspiration points is attributed to his creation.

(It explains why are the Beakers the only ones who have the stuff lying around by default. It is normal for a Strangetown family to own a non-buyable reward object or two but those are career rewards, the Beakers are the only one who canonically own Aspiration points rewards.)

Even though he knows his stuff when it comes to his profession, he is very corrupt and tests his questionable projects on his captive, Nervous Subject.

To say that Loki is unpopular would be an understatement. No one but his wife Circe likes Loki, even his own sister is indifferent towards him. Yes, he has a sister. Her name is Erin and she also lives in Strangetown with a colorful collection of roommates.

Nothing mysterious about him so far. (apart from his eyebrows)

1: Characterization fallen apart

And then The Sims 3 happened. It was actually quite late into the game’s life cycle, the early 2013, when a beautiful nordic-themed world was released on TS3 Store. Its name was Aurora Skies and it featured Loki, Erin and their parents.

TS3 Loki is a child and Erin is a toddler.

Now I haven’t actually played Aurora Skies. I own (and love) TS3 but the price range for the Store worlds is too high for me, content-to-money wise. So there might be some hidden clues about the Beakers in their house or relationship panels that I haven’t been able to inspect but... not to sound cynical but I doubt it. I doubt such attention was given to detail of this family in Aurora Skies, as they don’t even have individual bios.

But... that is... fine? I mean, we have Loki’s TS2 bio...

Nope. Sure we do. And it would be fine if hair color and ambitions weren’t the only thing Loki and his younger self (from now on referred to as smol Loki) had in common.

Let’s take a look on smol Loki’s personality.

The first noticeable thing is that there is not a trace of Loki’s trademark villainy. He’s not Mean Spirited, he’s not Evil, he’s not even a No Sense of Humor Sim. His extreme neatness and hyperactivity are nowhere to be seen either. While it is true that TS3′s capabilities of defining personality are very limited as it picks “outstanding points” rather than a position of each trait on a scale, and it only has 5 slots (and tiny teeny 3 for children), it doesn’t make any sense still for the devs not to pick some more loki-esque traits for the precious slots they had.

Unless...

They didn’t care about Loki’s personality and there were no deeper intentions.

Unless the devs were trying to purposefully show us new angles of his character that either got suppressed while he was growing up, or manifest in ways that TS2′s scale system wasn’t able to show.

Could the Lucky trait in particular have had something to do with the change?

(Also, those traits of smol Loki are reason why I usually go for a Family Secondary Loki in TS2 and thus make Strangetown the purgatory of two unstable blonde Knowledge/Family sciency guys.)

We also must not omit that even though smol Loki didn’t display any of them, he still had all of Loki’s signature traits in him, as Loki in TS2 has his actual personality synced with the genetic one, meaning that there was something in there that caused him not to act so mean that got lost as he grew up. In other words, something brought up the worst in him.

And that’s not all. Smol Loki is not a regular TS3 child. You see, in TS3, premade children aren’t particularly known for being highly skilled experts. Neither are in TS2, for that matter, and it’s okay. It’s realistic.

Smol Loki has a skill maxed.

It is very rare for a premade regardless of age to already start with a maxed skill and I personally don’t know of any other premade children that do.

And it’s writing.

What does writing have to do with Loki? Does Loki write? Probably he has to, those academic papers aren’t gonna spawn out of thin air, but that’s not what the writing skill in TS3 (or the hidden writing skill in TS2) are about. They’re about creative writing only.

Ok, ok. How high is Loki’s Creativity skill, then? In TS2, skills are much broader, they more resemble skillsets than individual skills, and writing categorizes under Creativity. Bring out the skill panel!

Two. He has 2 points in Creativity. That is... low. That is actually very low, especially for a Sim that has supposedly been writing for fun since childhood. (and was a prodigy, while we’re at it) It is safe to say, I think, that if the player doesn’t make him do it, Loki doesn’t write anymore and he hasn’t been doing that for a long, long time.

While I would cynically admit that the dissonance in personalities might be just the lack of damns given from EAxis’ side, this seems to me too on the nose to be unintentional.

They would have no reason to bring the Beakers back without the “evil scientists” thing in mind. I mean, that’s what they’re iconic for. That’s what they’re recognizable by. (apart from their eyebrows)

So the person who was in charge of creating smol Loki probably knew they were recreating “Loki the mad scientist”.

So when they were picking the skill they use to demonstrate that this kid is gonna go far, they thought... “evil scientist = writing”...?

I would understand going for Creativity in general. I mean, Loki’s an inventor. That comes with the territory. But creativity as such isn’t really a skill in TS3. It’s divided to different activities.

Wouldn’t it make more sense just in general to pick logic, then? I mean, Loki isn’t that extremely logical by default but it is his second strongest skill and a feature unmistakably connected to being a scientist.

That’s what leads me to believe that writing plays a role in the story and it was chosen on purpose.

So how did a sweet little family-oriented boy talented with words transform into the ruthless catboy inventor we know and love?

And that, my friends, is the mystery of Loki Beaker.

2: A closer look at our environmentalist friends, the Beakers

If we want to get the full picture and come to a satisfying conclusion of some sorts, we need to inspect smol Loki’s surroundings. Maybe there is a clue to the continuous force or a traumatic event that shifted smol Loki’s direction in life?

Loki’s and Erin’s parents are named Gundrun and Bjorn. Even though their age would still allow it, they’re not present at the start of TS2′s Strangetown play, they’re long dead. Bjorn died before Erin became an adult and Gundrun died shortly before her son’s engagement to Circe. Because they died by the time Loki had (presumably) already long enrolled in his current life-path, we can safely rule out any tragic early death of parental figures scenario as a possible answer.

Gundrun is the only Beaker that canonically also writes. She has 5 points in the writing skill. She also shares some traits with Loki, namely the smarts and ambition.

But she has little to do with science and is way more business-oriented which is a trait she shares with Circe’s ancestors, for example her father. Maybe the families knew each other from business ventures even before they moved to Strangetown? It is stated in their memories that Loki and Circe first met when they were children. But I digress!

Anyway, I don’t see anything in Gundrun that would suggest any abusive behavior towards her son that might have triggered his drastic change. Possibly but not necessarily she might’ve been a bit absent but nothing out of ordinary.

And now the father, Bjorn.

Bjorn is the sciency half of the couple and works as an Aquatic Ecosystem Tweaker. Again, he has zero traits that would raise any red flags and he shares 4 out of 5 traits with either smol Loki or Loki. (I don’t know if Loki is a “natural cook” but he cooks quite well, so I think that counts.)

What’s interesting about Bjorn, though, is his speech that serves as a flavor text for the Aurora Skies store page.

(Image transcript: “Do it for science! Science is everywhere around us, but at Aurora Skies it’s not just something you learn; it’s something you do! We need bright young minds to make the dreams of the future a reality. Even now we’re finding more uses for garbage to help the planet. Charging batteries, powering machines - the sky is the limit. Just this last year we created a modified Hot Air Baloon using garbage as fuel and turning it into pure air with a pine breeze scent. Now you can have efficient travel and an amazing romantic adventure with no cost to the ozone (or your nose)! Every year we’re creating more and more exciting things in the world of science. Garbage-powered hearts, heart-powered cars, solar-powered cats; what will you think of next! It’s all up to you. Do it for Science! Did you know? Hot Air Balloons are an epic form of travel based around the simple principle that hot air is lighter than cold air. They lift in the air based on the heat system in the balloon. Increasing the temperature of the air inside the balloon makes it lighter than the air outside and the balloon begins to float. More air is required to lift heavier things; that’s why the balloons have to be so huge! How cool (or hot!) is that?”)

From this piece of text we can see Bjorn’s passion and dedication to “green” science. Nothing in his traits suggests he fakes it, so I think it’s safe to believe that this peppy idealist is a glimpse into Loki’s father’s genuine self.

He might have encouraged his children to follow in his footsteps (”We need bright young minds to make the dreams of the future a reality.“) and smol Loki, who later in life seemed to have similar levels of enthusiasm (science is his One True Hobby), might have been receptive to that.

Now just close your eyes for a second and imagine an alternate reality in which Loki picked up where Bjorn left and instead of a energy-refilling machine that electrocutes you if you’re not happy enough, he invented “solar-powered cats”.

Still no hints on what could’ve messed Loki up, though.

Let’s take a look at the parents in TS2. Even though they’re not present and aren’t even resurrectable, they’re still coded in the game for purposes of genetics, memories and family trees, so some of their characteristics are salvageable.

