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mariana-oconnor · 7 months

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The Six Napoleons pt 1

What's better than five Napoleons?

It was no very unusual thing for Mr. Lestrade, of Scotland Yard, to look in upon us of an evening, and his visits were welcome to Sherlock Holmes...

Confirmation of what I was talking about last week. Watson's being nicer about Lestrade in these stories because they're friends now. Love this for them.

On this particular evening Lestrade had spoken of the weather and the newspapers. Then he had fallen silent, puffing thoughtfully at his cigar. Holmes looked keenly at him. “Anything remarkable on hand?” he asked. “Oh, no, Mr. Holmes, nothing very particular.”

Lestrade doing the tried and true 'be pensive and silent, then claim nothing's wrong in order to indicate something is terribly wrong' method of talking to friends here. Very British. A+

“Exactly. That's what I said. But then, when the man commits burglary in order to break images which are not his own, that brings it away from the doctor and on to the policeman.”

OK, everybody please lay your bets on whether the word 'monomaniac' is going to be used in this story.

"The assistant had left the front shop for an instant when he heard a crash, and hurrying in he found a plaster bust of Napoleon, which stood with several other works of art upon the counter, lying shivered into fragments."

Alright, so far so vandalism, I guess. But I do wonder who in early 1900s London was buying and displaying a plaster bust of Napoleon I in their home. Clearly enough people that there are many of them around. But why? Was there some sort of weird Napoleon fashion at the time? I can't imagine him being particularly popular in England even 80 years after his death.

Why are there so many busts of Napoleon around? Who is buying them? Are they some sort of comedy novelty item?

Ho ho ho, here's the guy we fought against, let's stick a silly moustache on him and draw a pair of glasses around his eyes?

"This Dr. Barnicot is an enthusiastic admirer of Napoleon, and his house is full of books, pictures, and relics of the French Emperor."

No, apparently there are just... Napoleon groupies... hanging around.

"One of these he placed in his hall in the house at Kennington Road, and the other on the mantelpiece of the surgery at Lower Brixton. Well, when Dr. Barnicot came down this morning he was astonished to find that his house had been burgled during the night, but that nothing had been taken save the plaster head from the hall."

I fear the other is not long for this world, either. My dude. RIP Napoleon bust.

"...the broken pieces of his second bust were strewn all over the room. It had been smashed to atoms where it stood."

"Considering how many hundreds of statues of the great Emperor must exist in London, it is too much to suppose such a coincidence as that a promiscuous iconoclast should chance to begin upon three specimens of the same bust.”

No, seriously tho... why are there so many statues of Napoleon I in London? So weird.

"On the other hand, this Morse Hudson is the purveyor of busts in that part of London, and these three were the only ones which had been in his shop for years."

That does make me feel better about this whole thing.

“There are no limits to the possibilities of monomania,” I answered.

Ooooh... ooh oooh ooh. So close. Does 'monomania' count? I did say 'monomaniac'.

“That won't do, my dear Watson,” said Holmes, shaking his head; “for no amount of idée fixe would enable your interesting monomaniac to find out where these busts were situated.”

Drink!

"You will remember, Watson, how the dreadful business of the Abernetty family was first brought to my notice by the depth which the parsley had sunk into the butter upon a hot day."

How heavy was that parsley? Surely it would float as the butter melted below it?

Or did they stab the stalk right in there like they were planting a tiny green flag on the newly discovered Butterland?

The development for which my friend had asked came in a quicker and an infinitely more tragic form than he could have imagined. [...] “Come instantly, 131, Pitt Street, Kensington. — “Lestrade.”

I know that he means that the think Lestrade is summoning them to is going to be tragic, but this reads as though the very concept of getting a telegram from Lestrade is the true tragedy.

No. 131 was one of a row, all flat-chested, respectable, and most unromantic dwellings.

Watson, I get that being horny on main is one of your Things™️but why are you talking about the houses' boobs? I don't think houses have mammary glands, my man, and as a medical doctor, even if you're not practising anymore, you really should be aware of that.

I guess this just means that they don't have any bay windows or protrusions on their fronts, and they're just boxy, flat frontages, but what a word to choose.

I guess Baker Street must have big naturals or something.

I can't believe I just typed that with my own two hands. But I'm leaving it there. if I have to think it, you will read it.

“It's the Napoleon bust business again,” said Lestrade. “You seemed interested last night, Mr. Holmes, so I thought perhaps you would be glad to be present now that the affair has taken a very much graver turn.”

I see what you did there, Lestrade.

"Why any burglar should take such a thing passes my understanding, for it was only a plaster cast and of no real value whatever."

So why do you have it? WHY DO ALL THESE PEOPLE HAVE PLASTER BUSTS OF NAPOLEON?

Wasn't he, like, an enemy of the empire? Wasn't it England that imprisoned him on St Helena? What is up with all of this?

"Stepping out into the dark I nearly fell over a dead man who was lying there. I ran back for a light, and there was the poor fellow, a great gash in his throat and the whole place swimming in blood."

Well, that's a situation right out of a horror film.

I like this guy. I hope he doesn't turn out to be the murderer.

It was evidently taken by a snap-shot from a small camera. It represented an alert, sharp-featured simian man with thick eyebrows, and a very peculiar projection of the lower part of the face like the muzzle of a baboon.

Oh no, are we now doing degeneration, Watson? Must we always play around the fringes of eugenics? Watson, please. Must we make the ape comparisons? Must we?

We were doing so well at being nice to Lestrade as well.

"Well, I was the only journalist in the stand, and my journal the only one that had no account of it, for I was too shaken to write it. And now I'll be too late with a murder done on my own doorstep.”

My dude, I love you.

#THe Six Napoleons #Letters from Watson #Sherlock Holmes #long post

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team-council-two · 1 year

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Are there uhmm honorifics in russian? Like sir or ma'am or Herr? I'd like to know some family related ones, some business toned ones, and like, friendly ones between friendly friends.

Thank you for your time, kind admins

I love this question so much! This is gonna be long, oh my god. I'll start with some general information and then give some specific examples.

"Ты" and "вы"

So, unlike English, Russian allows two ways of addressing people instead of one.

"Ты"/"ty", which I'm going to spell as "T" to save time, is a casual "you", suitable for talking to a friend or colleague, to a family member, to a child, or to a stranger that you are reasonably sure is considerably younger than you.

"Вы"/"vy", which I'm going to spell "V", again to save time, is a polite "you", suitable for addressing a stranger, a person in a position of power such as a teacher, or a higher-ranking colleague, or someone presumably older than you.

This distinction is quite important.

Using T where V is required will make you sound disrespectful. People can actually get offended, especially older people who can very reasonably demand that you "don't T" them.

On the other hand, using V where T would be more suitable can create a very uncomfortable situation. The person might feel distanced, or worse - think you're mocking them, using a polite manner ironically.

Why does this matter?

Because using T or V defines the entire, uh, manner of your communication! Some words won't apply to people you're on V-terms with, and others won't apply to those you use T with!

Basically, I'm going to try and separate various honorifics and forms of address into these two categories and then try to fit various TF2 characters into these categories as well, based on what kind of manner I think Heavy would use with them.

It's also worth noting that using a certain manner with someone doesn't always mean they're gonna be using the same manner for you. For instance, a teenage student would always use V with a teacher, but a teacher would almost always use T.

So what does Heavy use?

Well, we know from the Russian dub of the game that he uses T with Medic.

He also uses V with the Engineer. I find it fascinating because they're about the same age and exactly the same rank - they're both mercenaries on equal rights - which means Heavy uses V out of pure respect and admiration.

He would definitely use V with the Administrator.

And with Miss Pauling too, even though she's younger than him. She's his boss, after all.

He would definitely use T with Scout.

With all the others it could go either way. He would definitely use V when they first met, but would eventually switch to T, as it often happens.

Oh, btw it pretty much never happens the other way. Using T is considered something of a "next step".

If you headcanon Pyro as nonbinary, Heavy might use V to avoid gendered language, but I won't go into details here.

Why is that important? He doesn't speak Russian to them.

Well, no, but he thinks in Russian! And he would think in T/V terms, too. And that would define the language he would use with them.

I promise the specific examples are coming, bear with me.

Let's talk about names.

"But I know all about names" no you don't.

Okay, as it functions in English, a person has a First Name, a Middle Name (or several), and a Last Name, which is their family name - "Tavish Finnegan DeGroot". Or, well, you could go about this even simpler and skip the middle name - "Dell Conagher".

In Russian middle names traditionally do not exist. I say "traditionally" because who knows what the young folks are up to these days, but by the proper naming conventions that would definitely be really important at the time Heavy was born, there are no middle names in the Russian language.

Instead, we have a patronymic. Well, a lot of them. A patronymic is your father's name with a proper ending attached to it. Think last names such as "Johnson" and "Stevenson" - yup, those were patronymics some hundred years ago.

How does that relate to honorifics?

There are a lot of ways to combine a First Name (F), a Last Name (L), and a Patronymic (P)!

L-F-P is the proper official model. It's not really used outside really formal business or legal procedures, such as getting married or getting sued. Or. Well. One of those two things, really.

F-P is the usual polite structure. If a Russian stranger wanted to be polite with Heavy, they would say "Михаил Whatever-you-headcanon-his-dad's-name-to-be-ович". If someone wanted to talk to Zhanna in that same manner, they'd have to say "Жанна Her-father's-name-овна". It's a very Gimli-son-of-Gloin kind of structure.

Some parents also use it mockingly to lightly scold their kids. "Яна Father-овна, what do you think you're doing?"

I just realized you probably need me to translit all that. Oh god, uh.

Mihail Whatever-you-headcanon-his-dad's-name-to-be-ovich.

Zhanna Her-father's-name-ovna.

I'm gonna type in Latin letters from now on. And I promise specific examples are coming!

Calling someone by just their patronymic is considered friendly and very, uh, familiar. Casual-like. Somewhat rude, even. You have to really make sure you're allowed to do that before you make an attempt.

A name typically has a full and a short form, much like in English. James - Jim, Mihail - Misha. Except in Russian, there's an even shorter short version, used only when addressing the person directly. It's used all the time, you should make sure to use that in writing, otherwise it sounds really unnatural.

Okay, great, can we get some SPECIFIC WORDS now?

Yeah!

Let's start with the ones you already know.

Well, it's the Soviet Union. How about "comrade"?

That one's fine, if overdone. It was really in use back then.

Except it doesn't really mean a comrade, as in "friend" of some sort. It's typically all very official, followed by a last name or a rank.

Yeah, a rank. Like a military rank. Soldier would be "Comrade Sargeant" - "товарищ сержант".

"Comrade Medic" would be a thing, too, as long as they're not too well-acquainted.

Pretty much any "Comrade Class" would work, except "Comrade Scout", because we're using T for him, remember? It doesn't go with a T! I told you it was important, ha.

Beware though, nobody says "comrade" these days. Ever. Not a thing.

So it's not like "sir" or "ma'am"?

Ah, no. Afraid not.

The closest to "sir"/"ma'am" I can think of is гражданин/гражданка, which is - don't laugh! - "citizen".

It's almost always followed by a last name, but never by a rank or title, so it wouldn't really work with the mercs. It's only for civilian context, you see?

We also don't pepper it into our regular speech. Where you'd say "yes, sir", we'd just say "yes".

I'm actually having trouble with this at work. I'm so very much not used to saying "sir" and "ma'am". It's not that I'm being disrespectful, but I constantly forget to say it! Argh.

Oh, "citizen" is also not in use anymore. Unless it's some police procedural on TV.

How do you address someone you don't know, then? What if you need to get someone's attention and you don't know their name and patronymic?

Well, just "мужчина"/"man" and "женщина"/"woman" is fine, really.

"Девушка"/"girl" and "девочка"/"girl (child)" if she's young.

"Молодой человек"/"young man" and "мальчик"/"boy" if he's young.

They're fine. They're only rude in English. We say them all the time. "Woman, you dropped something!", "Man, could you hold the door, please?", "Boy, where's your mom?". It's fine. It's polite, I promise.

What about family?

Ah, that depends on the family.

Here's a funny example from my own family. I have a grandma on my father's side. Well, my mother - her daughter-in-law - calls her "mom", but addresses her with a V, as a way of being respectful. I, on the other hand, although way younger, use T with her because she's my grandma and she doesn't mind at all and that's how she taught me to talk to her.

