#i have all the faith in regular people to see right from wrong in this horrific onslaught of every propaganda trick in the book

[catholic-character-tournament]

Round 1 - Side B

Propaganda below ⬇️

Matt

Matt's faith in the show is really important and well explored; one of the first scenes of the show is Matt going to confession (or, well, talking to his priest since he's not really confessing at that point). Matt struggles a lot with what he's supposed to do; everyone's telling him to kill the villain and he kinda wants to, but he literally says: "I know my soul is damned if I take his life". He struggles with his faith and goes with his doubts to his priest, and it's beautiful—also when he finally gets a costume for his vigilanteing he chooses to dress as the devil, lol. (His priest tells him that nothing makes people run to Church faster than the feeling of having the devil on their heels.)

a lot of the show is about how he justifies his vigilante actions with his faith, and whether he's doing the right thing in trying to help people or just using it as an outlet for his anger. the literal first scene of the show has him in a confession booth talking to his priest (who is a really interesting character too). this is not the scene I was talking about but it's such an excellent scene with matt talking to his priest: https://youtu.be/XHZ3NbEIDdw

canonically catholic but dresses like a demon to be quirky

honestly i dont wanna type too much but i feel that matt is a great example of someone who battles with his faith because he rarely loses his faith but rather fights with why he was made the way he was and put through what he was. He believes himself to have the devil inside him but believes that God put him there

ok in the comics barring the most current run matt has Mostly been a non-practicing Catholic that very rarely actually does any catholic Activities but ends up falling back into the Mindset and very occasionally dramatically taking confession (ex. in that one issue where he takes confession, basically tells the father that he is uniquely terrible and is thinking about violently murdering someone and when the father says "you can be forgiven" hes like "AUGFH-- NO!!!!!!!!!!" and runs out) when he's gone through some shit. and i love that its so relatable

hello its me cct organizer. i have to come clean, i made this tournament because i need matt to win something. i dont think hell win the sadboy and he lost the ginger tournament and >:( hes my favoritest guy ever. Also @ who said he has religious trauma is wrong and i will fight u about it (nicely) on my main @usaigi

This guy so catholic he spends an ungodly amount of time just chilling in the church. And goes there whenever there is a moral conundrum about killing people being Bad even though it would solve a lot of problems and stop said people from killing other people. This happens every other episode. Matt is the Catholic Guilt Guy. There's actually a lot of catholic stuff in the show as a whole. Just a compilation would be like three whole episodes long.

Hes great hes catholic enough to not outrught murder people but not catholic enough to not fuck before marriage hes a bisexual disaster at all times hes besties with a priest might i add hes great hes my special little guy

his catholicism is a huge piece of his characterisation he was raised by nuns in a catholic orphanage, the first scene we ever see him (as an adult and not a flashback) is him going to confession, he is good friend with his priest and has regular debates with him, etc also in s3 he has a huge crisis of faith after he lost A Lot where he stops believing for a while and it's linked to his identity crisis where he actually wants to kill another person (a hard line he previously chose never to cross) and wants to be only daredevil and not matt murdock, when he is both and needs both to exist also when he was a kid his grandmother used to say "watch out for the murdock boys, they've got the devil in them" and it created a surprising lot of his issues

So he's both catholic in the comics and the show but he's More Catholic in the show. Like, raised in a catholic orphanage by nuns (ONE OF WHICH IS HIS *MOTHER*), second scene in the show has him in a confession box kind. Matt Murdock goes out and gets the shit beaten out of him nightly and also beats the shit out of other people and purposefully leaned into devil iconography as his theme. When his nurse friend says, he takes a lot of punishment without one complaint he says "That part's the Catholicism." It is a Core Aspect of his character (at least in the show). He makes me insane. Also the same chemicals that blinded him created the teenage mutant ninja turtles and everyone should know that.

They went to confession to a priest who they had saved as their costumed counterpart and the guy recognized them by the voice, proving that it's possible and everyone else is just dumb

he takes "i wanna fight god" to new and incredibly violent levels, while also being a sweetheart and a goofball

Actually strictly WILL NOT kill criminals. Goes wayyy out of his way to avoid it. Fights with the Punisher about it. Goes to confession booth after nightly vigilante excursions. Feels so much guilt. "How have you been holding up?" "Like a good Caltholic boy" "that bad huh" - actual conversation with his priest

So Daredevil struggles with his mission as a crime fighter because killing criminals goes against his faith. He makes it a point to not kill criminals, believing that even bad people deserve a second chance. This philosophy puts him at odds against The Punisher, who is a relentless killer. As a Catholic myself, while I love the concept of a morally conflicted superhero, I think the worldbuilding around Daredevil is lacking. If he struggles with violence and killing, why doesn't he pray to warrior saints like Saint Michael, Saint Ignatius of Loyola (a former knight), or Saint Joan of Arc? Why isn't there a community of other Catholics he can turn to for guidance, considering New York City has a sizeable population of Catholics? And why are the churches he goes to always empty? Doesn't he know that the Catholic Church supports the just war theory? I think that would have made his burden more bearable.

He goes to church and confesses to punching people and says "imma do it again can i apologize in advance" and the father dude says "no you're meant to stop now" and Matt says "no" and they do this everyday. I'm not remembering it properly but this is a canon interaction i swear

HELLO HI YES I LOVE HIM AND WILL INFOR DUMP ok so. he is a vigalantty and he got named daredevil and he is an orphan and after the age of 12 was raised in an orphanage at a Catholic church and his therapist is his priest via confession abd. also his mother is a nun he has a whole mental breakdown over god and called Job a pussy because he liked god until he got better and liked god again he said "I'm dearedrvil and not even god can stop that now" and he's so cool

matt is a freakish little babygirl who was raised by nuns and definitely has religious trauma. i hate him so much (affectionately)

he’s literally fucking insane about it i don’t know what to say here. he thinks he’s chosen by god to go on some sort of holy quest to save hell’s kitchen. joan of arc ass.

i already know hes in by default j just wanted to give him a personal shout out i love this angsty catholic dweeb

how practicing he is depends on the run, but in my favorite he is quite literally confessing to a member of the last extant order millitant who happens to be a priest at a church in hells kitchen.

i love him for having the funniest version of a trope i usually hate (person gets into confession booth and asks forgiveness not for what they've done, but for what they're about to do). usually this trope just looks silly to me bc like. the priest would just say "i can't do that" and you would have to either awkwardly explain yourself or just Leave. it's funny when matt does it because fr. lantom is probably like "what are you gonna do???" and matt's like "lol. lmao. 😊 hehehe." anyway we love this angry catholic man who dresses up like the devil to beat people up in hell's kitchen

Harrowhark

I'm pretty sure you've already got plenty of submissions for her so I'll just say she was raised in what is basically a cult (technically a nunnery but let's be real) dedicated to keeping the body of the thing that will kill God behind the rock. One of their prayers is actually "I pray the rock is never rolled away". Harrow is extremely devout as penance for her earlier heretical actions in the tomb as a child (spoiler!) so the Catholic guilt really comes through

imagine being a catholic nun and you meet god, but it turns out he’s a twitch streamer from new zealand who became god because everything got a little bit out of hand. and just before you met him you gave yourself a diy grief-fuelled lobotomy with the help of your best frenemy. imagine how insane you’d be. now multiply that insanity by nine. that’s the fictional love of my life right there.

she meets god. she’s not inspired

she’s number one practitioner of space Catholicism. The locked tomb is chock full of Christian (catholic) imagery themes metaphors etc. just look at her she’s got a bone rosary

They're Catholicism with extra bones. Everyone is a nun. They have what is basically a rosary made from knuckle bones. They technically worship the same God as everyone else, but they're waaaay more focused on The Body in the Tomb (Mary) and we get a moment where we find out that while everyone else prays the equivilent of The Lords Prayer, they're doing the equivilent of Hail Mary. And they paint their faces with skulls.

She thinks leaving dry bread in a drawer is taking care of someone. She's in love with a 10,000 year old corpse (the same one they worship). She spent ALL NIGHT digging with her bare hands to make sure a field had bones every 5 feet so she could fight her girlfriend - I mean, greatest enemy. Spoiler territory: She's been puppeting her parents corpses since she was 8 years old. Instead of grieving her dead girlfriend, she gives herself a lobotomy. She makes soup with bone in it so she can use the bone IN THEIR STOMACH to try and kill them.

The author is/was Catholic and the entire series had heavy Catholic overtones. https://www.tor.com/2020/08/19/gideon-the-ninth-young-pope-and-the-new-pope-are-building-a-queer-catholic-speculative-fiction-canon/ A good breakdown of how it's Catholic

#matt murdock #daredevil #marvel #Harrowhark Nonagesimus #The Locked Tomb #cct polls #tumblr tournament #tumblr bracket #tumblr polls

[harrywavycurly]

Trouble Next Door Part 21: Practice Date

Masterlist: here

TW: None

Tag List: @sinczir @rach5ive @bruher @kellyxo1 @tiannamortis @makingmunson94 @angelina16torres-blog @tlclick73 @gretavankleep37 @melaninjhs @amira0303 @robyn-118 @jaydaaasworld @squidscottjeans @rockstarmunsons @alanamarie @dandelionnfluff @aol19 @eddiesguitarskills @vampdaisy @br66klynbaby @raven-rust @daisyridleyyyy @i-love-ptv @josephquinnsfreckles @mrsjellymunson @hideoutside @eddiemunson-fanfic @paprikaquinn @burns-in-the-sun @cherrycolas-things @exploding-bonbon @krazyk99 @idkbbyx3 @amberpanda99

A/N: I included this as a regular part because it’s important to the storyline, also…y’all might not like how this ends but please just have faith in me I know exactly where this story is going and how it’s gonna end✨

“These…are for you.” “Oh Eddie these are so pretty thank you…uh please come in while I put these in a vase.” “You’re so kind…uhm so…how was your day?” “It was good I finally got the box of Halloween stuff down from the attic.” “I told you’d I’d help you get it…all you had to do was wait for me.” “You know I don’t have the patience for that…how was your day?” “It was fine…Henderson’s mom’s minivan is a fucking nightmare to work on but I got it done.” “I swear she just messes with stuff to make it stop running just so she can come and see you.” “You’re so delusional…you ready?” “Yeah…let me grab my purse and we can go.” “Now before you say anything…I talked Rick into letting me borrow his car…figured your first date back on the town deserved something better than my run down van.” “Oh don’t be silly Eddie I love that van…uhm…Did you clean it?” “Oh course I did….as if I’d let you sit on anything that belongs to Rick without bleaching it first.”