And by the Watcher, they were both Romance Sims.

They were workaholic Romance Sims who cared about the environment and liked recycling (and Hot Baloons).

And they were both extremely Nice and very Sloppy, if their personalities on wiki are something to go by. Which they unfortunately aren’t, at least not completely because most ancestors don’t simply have “their own” personalities and use presets instead, so they tend to be quite similar.

The same goes for most of the Beaker clan, unfortunately. Fun fact is that there is no Knowledge Sim in sight (before Loki, of course). Maybe they weren’t a scientist family, but a bunch of Romance Sims who used to spend their free time in between woohoos saving the planet with eco-science. (3 out of 6 of Loki’s and Erin’s ancestors were Romance Sims, 2 were Fortune and 1 was Family)

But! There is one outlier. Her name is Gertrude Beaker. She is Loki’s paternal grandmother.

And similarly to her grandson, she certainly has a personality to remember.

She doesn’t use a preset, this is a personality that someone went and manually assigned (...or generated) for her. And she is Neat, Outgoing and doesn’t have a nice bone in her body. But unlike Loki, she has a sense of humor (which makes her even more dangerous, in my opinion) and is extremely Lazy.

She is a Fortune Sim and the only Beaker who shares the darker sides of Loki’s personality. (to be clear, I don’t mean their taste for cleaning but the round 0 of Nice points)

Because she doesn’t feature in TS3 at all, it is safe to say that she wasn’t in her grandchildren’s lives until the family moved to Strangetown. Could she be the corrupting influence on smol Loki?

As far as personality comparison goes, she seems to be the only possible culprit, the only one who’s personality shares the same unpleasant qualities he became infamous for. But! That’s not saying much. There is no evidence she actually did anything.

There’s not even any evidence that she ever met her grandson, given he has no memory of her dying which means she might have died before he was even born. That would be a solid evidence on the contrary and would rule her out. But I’m leaving some maneuvering space for theories here because she is the only Beaker ancestor with custom personality, after all, and that is suspicious.

That’s all the Beakers we know of if not counting Atom and Ceres, who came after Loki, so they’re not relevant to the question of his childhood. Or... are they?

3: And that’s when the trouble began

Another part of this question that might help us discern what happened to Loki is the when. All we know so far is that there is a big void of unknown between smol Loki and regular Loki and the point of transformation happened in there somewhere.

Thankfully, we have something to give us an idea. It’s this snapshot in storytelling pictures for the Beakers:

It shows smol Loki destroying a dollhouse. It seems to be in an impersonal environment of some sorts. The cheapest bed in the game is against a bare white wall, the window is hid behind blue curtains and there doesn’t really seem to be anything else but the dollhouse, a teddy bear in the background and that... very unpleasant bed.

It clearly tells us that Loki’s shift started in his pre-teen years.

And seeing that room which is definitely not in the Beaker Castle at 1 Tesla Court, it makes me think of a hotel or a cheap apartment the family was staying in while moving from Aurora Skies to Strangetown. Maybe the castle-like something the household inhabits at the start of the game wasn’t a property of the Beakers at all, maybe that was where the Salamises used to live and now it belongs to Circe?

Anyway, could it had been leaving Aurora Skies that sent smol Loki down an existential crisis and settling in the not exactly welcoming environment of Strangetown, enrolling in a local school, that sealed it?

But why all the stuff with writing? This would work with any other hobby but somehow it had to be writing and it’s our task to find out why.

4: Not your average tragedy

Now in our search we already have some ideas but it wouldn’t be thorough if we didn’t take into account smol Loki’s actual personality. I mean, we went into what traits he doesn’t have but what about those he has?

Namely Lucky and Family-Oriented.

I think Lucky is a very interesting choice. There’s nothing inherent about Loki Beaker that would make you go “that’s one lucky guy!” (if you don’t count his relationship with Circe as a stroke of luck, that is) and the same goes for smol Loki.

But... it could be a clue. His metamorphosis either couldn’t be triggered by trauma because he’s lucky and it would avoid him, or it must’ve been something tremendously horrid so he’s lucky he’s still alive.

Now we know we are searching for something that happened in his late childhood, verging on the start of his teenage years. His family was going through the turmoil of moving to a desert and he has already known his future partner Circe. Meanwhile Erin-

Oh, wait. Erin.

Smol Loki was Family-Oriented which implies he would probably have a good relationship with his little sister, as he would’ve naturally inclined to protect her and help his parents take care of her. But!

Not only do they have an amicable but distant relationship as adults but Erin seems to forget that Loki even existed in her childhood.

He has the usual set of memories of a sibling growing up well but she doesn’t, she has no Loki-related memories at all, not even of his marriage, which was a quite recent event.

Could the reason for Loki’s “downfall” be somehow related to his sister? Was there a dramatic event in which she lost a part of her memory?

5: Theories!

Ok, we’re finally here! Now I try to present some theories about what might’ve happened.

1. Burdens of the golden child

In Aurora Skies, Loki used to be the little wonder every relative was gushing about. With his father as an acclaimed scientist and a very liked person in general, there was little to no adversity his son had to face. He followed his passion and having nobody to really compare himself to, nor anybody who would terrorize him, he prospered.

But then the Beakers moved. Strangetown was... different. It was way smaller than Aurora Skies, so everybody inherently knew everybody and everybody had to interact with everybody... because the small space of a desert community didn’t leave them with any choice. And it was bleak and unfriendly. No one except for the Salamises knew the Beakers, so they found themselves under scrutiny from their new neighbors.

So Loki, who used to live thinking he was unique, was now sitting everyday in a much smaller classroom with Pascal and Vidcund Curious, whom he was immediately being compared to. But he wasn’t like the Curiouses. He was a kid of a scientist but wasn’t a science kid. He didn’t have much in common with Pascal who approached him and tried to befriend him at first but he wanted to. In Strangetown, nothing seemed to be cooler than being really, really into science. Pascal’s and Loki’s communication attempts were rather poor, though, and in the end, they never made friends. Loki slowly began to disdain the oldest Curious boy and it culminated a few years later in high school when Pascal made an attempt to woo Circe. It was even worse with Vidcund. Ever since Loki’s first day at the new school, Vidcund had been eyeing him with a disgusted look and Loki became quick to reciprocate.

In Strangetown, nothing seemed to be cooler than being really, really into science. Even Circe was on it! She was the only person his age he has know in Strangetown before his family moved in and he liked her. Not “like” liked her, yuck! But he thought she was cool. Her family used to visit the Beakers in Aurora Skies and they played together. She was a friend! Or so Loki thought. She seemed to like hanging out with the Curiouses much more.

In Strangetown, nothing seemed to be cooler than being really, really into science, yes. But not in the eyes of Buzz Grunt, the son of a general who lived in Strangetown. Their family were the self-proclaimed protectors of the hood but at the same time they weren’t shy to show a strong distaste for all that made Strangetown an important desert settlement in the first place. And little Buzz, although Loki doubted he understood the nuances, was very fond of asserting his dominance over his less sporty and hyper-masculine classmates.

Suddenly jealous of the Curious brothers, under pressure from both the adults and his peers comparing him to them and bullied by Buzz, Loki’s social life fell apart. He started having problems... and he came up with solutions. He has always liked science but from back then on he hyperfixated on it to prove everybody who picked on him for being a worthless parody of a science kid wrong.

Not only his social life and self-confidence were busted, though. Moving away from Aurora Skies to Strangetown that had much higher prices for housing because of the limited space, the living standards for the Beakers lowered. It was chaotic and uncomfortable. Plus, almost everybody in Strangetown was loaded. Why, Circe and her parents lived in a small castle! Loki felt like they’re the only “poor” family around and it played into his new-found insecurities.

And then there was Erin’s accident. She suffered a severe head injury and even though she fortunately survived, she was never... the same. She had issues with her memory. Loki tried to convince himself that he’s big enough not to cry but when they were visiting Erin in the hospital and she didn’t recognize him, he cried. It was his little sister! And... it was all his fault anyway! If he was quicker and pushed her to safety, she would’ve been fine! Or even better, he wished the car would’ve hit him instead.

Loki was becoming more and more snappy, focused on his grades and projects, unavailable. The siblings never mended their relationship, Erin, even though she recovered, never got to make new memories with her brother. Not remembering them growing up together, he was like a stranger to her. A scary mean teenage boy she didn’t know and, even though she was a very friendly child, she was too intimidated to willingly spend time with him. And Loki was always busy and moreover, he felt guilty and inexplicably angry, so he postponed approaching her, until it was too late, he was in college, she was in high school and it was too awkward.