So it all depends on the kind of dynamic you have. The level of respect, the traditionalism of it, how old your folks are and how much they go outside.

Bear in mind you can absolutely cuss a bitch out while still using V.

And friends?

"Bro" migrated into Russian some years ago. We have the whole "брат-братан-братишка" (brother-brother (informal)-brother (small) shtick but it's a little, uh, complicated. It gets mocked a lot. There's a bit of a subculture around the people who say it.

Really, we just call people by their names. I'd love to see more of that in fics. Heavy wouldn't go "sis" @ Zhanna, but he would say "Zhann", as a shorter and more casual form of address. She'd call him "Mish". We love to see it. They're besties.

That's still not very specific though.

Ah, well, here's a few odd examples.

"Мужик"/"muzhik" is something Heavy would say. It means "man", but, like, in a casual and friendly manner. I say that to my friends who are men. He would say that to everyone but ONLY once he's on T-terms with them. I told you it was important. He wouldn't say it to Scout though. Maybe in a moment of transgender affirmation. Once. But never again.

"Чувак" is "dude" but it fucking sucks to say, idk, 0/10, would not say that. Adults never say it tbh. Kids these days don't say it either.

"Madam" (from French) was popular way back in the day. "Madmuazel" aka a bastardization of "Mademoiselle" is also out there but more sarcastic. Both used with V.

"Чел"/"chel", short for "chelovek" ("human") - another version of "man", basically. With T.

"Парень", "приятель" - guy, pal, pally, dude, fella. Can be genuine or sarcastic. Both male and used with T.

"Тётя" or "тёть" - kinda like ma'am but disrespectful. Literally means "aunt", figuratively - any woman who's any amount of years older than you and a bit of unpleasantness to have around. Not to confuse with "тётя [name]" which is literally "aunt [name]", in an affectionate way and not necessarily towards family.

"Дядя" or "дядь" - a male version of that. Also on both cases the second version is less respectful.

"Начальник" - "boss". Goes with T better than with V, ironically.

"Народ" - "people". Can be either really epic or really casual. A way to address multiple people.

"Братва" - "brotherhood" (derogatory). Sounds like. Uh, it's hard to explain. You guys remember Shark Tale? When, in Russian it's called Underwater Brotherhood, with that specific word for brotherhood. It has that kind of energy.

That's about it! There's a good Wiki page about these things, I recommend skimming through it, though some terms are a bit underexplained there in my opinion. Thanks for asking, and sorry if this post reads a bit haphazard. I'm rusty.

#heavy language post #the council has spoken #tf2 #tf2 heavy #oh this was so much fun!! really enjoyed this ask!!!

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mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess · 11 months

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Investment plans

@cullen-blue23 🧟💌⚔️ I have returned with my Wen Ning appreciation agenda! I keep imagining WWX discovering the Ghost General simps and immediately deciding to throw hands to defend his besties honour. WN is confused, but very flattered (and no longer feels safe being left alone with Lan Jingyi)

Some kind of part 2 to this one

This was an incredibly funny piece to write, shoutout to Lan Jingyi for seeing a business opportunity and running with it.

Wei Wuxian rushes through the Cloud Recesses, Suibian in hand, unsheathed - and that never happens unless there is a great emergency somewhere that he knows he can't fix with just Chenqing. There are very few such instances - one was when Lan Sizhui got kidnapped, and another was when some poor sod put a curse on Lan Wangji, and to this day nobody knows or dares ask what happened to either of those people. So to see the Yiling Patriarch (who's usually just fun and mischievous Wei-qianbei) exude murderous intent, everyone makes way for him to storm out of the Cloud Recesses without issue. Not that they're scared he'd kill them - but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Lan Wangji struggles to catch up to him, and that's saying something. "Wei Ying!"

"Leave me alone, I'm going to kill this Yan Bai person myself! How dare he!"

"Wei Ying!" Lan Wangji tries again, finally reaching close enough to his husband to get a hold of his shoulder.

"What?! You've seen those ridiculous drawings and read those horrible stories too! Aren't you supposed to be righteous?!"

Lan Wangji is not going to take offense to that and he's not going to fight with Wei Ying in the middle of the Cloud Recesses where everybody can see. In fact, there won't be any fight at all.

"You can't kill Yan Bai."

"Like hell I can't, I've killed hundreds, what's one more!"

"We'll circle to that later, but the reason you can't kill him it's because he doesn't exist!"

Wei Ying blinks at his husband incredulously. "Lan Zhan, do you take me for a fool? What do you mean he doesn't exist? Then who created that ludicrous sexy Ghost General calendar? The fanfiction subscription service? The fan letters?!"

Lan Wangji sighs like the weight of the world rests on his shoulders. "Come with me, I'll tell you in private. And please put Suibian away."

---

Inside the jingshi, Wen Ning and Jingyi await. Now, Wei Ying is even more confused than before, joining Lan Wangji at the table. He takes a seat, and says, "Wei Ying, please meet Yan Bai." as he elegantly gestures towards Jingyi, who looks very much like Wen Ning down - a living corpse.

There is such tense silence in the jingshi that it feels suffocating. Jingyi has long accepted he's going to die today, he's said his goodbyes and even sent a last letter roasting Jin Ling express shipping to Jinlintai. All his affairs are in order, might as well get it over with.

"How much money did you make?" Wei Ying asks, his voice flat and neutral, and somehow scarier than when he's angry.

"I... Double my allowance, sir."

"Per month?"

"Per week... sir."

Wei Ying whistles lowly. "What did you spend it on?"

Lan Jingyi keeps quiet, eyes stubbornly squeezed closed.

"Well?"

"I cannot say."

"Why not?"

"It is forbidden."

Wei Ying rolls his eyes. "So is drawing porn, yet here you are."

"It's not - porn... it's-"

"Erotic art, whatever, same thing. I would know. So, where's the dough?"

"..."

"Lan Jingyi."

"We're saving up for something! It's - well, a surprise..."

"And you've decided to exploit Wen Ning for it?"

"It's not... exploiting. It's a... business. I overheard some people talking about him in a certain way and had an idea..."

The new information is nothing short of surprising, so Wei Ying turns to his friend. "Wen Ning, did you know about this?"

"...somewhat. Not to its full extent, but I agreed to the- stories."

"So then what's the big project that had you sell yourself out like this?"

"Please don't say that... I didn't... do that."

Wei Ying crosses his arms, raising an eyebrow. "I don't know, Wen Ning, I received a letter from Yunmeng-"

If Wen Ning could blush, he'd be beet red. "I didn't do anything for cash, I mean... all that you've heard about, I've done it... um, for fun..."

Wei Ying sighs so deeply he feels like he's taken up the whole air in the jingshi. This conversation is terribly embarrassing and he still wants to know what the hell they're saving up for.

"Here's how it's gonna go. Jingyi, you tell me what you've been investing in all this time, and I'll convince Hanguang-Jun over here not to punish you for the next 15 years."

Jingyi steals a look towards Wen Ning, and they seem to be having a silent conversation before Jingyi finally looks up at his seniors.

"We've been - the lotus pond we've been nursing in the Cloud Recesses died last spring, and we know how sad that made you. So we bought a piece of a lake near Caiyi and have hired someone specialized in lotus cultivation to help maintain them and make sure they don't die out like last time." A pitiful sigh, "But they're really expensive, even with all the help we got from Jinlintai... Jin Ling can't just give money out right now, so we had to... be creative. We actually got the idea at the last discussion conference, sect leader Nie dropped something about Yiling Laozu fanfiction selling really well in the past and, well..."

Wei Ying can do nothing but stare. Everyone - the kids, Wen Ning, even Nie Huaisang - all contributed to this one project that's more time-consuming than anything and that takes up a whole lot of money... and all that because he cried over the lotuses that dried up last spring instead of blooming. All that because they wanted him to be... happy.

He stands up from his seat abruptly, and Jingyi squeezes his eyes shut again, awaiting deliverance - instead he finds himself and Wen Ning pulled into a hug.

"Thank you."

Jingyi's eyes widen. "You're... not mad?"

"I am very mad. I married into this super rich sect for you lot to go sell porn for money?!"

"Wei-gongzi, it's not-"

"Quiet, Wen Ning! You should've just asked Lan Zhan for cash!"

"With all due respect, Hanguang-Jun is not adept at keeping secrets from you..."

"...fair. Still, all this was... a bit too much. Even if I appreciate it, it's not okay to do. So, there will be some kind of punishment for you, Jingyi."

"I know..." and he begins reciting, "...for lying, keeping secrets, making illicit money, drawing and reading pornographic material, distributing said material, pricing highly, not reporting earnings..."

"That's a long list of crimes to atone for. I'll leave Hanguang-Jun to do that. Wen Ning, come talk to me outside?"

"Yes."

---

"How do you feel... about all that?" Wei Ying asks as they stroll along the pathways around the jingshi. "The... materials, I mean."

"To be entirely honest... I am not that upset... You know I have not been very confident before... and this, surprisingly, helps a lot."

"Don't you feel... I don't know, objectified?"

A shrug. "Not really. Sure, it's a bit... weird to see so much... erotic material about me, but it's better than people calling for my death..."

Wei Ying sends him a sympathetic look. He wishes people could see him like that, kind and loving and soft, the way he truly is - nothing like the monster people accuse him to be.

"And anyway... I'm not entirely innocent either... so I'm not surprised there is, um, demand for such things."

"Right... uh, you should probably be a bit more on the down low with that in Yunmeng... I know people from there are really attractive but...like, I'm not trying to police what you do or anything-"

"It is fine, I understand what you mean." A conspirational smile. "I was planning to visit Qinghe next anyway, so you probably will not be receiving any more angry letters, hopefully... Though I must admit Hanguang-Jun's response was... quite hilarious."

Wei Ying chuckled. "He got the 'no bitches?' thing from Jingyi, which is why I think he won't punish the kid that harshly... but how do you feel about what he's done?"

"Well. It is... a bit excessive... but... I cannot say the idea is bad... I did get some of the proceedings myself after all..."

"Man, you guys have a whole business going on! Next thing you'll tell me is Sizhui's keeping the books or something."

"..."

"Wen Ning."

"..."

"WEN NING!"

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #wangxian #wwx #ljy #wn #nhs #hope you like this one even if i strayed a bit from the prompt <3 #writing attempts

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quill-of-thoth · 5 months

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Letters from Watson: The Boscombe Valley Mystery

Crimes in Context

Blackmail, again The mystery in Boscombe is remarkably similar in structure to Gloria Scott. Not only is the crime here committed by a former criminal who turned their life around to live as a productive community member, after a time of being blackmailed by a previous representative of the law / legitimate authority (which matches Trevor Sr. in all respects except the "actually committed a murder" part) but the story focuses on how the case affects the innocent adult children in that situation.

It has less-strong similarities to other blackmailing plots in the stories, (see The Second Stain) in being impossible to resolve without the death of the blackmailer, and difficult even then. I will save a full analysis of the Holmes' series attitude towards blackmail compared to other crime for it's proper place in Charles Augustus Milverton, but Holmes very clearly believes that it's not his place to deliver people ridding themselves of a blackmailer to justice, so long as there is any possible way to prevent someone else from taking the fall.