“Why are you looking at me like that?” “I haven’t seen you this dressed up since your wedding day…is that a bobby-pin in your hair?” “You’re so annoying…I just wanted to look nice…and yeah they keep my hair from falling out of the bun…” “sorry..you look good Eddie that’s all I’m trying to say.” “Thank you…you look nice too…I always like when you wear that shade of green…it makes your eyes stand out.” “So…what happens now? After the obligatory complements?” “We just talk you weirdo.” “Okay…uhm…oh do you remember when you knocked on my door for the first time when we were like eleven to ask me if I wanted to play?” “Yeah…you practically threw yourself off your steps and into my arms you were so excited.” “I just was so happy to finally have a friend…who would’ve thought we’d still be friends after all these years? It’s crazy right? Friends don’t normally last this long…we haven’t even had a real fight before.” “Uh excuse me? Yes we have.” “Don’t start.” “Don’t start? Why? Because you still know that I’m right and you refuse to admit it?” “You’re not right…you’re extremely wrong and I’ve proven it to you time and time again.” “He wasn’t the first kill because we don’t know if he was dead by the time she actually died.” “Of course he was dead! They gutted him from the back! She was alive way after he died.” “You’re just so wrong because it takes a long time for someone to bleed out like that…he was totally still alive when she was dying.” “I know you want to believe that she was the first death in Scream but she just wasn’t…she watches her boyfriend get killed that’s why she starts to freak the fuck out!” “No she freaks out because a killer is threatening her on the phone and she just watched her boyfriend get stabbed….not die.” “Edward James Munson you know damn well he was dead!” “Shhhh! This is a fancy ass establishment you can’t go shouting about dead people.” “I need another glass of wine…”

“What are we doing here?” “It wouldn’t be an outing for us if we didn’t make a pit stop at some swings…” “will you push me?” “Aren’t you too old to need me to push you?” “I don’t need you to push me Eddie…I just like it when you do.” “fine…so…how’s it going so far? Feel like you could do this again?” “I’d give it an eight out of ten…and yeah I think so…it’s not as scary as I thought it was going to be.” “You thought a date with me was going to be scary?” “I just…I was nervous.” “Why? It’s just me…nothing to be nervous about.” “That’s true…what about you? Could you do this again?” “Oh yeah…I could totally do this again…maybe not the swings though..that’s just an us thing.” “Damn right it is…I better not hear about you taking anyone else to the park besides me or I’ll be upset.” “You’re so dramatic after a few glasses of wine.” “You love it though.” “Yeah…I do.”

“Ah here we are…home sweet home…mind if I come inside?” “That’s so bold of you to ask on a first date Edward.” “I’ll pour you some more wine….” “Okay you can come in then….” “Red or white?” “White please…I had a really good time tonight…thank you.” “You’re welcome..I’m glad you had a good time…I enjoyed it as well…what? Why…why are you looking at me like that?” “Are…uhm…are you…are you in love with me?” “What? Why…why would you…uhm…I..uh-” “oh god-” “No no no don’t…don’t walk away…I just wasn’t…why did you ask me that?” “Just forget it…I’m sorry…it’s the wine…I’m not making sense…I’m so sorry I shouldn’t have-” “yes.” “Yes?…yes what?” “I’m in love with you.” “No you’re not.” “Yes…yes I am.” “No you’re not…you would’ve told me…you…you would’ve said something.” “I’m…saying something now…doesn’t that count?” “I…I don’t know…what to say.” “That’s okay.” “I can’t…I can’t do this Eddie I can’t…I-” “hey it’s okay…please don’t cry….” “I think.. I just uhm…I need some space…I’m gonna go-” “no no I’ll go..you stay here I’ll uhm go stay at Wayne’s…just…I’m sorry okay? I didn’t…I didn’t want to tell you like this….please know that I don’t expect anything in return I just…it’s out there now so…we have to deal with it.” “I can’t deal with it right now…” “and that’s fine…I’ll uh go to Wayne’s and…maybe I’ll come by tomorrow and…we can talk about it?” “I’ll call you.” “Okay…yeah that works too…uhm…goodnight?” “Goodnight…tell…tell Wayne I said…hello.” “Yeah I’ll uhm..I’ll do that.”

#trouble next door convos #trouble next door series #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson angst #eddie munson slow burn #eddie munson friends to lovers #eddie munson au #eddie munson x best friend reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things au #stranger things social media au #Eddie munson social media au #my little dungeon master baby

[writersundersiege]

Rooster and his Songbird

Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Reader Seresin

Summary: Bradley is at the Hard Deck with the rest of the Dagger Squad like every Friday night, but Penny’s announcement for a new special event happening at the end of the month was have a local artist perform and their favorite drinks will be the special menu of the night all proceeds go back to help Homeless Veterans. The group Penny hires is excellent, but what catches Bradley’s attention is a gorgeous girl he’s never seen before. What will he do when he discovers it’s no one other than Jake “Hangman” Seresin's little sister? Will Bradley take the leap of faith? Is Jake going to let his only little sister anywhere near Rooster?

The music was loud as Bradley walked into the Hard Deck; it’s always busy, but tonight seems louder and more crowded, and Bradley looking around can’t seem figure out why. He’s making his way to a back table where the Daggers usually congregate when he spots Phoenix with his favorite kind of beer tipped toward him, signaling him to hurry his ass up over there.

Once he arrives and grabs his drink, he sits and takes note everyone who was usually on a Friday night out is here, minus Coyote and Hangman, who are sitting right next to the piano area for some reason. As he turns to Phoenix and Bob, who are talking about some movie Bob watched on Netflix, Penny’s voice rings true over the crowd, quieting them as much as she can.

“Good evening; thank you for joining us for the first Music Makes Miracles first event. All tonight's proceeds, besides the girls' tip jar, will be donated to homeless veterans. Also, just so that everyone knows, our special tonight is a Rum and Coke courtesy of the lovely girl, who I will let introduce herself, but as the rest of the night goes, thank you once for coming out again. Enjoy.”

As Penny hops down from the small black box stage, three girls hop up onto the stage; all of a sudden, it’s like the world stops all around Bradley. You’re laughing as you throw the strap of a regular Gibson guitar over your shoulder, but as he looks closer, he sees details of hummingbirds on it. You were smiling from ear to ear. It looked like there was an ethereal glow behind you as you tapped the mic a few times to make sure it was not too loud.

“Hey everyone, we’re so excited to perform; tips are appreciated but are not expected, but what is expected is to have fun with us!” here, the band cheers, which makes the crowd of Navy recruits, their loved ones, and few scattered civilians clap and whistle along to get the energy going.

Bob whistles while Phoenix shakes Bradley’s shoulder, yelling, “hell yeah, girl.” Bradley chuckles, cheeks turning pink, shaking his head in mock disapproval. “That’s the spirit tonight; we’ll start with Brandy by Looking Glass. I’m sure you all know it; feel free to sing along!”

Then you pull a little silver pitch pipe out of the pocket of your white sundress and put it to your lips, lightly giving the two girls standing behind you their pitches. You smile at the guy at the piano and twist the microphone to his lips so he can play and sing.

You walk back to the girls, and the music starts; you flip a switch with your foot to make your guitar sound electronic, and the man’s voice sounds out; he’s got a great tone of voice, but all Bradley’s eyes are you, and how you are keeping the beat perfectly singing back up with the girls, it’s like almost he can hear your voice all alone.

As they got to the bridge of the song, all the men and women in the bar alike were singing and laughing, drinking. Some of the older couples were even up dancing.

At the song's end, you were laughing with pure bliss on your face, eyes creased, cheeks peaked, and Bradley swallows hard, gripping himself to his chair to keep himself from standing and sweeping you off that stage and kissing you in front of all these people. What is wrong with him? He doesn’t even know your name, but he can’t stop this gravitational pull you seem to have on him.

You walk back to the man on the piano, grab the microphone, and twist it around as you kiss his cheek lightly. He smiles up at you. “Everyone give a huge round of applause for Noah; isn’t he just dreamy ladies,” she says, wiggling her eyebrows. “Anyways, My name is (F/N), and the lovely ladies behind me are-“As she steps to the side, the girls wave, and the one with really curly black hair waves, “I’m Cora, everyone,” and the other girl with extremely long golden looking hair smiles big waving “hey y’all I’m Savannah” you step back in center stage, “And we’re just a traveling band of misfits who love a little music and love making people remember their love for music so please do enjoy we’ll be playing throughout the night we also take requests so feel free to submit them over here” she points to a little box with some paper and pen next to an empty glass jar that was adorably painted with pink and white flowers and said tips with a bit of smiley face.

Phoenix again tries to pull Bradley from his trance by smacking him upside the back of the head. “What’s with you tonight? You seem like you are in outer space.” he straightens back, turning fully to Phoenix and Bob, and points back in your direction. “the singer, she’s just kinda amazing, isn’t she?” Phoenix's eyes go as big as Saturn's moons until she starts cackling while Bob cowers back like he’s scared a tidal wave will take him out.