And... there was no time to write anymore.

2. Gertrude the Neat and Mean (and Lazy)

Ok, Loki doesn’t have any memories of his grandma. But hear me out! Erin does not have any of him either and yet they met. This theory doesn't require any additional write up – he simply got under the influence of his 0 Nice points granny and she cultivated him to be just like her.

My personal take: This is maybe my least favorite theory of them all, even though it is quite straightforward. It doesn't take much into consideration and demonizes Gertrude, who as far as we know, might not done anything wrong.

3. The accident

This theory takes advantage of TS3's canon sciency machinery, namely Cerebralizing Brain Enhancing Machine 2.0.

It can, among other things, change a Sim's personality. There is (quite unfortunately, in my opinion) no chance of consequential failure in the actual game, the most it can do is to (non-fatally) electrocute your Sim. But...

Imagine smol Loki sneaking into his dad's laboratory, most probably at his workplace.

He was curious. Ever since his father showed him all the equipment in there, all he could think of was the machine that made people smarter.

Maybe it could make him smarter?

I mean, Loki knew he was already quite smart. At least, he's been told he was and he had no reason not to believe it.

But he could be even smarter.

He could be like his dad. Or his mom. Or Erin. Everyone was talking about how clever young Erin seemed. Loki was proud of her but part of him just wanted that, too.

So what if... he went to dad's laboratory, just for a little while, and made himself smarter?

He made all the necessary preparations. It meant to memorize dad’s schedule, so he knew just the time when he could sneak into the laboratory. It also meant to get a good costume so he won’t be recognizable on the security footage!

And then finally, he was ready. To infiltrate the laboratory was easy enough but it only made Loki more nervous. He was on the edge but determined. He wanted to make it big in the world. He needed to seize the opportunity. And fear... fear was there to be ignored! Hands, stop trembling!

His confidence grew a bit once he got to the machine itself. He knew how to run it thanks to his dad and it made him feel competent and ready.

Little did he know that there was a huge oversight. Although Loki could operate the technology on a very basic level, his knowledge went nowhere near deep enough for him to detect that the machine has yet another set of settings and those currently expect an adult user. It wasn’t configured for a child patient.

But unaware of that, the boy in his patchy dinosaur costume climbed on top of the machine and with his eyes wide open and his heart racing he connected the Brain Enhancer to his system. Then, with his hand sweating, he pushed a button on a remote he was clutching to.

When Bjorn, alerted by Loki’s screams, rushed into the laboratory, it was way too late.

As his terrified father was calling the ambulance, the child was alive and even still awake. He was too weak to cry. He just watched Bjorn, wishing for death and looking for signs of wrath in father’s eyes.

There were none. Only fear.

Physically, Loki Beaker managed to recover just fine. With the power of advanced medicine and plastic surgery, the burns he suffered were reduced to nothing but almost invisible scars.

But inside, he was never the same. Literally. Even though the procedure backfired horribly, it still worked to some extend - but even that extend was warped. Loki succeeded in giving himself the Genius trait but several of his traits were replaced also, including the Lucky trait that probably saved his life.

6: Conclusion!

I like Loki very much. (no sh*t, who would’ve guessed) He’s a very controversial and over-the-top character who tends to be rather unpredictable in the actual gameplay. I started writing this giant thing to find an answer to his backstory that would satisfy me and hopefully also some of you.

With a heavy heart I conclude I’m not successful.

First I have to admit I originally planned to present 5 theories instead of 3 but I scrapped 2 of them.

First was about Atom time traveling and replacing Loki, creating himself again and again in a time loop (would explain the huge personality difference between smol Loki and Loki-Atom) and it was very far-fetched but fun, alas I realized it was out of character for Atom, since he seems to love his sister and his Plumbot so much he would hardly leave them behind to pull that off.

The second was about Nervous and the corrupting power of Death he has inside that would slowly drive Loki and Circe “evil” even though it’s unclear whether they first adopted him with being a lab-rat in mind. But it would not make sense since a change like that would be visible on their personality panels. That’s not that important, though. What made me not include this theory is that it feels uncomfortably victim blame-y. It’s not directly since it wouldn’t be Nervous’ fault anyway but any attempt to shift the blame from Loki and Circe in this situation feels uncomfortable.

(To be clear, I don’t think the Beakers deserve demonization. In my opinion, the best way to treat them narrative-wise is like eccentric people capable of feeling love and doing good things sometimes, yet irredeemably self-centered, morally bankrupt and deserving a lifetime in jail for child abuse they have done on Nervous. Not one-dimensional but still villains and still objectively bad people.)

And those 3 theories above? They could’ve been better.

I think I like the first the most, even though I still feel like something is missing. I just tend to like relatively grounded explanations and this one doesn’t feature the supernatural nor any deus ex machina gadget.

What about you? And do you have any other theories? Sky’s the limit! It’ll make my day to hear them!

Whatever your takes are, they’re all valid.

#loki beaker #strangetown #premades #the sims 2 #the sims #simbrl #headcanon #ts2

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spookyboywhump · 3 years

Text

Hee hoo follow up to This

Not whumpy, just the aftermath of a rescue

CW: Past pet whump, dehumanization, mute whumpee, mentions of branding

***

Elias was nervous about his next case, however, there hadn’t been one so far that didn’t make him nervous. This one, this man had been found in terrible shape, chained up in a pitch black room, shaking and shivering. He was pale and thin, looking as though he hadn’t eaten in some time. He knew he’d been thoroughly examined and given time to rest first, thankfully he’d really just needed some food and water in his system, but now, it was time to actually speak to him and Eli could only hope this would go well.

He’d already talked to one of the people involved in rescuing the man, a person named Lane Thompson. They’d said that he refused to speak to anyone, he seemed scared and distant, which was to be expected of course. So far though, Eli had made good progress with the more reserved ones, Lane even asked him specifically to talk to the man because of that.

He sat across from him now, the man refused to look at him, keeping his dull blue eyes on the table. His auburn hair was messy and unkempt, long enough to fall into his pale freckled face, though he didn’t seem to care to brush it back. He hadn’t said a word, he’d barely even looked at him, but Elias knew he had to at least try to get somewhere with him.

“You… you don’t have to worry about your owner.” He said gently. He knew he wasn’t supposed to refer to them that way, but he also knew it was easier on the victims to use the language they understood- especially one as broken down as this man was. “He can’t hurt you anymore, and I, I want to help you. I know it’s hard but, if you could tell me anything about how you ended up there, or what he did to you, or if there were others, that would be incredibly helpful.”

The man simply shook his head, continuing to stare down at the table. He didn’t even necessarily look scared anymore, he just looked exhausted, defeated even, and it pulled at his heart to see it.

“Can you at least tell me your name…?” He asked. “If- If you can remember your real name that would be great, but, anything I can call you would work…” He said, but once again the man shook his head. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to speak, then thought better of it. He tilted his head up finally, looking Elias in the eye as he gestured to his throat, to a scar resting just above the worn out black collar he wore. He slowly, shakily drew a line across his throat with his finger, and his heart sank as it dawned on him, a threat he’d heard time and time again ringing in the back of his mind. “You… You can’t speak, can you…?” He asked, and the man shook his head.

He almost felt nauseous, but he forced himself to bury that feeling, to focus on the task at hand. He already had a notepad and a pen with him, the latter of which he hesitantly picked up.

“Can you write…?” He asked him, and the man seemed to think about it before nodding, accepting the pen as Eli slid the notepad across the table to him. “Just… write down whatever you can tell me, anything will be fine.” He said, and he nodded in response. He started writing, slow and carefully, like somebody still learning how to write. Elias glanced away while he did so, not wanting to make him feel pressured or anything, his leg bouncing anxiously though.

After some time the man slid the notepad back to him, and Elias took his time to read over the shaky handwriting.

My owner called me mutt. I was given to him when I was 27. I don’t know my age now. First master called me Doll. I don’t remember before that. I can’t speak. I can’t fight. I’m not pretty anymore. I won’t sell for much.

His eyes widened at the last sentence and he quickly glanced up at him, somehow able to stay calm though.