Bigamy, technically

The lack of follow through in the story to McCarthy Jr's marriage to a woman of lower class, (or to her statement that actually she's already married, whoops!) appears to have a lot to do with the class of the alleged bride. In the Noble Bachelor, the fact that the wedding is highly publicized and the bride is briefly presumed dead heighten the drama, but the class and wealth of the engaged couple definitely color Holmes and Watson's perspectives on Hattie's impulsive marriage to her gold rush sweetheart. They are much less sympathetic to the unnamed barmaid who has married McCarthy Jr. To untangle it from the period typical classism and misogyny tangle, lets look at this marriage from her perspective. It's 1890, you're a youngish lady working at a bar in Bristol, making a relatively average-ish wage compared to every other woman you know. (Because you do NOT know women who have fifty pounds a year and work as governesses or typists - your daddy does or did physical labor of some kind, your mama worked in some kind of physical job all your life too, your sisters and cousins and neighbors are never gonna be the idealized house angel of the middle class. You aren't in a workhouse and you aren't dying of working with caustic chemicals in a factory, life is certainly better than it could be! You even have enough education to be literate!) You meet a man who you really want to bang. Despite being above your station he also wants to bang, but hooking up with him is out of the question on both religious grounds, wanting to have a good life where your neighbors don't scorn you grounds, and the practical considerations of wanting a guarantee that this fling won't leave you worse off financially if, say, your boss finds out you're banging someone out of wedlock. Even if you were a hundred percent certain you could keep actually banging this guy a secret, effective birth control is not a thing yet, safe abortions are not a thing yet, and even if you're aware of the theoretical existence of either, even trying to find out more information about how you'd get them could have dire social, financial, or moral consequences. But he's also aware that hooking up is immoral and might send him to hell, so he's willing to marry you. Your best option is to low-key marry the fuck out of this dude. This way if you fall pregnant you've got a piece of paper somewhere that says your baby is not a bastard, the banging you've been doing whenever he bothers to drop by is absolutely moral and justified, and in your wildest romantic dreams you live a life where you have access to nice things because he's willing to spend money that a laborer will never have on you. This is the kind of nefarious "clutches" you've got young McCarthy in: a perfectly sensible arrangement that's only hindered by the fact that your have to keep it secret because your husband knows his family won't approve. (Unless you've got a similar thing going with a sailor as well, then you have to keep it secret or somebody might put two and two together and realize that you absolutely have banged more than one man and ONE of those marriages means that the other is invalid. You've been banging out of wedlock! Technically.)

I'm frankly not certain if the Bermuda Dockyard husband letter is the truth. Sailors are not known for their fidelity and any relationship with one would be difficult at the time, since they'd be away and un-contactable so often and for so long. On the other hand, put yourself back in the shoes of our friend the Bristol Barmaid. One day you wake up and read in the newspaper that your secret husband of two years, who you don't know terribly well despite the marriage and all the banging, has murdered his father in a fit of rage and is likely to be hanged for it. You're shocked and you probably want as far as possible away from the social and legal ramifications of that, so if you instantly write to him and make up a story about having already been married to a sailor to make sure he doesn't presume he has any connection to you in the future, I don't particularly blame you. It's certainly less messy than many other methods of separating from your husband we'll see in the stories

#Letters from Watson #crimes in context #The Boscombe Valley Mystery

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will-you-pick-me · 11 months

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Can we get a ranking of the LI's from best to worst on the yan scale? I don't wanna end up picking the biggest baddie for my first run haha-

Oof, that's actually kinda hard to decide, they're all pretty bad in their own ways. Maybe it's better if I just tell you their types, because one type might be light for one person but heavy for another--- Mikey: Our favorite little he/him lesbian gangster is... well, a gangster. As you might have seen in the "Unhinged Y/N" blurb, he's really erratic in his behavior, and starts out with kidnapping and keeping you, but if pushed too far, will ultimately get rid of you. This can result in either your death, or a new route and LI to unlock. (This route IS very heavy and gorey, though, even by my standards. Use caution with this guy.)

Ulrich: Ulrich is the CEO of a company, plus old family money - he doesn't need to use violence, he has money to pay off people to erase your existence from the internet and all other files and buy the silence of anyone who might have raised the alarm for you. Most people set aside their morals after the 5th fat stack of hundreds. He also has connections to people who would gladly stick a tracking chip in you for the right price. And if it means keeping you, no price is too high. (successful escape leads to new LI and route to unlock.)

Zachnaphael: Technically, this angel doesn't quite go "yan"... but if you push them hard enough, they won't ever be allowed back into heaven, and you'll have to be the one to pick up the broken pieces of an entity who corrupted themselves beyond all recognition for your sake. A shattered mind is not very easy to take care of, or put back together. And if you decide you can't deal with that and leave... Well, then you both are as good as dead. But in the ground, at least you'll be together forever.

Jessica: You hurt her? You dared to hurt her, after all she's done for you, after all she's already lived through? You're just like her "family" - better off as garden fertilizer. But don't worry - your friends will just adore the tomatoes she gives them next year, fresh, dried, sauced, in salads, it will all be just delicious. Jack: This sweet, innocent puppy turns into a feral wolf pretty quick when it comes to the idea of losing you. He won't hesitate to cripple you, cutting off your legs first, and if you still find the will to crawl out the door again in that state, he'll take your arms, too. He'll do everything in his power to make sure you can never, ever, pull that shit with him again. Don't you know it's dangerous out there, after all? Just let him take care of you. That's all he wants. It's not his fault you're too stupid to sit and stay. But maybe after a little training, he'll give you a treat... (successful escape leads to another new LI and route to unlock.)

Narrator: No canon yandere arc, but if you die enough times, he WILL start spiraling into despair and self loathing at not being able to save you. Why won't you listen to him? Are you angry at him? Is this all just to make him suffer? All he wanted to do was help, please, just stop, be safe this time... Please.

#pick me! arg #pick me! characters #sneak peeks #mun talks #teasers

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koffing-time · 10 months

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So... Today wasn't exactly easy, as you can imagine.

But I've spent a few hours in the woods with my other Pokémon, away from people. It was nice, i guess.

Dad came by earlier and we... we buried him in the garden. Far away from the pond, because he didn't like the water. It's somewhere behind the passho berries. He kinda liked them, i think. We didn't mark the spot. I don't like that part of burials. Life goes on. I don't need a gravestone to remember him and i don't need a special place to go to either. I put one last berry down for him though. Maybe it will grow. Honestly i kinda doubt it, because the spot isn't really ideal for it, but you never know.

We wanted to spend today differently. But i guess that's how it goes sometimes.

You know... I've had my fair share of Pokémon die in my care. A few times even in my arms. I volunteered at a shelter during summer for 2 years. There were some Pokémon at the farm that were just old, or maybe they got injured and couldn't recover. It's a part of life. I still remember every single one of them. I'm pretty sure i do. I don't wanna be all depressive and list them all now, but i think about them sometimes. I think about how life sucks sometimes. How some get dealt a poor hand and have to suffer. But that's just how it is sometimes, you know? Sometimes nature just doesn't like you.

But you know what I've been thinking about today? All of these Pokémon had a good life, at least for a good while. They all had a chance. But Roll didn't. Roll was destined to suffer and die without a good life from the day @team-calm decided to play god. Sure, i said earlier the surgery was probably a success, but we don't know that. There could be difficulties that would develop later. Chronic issues, maybe he would have lost a limb sooner or later, we just don't know.

And even more sick? For those fucking assholes, he was just a number. A failed experiment. A setback. Bad publicity. An unpleasant footnote. And I'll be honest, i didn't know him well. We only had a fucking week. But I've loved him. I've tried everything i could think of. There were 3 fucking surgeons who spent 5 hours operating last night. They spent even more time coming up with an idea on how to deal with this problem they never saw before. And i bet that was more effort in saving him than team calm ever put into creating him.

And team calm. No, Circe. I'm asking you personally now. You want to make "the perfect pet". The "ultra domesticated Pokémon". Is this what it looks like? A Pokémon that is vulnerable? So much vulnerable that it is scared by the things it needs? Roll was terrified by water. By it's mere existence. And he needed it. And i had to spend HOURS each day to get some water into him. Is that how you want the "ideal pet" to be?

Or the other extreme. Look at appleslice, the mareanie. She dries out very quickly. I mean, that happens, you know, some Pokémon are bit more unhealthy, there are humans with chronic illness and all that. But that's not what I'm coming at. She's clingy. She doesn't want to spend a second without another person in sight. I had to teach her for a week that it's alright if it's another Pokémon that shares her company. And with all that, she just... Forgot to drink. Multiple times. You, Circe, MADE her that way. She is so incredibly starved for company that she would rather DIE than be alone for just a single moment. I do not even want to imagine how she feels inside her pokeball. And I won't even start on her other issues. I ask again. Is this what a "perfect pet" looks like?

And if your answer is no. I ask a second question. Is it worth it to make hundreds of Pokémon suffer like Appleslice and Bun just to one day, create that mystical "perfect pet Pokémon"? Is it worth it to KILL Pokémon like Roll? Yes. You killed him. I hold you responsible for his death. I ask you one more question.

Do you feel any remorse for your actions? Or do you simply not care that an innocent, tiny and unfortunate Pokémon lies buried in my garden because YOU murdered him, Circe?

#tix.txt #roll the trubbish #bun the trubbish #appleslice the mareanie #cw pokemon death #cw eating disorders #cw pokemon torture #pokeblogging #pkmn irl #pokemon irl #unreality

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andthebeanstalk · 1 year

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Christ's sacrifice on the cross fulfilled prophecies, freed us from the old covenant (that would be what your friend was talking about with the animal sacrifices), and reconciled us in our fallen nature to God our heavenly Father. Why would God want to prevent the fulfilment of a prophecy of our redemption through his Son? You can find really clearly broken down explanations with simple Google searches. or even on Youtube, if reading isn't your thing.

[Continued in second anon]:

also, catholics don't believe that people capable of change are condemned to hell... that's sort of the whole shindig of purgatory.

it seems like the issue wasn't that you were "too much of a fag" to stay, but rather when the questions you had weren't addressed by those in your immediate circle of influence you decided it was all bogus. cause these are good questions! good questions that have been answered hundreds of times over hundreds of years beginning with the early church fathers

[This is in reference to a post I made about how I feel Jesus died for no reason and that my childhood in Catholic school failed to explain it to me. I wrote "thank goodness I was too much of a fag to stay."]

I mean I very much was too much of a fag to stay - the Catholic Church is not kind to queers, and there's a reason every one of my queer friends who grew up Catholic is no longer part of the Church. Lil Nas X knows what's up! Better to rule in Hell and all that. My girlfriend often talks about how she believes if she was raised Catholic as an autistic queer, she would not have lived to adulthood. I agree with her. The shame of it all would have destroyed her. So I very much was and AM too faggy to be a Catholic, and I am immensely grateful for this because I was very very unhappy in the Church.

But actually, the initial reason I had a long agonizing crisis of faith and then dropped it entirely was actually a thought that occurred years before my realization of my own queerness would have forced me either out of the Church anyway or else deep into dangerous self-loathing.

I think the actual heart of the question that destroyed my faith is this:

Is God omnipotent, or not? And if yes, why does he need us to suffer?

Because if he's not omnipotent, then all of this makes sense to me. The whole theology, I mean. Horrible sacrifices had to be made to stop every human soul from going to Hell for all eternity. A long painful battle against the Adversary waged by the good God and his people! It would make sense that he had to suffer if there are other powerful forces at play that established the prophecies he is fulfilling!

But... if he wrote the prophecy..... then....... why? Someone has to write the prophecy in the first place, right? It's not impressive to fulfill your own prophecy, and it doesn't explain why he made one.

If God is not omnipotent, then of course child abuse exists in this world on a massive scale. He hates it and is doing his best to fight it! This fits with the picture of a loving and merciful God that I was taught in school.

But... if he IS omnipotent, then I need to know why child abuse exists. "Mysterious ways" won't cut it because that just means "it doesn't make sense and also maybe that suffering is actually necessary." Which is not an answer I will accept.

The thing that killed my faith was the idea that God cannot be both all-powerful AND kind.

And everything I have experienced about God's Love has been through threats of Hell. I don't think it's kind to save someone from Hell if you condemned them in the first place and also you created Hell. That sounds a lot like an abuser saying you ought to be grateful they didn't hit you and will let you make it up to them. It's a warped version of mercy.

The Catholic church has historically relied on and continues to rely on shame, fear, and social ostracization in order to gain funding and influence. These are very powerful weapons that they use very liberally - shame, fear, isolation - and as long as that Central Paradox I mentioned above continues to exist, then their claim to power and righteousness sounds awfully hollow.

Which brings me back to the concept of martyrdom. I was taught, in no uncertain terms, that sacrifice was something inherently holy. Even when it didn't help anyone! Lent was just a practice in self-denial. It was never clear why Jesus needed it from us.

I was told the only way to 100% be a good person is to never stop sacrificing myself, and even after I stopped believing in a god, this attitude remained deeply, poisonously rooted. (Thanks, Capitalism!) When I was 25, I worked myself nearly to death, and I'm still dealing with the permanent health consequences of that. So ingrained is this mindset in me.

Being gay helped me to avoid falling back into the Church because they hate queers so much, and I am so so grateful for that.