Bradley starts to get annoyed, clearing his throat and raising his eyebrow for explanations from either of his friends. “That-“Phoenix starts catching her breath. “That little songbird you are so infatuated with is Jake’s “Bagman” Seresin's sweet little sister (F/N) Seresin.”

Bradley’s eyes got wide, and he turned where Coyote and Hangman sat, head on a swivel, glaring any men who started approaching the stage and then sliding different dollar amounts into the tips for the case of scaring off a potential target was coming to be just so generous to you girls.

Bradley shakes his head almost in defeat until an idea comes to mind. He says, “I'll be back,” to Phoenix, which has her saying back to him. “ good luck, don’t get killed, “and he gets up anyway, heading straight to the piano. Jake tracks his movements the whole way, but so do you. The entire night you've been watching Bradley's awe-struck face, you thought he was charming but a bit of a big bumbling mess, so to say, but in an adorable way.

Bradley's movement is steady as he pats Noah's back, leans down, and whispers, which causes the boy at the piano to smile from ear to ear. Noah moves over, and Bradley sits and, just like many times before, starts to bang out the notes on the keys below, singing out loud right toward you and sings out.

“You shake my nerves, and you rattle my brain

Too much love drives a man insane

You broke my will

But what a thrill

Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!”

As Phoenix and Bob realize his grand plan, they are in fits of laughter as Coyote and the rest of the team are oblivious; Jake looks like he's about to implode on the spot. You, on the other hand, are dancing and singing with girls along with so many others in the bar Bradley admires as you dance, blinded by music as if there is no world. It's just you and the notes floating in the air. He and Noah continue to slam down notes in rhythm together, smiling at each other minorly as they play the last notes, and the crowd erupts in applause and whistles. He can hear Bob yelling, “Yeah, Rooster!” as Phoenix makes a rooster call, hands cupped around her hand to make it louder. Everyone else was clapping and laughing along.

Bradley smiles but starts shaking as he feels a small dainty hand on his shoulder, looking up and seeing your gorgeous glowing smile and bright (E/C) sparkling. “You are amazing, Rooster. Jakey never said you could sing!” Bradley sucks in breath. “He's told you about me.” Suddenly, Jake inserts himself between you, Jake grabbing your hand gently like you were a little girl who just ran from him. “I did,” he said, glaring in Bradley's direction, turning to you, saying, “Go back up there; little bird people are waiting on you.” he smiled, and you happily turned and hopped back on stage as if nothing ever happened.

Jake turns, facing chest to chest to Bradley, glaring. He says, “Bradshaw, I know what your thinking, and better fucking stop thinking it, or I swear I will make you regret everything you've ever done in life” Jake turns and points subtly at you. “She is my family; don't ever mistake or Mix that up. She's off limits to all of you, but especially you. Sound crystal to you, Bradshaw?” During this entire threat, Bradleys shakes his head with a smile and red cheeks, just watching as you and your band set up to start.

You throw the strap over your shoulder for your Gibson. You smile and pull your (H/T) from under the straps. You are adjusting the microphone and preparing to sing. Before you do, you look to where Bradley is standing, wholly frozen and silent in front of Jake; you smile and start humming your starting notes.

Bradley looks back to your brother and says, “Clear, Would never dream of it” With a smirk, he turns his back, walking, leaving Jake completely baffled, mumbling to himself, “What the fuck does that even mean? I saw the eyes he's been giving her, those creepy eyes all night.”

As Bradley sits back with Phoenix and Bob, they eye him patiently, waiting for him to say how it went and what Jake had said. No one gets their answers, though, cause the rest of the night, one pair of eyes is set to the other like they were connected by string.

Bradley isn't sure how or when he'll make you his songbird, but he would happily follow you anywhere to listen to your melodic songs.

All rights belong to the original creator of the Top Gun Franchise. I do not own any of these characters except band characters; this is all just for fun

#bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw fic #top gun fanfiction #jake hangman seresin #top gun imagine #rooster x reader #rooster top gun #rooster x you #rooster fanfic #rooster imagine #mine

[piratefishmama]

Crossing The Line | Part 4

“What the fuck is that?” Was Robins immediate question as Steve donned a pair of sunglasses and a cap just before disembarking the plane.

“My disguise.”

“Your disguise?”

“Yeah, y’know. Fans an stuff.”

“...Steve. Steven. I’m always here to keep you humble, you know this, so I say this with an immense amount of—”

“Robin do you remember the JFK incident? Not the president don’t be a shit, I mean the airport and you know it.” The JFK incident being a single fan who got ONE photo of him walking through the terminal and boom, paparazzi everywhere, it was as though they’d just emerged from the walls.

‘What are you doing in New York?’

‘Are you visiting anyone special this Christmas?’

‘When are you releasing new music?’

‘Will you be attending any events here in the city?’

‘Who are you wearing right now?’

‘STEVE SIGN MY TI—’

It was always chaos. “Yeah yeah you got to sign an impressive set of double D’s, woe is you. I can see your moles Steve, that isn’t going to fool anyone with eyes.” Sure his signature head of hair was covered but the moles were as good a sign as any when it came to eagle eyed Airport celeb spotters.

“Sign an impressive— my ass was grabbed more times than I could count! I had hand sized bruises Robin!” He bruised like a peach and people in crowds were grabby. “I lost my favourite sunglasses.” The cheap pair he’d grabbed from the gas station after his first real paycheque cleared. “These cover my hair and my eyes, I can’t cover anything else.” He didn’t have the resources to pull a full face of SFX to hide himself.

“Aww poor baby, okay. At least put this on.” She pulled the scarf from her neck and wrapped it around his, it wouldn’t do much, but it’d cover the vampire bite moles he’d shown off on one of his early album covers.

“Great I look like a twenty-ten hipster.” It wasn’t even scarf weather. “All I need is a bullshit moustache.”

“Better than the local weirdo at a kids playground.”

“Oh my god, is that Steve Harrington?!”

“Shit.”

“Rest in pieces, sis”

“Robin get back here!”

There was a subtle art in getting away from paparazzi and fans alike, an art cultivated from being chased by them since he was nine. It involved fake plants, bathrooms, and Robins impressive gallery of ‘fake fan photos’. All it took was a photo whizzed over the internet through Robins ‘fan’ account, an account which used one of their regular makeup girls photos as a cover (agreed to, of course) to act as a ‘fan’ of Steve Harrington.

“How come nobody TOLD ME Steve Harrington was going to be flying out of Indy today?!” Captioned above a photo from two years prior that Robin took from a distance at that very airport for that very reason.

It took all of five minutes for the hoard to dispel, hurrying as fast as they could to as far as the airport staff would allow them to go, but Robin and Steve were once again free to get their asses out of that airport and into an Uber before anyone else could spot them.

“Okay, battle plan. I got us a twin room at the—"

“Don’t say Conrad.”

“What’s wrong with the Conrad?”

“It’s… bougee. It’s like the only five star in Indy, he already probably thinks I’m the worst, a nice four star would be fine, and a twin room? Robin how the hell am I supposed to woo a guy and bring him back to the hotel if we’re sharing a room?”

“First of all, I think you’re super overestimating your level of game right now to think that you’d just be able to go from wooing to the hotel room in one sweep this guy seems like highkey mom’s basement dwelling virgin, dude probably scampers, second, we don’t even know if he enjoys the male form, and third... honestly I’m expecting you to strike out so we can have a sleepover with facemasks and chocolates. But fine, fine, what hotel would you like?” Robin passed him her phone with the booking app already loaded.

“Your faith in me is truly what gets me through my days, Robin.” He was choosing to ignore the panic inducing idea of what if he isn’t even into guys?!

“I aim to please.”

“What about an apartment? See there’s one here, two double bedrooms, four star rating, we can book now and grab the keys at reception.”

“Fine, fine, you’re making all the food though, since you’ve robbed me of my five star room service.”

“I’m cool with that.” A few buttons pressed, details auto filled, booking complete. Indianapolis, here they come!

Part 6

#Crossing the Line #Ficlet #PirateWrites #Steddie

[estrellami-1]

If I Should Stay

Part 1 | . . . | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55

Weapons and tools are dispersed. Walkie-talkie batteries are double- and triple-checked, as are Walkman batteries. Everyone has a mixtape of everyone’s favorite songs, just in case. In the case of Joyce, hugs and kisses are given to her sons, and hugs are given to everyone else. Wayne and Hopper accept theirs with a certain sort of hilarious dignity.

It’s decided the Harrington house will be home base for the above-ground team. El sits herself in front of the TV, turned to static, and meets everyone’s eyes before throwing herself at Steve in one last hug. “See you on the other side,” he whispers into her ear, and she just nods before slipping the bandana on.

A few nail-biting seconds later, she speaks. “There’s a gate in the pool. It’s open. Go now.”

The teams disperse, and the two teams going into the Upside-Down find fhemselves staring into the Harrington pool.

“Well,” Steve says, hefting the nail bat up. “Guess this is it.” He looks around at everyone. “No heroics. No one’s dying this time. We’re all getting out. If it means retreating, so be it. The second you’re getting swamped, you call for backup, got it?” He asks.

He looks at everyone, but he’s speaking mostly to the Distraction Team. “Got it,” the boys parrot. Eddie nods seriously, and Wayne inclines his head toward Steve.

He breathes out a harsh breath. “Good,” he says, then dives into the pool.

No sooner is he through than a demobat has him by the throat. “Dammit,” he rasps, doing his best to whack it with his bat, but the angle’s wrong and his vision is just going fuzzy on the edges when a giant crack sounds and it drops dead.