“No, we, we aren’t going to sell you.” He said. “You’re free now, we’re going to help you, okay? We want to get you home, and we want to make sure the people who hurt you can’t do this again to anyone else.” He explained gently, and the man narrowed his eyes, almost suspiciously. Elias saw him glance at the notepad again and he quickly slid it back over to him, watching as he began writing on a new page. It didn’t take long for him to hand it back, that odd look still on his face.

You won’t catch them. They’ll get out of it, they always do. He won’t want me back but his new dog he will. That boy isn’t safe.

“The boy… you mean the other young man that was found there?” He asked. “Do you know his name?” He knew Lane had already spoken with that boy, they were more likely to have gotten answers out of him than Eli would out of this one though- he hated his only options were to calm him “mutt” or “doll”, he sincerely wished he knew his real name.

Owner called him Elle. He said it wasn’t his real name but I don’t know what is. Elias nodded slowly as he read it over, taking a few moments to think about what he should do next. He wanted to ask about their “owner”, he hadn’t been told a lot about him but it was usually difficult to get clear answers out of the victims. After some time, he got to his feet.

“I’ll be right back, I need to talk to someone real quick. If there’s anything you want to tell me just write it down, okay?” He said, and the man nodded, seeming to think about it while he held the pen in hand. Elias left the room, taking a deep breath once he closed the door behind him, before setting off to find Lane.

He didn’t know them particularly well, he didn’t involve himself in the actual rescues just yet, but he knew who they were and the few short interactions they had were pleasant enough he wasn’t too scared to talk to them. After asking around a bit, he found them outside, on a break in the middle of the long day, sitting on a bench and smoking a cigarette. Eli tried to ignore the smell as he approached them.

“Um, Lane, can I talk to you…?” He asked hesitantly. “It’s about that one man you found, the silent one?”

“Yeah, what’s up?” They moved over slightly and Eli sat down next to them, anxiously picking at his fingers. “Has he finally said anything?”

“No, he can’t. He showed me the scar across his throat.” He explained, not even looking up to see their reaction. “He can write though, he seemed worried about the other boy you guys found.”

“Yeah, that kid ain’t doing too great.” They sighed. “He isn’t injured or anything, he just, he wants to go back.” It wasn’t the first time one of the rescues were found that way, it didn’t surprise Eli but it was still odd to think about. “He’s talked up a storm about the guy who had them though, I don’t think he even realizes how much he’s helping.” They laughed softly.

“Has he mentioned any previous owners?” He asked. “This one said he was given to this owner at twenty-seven, but he doesn’t know his age anymore so I’m not sure how old he is now. He doesn’t remember his own name so I’m not sure how well he’ll remember a previous owner…”

“You should try asking anyway. Even if they don’t have a name sometimes they can describe them, might help you figure out something. We’ve been getting enough from the other boy, you should focus on figuring that out, find out the previous owner and maybe you can find out how he got there to begin with.” They said. Eli nodded slowly, they sounded sure of themself and he knew they’d been doing this a bit longer than him anyway.

“Alright, That makes sense… I’ll try that, thank you.” He said, getting to his feet and starting to head back inside, but Lane stopped them after only a few feet.

“Hey, Elias?” They said, and he turned to face them. “If you think you can get away with it, ask him about a brand. Those sick fucks are always branding the poor things.” They said, and Eli had to repress a shiver.

***

The man didn’t look up when Elias entered the room again, he was absentmindedly doodling on the paper. He came and sat down across from him again, thinking over what he wanted to say carefully.

“So… you said that you were given to your owner when you were twenty-seven, right…?” He asked, and he nodded. “Do you remember who did that? Your first owner, do you remember anything about them?” He asked. “If you can, can you describe the way they looked too?” The man seemed to think about it for a moment, before he started writing. This time he wrote for a bit longer, at some points he even seemed to start smiling, something that made Eli nervous, but eventually, he handed the notepad back to Elias.

My master was kinder. He named me Doll, he loved me and I love him. If you can take me back to him I would like that but I don’t think he wants me anymore. He gave me away. He was very handsome, he was tall and he had dark hair and grey eyes. I haven’t seen him in a long time. He lived in a big house and he had a scary dog (not me, a real dog) and he always wore black leather gloves. Please, if you can find him, ask him to take me back.

Elias took his time reading it over, deciding not to tell him he wasn’t going back to an owner again. He had a sick feeling in his stomach, a horrible sense of familiarity, but he forced himself to ignore it.

“Okay… I’m- I’m sorry if this is invasive, you don’t have to answer at all if you don’t want to but did he… did he ever brand you?” He asked slowly, and much to his surprise the man nodded without hesitation. He got to his feet, still shaking noticeably, and gripped the hem of his shirt, pulling it up just enough that Eli could see the F burned into his hip, just above the waistband of the sweatpants he’d been given to replace the ragged clothing he’d been found in. In a way, it was more than enough confirmation for Elias, but he almost hoped it wasn’t true. It was selfish, if it was someone else that would take a longer time to figure out, a longer time to know who was responsible for this, but still, he couldn’t help it.

“Alright, thank you…” He said, and the man sat back down. Elias thought about it before getting his phone out, deciding to give this a shot. It was easy to find a picture of the man, he was well known enough outside of the pet world. He felt sick just looking at him, but he chose to ignore it. “This… this might be a stretch but that description… is that this man…?” He asked, holding out the phone to him so he could see the image of Nicholas Fairfax, and his stomach dropped when the man grinned and nodded.

Somewhere, in the back of his mind, Elias remembered something Nicholas had said to him before.

You remind me of my last pet.

#my writing #my oc’s #Wren #rescue stuff #plot stuff #:3c #pet whump #dehumanization #mute whumpee

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ashintheairlikesnow · 4 years

Note

Out of curiosity, do Callie and chris ever run into each other/ confront each other after

CW: Referenced head-banging and resulting injury, brief ableism references, gaslighting, vaguely referenced institutional pet whump

(for context, see This Isn’t Hypothetical For Chris, “Can You Come Get Me?”, No Words, and Drop)

“Um. Hey.”

Chris, in the midst of a careful, incredibly precise drawing of a tiny Easter Island moai while studying for the Non-Western Art History test, looks up, only to freeze, his fingers tensing around his pencil until he presses so hard the lead snaps off, rolling down the notebook.

His hair is pulled back, caught at his nape with a clip Mari let him borrow, but he wishes all at once that it weren’t, so he could shake it over his face, hide behind it. That it wasn’t blue but some color no one saw in a crowd, so she wouldn’t have seen him and known it was him.

He hesitates too long, and she shifts, moving herself into his field of vision again. “Chris, are you-... are you busy?”

“Hey, um, hi... hi, Callie,” Chris mumbles, looking back down again, clicking the end of the mechanical pencil to get more lead, enjoying the sound and the very slight press of the eraser against his thumb. “I’m just, just studying. What, um, what do, do, do-do you... what do you want?”

She seems to take it as an invitation, which it isn’t. When she pulls out the chair across the table, the legs scrape along the floor impossibly loudly, but only Chris seems bothered by it. The sound makes his teeth itch, a feeling he can’t possibly describe in any other way. When he moves the chair, he picks it up, carefully placing it back down, avoiding the sound that shudders through him and digs into the tiniest bones.

Everyone else just scrapes.

She tucks some of her own bouncy, wavy brown hair behind one ear. It’s chilly today, it was so foggy this morning Chris could barely see from one side of the bridge to the other when he crossed over the highway to the other side of campus to get some coffee to help him cram before the test. Callie is wearing a heavy cable-knit sweater that drapes just so off one shoulder, showing the silken strap there, and skintight dark jeans. She looks really pretty, but Chris mostly thinks everyone looks pretty.

Even Dylan in the morning looks pretty, with his hair all messed up. Even though Chris is still kind of mad at him and probably always will be.

Chris is in his usual thick black compression shirt, helping him hold off the weight of the lights, keeping the prickle of the Student Center from digging too deeply into his skin. Over that, a t-shirt from the Lion King musical that Mari brought back from her last trip home - (”I have like five, now, Chris, I’ve seen it in like six different places you can have this one, if you want? It’s from when I saw it in Chicago.” And of course he did, he is starting a small collection of shirts he had gotten from nearly everyone he knows), and one of Jake’s heavy sweater-coats, borrowed - but really stolen - from the house last weekend. Jake pretends not to know. Chris brings them back eventually.

Between Chris and Kauri, it’s a miracle Jake ever has anything warm to wear at all.

“So, I just-... I wanted to, um. I haven’t seen you around-... oh, did you get hurt?” She cocks her head to the side, and Chris looks away from her, spinning the pencil in his fingers, his foot tapping on the ground now, nervous energy bubbling inside him.