The day I decided God didn't exist, I remember feeling like I could breathe for the first time. I was free! I was loved! I was no longer alone! I no longer had to define my life around shame and guilt! It was terrifying, but also like going from a world full of gray to one full of color!

I think in the end, little 11-year-old me decided that if God was not kind, then I don't know what the point of him is.

And as much as it hurt, knowing that going back wasn't an option for me also helped me stay safe!! Thank goodness I am a dyke!!!

#child abuse #abuse #violence #religious trauma #original #catholic tumblr #come answer my paradox i want to know why this doesn't bother others #dimension 20 #fantasy high #ally beardsley #< tagging with that stuff because part of the reason I'm having this revisitation of my old faith is their character in season 1 #they play a D&D cleric who has a complete crisis of faith when their god can't answer why bad things happen to good people #their character is a complete wreck for the rest of the season and it's very funny and very well done #and as I understand it a little bit autobiographical #d slur #I didn't even get into sexuality here. the church hates sex but nobody's more obsessed with sex than Catholics. it is #restrictive and judgmental even to straight people and there's never a clear explanation besides God said so #i remember the first time it occurred to me that i could potentially grow up to be a whore.#AND I AM PROUD TO REPORT--#THE PROPHECY IS COMPLETE #hehehehee

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abigailspinach · 13 days

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Combatting low turnout

In 2020, Tennessee's youth turnout was among the lowest in the nation at 43%, well below the national youth-voting average of 50%. And in the 2022 mid-term elections, Tennessee had the country's worst youth-voter turnout at just 12.7%.

Some voting-rights groups say young voters often feel disillusioned because lawmakers suppress their participation. In Tennessee, for instance, the state won't accept a college ID as proper identification at the polls, but will accept a firearms registration card.

Other examples: limiting polling places on college campuses, blocking same-day voter registration and requiring that voting registration be done via "wet" signature ‒ a hand-written signature signed in pen and mailed in or hand-delivered to registration officials. All of this seems very last-century to people who've grown up in the digital age.

...

They're not apathetic, they're annoyed

While Trump has focused primarily on the health of the overall economy and closing the southern border, Biden in the past several months has announced initiatives aimed squarely at the concerns of young people, from tax credits to help people buy houses to capping credit card fees, reducing racial disparities in healthcare and income, and lowering college costs and student loan debt, including at historically black colleges and universities in Tennessee.

She's furious that past generations could more easily buy homes, afford college, save for retirement and access high-quality health care. She said she sees Biden as only marginally better than Trump, who she considers a "dictator."

She said older voters refuse to change society because it works for them, even if it means dooming young people to a subsistence existence without homeownership, savings or affordable cars, groceries and gas.

Schulz said college costs are among his students' biggest concerns, along with climate change and the war in Gaza. He said it's a mistake to think young people aren't interested in politics. The problem, he said, is that many feel their votes won’t make a difference, due to uncontested seats or gerrymandered districts.

Ware, who said she's likely to vote for Trump this fall, said the cost of groceries and gas are among her biggest worries, along with overspending by the federal government, including aid to Ukraine. And she worries that both Trump and Biden are too old to effectively connect with millions of young people like her. She said she feels Biden in particular makes the country look weak because he's so old.

“I’m just really not super into Joe Biden, you know,” she said. “It’s one of those things where … I don’t think the alternative is better but at the same time, he's being silent on these major issues, like Palestine and a hundred other things.”

The choice between Biden and Trump is a matter of "bad vs. worse" due to Trump’s stances on many of the issues impacting her, she said.

"I’m a queer person, I'm a woman and I have no interest in making that worse," she said. “But at the same time, I don’t think Biden is great, either."

University of Memphis student Luis Lopez Gamez, 21, said he's also disillusioned with Biden, and will likely just not vote over frustrations about the lack of border reform and Biden's inability to stop Israel's attacks on Gaza. Gamez is Latino and queer, and said that while Trump has been outwardly hostile to people like him, Biden doesn't seem much better.

#us politics

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flaresanimedump · 3 years

Text

where do the plotbunnies go to die now huh? where am I supposed to talk about the tragedy of "quirkless" Izuku, the boy born with a quirk he can never use again.

when he's four his best friend is killed by a villain, a terrible ruthless villain who hates anyone with strong quirks. And then the next day Izuku's quirk manifests like a gif from god: the ability to travel back in time up to three days. So he goes back, and he tries to save Kacchan, and he fails. So he goes back again, and he tries to save Kacchan, and he succeeds. And he's happy: he has a powerful quirk, and Kacchan has a powerful quirk, and they're going to be heroes together.

And he doesn't notice that he had to wait longer to go back the second time until he uses his quirk again to save a dog about to be hit by a car. Immediately his memory of that day changes: he barely made it in time, because his quirk manifested three days after Kacchan died.

Izuku is a smart boy. He understands. It's the price he pays for using his quirk: it manifests one day later with each use.

The next time he uses his quirk, Kacchan will die.

#bkdk #dkbk #bakudeku #bnha #dekubaku #listen #LISTEN #Izuku being a 'quirkless' hero #Kacchan's anger at finding out he has a quirk after all #Kacchan demanding he use it in some dire situation #but Izuku knows that using it will kill him #and it's not even only about saving Kacchan by then #if Kacchan doesn't exist #hundreds of people he's saved won't exist either #LISTEEEEN

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linkspooky · 3 years

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Yuji vs Higuruma

There's some really interesting character foiling going on with Yuji and the defense attorney. Especially since Yuji, idealistic, obsessed with saving others, and exorcising curses are unable to convince a former defense attorney who once had the same goal to end the culling game. The question is why an incorruptible ball of pure sunshine is unable to convince him. It's because Yuji isn't actually any of those things. More analysis under the cut.

1. Let's talk about Junpei (Again)

Before I start digging into the connection between Higuruma and Yuji, the chapter itself starts out with a Junpei foil. A character who is weak, and because he is weak and a target of bullies and not strong enough to stand up to them, ends up developing an unsavory and unlikable, mostly apathetic kind of personality.

Rin Amai develops an attitude of compliance and self-preservation in the face of bullying, even to the point of sitting there and watching as bullies pick on someone else knowing very easily that it could be him. It's precisely because it could be him, he becomes an apathetic watcher in order to survive not standing up to the bullies and egging them on instead. For him, the most important thing is to go with the flow and not be seen as a target.

It makes Rin Amai come off as callous at first, until you realized a much more obviously bullied and victimized Junpei almost gave this exact same speech.

I'm indifferent, because I know how bad people are. I can watch you kill people Mahito, because I don't know them, and more importantly I know the first people you killed were people who were killing me, they're bad people, in my books.

Junpei's rather honest declaration is that if there were a button for killing people he doesn't like, he wouldn't hit it, but if there were a button for killing people who didn't like him he wouldn't hesitate. The reason why is because Junpei doesn't want to go out of his way to hrut others, however, he's been such a target of bullying so many times, that he would kill the people who bullied him, just so he wouldn't be targeted anymore. It's the exact same logic as Rin Amai going along with the bullies. I have to do this, so I won't be targeted.

It's nto because people like Junpei or Amai are malicious people, but rather it's because they don't want to be beaten up. They are victims, but also victims who aren't one hundred percent good or pure people because, when they are the ones who may get hurt, they think out of self preservation, Junpei is so in pain from being repeatedly bullied all alone he simply isn't strong enough to worry about other people. His apathy is a defense mechanism against constant victimization.

This is also something Yuji fails to understand when he goes up against Junpei. He doesn't know what Junpei is going through, because Yuji has literally always been stronger than anyone else around him, when he comes across bullies he can just beat them up. Yuji doesn't really understand the feelings of a weak and helpless person like Junpei, so from the start he didn't really see him as a fully fledged human being, he just flipped between seeing him as someone either to fight against or someone to be saved.

When he admits Rin Amai again he doesnt even recognize him, and in the flashback where they met, Yuji isn't even looking at him. After beating up the bullies to stand up for a poor bullied kid, the look in his eyes is just a little bit disturbed. Yuji doesn't really see weak people, he either sees them as people to be saved, he also has relied on his natural strength to help others almost his entire life. Why am I pointing these out? Geto parallels.

2. Let's talk about Geto (AGAIN)

Higuruma and Geto are both characters who start out as empathic people who use their strength, specifically to protect the weak, and they view this as their jobs. Despite existing in corrupt systems, the jujutsu college system which calls for the death of an innocent girlin order to prolong the life of an immortal man, the court system which heavily favors the prosecution giving them more resources, and advantage even if it might result in a completely innocent person may be put to jail or even death.

After failing someone however, they both go off the rails. They were before that point, law abiding citizens who were working with the system the best they can to improve it. However, they reach their breaking point and then try to break completely free from the system. What specifically is their breaking point for both of them however, is a moment where they are helpless to save another person.

Higuruma wonders why they look at him, Geto constantly flashes back to the people who applauded Riko Amanai's death, as he wonders who exactly he is doing all of this for? Putting his body through absolute hell swallowing curses for people who act like the cult that applauded Riko's death mindlessly, or the villagers that put Nanako and Mimiko in a cage out of superstitition.

There's even water symbolism for both of them, Geto thinks of these things in the shower, when Higuruma meets up with Yuji he's sitting in a full bath tub with his clothes on. Almost as if the both of them are still trying to find a way to stay clean.

However, it's not just that. It's the powerless they experience in moments when they are not able to save others. Riko Amanai was shot dead right in front of Geto when he promised he was the strongest. Higuruma followed all the rules, did everything right to prove his court victim innocent, only to have the appeal rule him guilty. Higuruma's client was branded guilty from the very start, Riko Amanai was always going to die, if she wasn't sacrificed to the star plasma vessel then she was marked for death by many assassination contracts, and Geto was powerless to do anything about her, or even avenge her afterwards. Having lived through that moment of powerlessness, they now grab onto power to try to make their ideals come true. Higuruma's first action is to declare a retrial, and he also, isn't joining the culling game because he enjoys killing but because he can now use his power to make a world which he believes should follow the rules.

etoG

Geto and Higuruma even after they both snap, are still idealists. Higuruma wants to get rid of the whole messy affair of trials because he doesn't believe they can be fair anymore. Geto wants to get rid of humans who just produce curses and don't have to bear the responsibility of exorcising them, because it is unfair a mintority has to again and again die very young deaths over and over while the majority is mainly oblivious to curses and how many they are killing. They notice the world is unfair, and want justice, howevver, despite still have a conscience Yuji can't reach him, and why is that?

Because Yuji doesn't have any ideals to speak of. He's just a cog in the system. All he cares about any more is exorcising curses. The reason I went on such a long tangent about Junpei and Amai at the beginning is because we are set up to believe that Yuji is the opposite of characters like these, apathetic people like Junpei and Amai who don't want to be bullied so they just, switch their emotions off. Yuji obviously cares, he's fighting to stop the game and save others. However, Yuji has to some extent become apathetic. A person who is feeling things doesn't refer to themselves as a cog. THe thing is, there are times when Yuji is not an entirely virtuous person, where his words about saving people all sound empty.

When Yuji is faced with Mahito the first time and was powerless to save Junpei, he flips and declares that all he wants to do is kill Mahito. When Yuji fights against Mahito the second time and is nearly broken by the deaths of Nanami and Nobara right in a row, Yuji declares he doesn't care what his role in anything is, he's just a cog in the system, someone who will kill Mahito over and over again. To be a cog is to be apathetic.

The thing is when Yuji is weak and helpless, he acts really similiar to Junpei, both violently lashing out, and also growing more apathetic to the world around him. Yuji is someone who acts almost the opposite of Higuruma's ideal, Higuruma wante dto keep his eyes open, while Yuji is fine keeping his eyes shut and being a cog in the system. Yuji doesn't particularly have ideals anymore, as evidenced by the fact he has a chance to try to convince Higuruma what he's doing is wrong, basically flubs it, says nothing, and then switches to, okay nevermind I am just going to beat you up. It will be fine if I beat you up. Because, this is how it's worked for Yuji his entire life. Yuji has always been strong enough to beat up any bullies, and is rarely the weak one in the situation, so nine times out of ten, he just falls back on punching the bullies in order to save people because that's what worked before.