Behind him stands Wayne with a shotgun. “Ugly little bastards,” he comments, and Steve coughs out a laugh as he accepts the hand up.

“That they are,” he agrees. “Think you can take ‘em?”

Wayne cocks his gun in response. “Not even a question, son. You go on ahead with your group. We’ll keep your house safe, don’t you worry.”

Steve looks around and notices everyone standing around them. The boys have their flamethrowers, which he’s still a little nervous about. Eddie’s got the amp and guitar, and his own team is armed to the teeth.

“Okay,” he nods. “See you on the other side.”

He walks away, leading his group to the Creel house, before he can look at Eddie, before Eddie can say anything.

Robin catches up to him within a couple of strides, and Alli’s not too far behind. “You okay?” Robin asks.

Steve gives her a fake laugh. “Ask me again when this is all over and we’re all still alive.”

“We will be,” Alli says with an unshakeable faith that Steve wishes he had. She wraps her arm around his shoulders and pulls him towards her, and he goes gladly, wrapping his free arm around her torso. “Love you, Bubba.”

He hums. “Love you, Al. I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too, bud. I’m gonna tear the ugly fucker apart, just you wait.” She shifts, brings her hand up to rub through his hair. “Y’know there’s a certain kind of adrenaline women get when their loved ones are threatened. They’ve lifted cars off of people before. Just regular old women, doing extraordinary things for love.” She sighs, brushes a kiss over his temple. “And this guy threatened you, Bubba. All of you. He took away your peace, part of your childhood, part of your identity. And I’m mad enough to tear him limb from limb without breaking a sweat.”

Steve believes her. Her voice is even in a way it really only gets when she’s mad and trying to keep control of her temper. It honestly scares him a little, even if it’s in his defense this time. “I know,” he whispers, voice rough with tears. He wipes his sleeve over his face, chuckles a little. “And I’m closer to El now than I was before, and I’ve got Eddie in a way I never did before, and I’m not going to lose them. Either of them.” He sets his jaw, then relaxes a little when Alli squeezes him again.

“I know you’re not, Bubba,” she says. “Just remember that you’re saving them for them, right? To keep the relationships you have. So you’ve gotta save yourself too.”

They walk silently for a few seconds before Steve says, “Does anyone ever tell you you’re too smart for your own good?”

Allison laughs, long and loud, and something about it makes the dissipating light shine a little bit brighter for a minute. “Only all the time,” she teases back, ruffling his hair. “C’mon, kiddo. We’ve got our people to save.”

“‘M not a kid,” he grumps, throwing her a face.

“You’re always gonna be a kid to me, Steve, you’re my little brother. That doesn’t mean I think you’re immature, even if I do totally think that sometimes.”

“Hey!” He says, affronted, and pokes her side.

She laughs and dances out of reach, but before Steve can go after her, Joyce puts a hand on his shoulder. “We’re here,” she says quietly.

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#stranger things #if i should stay #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #robin buckley #Allison Harrington #joyce byers #el hopper #it’s happeningggg #yall have no idea how excited I am for these next few parts

[mobiused]

is it too late to ask for said actual nuanced statement about your feelings on the way loona has split up and how you feel about supporting each of the factions as a fan

No :0 Okay well this posted early accidentally come back when I've edited it with the answer you seek; edit here it is

As anybody who follows me and actually listens to what I post knows, yes, I was disappointed with the choice that the 5 members in modhaus made.

The reason is of course Jaden Jeong's involvement in the conditioned that caused the members' suffering. I honestly do not care to "respect" the members' choice when, firstly, they're public figures, which means they're in a position where they open themselves to judgement, having surpassed what it means to be a regular person into an overman; hence, idol (no this isn't lore) (yes it is) and it is parasocial to think we as fans owe them the kind of blind devout respect that is reserved for people you know and are close to. We, of course, need to respect them as people even if they are idols which leads to my next point. Secondly, they're adult women who are capable of making their own choices. It is only patronizing, infantilising and self delusionary to cheer them on for every choice they make void of criticism. If I respect them as a person, that means I care about the decisions they make enough to be able to disagree with them. The only decisions you respect unconditionally are from your God (if you have faith) or someone who has got you fucked up.

of course all of this is only my opinion to be clear ^^;

So to continue, I don't respect their decision to join modhaus. However I do accept their decision and think of them no less as people - that's very important to me for people to be aware of! That may have sounded harsh but I only have strong feelings because I care.

When it comes to modhaus vs ctd, to ME it feels like a faction of people who are willing to ignore a history of mistreatment to blindly follow their idols because that's what idolatry is versus a faction who are distrusting and reluctant to give a second chance to a man (and his company) who have done them wrong. And of course bias vs bias.

Regarding why I don't hold ctd to the same standard as modhaus; one is an established company with another group under their belt and the other is a company that formed because Hyunjin asked really niceys. The "mistakes" that modhaus are making, like having Jaden and doing NFTs and having loss of the members' autonomy to give fans control as a business model (to be frank, I don't care about missing english subtitles or those small things, its whatever) are much more severe to me than CTD fumbling the bag in ways that only affect them financially. Sorry I don't care about them picking venues that are too big for them on a concert, I don't think it's that big a deal.

In this way, I think cloo vs ourii, ctd vs modhaus, is much more than the preference people have for the idols actually in the companies but rather an ideological thing. Can you put the past (that isn't yours to begin with) behind you to stan a group with no guarantee of being completely safe and in control, or are you going to be wary of a company that has done little to demonstrate how it's protecting the girls' best interests. At least that's how it looks to me.

And it's weird how we dont see Chuu & Yves akgaes right? And I think that's because the companies are such unknown elements that it's nowhere near as polarising to support them, like there's no reason not to.

And I do think there is a lot of us vs them going on. (some) People who are artms member stans who have become full-blooded ouriis have made it their mission to find any excuse to bring CTD down - maybe out of a guilty conscience vengeance for the criticism that modhaus has been getting. And the same can definitely be said about cloos who just want more reasons to shit on modhaus even though the problems are inconsequential (see? I'm not wholly biased)

In summary I just think it's sad that it's had to have been this divisive. If the loona members weren't in the position that they were - that no company was willing to accept them bar modhaus, and the members who got out first didn't feel obligated to go to modhaus, since CTD - and other places - weren't an option, things maybe would've turned out differently. Or maybe they wouldn't have, and there will always be fanwars regardless.

[hawkins-losers]

Cuff me, officer | Steve Harrington x Hopper!Reader

Summary: You dress up as a cop for Halloween

Word count: - -

A/N I had other plans for this fic, but I didn’t end up having time to finish it before Halloween so I’m leaving the ending to your imagination

-

‘’I don’t get the appeal,’’ Eleven said with a frown between her eyebrows as you slicked her hair back with mousse and a brush, helping her get ready for going trick-or-treating with Max and the boys.

She was dressing up as the Childlike Empress from A Never Ending Story. You had rented it at Family Video a few weeks ago and she had loved the movie – beside that one scene with the horse. It’s a little traumatizing for a child.

You, on the other hand, were going to Steve’s Halloween bash.

‘’You are dressed as…Hopper?’’

You shook your head. ‘’No.’’ You couldn’t blame her for coming to that conclusion. You were wearing your father’s old uniform. ‘’I’m using his old uniform for my costume. I’m just a regular cop.’’

Last week while thrifting, you found a mini skirt for your light khaki police uniform. It wasn’t perfect, but the color matched the shirt well enough for a house party. Hopper’s shirt was too big for you, so you used a belt to make it fit and hooked a prop gun and a pair of handcuffs to it. It looked just like his regular Sheriff uniform.

Eleven’s frown deepened. ‘’Why?’’

At fourteen, you figured she was too young – and too innocent – to understand why dressing up as a cop was hot. Especially to the male eye. To preserve that innocence, you lied to her.

‘’Because my friends and I are all dressing up as first responders. Therese is a nurse and Louise is a…firefighter.’’

‘’Oh. That’s cool. Mike, Lucas, Dustin and Will are dressing up as the Ghost…Ghostfinders?’’

‘’Ghostbosters,’’ you corrected.

El nodded. ‘’Yes. Mike wanted us to do a couple costume, but Dustin got really mad because he built this machine for his costume and, without Mike Halloween would be ruined.’’

That sounded like Dustin, bossy and dramatic.

‘’What about Max?’’ You tied her hair with an elastic and reached for the headpiece you had helped her make with supplies from the craft store. The resemblance was impeccable.

‘’Max is Michael Myers. He kills babysitters,’’ she said flatly.

‘’He does.’’

*

When you arrived at the party, it wasn't Steve who answered the door. It was Tommy H., Steve's best friend. He whistled at your costume, seemingly not caring that his girlfriend, Carol, was right there. That said a lot about his faithfulness. Wandering eyes don’t usually end with just the eyes.

Right before pressing the doorbell, you had unbuttoned one of the buttons, the lace of your black bra peeking a little. You even wore a matching panty under your costume – for later fun. If Hopper had seen you in the street with your bra showing even just a smidge, he would’ve ordered you to get in the car and taken you home.

You didn’t respond to Tommy’s tasteless whistling, moving past him and letting yourself into the house.

‘’I didn’t think you would go through with your idea,’’ Louise said, squealing at your costume. ‘’Harrington better keep an eye on you, he’s gonna make some people jealous tonight.’’

Her compliment was an exaggeration – there was no way you looked that good –, but you thanked her. Louise was the best to hype her friends up. When you were unsure about your outfit choice for your first date with Steve, she showered you with compliments and said Steve would drop to his knees when he’d see you in that dress.

In the end, she hadn’t been wrong. Steve did drop to his knees.