There’s a bandage, still, on his forehead. He wishes he could say it was from the day in class, but it’s not. It’s from a few days ago, after meeting with the grad student to sign stuff to drop the class. It’s from coming home with all his hurt and fear a spinning top that he could only calm by breaking its rhythm, and he’s, it’s regression, but it’s okay, sometimes you go back and you get back up and go forward again, Dr. Berger says it’s okay sometimes to backslide as long as you know you have people to help you get up-

“I’m fine,” He says, flat and smooth words, barely his own voice at all. “Hit my head on, on, on a cabinet.”

Technically true.

She nods, folding her hands in her lap, watching him with those sort of big sad eyes people get sometimes, when they’re working up to something and want you to know they’re not the bad guy. Her drink has a cloth sleeve on it with tiny little bow ties. He wonders if she made it herself.

She clears her throat. “Okay, um. Good to hear it. So... I just... I heard you dropped.”

“Yep.” Chris keeps his eyes down now, on his pencil. The gentle weight of his feather necklace reminds him that he has other options, too. For now, though, he spins his pencil on top of his open notebook, the drawing of the moai. “Who told you that, um, that-... that I, I dropped?”

“I mean, when you weren’t in class for a couple weeks-... you know at first I thought you just, like, you know... the teacher told you not to come by, but then you kept not coming, and...” She kind of throws her hands up. Hers are painted a cheerful blue-toned red. Chris’s are black, but they’re heavily chipped. He’s been picking at them again. “I asked Esh, finally, and he said-”

“Eshiram.”

“What?” She blinks, confused.

“Not Esh. His, his, his name’s Eshiram.”

“No, I know, I just-... whatever. Look, so, I get that you’re probably still pretty mad, and... I’ve kind of been trying to hunt you down to say I’m sorry.”

Chris, caught off guard, pauses in spinning his pencil and turns to look at her again. “What?”

“About... I would never, ever have wanted you to feel you had to drop the class, Chris, I swear.” She leans forward, all earnest sincerity, and there’s a look of guilt on her that makes him think she means it. It wasn’t her idea, after all - if she’s even fucking talking to him, she doesn’t know what he is, she didn’t catch it like the grad student did.

After the drawn out moment, his foot starts to tap on the floor again. “It’s, um, it’s, it’s, it’s okay,” He says, wishing he had his own drink, something to hold in his hands and sip. The nerves start to wind up inside him, and he drops one hand down where she can’t see it, starts to tap on the side of his thigh.

“No, it’s not.” Callie sighs, shaking her head. Her hair moves with the motion and he catches a hint of her shampoo, it smells like fruit and honey. “It’s not, Chris. Look, I just-... I took everything you said super personally, and that wasn’t okay. I get that you, you know, you weren’t really talking about me.”

Chris turns to look at her, blinking wide green eyes, thinking, Yes, I was.

He opens his mouth to maybe tell her, but the pause goes on too long and she’s already talking again before he can. “There’s all these reports about abuse, and everything, I swear more than ever, and it just-... puts me on edge, you know? So I heard you saying-... well, you know. You don’t know that things are better at our house. All you know is what you’ve, you know, seen on the news.”

Chris takes in a breath and holds it, tapping hard against the seam of his jeans. He isn’t going to get angry. Getting angry made him have to drop and lose points off his GPA, getting angry gets him noticed by too many people all at once, angry feels heavy and hurting, angry draws attention, attention mean eyes and hands and-

Let the breath out. Exhale. He has to purposefully remind himself to do it.

“I, I, I know more than, um, than that,” He manages to say, but his voice is small. He’s no good at being angry, when it’s not in the moment, when there’s nothing to draw him out of himself. “I don’t, don’t just... build sets all day, Callie, I’m, I’m, I know other, um, other things.”

“Yeah, I know, I know. Like, I’m surprised you’re not, like, a math major or something, like in that movie-”

Chris sits back and snorts out bitter laughter. “You, you, you mean, um, The Gift?”

“Yeah! Vincent Shield did such a good job, they said he did a bunch of like, work to really get into character which is so cool since he was only, like, sixteen when he did that one with that, you know, the other guy he did movies with all the time-”

“Owen-... Owen Grant.”

“Yeah! I wonder what happened to him. Anyway-”

“Do you, do... do, do, do you think-... Callie, I suck at, um, at math.” Chris can’t help himself. He starts to laugh at the absurdity, and Callie looks like he’s hit her across the face, wide-eyed, shocked. “This is, um, this, this is, this-... this is a really, really-... really bad apology.”

“Yeah, I know.” Callie kind of laughs along with him, then, but there’s something fake and brittle to her laughter. “But I swear, I just came to say I’m sorry. It was just a misunderstanding, I really didn’t mean for you to have to drop. I swear, Chris, I don’t, like, hate you or think anything bad about you-”

You called me a fucking spastic.

“-or anything like that. I just... can you forgive me for losing my temper? I’m sorry, it’s just, when my family is attacked by people who don’t even know us, I get super defensive, and-... and I should have realized you weren’t really attacking us, just, you know, the system.”

Chris stares down at his shoes. He thinks, you are the system, it doesn’t exist without people like you who buy us, but he doesn’t say anything.

She seems to take this as agreement.

It isn’t.

“So, yeah. I’m just... I’m really sorry, Chris. Will this throw your whole, you know, graduation and everything off, or do you think you’ll still be good?”

Does she even really care? Chris swallows and raises his head, to look at her again, fixing his eyes just slightly to the left of her face, where it won’t be obvious he isn’t focused on her. An old trick, one he used to do to stay safe in training, maybe... maybe before that.

Even though he can’t remember a before that anymore.

Because of people who buy people like him.

“I’ll, um, I’ll be good,” He says, and the words taste like dust and feel like gravel on his tongue. “I worked out a, a, a-a plan with, with my, um advisor. So I’ll... I’ll be-”

so good for you

“Fine.”

“Great.” She relaxes, all smiles again, and reaches over putting her hand over his left arm, gripping a little. Chris feels the weight of it like the clap of restraints forcing him down on a table and stiffens, looking right at her the way he’s supposed to.

Years go by, but the training isn’t gone. Not all the way.

“Listen,” She says, voice low. “I really am sorry. But you just-... can’t go around thinking everybody who does something you don’t like is bad, you know?”

His heart races in his throat, he can barely swallow around it. “Yes,” He says, softly. She doesn’t hear the first stirrings of panic. But he feels them. “I... know.”

Good boy.

“I’ll see you around, Chris, okay? I’m glad we talked about this.” She pats his arm, like a handler almost, and then pushes herself to her feet. The chair scrapes back and Chris’s teeth grind together as the sound ricochets around inside him. The dim warm lights overhead lay heavily over the fabric he wears to protect himself from touch like that.

It’s not enough.

He can still feel the hand on his arm as she walks away, heads out the double-doors and is gone.

Chris’s hand slides to the feather and he pushes the silicone plastic between his teeth, letting his tongue press up against the carved vanes, sinking into the familiar sensation, letting it wrap around him, calm his pulse, help him rebuild the thin wall he needs between himself and the world.

He stares blankly off into space, chewing the feather, unnoticed by the few other people in the Student Center this early in the morning.

She probably feels so much better.

Like so many other people in his life, she made herself feel better by making Chris feel so much worse.

After a while, still chewing on the feather, he picks his pencil back up and starts to draw another moai.

He’s probably going to fail this test.

---

Tagging: @burtlederp , @finder-of-rings , @endless-whump , @whumpfigure , @slaintetowhump , @astrobly, @newandfiguringitout , @doveotions , @pretty-face-breaker , @boxboysandotherwhump , @oops-its-whump @moose-teeth , @cubeswhump , @cupcakes-and-pain @whump-tr0pes @whumpiary

#chris the strawberry blond romantic #trauma recovery #caledonia and her family #box boy #box boy universe #ableism tw #stimming #neurodivergent whumpee #recovering whumpee #gaslighting tw #bbu capitalism #honestly I suppose it kind of hits on that #trauma response #conditioning

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elareine · 4 years

Note

With the deaged baby Jay thing, I feel like Damian would keep a very detailed baby book. I also feel like Damian would spoil him the most. Damian takes being a big brother seriously. He even bought the safest baby things he could find.

Thank you for the cute prompt! This is the drabble anon is referring to. Tl;dr: Jason got irreversibly de-aged.

“What have you got there, Damian?”