Higuruma is presented to us as a formerly empathic individual who has now snappe,d and seems to enjoy killing and violence now, especially because it makes him feel like he is in power, and in control when he was formerly helpless. However, putting him up against Yuji begs the question, isn't Yuji like that? Yuji who is only entering the culling game to save people, who has the exact opposite motivation of Higuruma by trying to bring an end to it?

What is Yuji's strategy in order to try to convince Higuruma? He tries words for five seconds and then he's like, it's fine I'll just beat the crap out of him. If I beat him up, it's all fine. Yuji too, is someone who tries to use violence in order to get what he wants from others. Yuji is introduced to us as the opposite of people like Geto and Higuruma, however, he is going through a very similiar arc then both of them at the moment. Despite the fact that Yuji still looks like the same easygoing friendly guy, there are hints of more going on.

He has already been through a moment that broke him, not once but twice, first with Junpei, then with Nanami, completely helpless to save those he should have been able to save over and over again. He went through the same trauma as Geto, and has the same response, to rely on power and strength above everything else. Just keep exorcising curses. Don't think about what you have to do, just keep exorcising curses. Because, that worked out so well for Geto.

Now as a response, Yuji who used to talk to people and open up like he did in that one moment with Junpei, now relies on strength for everything. His response for everything is to just try to get stronger, because if he were stronger surely things would be different, if he were stronger he wouldn't have let the bad thing happen the first time. Geto confronts Gojo about his strength and how he wanted to use it, because he believes if he had that kind of godlike strength he could make the world a more just place. Higuruma wants to keep the killing game rules in place to feel stronger.

Higuruma and Geto are presented to us as ruthless killers who seem to enjoy killing now, but doesn't Yuji act in a similiar way?

"Have you ever killed someone who ticks you off? It feels better than I expected."

Yuji switched to kill when he was facing Mahito. Not exorcise a curse kill. Of course it's different when it's a curse, but Yuji has never had to face human opponents before this.

Fighting against HIguruma is supposed to make us question what Yuji is doing, because no character in Jujutsu Kaisen is truly evil as Gege has stated before. Everyone has a little bit of the right idea in their way of thinking. Everyone can also be wrong. If Higuruma wants to use his power to either force people to do the right thing, or kill them off, then what exactly is Yuji using his strength for right now? There's nothing persuasive about his words, and Yuji's plan going in was basically, okay, if he doesn't listen I'll just beat him up and force him to do it.

Yuji is such an interesting protagonist because despite his desire to play the hero, he's actually rarely allowed to play the hero in a world as morally gray and myopic as Jujutsu Kaisen. The question is if Yuji is not the hero then who is he?

Just another person probably. However, that's not a bad thing. Yuji's entire arc is about how everyone only sees him as a curse, how right now he's a literal pawn in the villain's scheme. He has no parents because he was born to fill a role, born to be Sukuna's vessel. Won't the ultimate achievement for Yuji's arc be to learn he's not a hero, but rather, a human being with flaws and weaknesses like everyone else, and learn to accept these things and live with them rather. Even if Yuji can't accept them himself, there's still Megumi who accepts him, including everything he did in Shibuya and every flaw. It's something Yuji has right now, that Higuruma and Geto both didn't.

What Yuji needs more than anything right now, is to be human again. Not to be a cog in the machine even though that makes him feel more secure. To be human, and insecure, and open his eyes, and learn to question things. Like that one moment of humanity he showed Junpei where he was able to admit he was wrong, that caused Junpei to back down the fight. THat will always be a better strategy then come on, let's break out the punchies, choo choo it's time for the pain train.

#jjk meta #jujutsu kaisen meta #jujutsu kaisen theory #jujutsu kaisen 163 #jujutsu kaisen 163 spoilers #jujutsu kaisen chapter 163 #jujutsu kaisen spoilers #itadori yuji #rin amai #hiromi higuruma

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impyssadobsessions · 2 years

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(YJ Anon) Okay so, first off, I just finished Young Justice... the bad news is they screwed over Slo-bo and stuck him with a fate worse than death and no way out. Which I'm not jazzed about. BUT! This blog is mostly centered on Danny Phantom, and the way they ended Secret's arc has some implications: First off, I've mentioned in previous asks that Secret was kidnapped by the government and painfully experimented on before the rest of her team broke her out and the Justice League put pressure on the U.S. to get her specifically rights to exist. After that, Secret developed this unhealthy obsession with Robin (III, Tim Drake's version) and started holding him to an impossible standard and generally expecting him to always be there for her. He was like, 14-15 maybe? Absolutely not prepared for that kind of responsibility. When he inevitably let her down, she started to spiral. It didn't help that in teleporting them away once she ended up showing them the edge of death- causing all of her friends to be low-key afraid of her.

She started worrying about herself being inherently, secretly evil. She, along with Slo-bo, broke her dad out of death row (he killed her brother, who was a serial killer himself and also her murderer, but the court didn't know or believe that). The break out was streamed live on the internet. As a result, she was no longer welcome with Young Justice and they were about to apprehend her when Darkseid, a big bad of the DC universe with godlike power, took advantage of her insecurity and self-obsession with her own inner darkness to turn her fully over to the dark side (heh). She left with him for a bit, and returned later to lay waste to huge swathes of people. Everyone who had every wronged her, including Young Justice, was on the menu. Robin eventually talked her down, and she was turned human by Darkseid for betraying him.

This is what she wanted, and is very much the good ending for her, but as far as public opinion goes? Secret was a ghost who the Justice League trusted and backed 100% despite everyone telling them she was dangerous. She betrayed them, and she started hurting a lot (hundreds) of people before being stopped by her former team. As the first ghost to really stand in the public eye in the DC universe (possibly, I don't know enough about Spector or Deadman to say that with 100% certainty) she probably set maybe the worst possible precedent for ghost rights. Danny is SCREWED public opinion wise.

Oh my gawd yes... Danny has no chance, because the ppl won't even believe the Justice League anymore. And then Danny knowing full well he could cause just as much a damage if not more if he ever allowed himself to become Dan. So Danny struggling with his own issues of wondering if some part of him is inherently bad. But unlike secret, he's determined to prove it wrong/and naturally does so because he wants to protect ppl and ghosts alike. But yeah, Danny getting any help to defend him from the public is going to be a bust. Either something where the world has to see Danny being the hero he is or maybe the fact of him being half-human put them in some ease... though Danny himself would hate it if it was the later. Not wanting to think he's good just because he's half human. Because he knows plenty of good ghosts.. but it is a step forward in allowing ppl to accept ghosts. But he be bitter if it was the broadcast saving world thing.. oo or if it was both. Danny just be bitter by the public regardless, so even after being accepted the most he sticks around for is a wave and let others handle the rest. Only on public display when its absolutely necessary. Though can catch him correcting ppl randomly like "Not evil."

#danny phantom #danny fenton #dp x dc

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hellsbellschime · 3 years

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Why Did R'hllor Really Resurrect Jon Snow?

youtube

Although Game of Thrones left off with many unresolved plot threads and intentionally unaddressed questions, one of the most interesting twists in the entire series that still remains a bit of a mystery is the resurrection of Jon Snow.

Clearly the sequence of events and Jon's role in them could be drastically different within A Song of Ice and Fire, but in the TV series at the very least, the actual purpose behind Jon coming back from the dead isn't quite as clear as it should be considering what a massive moment it really was.

Yes, there is a consistent theme in both the books and show about the intention of the gods being mysterious and unexplained, but it's extremely interesting that in contrast to Beric Dondarrion, a fairly minor character who was also resurrected by the Lord of Light but whose ultimate purpose in the narrative was directly stated my Melisandre, Jon Snow's ultimate purpose was sort of left up in the air at the end of the story.

Jon Snow's rebirth is something that was anticipated for a very long time by some fans, and the immediate presumption behind R'hllor's decision to resurrect him is that it was because he was the chosen one who could defeat the army of the dead. While Game of Thrones messed with this particular storyline quite a bit and invented a Night King where none existed, the writers specifically stated that Arya defeating the white walkers was a twist that they came up with on their own.

But with that said, the notion that Jon will come back to life because he is the lone hero destined to save humanity never quite rang true either. Rhaegar Targaryen may have believed that Jon, or at least one of his children, was born for this gig, but considering that people almost always interpret prophecies incorrectly, it seems safer to assume that Rhaegar was wrong and his child almost certainly won't be the prince that was promised.

And from an even broader perspective, the idea that any one person is fated to save the world doesn't seem to mesh well with the overall themes of A Song of Ice and Fire. Not only does a singular hero seem uncharacteristic of the story, but having one single person who saves the world seems unlikely, no matter who they are.

So that really begs the question, why is it that the Lord of Light saw fit to bring Jon Snow back from the dead?

The most obvious answer that I think most Game of Thrones fans presumed was that Jon was meant to kill Daenerys and protect the world from her fire and blood wrath. But there are other possibilities. Perhaps Jon was brought back to save the wildlings beyond the wall, or maybe he was just the man who was meant to raise the alarm about the threat of the white walkers that was looming over Westeros. However, there is an incredibly dark possible interpretation to Jon's resurrection as well.

Ultimately, Jon did many good things and saved many lives over the course of his character arc, but truth be told, there were many people who could have potentially fulfilled Jon's role in these heroic feats. Someone else could have saved the wildlings, someone else could have warned of the coming storm, and someone else could have killed Daenerys Targaryen. But what was the one role in the story of Game of Thrones and likely the story of A Song of Ice and Fire that only Jon could play?

Again, the easiest presumption is that Jon was brought back to life because he was destined to stop Dany's tyranny and prevent her from conquering the world. But one particular aspect of that notion that I couldn't really wrap my head around was simply, why would the Lord of Light want Daenerys to die?

Yes, she slaughtered hundreds of thousands of people, and yes, she was a threat to humanity. But the followers of R'hllor certainly don't see her that way.

The red priests and priestesses of the book series don't always adhere to the same beliefs or interpret prophecies in the same way, but they all seem to universally agree that fire is awesome, and killing people with fire is even better. Both in the books and in the TV show, there are followers of R'hllor who directly state that Daenerys is some kind of holy savior, and Kinvara very unsubtly states that Daenerys is meant to "purify" non-believers by the thousands.

And it's entirely possible that those who worship the Lord of Light almost universally interpret their religious texts and prophecies incorrectly. They certainly wouldn't be the first to do so. However, if we are to take anything that the followers of R'hllor believe at face value, the one thing that seems to hold true for all of them is that fire and blood equals power, and that sacrificing human lives in fire seems to make R'hllor more magical or more powerful.

So with all that in mind, an obvious question seems to be, why in the world would the Lord of Light want Daenerys to die, and why would he bring Jon Snow back to life in order to do it? And the obvious answer seems to be, he wouldn't.

Although I'm not entirely convinced that Young Griff isn't the real Aegon Targaryen, it seems safe to assume that Daenerys will think he's a fraud. And from that point of view, that means that the only thing that Jon Snow seems to be that no one else can fulfill the role of is a Targaryen who Daenerys will believe is a Targaryen who has a better claim to the Iron Throne than she does.

Undoubtedly the burning of King's Landing will be more complex and nuanced in the books than it was in Game of Thrones, however Daenerys burning a city to the ground has been foreshadowed quite a bit in A Song of Ice and Fire, and it stands to reason that the discovery of Jon Snow's superior Targaryen claim could be a major contributing factor just as it was in the show. After all, if Daenerys can't take the Iron Throne through a blood right, she can still take it by right of conquest just as many kings have done before her.

So then, if Jon Snow is the only man in the world who can make Daenerys feel like her claim to the throne is threatened, and that threat leads her to burning an entire city full of people, what could that possibly mean? If Jon Snow was resurrected by a god of fire that seems to be fueled by people dying in flames, doesn't it stand to reason that the purpose of his rebirth wasn't to stop Dany, but was actually to ensure that she would burn King's Landing in the first place?

This is certainly the darkest timeline interpretation of Jon's role in the narrative, but it would make some kind of sense in the broader themes of the story as well. The gods of the world of ice and fire are not kind. And, after an entire character arc building up towards Jon being some epic hero, it would certainly be a massive subversion of expectations if the mystical chosen one that Rhaegar read about in prophecies and R'hllor decided to resurrect was resurrected specifically because he could trigger the largest fiery blood sacrifice in human history.