‘’Do you think he's gonna get the joke? He can be a bit slow sometimes,’’ she added.

The reason you dressed up as a cop was because last month, Steve got a speeding ticket. Unfortunately for him, Officer Powel had been the one to pull him over. When the officer left, Steve had made a joke about how he would’ve charmed his way out of his speeding ticket if it had been a woman officer.

You shrugged. ‘’I hope so.’’

After parting with Louise, you went looking for your boyfriend.

You found him by the stairs with a beer in hand, laughing with some guys from the basketball team. He was dressed as Tom Cruise’s character in Risky Business, which was a lazy costume in your opinion. You had tried to get him to dress as Danny from Grease, but Steve had refused to gel his hair like him.

‘’Are you the owner of this house? I’m here to break up a party.’’

Recognizing your voice, Steve turned around, then choked on his beer when he saw you in your costume. He coughed a few times, eyes glued on you. ‘’Fuck. You’re unreal.’’

‘’I’ve been getting complaints from the neighbors about someone being too hot to handle,’’ you added, not breaking out of character.

Playing along, Steve’s lips twitched into a smile at the corner. ‘’I think that would be me – in both cases.’’

You posed and Steve felt his pants getting tight. ‘’What do you think? Do I make a sexy cop?’’ You leaned forward a little, giving him a tantalizing view of your cleavage and the lacy bra beneath your outfit.

Rendered speechless, Steve moved closer to you, his eyes wide and mouth nearly salivating. ‘’If there weren't so many people around, I'd make you feel what I think,’’ he replied with his lips close to your ear, letting you know about the situation happening in his pants.

Two could play the teasing game.

‘’I might as well let you know, I’m wearing a matching underwear…and it’s a tong.’’

Steve groaned at your words. You knew exactly what to say to push his buttons.

‘’I don't know how I'm gonna make it through the party.’’

-

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#steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x y/n #stranger things #stranger things imagine #steve stranger things

[the-desilittle-bird]

Hello, dear author. I hope, you won't be disturbed by my request and will like it. I really love your work, you are just a miracle💚

You were promised to marry one of the "Strong boys". You, in fact, don't even know, what their names are, but, marriage, it's like this, you don't have much choice.

But your betrothed didn't like you. The nice young man was careful and tactful in his words, but immediately made it clear, that you are not attractive and not interesting. But, you have attracted the attention of other people. His uncles, princes Aemond and Aegon. At first, it should be an act of revenge and mockery, but fate is cruel, and the princes are imbued with the brightest feelings for you. They are always next to you, they pull up a chair for you, give you a hand, dance with you, take care of you at the table, they wish you the most beautiful dreams and the best day, they ask, how you're doing and how you feel, what you like and what you don't, they tell you about themselves, walk with you. Of course, sometimes it's all exaggerated, to annoy some people, but otherwise, they treat you very well. A little later, the princess will join them. They comfort and support you, and you gradually melt in front of them.

When you were very ill, your future husband only visited you once, and was quite rude. "I don't love you, but not enough, to be happy about your death. I really wish you a speedy recovery, and I ask you to give up this marriage and go home. I'm sorry, to say this to you, when you're in this state, but I really don't want to see you around me." Then, there was a soft whistle. Two men with silver hair were standing in the doorway.

When you really tried to break off the engagement, your mother was extremely unhappy. She slapped you hard on the cheek. Prince Aemond witnessed it. "Ah, that's how it is. And I thought, that the kind bride of my dear nephew from a good family." But when your mother tried to object to him, saying, that she is a mother, and she knows better, what to do with her daughter, the prince forcefully pulled you behind his back. "I'm afraid, you're wrong, my lady. Behind those doors, she was your daughter. And here, she is a dear friend and future wife and mother, Gods grant, a good husband. If you once again, my lady, allow yourself such an outburst, I, being the son of your king, will personally make sure, that you regret it very much. Is that clear? And now, out of here, my lady. In the meantime, I'll ask our dear Lady Y/n, if this is a regular occurrence. But I can already say, that yes. And you can already say, that I'm not happy about it."

When a rumor in the Landing and on the Stone passed, that you already not faithful to your future husband, prince Aegon almost killed the one, who started this rumor. And yet, the prince has made it clear, what will happen to those, who dare to speak bad about you. All the "green children" were on the side of your innocence, and they were right.

Helaena spent a lot of time with you, talking about everything, that was in her head. And one day, her mother was rude to you, and she, in a surprisingly serious and strict tone, asked her, not to do that again.

You have to admit, they're very good company. At one of the dinners, you demonstratively sat between two silver-headed princes, and your dress matched the dress of the silver-headed princess. In fact, you get along with them very well.

The long-haired prince called himself your protector and brother, the short-haired prince called himself your true happiness and faithful companion, and the princess just hugged you and pressed her head against yours. Maybe, you will marry a "Strong boy" after all, but you will be on the side of the "green children". They are your friends, they are your family.

Author's Note- Sorry, I took a while to respond. It's just I have been facing problems framing sentences for a while. But here it comes.

Requests are always open and well appreciated.

Thank you and Enjoy your reading!

Beloved Sister

Aegon x Reader x Aemond (Platonic)

Summary- The Request 🤷🏻‍♀️

Tag List- @eliseline, @little-moonbeam-666, @blackhoodlea, @omgsuperstarg, @shopping, @lizlovecraft, @dayane, @bbgmonsay, @michelle-26, @all-things-fandomstuck, @hc-geralt-23, @chevelledahuman, @morganastrucker, @shrexy, @helloitsshitzulover, @daringboba, @minaxcarter, @b-tchymoon, @stargaryenx, @hukio, @saraelizabeth26, @targaryenmoony, @moon-light1415, @eudximoniakr, @themaze13, @candypurplebutterfly, @5moremin, @yariany02, @issybee0611, @gossipandspills, @hopebaker, @kateris-world, @lady-athanasia, @chaotic-fangirl-blog, @cherryaemond, @watercolorskyy, @literishdegree99, @sunmoon-01, @savagemickey03, @ultrav0lence, @deltamoon666, @severewobblerlightdragon, @hyacinthus007, @andlizeth, @shine101 , @beefbaby25

Warnings- None

GIF Credits to @gameofthronesdaily

Sometimes, things turns out be worst then they were supposed to be. The promise of marrying the heir of Princess Rhaenyra immediately made the lady happy; but the situations were far worse than she saw them.

They meet in the gardens for the first time without their parent's presence looming over their shoulders and while the words weren't direct, they made the dislike pretty clear.

"Sometimes, destiny doesn't go along the path where heart lies, my lady. And it seems that I have to bow down to the flow of the destiny, no matter how much I dislike it."

She felt as if she had been stabbed hard, right where her heart laid in her body. The words were sharp, spoken in a cold manner; colder than the north itself. But what could she do except for obeying? Nothing, but going with the flow.

Her loneliness was only relieved by the constant presence of the sons of the King. Aegon and Aemond. While somewhere in her heart, she knew it was only because they wanted to mock her betrothed, she liked it nonetheless.

They would go about their days, stopping in between to ask about hers. While Aegon was more carefree about his words, babbling non-stop about anything or everything, Aemond was more quiet, his actions speaking more than his words.

One thing she had came to like about Red Keep was the constant feasts and people. She would always find herself seated next to the brothers, drinking, laughing, conversing. When the dances would begin, it would always be Aegon who would pull her from her chair and drag her to the floor.

As much as Aemond hated dancing publicly, he would also spare his nephew's betrothed a few dances, only to see her beam and laugh as she would point someone's clumsy steps to him.

He could feel the constant glares on his back, but Aemond never cared. Staying with her always served both his matters, he could both converse about deep things with her and also mock the Strong boys.

Soon enough, Aemond introduced Helaena to her and Gods! did they become sisters immediately. When she wasn't with Aegon or Aemond, she was always found with Helaena, either in her chambers or in the gardens.

Aemond had always been the shoulder to cry on for the lady. She had broken once when her betrothed had said particularly cruel words to her. The One-Eyed Prince had sat there, comforting her agony. It was the day when he showed her his eye, his deepest scar.

Once she had fallen ill, extreme to the point where the maesters had to recommend her bed rest. Everyone had came to visit her, even her betrothed, but his words did nothing to console her.

"I don't love you, my lady, but I surely don't despise you enough to see you die. Therefore, I wish you a speedy recovery. And also, I advise you to give up on this betrothed and possibly save both yours and mine life before it is too late. I am aware I shouldn't be saying such words of cruelty when you are in such a weak state yet, I wish not to see you around."

To stop her betrothed from continuing his harsh words, a whistle was heard from her doorway. The white-haired princes stood there with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"Could we speak to the lady now, Prince? Or you have more to say?"

After her recovery, she had tried to break off the betrothal but it ended with her mother's hand connecting with her cheek, a sharp stinging pain coming as the impact.

Before her mother could start her lecture, there was a loud tsk. Followed by a caring hand on her back. She turned to find Aemond with a hard look and a raging fire in his eyes.

"It seems to be an illusion that the wife of my nephew comes from a family of high morals." Her mother tried to protest, with the words of a mother and what not, only to be silenced by a raised hand of Aemond.

"She might be your daughter in your lands, but here, she is a close friend and a soon-to-be wife of the prince who shall sit on the throne once. If I am yet again reported of such an outburst again. I, being the son of the King, would see to it that you shall be punished as such."

The lady's mother stood silently, her fingers trembling as it clutched the skirt of her dress. Aemond was cruelly satisfied by seeing her in such way.

"You are dismissed, my lady. And if on interrogating shall I find that this has been a regular occurrence, you shall be aware already that I am very much displeased by it."