Dick watches as the boy drags three shopping bags into the living room. One of them is bigger than Damian, the others come close.

“Toys.”

“…for you?” ‘Aren’t you a bit young for that?’ he almost adds, but the joke would (hopefully) go right over Dami’s head, and then he’ll get pouty.

Dami glares at him even without the addendum, though Dick notes that he’s keeping his voice low as not to wake the baby. Dick appreciates it. He just managed to get Jason to sleep. “Don’t be an imbecile. I have noted that Father is not equipped for an infant. The supplies Alfred has gathered are adequate, but the ones supplied by Brown and Cain are not.”

“What’s the problem with their toys?”

“Some of them are completely inappropriate for his age! Lego is a choking hazard. And the plush animals contain too much high-grade wool. Todd’s files explicitly say he has a wool allergy.”

“Only a mild one,” Dick dares point out.

“An infant’s and toddler’s immune system is mostly comprised of their skin,” Dami lectures him. “We should do nothing to compromise that. One of them even has a surveillance chip in them, Grayson! That is unacceptable behavior for a corporation.”

“Hmm. True.” Dick watches Damian methodically unpack and stack his finds. They look expensive. Dami must’ve gone to one of the high-end shops, or possibly several.

Dick’s still not sure how to deal with the situation. On the one hand, there’s what he said to the others—what he believes in. Make the best out of the situation. Honor Jason’s choice. Make his second (third?) chance at life a better one.

On the other hand… Dick misses his brother. He grieves for Jason as a person, yes, but also for shamefully selfish reasons.

Sure, Jason wasn’t much of a support when he was an adult. Dick can acknowledge that.

Still. There are memories only he and Jason share. Shared. Tim didn’t know him before Jason died, and that event changed so much in their lives. Dick doesn’t think he’d be the person he is today without Jason’s death.

And recently, when Jason grew closer to the family, Dick realized there’s also a relief in someone knowing your ugly side. ‘Cause Jason had, no doubt about it. He remembered how Dick treated him as a young Robin, how they fought when he was Red Hood, knew how it felt to be on the other side of Dick’s temper. He deserved most of it, too, but still, none of his other siblings know him like that.

It makes Dick just that little bit more lonely.

“There’s something else,” Damian says, and Dick startles. He thought Dami left. And now he’s offering information unprompted? “I… Look.”

Dick obediently scoots closer. It looks like Dami’s standard e-mail program. “What am I looking at?”

“I was introduced to the concept of a ‘baby book,’” Dami tells him. Dick notes he doesn’t say by who. His money is on Jon. “And I thought it would be nice. To record memories for him to see later.”

Oh. Dick still doesn’t know everything about Dami’s childhood, but he suspects there were precious few good memories to record and even less desire of anyone raising him to preserve them.

“That’s a nice idea,” doesn’t really cut it, but he goes with it anyway. “What did you choose?”

“A lot of the books talked about ‘Mommy.’” Dami wrinkles his nose. Dick hopes no-one ever tells him how adorable it looks. “I avoided those, of course. And it seemed pointless to record information that Father is already tracking.”

Dick nods encouragingly. “So you decided on…?”

“An e-mail account. The way to access it is recorded in my will.” Dami looks straight at Dick, so Dick knows he’s nervous. “All of us can send e-mails, voice recordings, videos, and pictures to this address. He’ll be able to see all of it, even if…”

Usually, when Dick hugs Dami, it’s because his brother needs it. Right now, it’s the other way around—he grabs Dami’s shoulder and pulls him in, hiding his face in his shoulder as he shows his appreciation—his pride—in the only way that feels right.

From the way Dami hugs him back, he gets it.

#elareine writes #damian wayne #dick grayson #batfamily

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spanishskulduggery · 4 years

Note

hi! i read a lot of psychology articles and was wondering if you could make a list of vocab related to that, or direct me to a list like that. words for the brain, nervous system, etc.

So this might not be everything you’d want but I’ll try and include some of the words I know that might help as far as psychology and some of the more common parts of the brain.

The good thing is that many of the parts of the brain are pretty much the same words with a different accent. Wikipedia is a great source for this, just search “brain” in Wikipedia and change the language to Spanish

There are also words that make more sense if you understand the Latin or Greek behind them. For example la barrera hematoencefálica is the “blood-brain-barrier”… it’s made up of the word barrera which is “barrier” and then “hemo” which refers to “blood” [as in hemophilia], and then the other word is connected to the idea of “encephalus” which is “brain” [as in “encephalitis”]

In some contexts you’ll see the brain as el encéfalo or in some (usually older) contexts you might see it as los sesos where el seso does mean “brain”, but los sesos is used euphemistically as “brains” or “smarts”, and you usually only see seso today in a figurative sense.

So I’ll do basic physical brain vocab and then more psychology and theoretical psychology words:

el cerebro = brain

la cabeza = head

el cráneo = skullla calavera = skull

la columna = spine / backbone [lit. “column”]la columna vertebral = spine, spinal column

la médula espinal = spinal cord

la célula = cell

la glándula = glandla glándula pituitaria = pituitary gland

el nervio = nerve

la hormona = hormone

el músculo = muscle

la neurona = brain cell / neuron, nerve cell

el neurotransmisor = neurotransmitter

el bulbo raquídeo / la médula oblongata = medula oblongata

la sustancia gris = grey/gray matter

el lóbulo = lobe

el tálamo = thalamus

el cuerpo calloso = corpus callosum

la corteza cerebral = cerebral cortex

el cerebelo = cerebellum

el sistema nervioso (central) = (central) nervous system

el sistema digestivo = digestive system

el sistema endocrino = endocrine system

el sistema circulatorio = circulatory system

el sistema límbico = limbic system

el sistema inmunológico = immune systemel sistema inmune = immune system

la barrera hematoencefálica [BHE] = blood-brain-barrier [BBB]

el hipocampo = hippocampus

el hipotálamo = hypothalamus

la amígdala = amygdala [also means “tonsil” when talking about the throat, since it just kind of means “almond” in its etymology]

la sangre = blood

el oxígeno = oxygen

la enfermedad = disease

la salud = health

So now onto psychology as far as like Freud or Jung or things like that.

Some things to note:

First the field of psychology is almost always la psicología but in some older things you might see it done as sicología. Similar to any other word that involves “psych-”, Spanish at one point saw the P as optional because it didn’t really add anything to the pronunciation. But for the most part, modern Spanish almost always has the P in these words.

Also el trastorno is “disorder” in the medical sense and it extends to physical disorders and mental disorders, so whenever you see this word used it’s typically in a medical terminology.

There are also different words that have been taken from English psychological terms or translated directly that may be translated differently depending on what you read. A common one is “trigger” which as a verb is usually desatar [lit. “to untie/unleash”] or desencadenar [lit. “to unchain/unleash”]… but in a psychological context, it’s sometimes el trigger or you’ll see the approximation el gatillo. The word el gatillo is a literal “trigger” of a gun or a bomb, directly translated from English. There are some contexts where you’d see it as something like el desencadenante which is “the event that triggered something” or el catalizador “catalyst”. Just like English, the context is important and typically el trigger/gatillo is more psychological, while the other words are sometimes more figurative.

Another one that sometimes shows up in certain psychological contexts is “bullying”. A lot of Spanish uses hacer bullying for “to bully”, and el bullying as the noun. In other places you might see el abuso “abuse” or el acoso “harassment”; but they sometimes have different meanings, where abusar might be “to abuse” rather than the connotation that “bullying” sometimes suggests, and el acoso or acosar is also the verb used for “stalking”, “harassment”, and the idea of “creeping on (someone)”. In legal situations, “bullying” is often translated as abuso probably to get across what a serious legal issue it is.

There’s also a difference in Spanish translation of “psyche” which I can’t totally make a good note for in the list, so I’ll just explain here. Part of the issue is just the theoretical language of it.

The idea of a “psyche” as far as meaning human emotions and your personality is normally understood as la psique which is the direct translation of “Psyche” where it came from Greek and Greek mythology. When you use la psique you typically are using it as a synonym for “soul”.

People also use the words la psiquis and el psiquismo which you’d normally see in some kind of Freudian literature. The idea is that la psiquis is (more or less) the “psyche” as in your conscious and unconscious. And el psiquismo is a concept around the way a person - and their mind - interacts and learns. So these two words do mean “psyche”, but usually in theoretical concepts of the brain and psychology.