It seems obvious that Game of Thrones likely meant to imply that Jon's heroic character arc was meant to end when he killed Daenerys, and thus he was brought back to life for that purpose. However, there is a lot of obvious ambiguity to that notion, and there is nothing within the narrative that contradicts the possibility that the Lord of Light's interest in Jon was driven by his potential to trigger the destruction of King's Landing. And while George RR Martin's explanation of why the gods do what they do is likely to be even vaguer than the explanations offered in Game of Thrones, it seems unlikely that A Song of Ice and Fire's narrative will ever say anything to directly contradict this theory either.

But ultimately, I just think it makes more sense. Considering what R'hllor's believers seem to think, and considering what R'hllor seems capable of, it just seems more logical that the Lord of Light would have much more of a vested interest in ensuring that hundreds of thousands of people die in fire rather than preventing the queen of fire and blood from using her dragons to burn even more people alive.

#jon snow #r'hllor #anti daenerys targaryen #got #asoiaf #got meta #asoiaf meta #my videos #Youtube

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j-the-wanderer · 3 years

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A great bit of fear comes from that which must exist. That which humanity cannot avoid or dodge, the inevitabilities of human evil. Of course, it is less human evil, than it is human curiosity, which drives the science which drives the evil. Market studies that lead to capitalist expansion which leads to the many ways our entrepreneurs have slapped together to make production meet demand. The pursuit of science becomes the development of weapons, to be released upon the people either intentionally through sale or unintentionally, through the unfortunate mistakes, negligence, and perhaps, discoveries of others.

Regardless, in the universal human craving in the discovery of, or pursuit of value, the goal reaches above humanity, not from explicit evil, but from negligence. From ignorance, perhaps, which we believe can be thoroughly cured via a further dose of curiosity. Humans are endlessly curious of that which a human can be, and are intent on using themselves as the foundation of their art.

Maybe the horrors of war? Derived from an ideological conflict, or from economics? Yet this cannot wholly be blamed on market forces and core cultural differences. A war of religion, of ancestral right to land and resources, regardless stems from curiosity. What might one excavate from the land one’s ancestors claimed hundreds of years ago? For many, the question instead, is what can one excavate from oneself?

All human conflict, all human knowledge, indeed, all human evil may originate from curiosity. What happens if I do this? How do I solve one problem or another? Can I stop a fight, or gain from starting one? How would I win?

All the way down, perhaps, to and beyond, the borders of ethics. How much can pain shape a person? Is this right to do? Am I saving a life by ending one? Does one prolong pain by prolonging life, or indeed, does one ease pain by ending it?

"No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks." - Mary Shelley

"Okay, Doc, but, that's still messed up, though." Sevens was unimpressed.

The old man adjusted his glasses. "You understand, that my full potential is in the work that I do, therefore, and indeed perhaps in all progress, sacrifices must be made."

"I took down a crime family with subterfuge and assassination techniques that they taught me. You unethically cloned stem cells so you could do half a million twin-studies for your freak mutant experiments." He did not even spare the old doctor a glance from the work he was doing, as he polished a glass from the Pullman drink car they had restored. "We are not the same, and I am insulted by the comparison."

"In terms of net gain and loss, we are similar monsters indeed. I have possibly created far more life than I have ended, and though I bent it to my bidding, you have destroyed-"

"I have created more life in rescuing my brother than you ever have in your facility. Variety is the spice of life, quality over quantity. A bunch of identical twins who failed to live for even 2 months, from a test tube that I'm sure you forgot to check and maintain in the process of double-blinding, is just cruelty and waste, of life, resources, and time."

"Any scientist would kill, to have the resources I had, the sample I was able to use."

"And you did. And it wasn't worth it. I suppose the difference here is that I did, and it was. But let me make a new deal, here:" Sev leaned on the bar towards the frail old man, so the doctor could get a good look at his face through his spectacles, from the mechanized wheelchair he was sat in. "You shut up about this whole 'we're not so different, you and I' thing, and I make sure the next drink I serve you won't be your last."

He laughed at this, "You can't kill me, and you know it!"

"No, but I can stop being your bartender."

The emotion drained from the old man's face, from a smug superiority to surprise. Where he once sat upright and proper, to deliver a speech and present his debate, now, slowly and silently, he sank back into his chair. He'd come to value a nice drink as he reviewed his research, and he'd soon taken Sevens' presence and talents for granted. In fact, in his self-absorbed, obsessive pursuit for an ally onboard this train, Doc had not prepared any other topic for conversation.

He had been prepared for a debate on philosophy and ethics, on the depths of human nature and psychology, and he had been soundly defeated by a whiskey glass.

The car then fell into an extended silence, interrupted occasionally by the clinking of glasses as the hitman stored his newly-cleaned glassware and retrieved another to polish.

#keep reading #drabble #sevens #doc #it's long so i put a tag where the dialogue begins

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fifteenskies15 · 4 years

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The Immortal Water Pillar, Tomioka Giyuu

(Tomioka Giyuu x Mermaid! Reader)

Summary: Tomioka Giyuu, The Water Pillar has live long enough, more than you know... But how did that happen? Well, it all started when young Giyuu met a mermaid...

Admin's note: Hello again everyone! I came back and this time I'm with Giyuu content, hopefully this will turn out well... I'm actually nervous about this since this is adapted/referenced from Yaobikuni and because Giyuu ate mermaid (or merman aka reader's) flesh, he's definitely the oldest (and still the most handsome) Pillar in demon Slayer corps, I warn you, this'll be OOC and there will be GiyuShino here

TW: Mention of Giyuu committing suicide (Artwork does not belong to me)

Legend said that there is a woman who accidentally ate mermaid flesh...

She doesn't age and stayed like she was, young and beautiful, got married but then she became a widow, tired of living this life, she became a bhiksuni and travel around the world, and she died at age 800...

She might be dead, but mermaid's flesh did have a wonder for her... She can live for eight century, but in reality... Whoever ate the flesh will surely live forever or became an Immortal.

"Tomioka-san, you're not a human aren't you?" Shinobu said out of the blue, as she and Giyuu were sitting on the engawa while watching the full moon, the question definitely caught Giyuu off guard, he looked at the petite girl who looked at him with that typical smile on her face, but you could tell she definitely put Giyuu in position.

Giyuu remained silent as the night itself, he wasn't sure how to answer that.

Matter of fact, he is a human but...

"....."

"Tomioka-san, you should know that silence could mean as a yes, so I was right that you're not a human..."

Giyuu's blue and lifeless Cobalt blue eyes looked at her as in saying "does anyone know about this?"

Shinobu shakes her head no, "No one knows... At least not yet..." Giyuu keep staring at her, he seemed to weigh option whether he should tell her or not, seeing that he's aware that Shinobu doesn't seem to fancy him that much.

Shinobu however could detect distrust radiating from the man.

"Tomioka-san, You could tell me, I swear I won't tell any soul"

Giyuu still not believing her.

"...You promised"

Shinobu nodded solemnly signifying that she really won't tell anyone.

Giyuu stayed silent as he roll up the sleeve and pull out his sword from his sheathe, the blue color of the blade illuminated by the moon.

"Have a look, Kochō"

Giyuu cut his arm, a long, gross scar on his skin and blood dripping off from his arm, Shinobu were mildly shocked "Tomioka-san, what are you...!?"

Her purple eyes widen as she saw the cut on his arm are instantly healed, no cuts, he wordlessly put his sword back to its sheath

"Tomioka-san, may I...?"

Giyuu nodded and let Shinobu examine his arm, her eyes are filled with wonder and curiosity

"How curious, you had an exceptional regeneration ability, it's even more better than demons, it's quite fascinating..."

She looked up at Giyuu, frowning.

"But how...?"

Giyuu looked back at the full moon, looking wistful "...Kochō... Have you heard the tale of Yaobikuni?"

"Ah... That's the tale of female bhiksu who live for 800 years because she ate the mermaid flesh..."

A flash of realization hit her

"Tomioka-san, you're pulling my leg..."

Giyuu just looked at his feet, another silence blanketed the air, and it's really heavy that it's almost hard to breathe.

"Tomioka-san..."

"Kochō... I'm a human but I actually have live more longer than you know..."

Shinobu were out of words.

"Then...how long...how long have you...live?"

Giyuu thought of it, it's been so long since he lived he couldn't even remember how long he live now.

"If I recall correctly, I'm born in Kansei era..."

Once again, Shinobu rendered speechless, this man, who are known for his reversed personality and distance himself from the other pillars has lived for two centuries...

"I will tell you everything but I'm not sure if you're going to believe me"

Shinobu is not the person who believed about mythical creatures aside from demon such as mermaids.

But if she heard everything from the man who lived for nearly 200 years...

...

Shinobu looked into Giyuu's blue eyes intensely, demanding him to tell her everything "Tell me everything, Tomioka-san..."

"Very well..." He looked up at the night sky and told her everything...

200 hundreds years ago...

Young Tomioka Giyuu and his sister Tsutako lived near the docks, everyday, young Giyuu could see fishermen, sailors and travellers come and go by the boat or a big vessel, aside from that, he could feel the wind gently blowing against his skin, the salty smell of the seawater and wave crashing against the reef, sometimes he watch as the sun rise and when the sun is setting, whenever Tsutako off to the city, he always play at the shore, watching the fishermen taking off to the sea or just enjoying the calm and serene sea.

It was another day Giyuu played by the shore, laughing as he kicked the sand with his small feet, he lift up his hakama and enjoy the feeling of the sea wave against his ankle, smiling and laughing, forgetting the fact that the land were plagued by the demon attacks, he could see the seagull flying, the palm trees gently swaying, Giyuu breath in and out as he taking in the beauty of nature in front of him.

Sometimes he wonder, what kind of place that exist across the big blue sea considering how big this world is.

As he enjoyed the sound of the waves, he could hear a faint sob somewhere, he looked around, there was no one but him

"Hello? Is anybody there?"

"...help me..."

Giyuu craned his ear and followed voice

"Somebody... please..."

He kept following the voice, he didn't realize he's been walking further, but it's a good thing that he remembered his way back

Soon enough, the sobs and plea growing louder and that's when Giyuu find something unbelievable...

He saw a mermaid/merman, her/his tail were trapped in fishermen's net, the mermaid/merman is around Giyuu's age too.

How is it possible?

"Hey, it's okay! I'm going to help you"

The mermaid/merman seems desperate that she/he didn't mind a human helped her/him "Please... It hurts..." Giyuu carefully climbed down the jagged path as he try to help the poor creature, Giyuu had watch several fisherman fiddling with their nets so he knows exactly what he must do.

He can't help but to feel your (E/C) eyes staring at him, Giyuu stopped for a while, examining you "Are you a mermaid/merman?" Although it was obvious, You just nodded as he continued to free you, Giyuu focused on the net and finally manage to free you, you smiled as you sway your (scale color) tail freely, you looked at Giyuu with a beaming smile "Thank you so much for saving me, human, I'm in your debt, how should I pay you?"

"Pay me?" Giyuu ask a little confused "Yes! Paying you because you have saved me rather selflessly I say... So what do you want? Oh wait, I know! I know you want immortality!"

Young Giyuu knows that living as an Immortal being is dream of any people, but there's beauty of growing old and even death itself, Tsutako said to him that no matter how much you want to be Immortal, you will never understand how is it to have a change within yourself, either it's physically or mentally, Giyuu smiled and shook his head "No?"

"No I don't want immortality, I'm happy that I could help you" you pouted then you look at Giyuu hands, there's a bit of cuts, he probably didn't realize that releasing you did hurt him "Your hand..." Giyuu tilted his head then look at his own hand "Oh! It's okay! I'll be fine, I can just lick it!" You widen his eyes and grab his hands in rush "No! It won't do you any good!" You looked around and to see a stone with jagged edge and cut your finger with it

"What are you doing?!"

"Shush!"

You let the blood dripping into his cuts and miraculously his hands were healed, Giyuu looked at it his now flawless hands in awe "How did you do that??" You proudly huffed your chest "I'm a mermaid/merman remember? Our blood had regenerative ability, even if just one drop we could heal those who are gravely injured!" Giyuu watch as the cut on your finger regenerated in a blink of an eye "That's amazing"

"It is, isn't it?" You smiled as you lean against the rock watching Giyuu closely "By the way, I'm (name), what's yours?"