Soon after, a rumor was heard that the lady wasn't faithful to her betrothed, instead seeking the sons of the King. It had prompted tears in her eyes, and while Aemond had comforted her, Aegon had seen through it that the person responsible for this is taught their lesson.

It was a silent warning to all to not speak wrong of the lady, for it shall only result in death or severe punishment.

One of the many disastrous dinners, she had sat between the Princes, while her lavender dress matched with Helaena's. That had made her betrothed comment on her closeness with the Green children.

"I am the lady's protector, dear nephew. And while you seem too busy to spend time with her, I do so as a brother."

Aemond had hissed, his fingers squeezing her hand before gripping his wine cup, knuckles turning white from the sheer force.

"And I am her true and faithful companion. Protecting her happiness, something I haven't seen you doing, much."

The short-haired prince had said while Helaena simply stood up from her seat, hugging you from behind. Something she would constantly do to make her laugh.

That day, it was made clear to all that no matter who she was marrying, her heart lied along with the Green children.

#house targaryen #hotd imagine #house of the dragon #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond x fem!reader #aemond one eye #aemond imagine #aegon imagine #aegon targaryen imagine #aegon x reader #aegon x reader x aemond #request

[cainluvr69]

Surely, We Can Make Miracles Chapter 17

Previous Chapter

Borda Island Resident: Open the castle gate!

Borda Island Resident: Bring out the new lord…!

Borda Castle Guard: Stand down! If you break the castle gate, you'll be arrested for treason!

Borda Island Resident: Treason?! Just for asking her to help us?!

Mitile: … Everyone's in an uproar outside the castle… And when Leno's in so much trouble, too…

Riquet: I'm worried about Shylock, too. And about Lord Snow in his painting… …And Lord White, too…

Mitile: Where is Lord White…? Maybe we just can't see him, and he's right next to us… No, he should be at Lord Snow's side, right?

Riquet: Oz said he couldn't feel his presence anywhere…

Mitile: Oh no…

Mitile & Riquet: …

Nero: It's gonna be fine.

Riquet: Nero…

Nero: None of 'em are that fragile. Once Snow's all healed up, White's gonna show up again, too. That's why Arthur and Rutile are out searchin' for medicine for him. Just believe in 'em and be patient.

Riquet: …Okay.

Mitile: …Alright. Nero, is there anything that the two of us can do? We were told to wait here in the castle because it'll be dangerous in the ocean, but I really did want to go with them, too.

Riquet: Me, too. So if there's anything we can do for our allies…

Nero: … I wanna tell you kiddos you don't need to worry about that kinda thing, but this whole island really is in a tizzy right now… I ain't gonna pretend things aren't real touch 'n go right now. Something bad really might happen.

Mitile: Something bad…

Riquet: Nero… Why are the people at the gate so angry? I can understand being scared of the dragon and the natural disasters it might cause. But neither of those have anything to do with the people in the castle, do they? Why did they come to the castle, and why are they so angry at those within it?

Nero: It's 'cause the new lord ain't listenin' to what her people have to say. No one can trust someone who won't listen to 'em. But even if they don't trust her, they still have to rely on her. So they're all mobbin' her 'cause they're scared she's gonna up 'n abandon them in their time of need. Ignorin' their voices when they're scared and desperate is the same as ignorin' that they exist at all. So they're here to say, "We're here, we're alive." Y'know how Arthur and Rutile listen to whatever people have to say to 'em, even if they don't agree with it?

Mitile: Yeah…

Riquet: They'll even hear out people I think are perfectly fine to ignore…

Nero: Haha… Yeah, I get where you're comin' from. But the people who're spendin' their time listenin' to you on a regular basis… Aren't the people you're gonna be worryin' about up and ditchin' you when somethin' happens.

Riquet: … …I suppose that's true. Oz also didn't talk about himself for a long time. He wasn't someone I thought would come to help me when something happened. I thought it was wrong of him to be unwilling to help others despite holding such great strength. I didn't think he was really seeing me, and so I often made a big fuss about it. "Are you listening, Oz? Make sure you respond! Be sure to say things clearly!" Just like the island residents are doing now. Oz is just bad at talking to people. He isn't doing these things on purpose to spite people. But once Oz began meeting my eyes and listening to me, I stopped feeling the need to make such a fuss about it.

Mitile: … …I understand how they feel, too… I always want to make sure people are listening to what I have to say. I always feel childish and ashamed of myself when I say that kind of thing, so I don't like to, but… When busy grown-ups look back at me and nod and listen to what I'm saying… It feels like my words…and I myself really matter… So I was really happy today. Dr. Figaro really talked with me… It made me feel like he was really acknowledging me and putting his faith in me…

Nero: …Yeah, I know what you mean…

Mitile: You do?

Nero: Back when I was younger, there was someone I wanted to stop and look at me. I don't think I wanted him to praise me, but at the same time, I really wanted him to… I wanted him to see there was value in where we were. I wanted him to think there was somethin' worth keepin' his interest.

Riquet: Are you talking about your father?

Nero: I mean, no, but…

Riquet: Was it someone who guided you?

Nero: …Yeah, I guess you could say that…

Mitile: Did he ever stop and look at you?

Nero: Maybe halfway… But I never let my frustration with that bubble over. Because he did look at me. He was workin' hard and held himself back. He did listen to what I had to say to him. …The new lord here was prob'ly the complete opposite when she was talkin' to the head chef. She didn't listen to what anyone was tryin' to tell her. So everyone, the island residents, the wizards in the market, even the people in her own castle… All of 'em expect her to cut and run at the first sign of trouble.

Riquet: … Dianne said that it's her job to guide the people living on the island. So why doesn't she do that when her people are in so much distress?

Nero: Beats me… Maybe there's some kinda circumstances we don't know about… But anyways, there's way too much bad stuff all lined up in a row out here. Even a single misstep could end up with a full-blown riot on our hands. That guy'd be good at unifying everyone at a time like this, but…

Mitile: Ah… My brother and everyone else are about to leave!

Riquet: Let's go see them off!

Nero: Yeah, let's.

✦✧☾✧✦

We were about to dive to the bottom of the sea, to where Balthazar was lying in wait. The ones meant to wait in the castle--Nero, Riquet, and Mitile--came to see us off. Figaro didn't, but he couldn't let himself pause in Snow's treatment for something like this. Snow had been poisoned, White had vanished, Shylock had been kidnapped, and Lennox was being manipulated… And to heal them, to bring them back, we had to face off against a Northern wizard and a sea dragon. Going against that sea dragon in particular… Thinking about that made my chest ache.

Akira: (…Hwylryn…)

But I could only let myself think about him for so long. We didn't have a moment to waste right now. More than anything else, I didn't want to lose Snow, White, Shylock, and Lennox. We finished up getting ready to depart, and left the castle, standing just before the castle gate. On our way, someone from the castle called out to us. Everyone was in a rush around us, anxiety plain in their movements.

Castle Butler: Master Sage, Prince Arthur, how did your investigation into the disappearances go? In truth, I have something else I wish to pass on to you as well…

Cain: We'll need you to tell our comrades about that later. We've got stuff to talk to your side about too, though. Three corpses were found without their heads, right? Can you tell us why we didn't get informed of that particular detail?

Castle Butler: W-well…

Cain: I'd appreciate it if you could make time with Lord Dianne for us. I'd like to talk to her more in depth…

Nero: I'll take over from here.

Cain: Got it?

Castle Butler: Y-yes, sir!

✦✧☾✧✦

Shino joined our group with his scythe on his shoulder and his bag stuffed full of Rutile's medicinal herbs. Murr turned back to the rest of us while walking towards the front.

Murr: Okaaaay, let's get this show on the road! All of you can use magic that'll let you move freely underwater, right?

Arthur: I can, yes. How about the rest of you?

Shino: Yeah.

Heathcliff: I'll probably be okay. I put a good amount of practice into it during lessons. I haven't been able to put it into practice for a particularly extended period of time, though.

Rutile: Same here. I've played around in rivers and lakes before, but it'll be my first time going this deep.

Chloe: Um, I'm not super confident I can.

Murr: Rustica, can you help him out?

Rustica: I believe I can keep him breathing under the waves, yes.

Chloe: Wh…what else is there to worry about?

Rustica: I cannot swim, you see.

Chloe: Huh?!

Arthur: Really?!

Murr: Have you drowned before?

Rustica: Who knows? But I'm very certain I can't swim.

Chloe: Now that you mention it, we've never gone swimming during our travels…

Cain: Just leave the swimming part to me. As long as you can both breathe underwater, I'll take point and you can follow my lead.

Arthur: There's a big river in your hometown, right?

Cain: Yeah. You should come swimming with me sometime, your Highness.

Murr: So the Sage should be with Oz, Faust, Rustica, or me. We'll make sure they're covered.

Arthur: Thank you. The deep sea is not only dangerous, but also draining to navigate. If you start getting tired, please feel free to separate from the rest of the group and take a break. If you can float up to the surface and get to the sky, it should be simple enough to find land again. If you've completely exhausted your magic, though, you won't be able to fly. Lord Oz's magic will be more than enough to bring us all back to land, but at the same time, that will be difficult to do until dawn breaks.

Faust: That's true. Murr and I should be able to aid the rest of our students, but… We should have contingencies in place, just in case. All of you should keep a close eye on how much magic and physical exertion you're using.

Heathcliff: Understood.

Cain: Gotcha.

Shino: Yeah. Can I ask something?

Arthur: What is it?

Shino: How are we gonna kill the dragon when Oz can't use magic? If the Sage is with him, he should be able to use it, but he failed at killing it just earlier today.