Typically you’ll only see la psique for “psyche” and it usually refers to either your basic personality, temperament, and morals, but also how those things are created in the brain or changed. Also more frequently than la psique you might see la mente “mind” for this.

In other words, el cerebro is usually the physical structure, and la psique or la mente are usually used in contexts with intangible things, emotions, sensations, morals, desires, feelings, thought, and perception.

Anyway, onto the new vocab:

la psicología = psychology

el psicólogo, la psicóloga = psychologist

la psiquiatría = psychiatry

el/la psiquiatra = psychiatrist

pensar = to think

creer = to believe

asumir / suponer = to assume / to suppose

averiguar = to find out, to ascertain

saber = to know (facts)

conocer = to know (people/places), to become familiar with

oler = to smell [an irregular verb in present tense]

ver = to see

oír = to hear

tocar = to touch [also “to play (instruments)” or “to play (music)”]

saber / probar = to taste[usually the act of tasting is probar, the use of saber is like sabe a algo “it tastes like something”]

sonar = to sound (like something) / to ring (bell), to go off (alarm/siren)[as in me suena familiar “it sounds familiar to me”]

soñar (con algo/alguien) = to dream (of something/someone)desvelar = to stay awake, to keep awake

percibir = to perceive

sentir = to sense [often used as “to hear” or “to notice”]

sentirse = to feel (emotions)

sufrir = to suffersufrir de (algo) = to suffer from (something), “to have (an illness)”

malentender = to misunderstand

malinterpretar = to misinterpret, to misunderstand

la medicina = medicine

la ciencia = science

la droga = drug

la dopamina = dopamine

la oxitocina = oxytocin

la serotonina = serotonin

la depresión = depression

el bienestar = well-being, welfare

el trastorno = disorder

la enfermedad = illness, sickness

enfermo/a = ill, sick

el humor = mood

la teoría = theory

el pensamiento = thought

la creencia = belief

la hipótesis = hypothesishipotético/a = hypothetical

el sesgo = bias [especially in statistics]el sesgo de confirmación = confirmation bias

el prejuicio = bias / prejudice, discrimination

el olfato = (sense of) smell

la vista = (sense of) sight, eyesight

el oído = (sense of) hearing / ear, inner-ear

el tacto = (sense of) touch

el gusto = (sense of) taste

el conocimiento = awareness / understanding

desconocido/a = unknown

la sabiduría = knowledge, wisdom

el sueño = dream / sleepiness, sleeptener sueño = to be sleepy

el desvelo = sleeplessness, wakefulness

el insomnio = insomnia, sleeplessness

la percepción = perception, understanding

la comprensión = understanding, comprehension

el sentido = a sense

el sentimiento = feeling

la sobrecarga = overload, short-circuitla sobrecarga sensorial = sensory overload

el dolor de cabeza = headachela migraña = migraine, headachela jaqueca = migraine [a jaqueca is always understood as very severe, so it’s usually “migraine” or “throbbing headache”; particularly understood as being chronic or happening a lot]

la memoria = memory [also used as “memory” in the case of “ability to remember”]el recuerdo = memory [often used as individual “memories” or things someone remembers; unrelated, it also means “souvenir”]

el análisis = analysis [plural is los análisis]

la prueba = test / sample

la muestra (estadística) = sample [as in “sampling of people” for tests]la muestra aleatoria = random sampling / randomized sampling

el grupo de control = control group

el dolor = pain

la pena = sorrow [sometimes la pesadumbre in older works]

el duelo = grief, mourning, loss

el luto = mourning(estar) de luto = (to be) in mourning

el sufrimiento = suffering

el tratamiento = treatment [can be used as “medical treatment/care”, or also the way someone “treats” someone else]

la motivación = motivation

el motivo = motive, reason

la razón = reason

el método = method

el incentivo = incentive, motivation

el impulso = impulse / drive, impetus

el estímulo = stimulus

la investigación = research [or “investigation”, but in science it’s usually “research”]

el resultado = result

el expediente = document, record, file

el archivo = file / archive

el dato, los datos = data

el mecanismo de defensa = defense mechanismel retraimiento = withdrawal, pulling away, isolationla negación = denialla proyección = projectionla disociación = dissociationla represión = repressionla regresión = regressionla racionalización = rationalizationla compartimentalización = compartmentalizingla sublimación = sublimation

las cinco etapas del duelo = the 5 stages of griefla negación = denialla ira = angerla negociación = bargaining / negotiationla depresión = sadness, depressionla aceptación = acceptance

las emociones (básicas) = (basic) emotionsla alegría = happinessla tristeza = sadnessel miedo = fearel asco = disgustla ira = anger

alegre = happy

triste = sad

enojado/a = angry

la fobia = phobia, irrational fear

tener miedo a (algo/alguien) = to be afraid of (something/someone)

la interpretación de sueños = dream analysis, dream interpretation

la pesadilla = nightmare

la jerarquía de las necesidades humanas = hierarchy of (human) needs

la autorrealización = self-realization

la autoestima = self-esteem

la personalidad = personality

el temperamento = temperament

la actitud = attitude

el carácter = (a person’s) character, the way a person is, nature

la naturaleza = nature

el rasgo = trait, characteristic

¿Se nace o se hace? = “Nature vs. Nurture”[lit. “is one born (with it) or does one become (it)”]

#asks #Spanish #language #languages #vocabulario #learning Spanish

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dreamingwithbts · 3 years

Text

Demon (Boku No Hero) - Chapter 9

Warning: Swearing

I get out of the house ready to go to school, Dad was already there, so I calmly start walking alone. “I can’t believe that Katsuki and I are now friends.” I think smiling. “OI! Wait up!” I hear a familiar voice behind me and I see Katsuki walking towards me with his usual scowl and his hands on his pants pockets. “Talking about the devil and he appears.” I think. “Good morning Katsuki.” I say to him smiling. “Tch. Good morning.” He says back. “How are your injures?” He asks calmly. “All heal up now.” I say, and he nods, now we walk to school in silence but a comfort silence.

We arrived in front of the classroom and Katsuki opens the door entering first then me. “Good morning everyone.” I say smiling at them. “Aka-chan!” Izuku and Ochaco both scream. “Aka-san! How are you?” Most of my classmates ask looking at me worried. “I’m fine, don’t worry! All my injuries are healed!” I say to them happy, and they sigh in relief. “That’s good!” They say, and I go to sit in my place, I look at Shoto who mouths at me. “Are you really good?” He asks knowing what he refers to. “Yes.” I mouth back. “Aka-chan, thank god you’re okay, I was so worried!” Izuku says nervous and mumbling again. “You worried too much Izu-kun!” I say smiling towards the broccoli boy. “Tch.” Katsuki says angry.

“Everyone! Morning homeroom is about to start! Stop talking and take your seats!” Lida screams suddenly entering the classroom. “Lida-san, we are already in our seats. You’re the only one who’s not.” I say trying not to smile. “Aka-chan, who do you think is coming to teach us today?” Izuku asks me. “Hmmm, knowing Aizawa-sensei, I think he will come anyway.” I say thinking about it. “What?!” Izuku asks shocked. “There’s no way.” Katsuki says listening to our conversation. “Wanna bet? 10 euros I bet he will come.” I say to him giving him my hand to shake. “Alright, I bet 10 euros he won’t come, demon.” Katsuki says smirking and put his hand on mine, and we shake the deal. “Aka-chan...Kaachan.” Izuku says nervous watching us and a few minutes later we knew who was the winner. “Morning.” An Aizawa-sensei mummy enters the classroom and everyone screams shocked. “Aizawa-sensei, you’re back too soon!” They say and Aizawa-sensei walks slowly to his spot. “Pay up.” I whisper to Katsuki my hand extending towards him. “Fuck you.” Katsuki whispers angry and gives me my money and I feel Aizawa-sensei glare at me while I only smile innocently at him. “My well-being doesn’t matter. More importantly, the fight is not over yet.” Aizawa-sensei says and everyone tenses up. “Fight?” Katsuki asks calmly. “Again?” I whisper serious “Don’t tell me...” Izuku says nervous. “The villains again....?!” Mineta says very scared. “The U.A. sports festival is drawing near.” Aizawa-sensei says in a scary tone. “That’s a super normal school event!” The class screams happy and relieved.