"Giyuu...Tomioka Giyuu" he say as he bow slightly at you "Ah, take it easy, Giyuu!" Giyuu just smiled at you and nods "Okay then" he then looked at you tail curiously "What's wrong with my tail?"

"I think it's pretty" he say sitting down and dip his feet in the cold but refreshing seawater, you peer curiously at his small feet "Wow, your feet are small!"

"Yeah, I know but it will grow soon...hey!!" He fell on his back as you lift his feet and looked at it in awe "Wow! Look at your toes! It's so small! I wonder if humans feet are sensitive?" You cluelessly touched his feet as Giyuu stiffled a laugh "Stop..." You looked at his face and smiled mischievously and tickled his feet, Giyuu burst out laughing "Hahaha!! Ahhh!! Stop!! It's ticklish!!"

You laughed and keep tickling his feet, at the same time you amazed at how sensitive humans feet are, maybe this is why they used a thing called...zori? or geta? Or whatever it's called... It must be used to protect the sensitive human foot

Fascinating!

You stopped tickling him as Giyuu exhaled a relieved sigh "Geez, you could just ask me not giving me a surprise attack like that" you giggled "Sorry, I'm just curious, it's just, you're the first human I ever seen in my life!"

"Really?"

You nodded and looked at him with wonder and curiosity "I want to know more about human things! What did they eat? Why do you all wear weird clothes? How is it feel to run free?" Giyuu smiled at you and seem gesture you to calm down "I will tell you if you tell me how is it feel to be a mermaid"

"Deal"

"Now what do you want to know?"

You thought about it for a while "Why do humans eat fish?"

Well that certainly one heck of a question coming from a mermaid like you "Because they're tasty" Giyuu said "But some of the humans didn't really eat fish you know, some of them eat rice with vegetables"

Your eyes sparked with interest "Rice? Vegetables? I want to try them! It must be tasty!!"

"Hehe maybe when we can, I will come and get you some"

"Please!! I want to try what you humans eat!"

"I will, what else do you want to know?"

"Well..."

That day you and Giyuu spending time talking about human stuff, and you told him about mermaid things, you both talked till the sun begin to set "Giyuu, look! Sunset!!"

Giyuu smiled at how the sun slowly sinking, the once blue sky turned orange "I have seen sunset but I never knew it looked so beautiful here!" He then stood up and give you a sad smile "Well, it's nice to meet you (name), but I had to go before it's too late"

You pouted sadly "Giyuu, wait! Can I see you again tomorrow?"

"I don't know, will you be here tommorow?"

A smile spread across your face as you nodded "Yeah, I'll be here, waiting for you"

"Then I'll be here tomorrow, see you, (name)!" Giyuu waved and run back to the docks as you swim away to place where you stay.

As he reached the docks, Tsutako just came back from the town as well, "Giyuu, where have you been?" Giyuu just smiled happily "The reef near the seashore, I was just want to see a change of scenery" Tsutako smiled at him and ruffled his hair "Well next time I have day off take me with you" Giyuu smiled and nodded, he knows that his sister is very nice so his mermaid friend would like her too.

The next day, Giyuu came with riceball he made himself, he hoped that you would like it, he arrived at the same place, as he wait for you, he once again dip his feet in the cold seawater while humming "I wonder if she's/he's here..."

"Good afternoon, Giyuu!!"

"Whoa!!"

Giyuu jumped a bit as you emerge from the water with a smile on your face, you laugh at him "Hahahaha!! You should see your face!" Giyuu huffed his cheeks and pouted "You almost gave me a heart attack" you giggled and climbed up to the shore so you sit next to him "Sorry, sorry, I just wanted to surprise you"

You peered at the riceball he bought for you "Ooh, is this what human food looks like? It's cute!! Look at how you put the seaweed on it!" You say looking at the food with sparkling eyes, Giyuu smiled and put the box on his lap "This called riceball, it's a simple dish but it's filling when you really don't want to cook, have a bite" he say as he offer you one, you gratefully accept it and take a bite

It's tasty!

"Wow! This is delicious!!" You say as you gobbled up your food, Giyuu ate on for himself and smiled at you "Right? When my sister is away, I always make this for myself so I don't get hungry"

"You have a sister?" Giyuu nodded as he looked at the vast blue sea, "She's beautiful, nice and knows how to cook, someday I want to take her here so she can meet you" You're intrigued, Giyuu is nice and his sister must be very nice too, you yourself didn't really have any sibling so you kind of envied him.

"(name) are you okay? Are you mad that I wanted to take my sister here?"

"Huh? Of course not! I actually really want to meet her, it's just that..." You sighed and take a bite of your riceball "It's just that I'm jealous of you, it must be nice to have a sibling, I have spent my life all alone, my only companions are fishes in the sea, but I can't just tell what's bothering me to them, I need someone who can relate to me and understand me like a sibling did" you say sighing, Giyuu pouted and patted your back, you looked at her quizzically "What are you doing, Giyuu?"

"I'm trying to cheer you up"

"Is this some kind of gesture that most humans did to another?"

"Yup!" He stopped and looked at you "(name), if there's anything that bothers you, you can tell me anything!" You looked at him with hopeful eyes "You will?" He nodded "Of course! That's what friends for!"

Friends...

That's sounds amazing...

"Do you really mean it?"

"Do I really mean what?"

"That you are my friend?"

"Of course we are! I know we came from different world, but that doesn't stop me from being friends with you!" You could feel tears welled up in your eyes, the way Giyuu said it and how it's reflected inside his eyes, he was genuine.

"Waaahhh!! Giyuu!!!" You tackled him to a hug while you cry into his chest, truth to be told, you have met so many humans but none of them are as kind and as genuine as Giyuu... your eyes, the way Giyuu said it... His feelings are genuine

"Hey, hey, it's okay, don't cry" he say as he hugged you back, he could feel something on his lap and to see...pearls?!

You pulled away, wiping your tears away, smiling at him "Sometimes I forgot that mermaids can make a pearl from their tears, well, why don't you keep it?" Giyuu looked down at the pearls, it will be nice if he sell them and the money can be used for his sister but...

...

He scooped the pearls and throw it away to the sea "Huh, Giyuu you sure you don't want it? It would give you a plenty of good fortune" Giyuu shook his head "I don't need pearls like those, I became your friend just the way you are not because of what you're capable of" you smiled again and hugged him, gently this time "You had a pure heart Giyuu"

"What is that even mean?"

"Hehe nothing, just wanted to say it"

That day, the two of you spend time eating the riceball untill the sun began to set.

----

Years pass, and Giyuu had grown up into a fine young man and so are you, Giyuu still visited from time to time, and the more you spend your time with him, the more you realize how handsome Giyuu is.

"Is everything okay, (name)?" You looked away and sputtered "N-nothing!! Anyways... How have you been doing? Especially with all the recent demon attacks" Giyuu's smile falter as he sighed "I have been fine...I trained with someone who live in the mountain so I can defend myself and other people" he looked rather distant, something must've troubled his mind "Are you worried that we can't see each other now that you're going to mountains?"

Giyuu nodded "The man, Sakonji Urokodaki is very kind, his training may be gruesome but he's still allow me to see you when I had a free time"

"I see..." You just sway your tail then looked at him "Anyways, how is Tsutako nee-san doing?" A warm smile spread on his face "She's going to get married next month"

"Really?! That's great!" You say smiling, Tsutako is really nice when Giyuu took her to see you, of course you like her almost immediately "When Tsutako nee-san is married you and I are gonna be aunt and uncle!/uncles!" Giyuu chuckled and nodded "Yes we do, I'm so happy for her"

"Oh! Before I forget..." You began to shed a tear as it turn into a very beautiful pearl "Here Giyuu, I want Tsutako nee-san to have this" Giyuu was astonished "(Name) are you really sure?" You nodded and give the pearls to him "This is my token of appreciation, a thank you give for her, tell her I wish her to have a happy marriage" Giyuu smiled and held the pearl before he put it in his pocket "Tsutako nee-san will love this"

You smiled at him, then you both watch the horizon sky in peaceful silence, you scoot closer to Giyuu and lay your head on his shoulder, Giyuu smile and lay his head against yours "I'm going to miss this once I got to the demon slayer corps..." You pouted sadly since you know you won't see him for the time being "and I will miss you too, Giyuu..."

Giyuu looked at you wistfully and take your hand on his "You won't lose me, when I can, I will come back here to see you and tell you everything that happened..."

You looked at him

"...You promised"

He nodded solemnly as he remove the strand of your hair from your face "You have my word"

You smiled sadly at him, you tried to cherish the moment before he went back to the mountain again and you want to give him the thing you made for him since you know this day would come

"Giyuu, give me your hand"

Giyuu was a bit confused but he did anyways, you handed her a seashell with a pearl on it and there's an engraving on the pearl

義勇富岡

"My name?" You nodded happily "I remember how you teach me how to write your name, I made this so you could remember me when you see it" Giyuu smiled and held the beautiful seashell close to his heart "I will treasure this forever... Thank you, (name)"

You smiled and hugged him as you both witnessed the last sunset together...

"I loathe to say it..."

"Then don't..."

Giyuu sighed and went on his feet "But I must go, tomorrow I have to go back to training" you tried to not cry and stay strong knowing that you won't see him for a long time, "I wish you good luck, Giyuu..." You swim to the sea and give Giyuu one last fleeting look, he looked sad as he waved and mouthed "until we meet again"

You nod and dive back into the sea...

Month has passed, you keep waiting and waiting for Giyuu to come back, he's not coming... But that's not going to stop you from waiting for him.

But this time you're worried, for the first time you swim near the docks where Giyuu lived, you could hear many fishermen or people talking

"... unfortunate... really"

"...such shame...she was a nice young woman..."

...What?

You peer closer and try not to get their attention "Do you know Tomioka Tsutako? It's unfortunate that she's dead right before her wedding day"

...What...?!

"Yes, it's such a shame that she died before the day she became a blushing bride, pity her, pity her"

"That's why many youngster trade their lives for danger to put people's heart at ease and become demon Slayer"

"Come to think of it, her brother is one of them too, right?"

"I'm not sure yet, but let's hope that boy is alive and well"

You felt like being hit, Tsutako is...

...

With tears in your eyes you swim aimlessly to take your mind off the ugly possiblity that will happen to Giyuu, you stopped and climb on a reef, sitting on it and sing a sad melodies, you mourned, you mourned of your friend's death and thinking about Giyuu, how can he deal with this?

"Giyuu, please be okay..."

----

A year had passed and you still wait for Giyuu at the very same place all those year ago, and he still didn't came

Giyuu, where are you now? How are you now?

You looked at the horizon, it feels disrespectful when you see this beautiful scenery without Giyuu by your side, you still remember his smile and how his eyes gleam in happiness Everytime he talk to you

"Giyuu, I wish you were here..."

Your eyes wander around just in case you actually see him, and you did...You could see Giyuu sitting on the sea cliff, motionless"

Giyuu!!" You called at him, but he didn't hear you... You then noticed he pulled out his sword as he stood up near the cliff

...No

No!!

"GIYUU NO!!!"

Too late, he already plunge his sword into his stomach, he then fall backwards and plunge into the sea, you swim as fast as you could to save him, you looked around and see his body slowly sinking in to the deeper sea, sword still stuck on his stomach and the color of ugly red seeping out from his abdomen

Just a little more...!

You manage to grab him and quickly bring him to the shore, you lay him down carefully and pull out his sword from his stomach, you put your ear on his chest, his heart were beating weakly, he's gonna be a goner soon...

You took his red streaked blade and cut your wrist as you let if fall on his stomach, the cut on his stomach is healed and there's one thing you must do when he's awake

You got closer to him, you did a chest compressor so he could cough out all the water, when it's enough, you get even more closer to him and connect his lips with yours...

...

Giyuu coughed as air finally filled his lung he looked around and to find you looking at him with worry in your eyes

"(Name), it's you..."

"Yeah, it's me..."

And out of the blue you punched him, hard that he stumbled back, but he doesn't seem to react anything as if he deserves it

"You idiot!!! What the hell happened with your mind?! Why would you do such stupid thing?!" You pulled his collar as his blue eyes didn't even met yours "Answer me!!! Why did you do that?! Did you forget the promise we made here?! Am I nothing to you know?! Is it what Tsutako nee-san wants?! IS IT?!"