Shino was staring at me, and I kept my mouth shut. I remembered what I'd done only a short while ago. I didn't want to hurt Hwylryn. The moment I'd thought that, the moment I'd let go of Oz's hand, he'd stopped being able to use magic. Eleven of my dear wizards bore an injury from <the Great Calamity>, a burden that restricted them terribly. When I, the Sage, touched them, the weight of that burden was lessened. We'd done this many times over now. Oz, who could no longer use magic at night, could use magic. The sleepless Mithra could rest… But there were also many times it hadn't gone so well. No matter how many times I desperately pray for it to work, those prayers are never answered… I still don't understand why it works some times but not others. But as of this last incident, I had a feeling I'd made the first step towards understanding that mystery.

Akira: (…It's because of my own heart…)

It took me a moment to realize I was clenching my hands.

Akira: (Wizards cast magic with their hearts. This must be the same principle…) (I think that if both I and the wizard in question aren't wanting the same thing, then I can't do anything to heal their injury from the Calamity…)

But even if we said that, there were still some points that didn't cover. For instance, I wasn't very good at letting Oz use his magic again during the Umbra Volans incident, at least at first. Nor when Shylock was suffering from his heart being set aflame, even when he was in so much pain right in front of me…

Akira: (…Even though Nova was able to do it…)

Though I was at a bit of a loss, I still put my thoughts into words.

Arthur: I see… So you don't wish to attack the sea dragon, Master Sage. That's why Lord Oz isn't able to use his magic right now… That's what you're trying to say, yes?

Akira: I mean, that just has to be it, I can't think of any other reason why… That's definitely how it feels to me.

Murr: Then while we're in the water, Oz, you need to keep your desire to protect us in alignment with the Sage's. Normally I'd want to do some proper experimentation to verify things, but we sadly don't have the time for that right now.

Faust: At the very least, we should be able to make sure the younger wizards all stay safe… Oz.

Oz: What.

Faust: If you feel that your heart and the Sage's aren't matching up, take the younger wizards back to shore. Can you do that?

Oz looked at me. I looked away, feeling like I was trying to run away from the intensity of his gaze. It wasn't a comfortable feeling.

Akira: (Oz must be really troubled by not being able to use magic…) (Normally everything works out just fine, but because of me…) (When Snow and White were in danger, I started getting all wishy-washy because of a dragon I'd only just met…) (That's what he must be thinking about me right now…)

I felt terrible that I couldn't meet the expectations everyone had placed on me.

Oz: Sage.

Akira: Yes…

I responded to Oz when he said my name. The voice that spilled from my lips was unbelievably small. But Oz's voice contained no blame or accusation within its thunder.

Oz: I believe I once told you to not let your role confine you.

Akira: …

I looked up at him, startled. He had said something similar to me before. Those words, too, had felt very precious at the time. I mustn't forget my own name. The weight of my role was such that it could blot out my personal identity. And now… I was the one who had begun to forget who I was. I'd started to think that if I couldn't fulfill the role I was supposed to play, then there wasn't any point in me being here in the first place. It wasn't that anyone had told me that. But still, the weight of responsibility had made my heart begin to curl in on itself. Akira didn't need to be here. The perfect, flawless Sage should be standing in their place. I took a moment to once again look around myself. Everyone's expressions were tense, taut as a drawn bowstring. Arthur, Cain, and Faust were staring at me, their gazes focused… As was Murr, with his wandering gaze, as well as Heathcliff and Shino, after they glanced at each other. Rutile and Chloe were too, both looking worried. And then there were Nero and Rustica, who looked like they were watching over me from far away. Riquet and Mitile were holding hands, but they were looking at me, not at each other. I could tell. All of them were desperately thinking about what they could do for me. "It wasn't all you sole responsibility. We can help, too." That's what it felt like they were saying to me. I took a slow, deep breath in, exhaled, and then opened my mouth.

Akira: It's not like I can be 100% about it, but… I think I can work with Oz to let him use magic as long as it's not for violence. If it's to help any of you, then I definitely think I'll be able to help.

Faust: Got it. Thank you.

Shino: I don't want to get dragged back to shore. I'll figure something out on my own.

Cain: I'm pretty confident in my diving ability. I dunno exactly how well that'll hold up in the deep sea, but…

Chloe: But, um, isn't that gonna be pretty bad in the definitely super small chance that we got forced to fight the dragon…? Oz can't use his magic for that, and none of the Northern wizards are here, either… I mean, this is totally hypothetical, okay?! I definitely don't want us to have to fight against a dragon that the Sage is friends with!

Arthur: You have a point… Master Sage, do you think opening a dialogue with this "Hwylryn" fellow would be worth a try?

Akira: A dialogue…

Arthur: Yes. If it's possible to avoid any conflict by talking with him, then…

Arthur's words made me feel a faint sense of hope.

Akira: …I don't think it's impossible, at the very least. Hwylryn didn't strike me as being super into violence. He was more playful and mischievous, if anything…

Chloe: A mischievous dragon…

Rustica: What a wonderful prospect. I hope we can become friends.

Akira: I hope so, too.

My tone had sharpened a bit, though I hadn't meant it to.

Akira: Actually, Hwylryn said a bunch of times that his brother was more predisposed to being aggressive. So I figure that means Hwylryn himself is a lot more mild-mannered than his brother was…

Oz: …I have never heard of a mild-mannered dragon before. Though they may not be needlessly aggressive, their arrogance and wariness are both very defined. I do not believe conversation will be an option.

Akira: H…Hwylryn can definitely be talked to.

Oz: …

Arthur: Your own wariness is entirely understandable, Lord Oz. But the one who has had direct experience in speaking with this dragon named Hwylryn and flown at his side through the sky is the Sage. Can we not have faith in what they say and make an attempt at negotiations?

Akira: Negotiations… That's right, he also talked about wanting to negotiate with me! It was when we first met… You remember too, right, Rutile?

Rutile: Yes, I do. In exchange for gemstones, he wanted us to share our torta di cocco with him…

Heathcliff: A dragon that wants to eat sweets…?

Shino: That's surprisingly humble.

Oz: …I understand. If that is what the Sage wishes.

Murr: So, what about Balthazar? Are we gonna try to persuade him, too? If he wants a proper apology from Oz and Figaro, will he get one?

Murr's words were as sharp as a blade, but I didn't see any intention to pick a fight or start an argument in his eyes. He was just simply trying to get a straight yes or no answer. Arthur hesitated for a moment before turning to Oz. Oz greeted him with a steely gaze.

Oz: I see no reason to. Being unable to control my magic as I desire is putting needless strain upon the younger wizards… For that, I will apologize. However, Balthazar has no understanding of his own sins. Power is everything in the North. Bowing my head to him will do nothing but spark his fury.

There was no hesitation whatsoever in Oz's words. Murr shrugged his shoulders and looked back at Arthur.

Murr: Well, there you have it. So we're not going to be persuading Balthazar to do anything, and instead we'll just take him out. I don't really know very much about him. But I do know he's got a real thing for Shylock, and that he was the one who sank Adams Island. That means he's got both the inclination towards and means for sinking an island. We can't say for certain he won't make the same decision again if he gets pushed far enough!

Chloe: So he might sink Borda Island?

Murr: Full marks!

Arthur: Then it'd be best if we made arrangements for evacuation and rescue operations ahead of time, just in case.

Nero: Gotcha. I'll make sure I talk to the new lord about it.

Faust: Sorry, and thanks.

Arthur: Now for our next point of discussion… What precisely will we be doing once we're underwater? Heathcliff. Can you tell us what you learned from Vespa?

Heathcliff: Yes. Balthazar has taken the other mermaids captive, and rules over them like a tyrant. He works them like slaves, imprisons them in a cage at the bottom of the sea…

Oz: …I have seen this cage.

Heathcliff: You have?! When…?

Oz: Before sunset.

Heathcliff: According to Vespa, several of the mermaids know where to find a sunken ship.

Murr: Is it Melissa's ship?

Heathcliff: She doesn't know for sure, but Balthazar seems to think it is. Apparently he's been trying to threaten the mermaids into guiding him to the ship so that he can get the cintamani stone of medicine.

Faust: And so he confined some of the mermaids to that end. Why are they refusing to show him where it is?

Heathcliff: Vespa told me to keep this a secret, so I can't talk about all of the details, but… It seems to be very close to a location of great importance to the mermaids.

Murr: I see! But she doesn't know where the sunken ship is?

Rustica: Oh my. She raised one of her hands and tilted her head.

Chloe: Maybe she knows…?

Nero: Nah, this is what she does when she doesn't know.

Cain: It'd be pretty bad if we got lost at the bottom of the ocean. Can you introduce us to anyone who does know where the ship is?

Vespa: …! …!

Cain: She raised her right hand.

Heathcliff: Apparently her sisters know. They're some of the mermaids trapped in the cage, though.

Faust: It's probable that one of them knows where Balthazar is, too. We should ask them after we've helped them.

Arthur: Then let's head for the mermaids' cage!

Rutile & Shino & Cain: Yeahhhh!

That was a chorus of voices I knew I could rely on. As we drew closer to the castle gates, we began to hear the voices of angry, desperate people.

Cain: What should we do? Should we take to the sky and fly to the ocean?

Arthur: No, wizards flying off the island right now when Lady Dianne has yet to address the people would only make them more suspicious of her. So we're going to leave through the front gate. I will talk to the island residents.

Arthur's expression grew serious. Cain put his hand on the hilt of his sword, and Shino adjusted his grip on his scythe. Oz and Faust both looked like there was something they wanted to say as they watched Arthur. And then Murr did a somersault through the air with catlike grace.

Murr: One last thing! We all gotta have fun on our upcoming expedition!