“Is it okay to have a sports festival so soon after the villains snuck inside?” Jiro asks Aizawa-sensei. “What is they attack us again or something...?” Ojiro asks. “Apparently, they think of it as U.A. showing that our crisis management system is solid as a rock by holding the event.” Aizawa-sensei says. “Makes sense I guess.” I whisper and Katsuki looks at me with the corner of his eyes. “Security will also be strengthened to five times that of previous years. Above all, our sports festival is a huge chance. It’s not an event to be cancelled because of a few villains.” Aizawa-sensei finishes. “But that’s a good reason, isn’t it? It’s just a festival of sports.” Mineta says scared. “Mineta, you’ve never seen the U.A. sports festival?” I hear Izuku asks him and I laugh quietly. “I’ll be surprise if his brain even knows what he is doing in his life.” I say quietly to Katsuki who smiles at my comment. “That fucking extra brain is full of pervert thoughts.” Katsuki says disgusted making me agree with him.

“Our sports festival is one of Japan’s biggest events.” Aizawa-sensei continues. “In the past, the Olympics were called a festival of sports, and the whole country was crazy about them. As you know, with reductions in scale and population, they’re now a shell of their former glory. And now, for Japan, what has taken the place of those Olympics is the U.A. sports festival!” Aizawa-sensei finished. “Of course, all the top heroes around the country will be watching. For scouting purposes.” I hear Yayorozu speak. “If I do good in this festival, I’m really curious to know who will want me, especially with my Quirk.” I think. “Of course, joining a famous hero agency will get you more experience and popularity.” Aizawa-sensei says getting me out of my thoughts. “Time is limited. If you expect to go pro, then the path to your future will open up at this event. Once chance a year, a total of just three chances. No aspiring heroes can afford to miss this event. If you understand that, then don’t slack off on your preparations!” Aizawa-sensei says and me and Katsuki smirk and look at each other in challenge. “Yes, sir!” Everyone screams. “Homeroom is dismissed.” Aizawa-sensei says.

It’s lunchtime now and our teacher Cementoss just left the class leaving us all alone in the classroom, everyone in their little group. “Everyone’s so into it.” Izuku says nervous. “Eh? Is Izu-kun scared of some competition?” I say teasing the broccoli boy making him blush. “You’re not? We have enrolled here to become heroes, so of course we would get fired up. ” Lida says to him. “His right, Izu-kun. I’m ready to beat some ass.” I say smiling evilly making him nervous. “Language Aka-san!” Lida says. “Ya, ya.” I say ignoring him. “Midoriya, you don’t feel the same?” Lida asks him. “Of course I do. But something’s...” Izuku says in a cute way. “Your so cute Izu-kun!” I say pinching his face making him a tomato and scared feeling a strong deadly glare towards him. “Aka-chan, Deku-kun, Lida-kun....” We hear a creepy voice and see a very scary Ochaco. “Let’s do our best at the sports festival.” She says creepily. “U-Uraraka-san, your face....! It’s...” Izuku tries to speak. “Even I’m scared.” I say shocked. “Everyone, I’m gonna do my best!” Ochaco now screams at everyone.

Now, me, Izuku, Ochaco and Lida are walking in U.A. corridor towards the cafeteria them talking and me listening to why Ochaco wanted to become a pro hero. “You want to become a hero for money?” Izuku repeats shocked. “To boil it down simply, yes...” Ochaco says nervous. “I think it’s a good reason, you need good money to survive in this society.” I say agreeing with her. “Thank you Aka-chan!” Ochaco says to me smiling gratefully then they all talk very excited about her reason making me laugh at these three idiots that I call my friends then I hear Dad laugh from behind me. “Young Midoriya and Young Aka are here!” He screams. “Hm?” I ask. “All Might! What’s the matter?” Izuku asks. “Lunch! Wanna eat together?” He asks us showing his lunch that look super small on his hand. “He’s like a maiden.” I hear Ochaco say making me laugh. “How about it?” He asks. “Sure, I guess.” I answer and then Izuku also agrees.

The three of us were in the lounge talking, I sit beside Dad while Izuku sits in front of him. “Only about fifty minutes?!” Izuku says shocked. “YOU IDIOT! I’LL KILL YOU IN FIFTY MINUTES!” I say punching Dad in the head making him spill blood from his mouth. “Aka-chan! All Might!” Izuku screams scared. “I overdid it too many times. That Nomu was also a tough opponent.” I hear Dad saying then I start thinking of that fight in that day.

“The next All Might... the fledgling Symbol of Peace...” I hear my Dad saying finally getting out of my thoughts. “Izuku Midoriya. I want you to tell the world. “”I am here!””.” He finishes. “UHUUU! Go Izu-kun!” I say excited only to see Izuku almost fainting then he and my Dad start talking about the sports festival making me almost fall asleep on the couch. “That’s right! In other words, you can sell yourself with everything you’ve got!” My Dad screams and falls down on the couch making the couch fall behind and both of us down with him. “OLD MAN! WHY!” I scream getting up making Dad and Izuku shiver in fear. “Please calm down Aka-chan!” Izuku begs. “Tch.” I say calming down. “She’s starting to sound like Kaachan.” Izuku thinks nervous. Then Izuku starts muting while Dad stays still on the ground with the couch and I sigh. “These two....” I think. “Well, I should go now.” I say starting to leave before they start talking again. “Aka-chan?” Izuku asks confused. “My daughter! Wait!” Dad says still on the ground. “Bye!” I say laughing leaving them alone and start walking back to class alone. “Peace and quiet.” I think.

The rest of the day went normal and boring. “Finally, I can go home now!” I say getting up and stretchering my arms. “Lazy ass.” Katsuki insults me. “Sexy lazy ass you mean.” I say winking at him, and he smirks at me trying not to laugh and blush in front of the class, then I see Izuku, Ochaco and Lida looking at our classroom door frozen. “What?” I ask confused looking at Katsuki who was also confused. “Beats me.” He says then we look and see a crowd preventing us from leaving. “What the fuck?” I ask again even more confused. “Wh-What’s going on?” Ochaco asks. “What business do you have with Class-A?” Lida asks them then Katsuki gets his stuff up and starts walking towards the door and I follow him. “Scouting out the enemy, small fry. We’re the ones who made it out of the villains attack. They probably wanna check us out before the sports festival.” Katsuki says stopping in front of the crowd and I stay next to him my elbow on his shoulder looking at the crowd. “Don’t scare them away Katsuki, I still want some competition.” I say smirking noticing the panic of our classmates behind us. “There’s no point in doing stuff like that.” Katsuki says. “Never knew Katsuki could be so calm and threatening at the same time.” I think. “Out of our way extras.” Katsuki says now glaring at them. “So hot.” I think looking at him. “Stop calling people extras just because you don’t know them!” Lida screams at Katsuki making me giggle.

“I came to see what the famous Class A was like, but you seem pretty arrogant.” A new voice comes from the crowd, and I see a purple hair guy with serious sleep problems. “Are all the students in the hero course like this?” He asks us. “Damn, he looks hot.” I whisper not knowing Katsuki hear me and I feel his muscle tense while he becomes angrier. “Seeing something like this makes me disillusioned. There are quite a few people who enrolled in general studies or other courses because they didn’t make it into the hero course. Did you know that?” The purple guy continues. “The school has left those of us a chance. Depending on the results of the sports festival, they’ll consider our transfer into the hero course. And it seems they may also transfer people out. ” He says. “Well, the class would be better if Mineta leaves.” I say and all the girls nod in agreement while the pervert screams. “I came with a declaration of war.” The purple guy says. Katsuki and I start glaring at the guy while other dude starts talking then I calmly go face to face with the purple guy. “You have balls to come here with your little declaration of war I’ll give you that.” I start calmly but deadly, my red mist covering me. “Aka-chan!” Izuku calls my name nervous. “Let’s see if you still have them when I crush them under my foot.” I say smirking evilly. “Let’s go, Akuma.” Katsuki says to me while he starts leaving, my red mist starting to disappear. “Hm.” I say following him not before one last glare.

“Wait a minute, Bakugo, Aka! What are you gonna do about all this? It’s your guys fault that everyone’s hating on us!” Kirishima says to us. “It doesn’t matter.” Katsuki says to him stopping his walk. “Huh?!” Kirishima asks confused. “It doesn’t matter as long as you rise to the top.” He says serious and determined and walks away with me behind him. “Bye guys!” I say waving to my friends who wave back very confused.

Katsuki and I start walking home in silence, both of us in our own minds. “It would be good if Mineta was kicked out of our class.” I suddenly say making Katsuki almost laugh. “It would.” He says smiling making me laugh.

Note: Hope you like it! New chapter every Friday!

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