You were so sad and angry at him, guilt spread over his now expressionless face.

He should've know there's another person aside from Tsutako and Sabito who cares about him.

"...No..."

"Then why...?"

He looked at you with his empty blue eyes, you realize that there is no light inside it like you used to see "I have lost my sister and I have lost my best friend, I'm punishing myself because I'm not strong enough for them, and I know I'm not strong enough to even protect you, so I..."

You cut him off by hugging him tightly, hesitantly he put his arms around you and hold you like you're his lifeline

"Giyuu, you still have me no matter what happens..."

"I know...and I'm sorry..."

You both embraced each other in silence as you spoke up "Eat me, Giyuu"

...

"(Name), what do you mean?"

"Just eat me!! I can't bear the thought of you dying!!! I won't let anyone and demons kill you! You have to stay alive to protect innocent people from the demons!!"

You cupped his cheeks and pressed your forehead against his "I know this is very selfish of me to ask, but I want you to stay alive, for me, for Tsutako nee-san and your best friend..." Giyuu looked at you with mixed feelings "When the demons are eradicated, I want you to come back here, spending time together like we used to and tell me everything and if you're tired living as an immortal I'll be here" you say joked at the last part as you hugged him.

"(name)..."

"Go ahead, I'll be fine..."

With few hesitation, Giyuu bit your shoulder slowly before he began to "eat" you, blood dripping down from your shoulder, you could feel his tears against your shoulder as you assure him everything is going to be fine...

Then he stopped, he pulled away from you with mouth smeared with your blood, and tears running from his blue eyes "(Name) I'm sorry..."

"Don't be..." You smiled as you recovering slowly, but the bite mark on your shoulder remain there, you smiled at him "To remind me of you and knowing that one day you'll come back..." Giyuu then pulled you into his arms as you hug him back just as much...

Knowing that this is truly the last time you see him...

You patted away and go back to the water as you smiled at him "Run along now Giyuu, protect people with all your strength, no matter how long it takes, I'm here, I'm always here, waiting for you..."

He nodded as he wipe the blood off his mouth "I promise I will come back here..."

"You promised..." You smiled, tearing up.

"...See you soon, Tomioka Giyuu" you say as you dive back, Giyuu watch as you swim away.

"See you soon, (name)..." With that, he left the sea and go to where he belongs to.

Shinobu was speechless as he listen to Giyuu's story, she couldn't imagine what he's been through and what he's seen. "And does Oyakata-sama knows about your unusual condition?" Giyuu nods "He knows and he keep it a secret from everyone...which makes you the second person to know about this..."

He rummaged his pocket as he pulled out the memento you have him hundreds years ago, Shinobu watch in amazement as she saw it was still in perfect condition

"It's beautiful..."

And to her surprise, Giyuu smiled as he looked at it "It is..." The pearl were beautifully illuminated by the moonlight.

"This is what keeps me going...I promised her/him that I will come back once everything is settled"

It's definitely weird, but Shinobu couldn't hold back her smile "You sure secretly a softie, Tomioka-san"

"Be quiet, Kochō..."

Shinobu just chuckled as she and Giyuu keep basking under the moonlight, in his heart Giyuu promised that he will stay alive as long as he can no matter how cruel and painful life can be.

And someday soon, he surely will come back to you.

----

Admin 15: Wow, that sure very long! Anyways, I'm sorry if you don't catch what happened in the story or the GiyuShino reference here, thank you very much for taking your time reading this!

#kimetsu no yaiba #kimetsu no yaiba x reader #kimetsu no yaiba fanfiction #kimetsu no yaiba imagines #kimetsu no yaiba scenarios #kny fanfiction #tomioka giyuu #tomioka giyuu x reader

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machaaoo-blog · 5 years

Text

Most likely to become an AO3 if it is as liked as I hope it to be.

Multi-chapter

Bad Lemons (Rated M) - Drugs, violence, language, etc.

It will have very touchy subjects that relate to very serious problems such as addiction and mental health -- if you can't handle it please don't read! (It'll come up in future chapters if I continue)

Description: Living it rough can really change a person, for better or worse. She became strong, bold and unbothered. Nothing could shake her back into a world full of untrue realities.

Fallin' Out

Chp 1 - Walk

"Where is Mina?" She hated waiting, she hated the train station even more. It's loud and obnoxious, which regularly interrupts her sleeping schedule. She would usually settle for a nice bench in the park or even the sidewalks that lead through a deserted alleyway; sadly both were taken by others who had her current living situation or rats. She'd rather her chances living amongst the rodents, maybe even be blessed with their sickness for the rest of her sad life than go back to a broke home. Of course she had other ways or options to get out of this predicament, she's full filled them, yet she never got the pay she deserved. Her welfare officer had an utmost disdain for her existence. He had and would go to lengths to make her life harder, and therefore couldn't be trusted. Then again her worse enemy yet had to be the people who she lived with: a drunk for a step father and a whore of a step mother, not to mention her elder step brother who doesn't pay a lick of rent allong with his crack sniffing wife. The female laid her head back abit and let out a single, "Fuck." How could she get adopted into their family, where the hell was child protective services when you needed them?!

She rubbef her bruised up limbs and does her best not flinch, and doesn't even bother to spare a glance at her wounds. She doesn't have enough bandages for that mess. Placed her pink fingertips on her cheek which was a mix of green and purple. She paid it no mind though. Not that she ever cared too much, but she why stress the luxury of caring about your appearance? Initially, even as a child, she always presumed that what truly mattered more than anything else about a person is personality. Hypocritically, however, she couldn't care less about either. Right now all that seemed to be on her mind was getting through her problems, with or without help.

You could say this makes Uraraka Ochako a rebellious teen. But yet that's not the case. She'll go wherever as she pleases, but she evades at all costs in the name of self-preservation. Put yourself in her shoes. How can someone last a day with her mentally unstable home? Truthfully when she was adopted into it, everything was dandy, until they went into a debt things just seemed to get out of hand. So she left and decided to break free, they never look for her, so who cared?

Ochako glanced up the clock. Though her chance to escape this time would depend on Mina's miraculous connections and genius planning, her fate rested in her best friends hands.

With a sharp inhale she slaps a bandaid on quickly and smooths it out tightly on the bridge of her nose. Placing her hand on the edge of the sink she looks up at her reflection. Curvaceous, petite, ghostly pale skin with contrasting pink cheeks with cuts and bruises scattered all over. She rolled her eyes and became resolute. Opening the door, then spamming it closed, she made her way out the bathroom she walks towards the bench, but is immediately halted when she sees a guy sitting in it. Her eyes narrow. A tall guy at that. Broad-backed with weird sand-blonde hair, why is it so...spiky? She stuffs her hands into her pockets and sits opposite the bench on the far side of the station waiting for him to leave. She wants to dictate it as a personal problem, but if he's depressed...well then she supposes he won't he moving a muscle any time soon meaning won't be getting her bed back for a long time.

20 minutes had passed and it was already 8:30am and he finally left his seat when a certain green haired boy hoisted Sparky off his heavy ass. They were total opposites and Ochako choked on her spit when the blond suddenly bitch smacked the other boy while both boarded the train.

"Ochako, it's me~!" Mina shouted, waving her small pink hands side to side.

"A private school...U.A? Mina, I know you see me as some Fallen Angel who could possibly be saved but they would never let me step foot on their grounds." Ochako placed her hand on her chest and gave a sly smile, "Look at me, all bruised up because some punk wouldn't lend me a light and look at him now." She pointed at the park bench across from them, "Knocked his ass out straight and now I'm stuck with his lighter that doesn't even work."

"I'm just trying to help you and give you a better life, Ochako. As your only friend take my offer. You know there's nothing for you here and you also know you have allot of pent up pride- let it go, and just come with me to U.A."

Ochako tilted her head to the side, her expression softened by the smile of Mina, her best friend.

°°°

"Ochako." She states. The receptionist looks up at her through her glasses with a look that says a first name like that wouldn't even slightly cut it at such a high-class school. The woman does some typing, and looks at the computer with no change of expression. This school held some of the finest and wealthiest, Ochako was out of her eliminate.

"Come with me."

Ochako followed behind the lady, her eyes looking out the school widows once in awhile to spot preppy teens. Even amongst the worst schools she's attended the students stuck out and looked different, they dressed and did as they pleased. Though her past schools were practically full of fights and no learning, gosh how she missed those days where her small gang ran amuck, when she felt empowered and dominating. She let of a tsk, it still felt that way, but those people she once addressed as family were quick to turn their backs. Clearly everything here is different from what she is used to. Designer brand bags, diamond watches and shoes she couldn't touch with her commoner hands. These damned rich kids all looked alike, she couldn't tell any apart, they all owned the same type of fashion and don't get her started on all the goop plastered on the female students faces. "Yuck." She stuck her tongue out at the window before entering another room with the serious, quiet receptionist.

°°°

Katsuki growled. "Aren't you supposed to be helping out the teachers or some shit?" She laughs as he intercepts her lips and responds immediately in the most favorable way. He pushes her against kitchen table, and slowly presses onto her receiving a deep moan in the process. She looked up at him with a gaze full of lust and want. "Who cares, someone else is can take care if it for me." She whined, pulling out out a condom with a smirk.

°°°

Ochako stared at her I.D with a look of disgust. Mina on the other hand slapped her knee and held her stomach, laughing like her life depended on it. "You look so ugly! EWW!" Mina pointed at the picture, "You flenched and your eyes are barely open!" She cackled. Ochako slammed open the window and held her arm back, "To hell with that." But before she could launch her arm and send that I.D flying Mina grabbed her arm. "Calm down, we got things to do, We gotta get you to your room."

"Well then take me to my room, please."

"But wait we gotta capture this moment!" Mina pulled out her phone and jumped back, getting on her knees and began to tap, flashes going off blinding the poor Brunette who stood before her.

"M-Mina please, my eyes-" Ochako placed her hands out covering the camera which signaled to her friend to stop; which, she did. "I wish you wore something cuter though." Mina pouted as she went through her photos, "You always wear the same thing Ochako."

And she wasn't wrong, her wardrobe was small, she never owned anything more than a phew shirts, jeans and underwear. Why by hundreds of dollars of clothes when she just needed seven pairs to last her throughout the week.

"What's wrong with how I look?"

"Well," Mina coughed, as they began to walk, "For starters...."

Ochako had wore the basics: A red baseball cap, a grey top and loose jeans that bagged from her waist abit to reveal her boyish underwear. Don't even get Mina started on the belly button piercing and tattoo. (which is located on her right arm, a whole sleeve so she constantly wears long sleeves when needed.)

"Alright but Mina remember you wanted to get these body modifications with me? And remember what you did? You chickened out because of your dad." Ochako placed her hand on her school dorms door, "You can't criticize what I wear either because you know I'm poor as shit." She unlocked the door and Mina stood behind her, a constant sorry escaping the pinkettes mouth, she opens the door, and stops in her tracks.

The sweaty bodies laid on the kitchen table, the blonde held a tiny naked waist with one hand whilst tugging at her short blonde hair. Ochako rose an eyebrow at the scene, this timing was horrible because those two were at mid-climax.

"Ah, yes! Katsuki-"

The blondes head falls in between the crook of the males neck. Her feet had become weightless.

"Ochako? Can we go in alrea-" Mina stops as she makes her way to the entrance. Ochako held her arm out from keeping Mina from entering any further. It finally took a few seconds for the two sexually tensed weirdos to notice the presence of two others.

"W-what are you doing here? Mina?!"

"What do you mean, what am I doing here, Toga?!" She shouted and covered her face, seeing a half naked Bakugou made the poor pinkettes hurl.

"Who the hel-" Toga was cut off.

Ochako walked into the room, unphased to see a naked man and woman, she lived in the streets and has seen this and much worse multiple times. Everyone in the situation just seemed to watch. As Ochako picked up their clothes she walked back to the nearest window opening it,

"This is my place, so get out."

Ochako threw their belongings out the window, their clothes slowly fluttering onto the schools dorm field. Toga and Katsuki grimaced, Mina slammed her forehead on the door and as for Ochako... well, she took a seat on the couch and flipped on the TV and began to watch animal planet.

#kacchako #anime #fanfiction #bnha uraraka #bnha #bnha bakugou #katsuki bakugou #uraraka ochako #kacchakofanfic

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