Everyone raised their heads to watch Murr as he tumbled through the sky. A golden moon hung in the cloudless sky, as if the torrential rains had all been a bad dream. <The Great Calamity>. It illuminated the darkness of our world just as surely as it would destroy it. And yet, for some reason, it felt like it was watching over us tonight. It was like it knew we were heading to the bottom of the sea, where its light wouldn't reach, its gaze a peaceful and gentle one… Murr narrowed his eyes like a contented cat, though he was embracing the moonlight and not a warm sunbeam.

Murr: It's a lot easier to take it easy when you're having fun. And taking it easy opens up more options than when you're taking things too seriously! The goddess of victory is gonna run away if you've got a frown on your face! Besides, you guys won't believe how pretty the sea is at night!

He was right. I steadied my breathing, and then opened my eyes. My field of vision that had been swallowed up by the darkness slowly began to expand. The moon's light reached out to all of us, all throughout the world, embracing us in its rays. I heard the sound of the waves from the vast, mystical place we called the "ocean" so easily, never considering how little we knew of what lay beneath its waves. And thus, surely we'd see sights we'd never seen before.

Cain: Open the gate.

Castle Gatekeeper: B--but…

Arthur: I will take full responsibility. Please, open the gate.

Castle Gatekeeper: You are…?

Arthur: One of the Sage's wizards, as well as the crown prince of Central Country. Arthur Granvelle.

Castle Gatekeeper: Y-yessir…!

✦✧☾✧✦

There were many people gathered beyond the gate, anger, anxiety, and frustration clear on all of their faces. This mob was clearly motivated by more than just petty irritation. They couldn't just stand around doing nothing, not when they were worried about their families, their coworkers, their friends--and so, their legs had carried them here. But as Arthur took his place before them, their angry yelling was quickly silenced. It wasn't because he looked every inch the noble prince that he was, no. It was because his eyes, the same blue as the sea and sky, were truly pure. He regarded them with the same expression as if he were addressing his friends.

Arthur: People of Borda Island, I cannot apologize enough for having caused you worry. I am Arthur Granvelle. One of the Sage's wizards, and the crown prince of Central Country. The local lord, Lady Dianne, has asked us to look into the strange incidents taking place on this island.

Borda Island Resident: She asked you to…? So she isn't just trying to cover things up for the wizards here.

Arthur: While our investigation has yet to conclude, we have reason to believe that these incidents involve Adams Island, which sank below the waves many centuries ago… And the wizard that sank it, Balthazar.

Borda Island Resident: The wizard that sank Adams Island?! Does that mean this island is going to sink, too?!

Arthur: We won't let that happen. In fact, we're presently headed to the bottom of the sea to prevent exactly that. I want all of you to help each other. I imagine that some of the wizards that do business in the market may be familiar with similar past incidents. Listen to what they have to say. Ask them what you should do to prepare yourselves.

Borda Island Resident: B… But will the market wizards even want to work with us?

Arthur: Of course they will. As long as all of you intend to help them, too.

Chloe: A… And because Shylock's in real big trouble right now! If you tell them it's for Shylock's sake, the older wizards will definitely help you with what's going on! I think!

Borda Island Resident: Alright… Then… We should find this "Balthazar".

Cain: Borda Castle should also be coming up with countermeasures. You should contact them when you've figured out what you want to do.

Nero: Yeah. I'll make arrangements for all that.

Heathcliff was smiling as he watched their exchange. He took a small, nervous breath and straightened his back. When he noticed I was looking at him, Heathcliff told me something.

Heathcliff: I started feeling like Shylock and the others who aren't here are still at our sides somehow… Shylock taught me a lot about how to enjoy myself. Lennox taught me how to be more stubborn… Lord Snow and White taught me how to have the courage to face a strong foe… So, it just feels like they're here with us right now…

Heathcliff gazed at the ocean's dark waters. I was reminded of something. Although Heathcliff was normally a shy and gentle person… It was his desperate plea that had first moved my heart after I'd arrived in this world. Heathcliff's desire to help his comrades and kind feelings had touched me, and made me put my faith in the wizards. I felt like I was seeing the same scene now that I'd seen that night.

Cain: Riquet, the rest is up to you!

Arthur: Please don't push yourselves.

Riquet: I should be the one saying that to all of you. Please take care and come home safe. Lord Arthur, Cain, I'll see you soon! You too, Oz!

Oz: Yes.

Nero: Shino, Heath, take care of Teach for me.

Shino: That's the opposite of what you usually say.

Heathcliff: You can leave him to us.

Vespa: …! …!

Heathcliff: Vespa'll do her best, too!

Faust: I'm already calm and composed. I'll be fine.

Mitile: Rutile, please make sure to get Leno back.

Rutile: I definitely will. Mitile, take good care of Riquet and Dr. Figaro, okay? And be sure to listen to what Nero tells you. …Mitile, let me see your face.

Mitile: …Please be safe, Rutile…!

Rutile: Mhm…!

Arthur: Now then, it's time for us to depart! <Pernoctant Nixzo>!

Cain: <Gladius Procella>!

Shino: <Matzah Sudipas>!

Heathcliff: <Repsev Aivulp Sunos>

Chloe: <Suispicibo Voitengok>!

Rutile: <Ortonik Setomaouge>!

One by one, my wizards chanted their spells and stepped into the water. First were the younger ones, and then the more experienced ones also sank into the water after them. The moon's light shined off the surface of the water. Seeing such a beautiful sight made me remember something with a gasp, and all of the wizards still on the shore turned back to me. I looked at Mitile and shouted to him.

Akira: Mitile! Can you ask the owner of that one shop to bake a torta di cocco, please?!

Mitile: Torta di cocco?!

Akira: Yes! And if Mithra comes back… Tell him to bring it with one of his doors through space, please! Hwylryn really wanted to eat it! So maybe it'll help with negotiations…

Mitile: Okay, got it! I'll find the shopkeeper as fast as I can and ask them!

Riquet: If we get turned down, we'll have Nero make it instead!

Nero: Man, I don't wanna try makin' a cake with so much ridin' on it on the first go… But I'll make it happen somehow! Take care of yourself, Sage!

Akira: Yeah…!

After responding, I turned back around to the ocean. I took Oz's hand in mine and held it tightly. He reciprocated the gesture, his fingertips pressing against the back of my hand.

Oz: <Vox Nox>

And we jumped into the water together.

Next Chapter

#.mhyktl #.eventtl #.main story tl #4th anni

[asinfullangel]

30 Double…

“Let’s make things fun. What was done may or could happen again…”

A new halloween has arrived and this curious satyr from the local forest was ready to enjoy it like a regular human would. He read up on the human holidays, found and spent cash on a costume to add onto his appearance to look like an illustrated satyr from human mythology. He may be starting his trick-or-treating just a little early, but he knew the smell of magic in the air and so far he can smell demons all over the place (though still haven’t worked on pinpointing where they are.)

Nick was not going alone this year around no matter how much he wanted to try again. This year he will be traveling around with his wolf. Luckily with some hair dye and sewing he looks more like a monster wolf doll. You know a full size beastly wolf can’t go walking around on the street so one makeshift custom will have to do otherwise if someone starts poking around he gets a filling treat. So the opposite duo were out with Nick leading the way and Wolfe following behind with a slightly annoyed expression written on his face.

“Do you really need to be around all of these humans? You made me look like a cat’s toy and these glass button glasses are just a joke.” The wolf may be feeling odd with dye and some clothing on while his happy goat was skipping along to house after house with more candy each visit. “Won’t you relax your guard a little. Maybe spook a few of the older kids or teenagers (I think that is what they are called).” Looks like nothing could go wrong with this night and I, the creator, is going to fix this.

The creator pulls out a withered spell book, dusting off the withered part to reveal its clean and true appearances. Flipping through the pages to find the spell he desires to add into this world, finding the spell before adding in the ingredients he spoke next. “A drop of creativity and a drop of madness. One blank record with a dash of ink from an inkwell. Lastly, a piece from the interest target with a sprinkle of the current season.” I added two strings of fur belonging to Nick & Wolfe then added some candy corn since it is halloween. “Now… I call forth a new entry to the faith I have my sights set on this time of day. Hear as I say bring a twist unlike my mind had conjured before nor within my forgotten dreams. Add shock, fright, spooks and so on till the sun rises to bring in the new day.” The spell flew out of the cauldron and around the creator before slipping into the intended reality to add a little more to this halloween night…

A strong wind blew through the streets that sent chills up people’s spines, causing parents to bring home their children early and spooked teens back home included. Nick stood his ground while Wolfe took an attack stand in preparing for anything to come… Nothing appeared before them at that moment, but a fog was creeping in and moved as if something hid within. Nick felt a hand grab his ankles and then drag him underneath the fog. Wolfe faced the same actions… Yet, kids, teens and parents were back outside their houses right after as if nothing scared them into their homes before. Nick reappeared on the outscaret of a seaside town which was celebrating halloween and Wolfe appeared in a markstreet though the scent to the place told him enough that there was danger all around him…

Time for the story to begin then. Nick on his end took up the opportunity to enjoy the night by himself and goes about exploring this town for any treats. He skipped into town to see a variety of sea monster and mythical beast costumes all around the place with the scent of sea salted treats to entice the goat to get some. House to house and his candy bag grew more in size. He smiles happily while nibbling on his treats, the night still young so where else could he travel to? He did see a place that looked almost like a home to him and then began to walk over in hope of a treat (though passing by a sign saying M.City beachside. Strange, where did I hear that name from?)

Closing in on the building by the sea to see “Levi’s shops of mystical goods & sea relics,” written above on a sign. Entering the shop to catch a strong scent of magic all over from the items lining the shelves. He couldn’t see the shop owner yet, but could sense something with more power close by and it was moving towards him… “And who is this I see? A new face entering my shop of mystery. Welcome and have a look around, little goatee.” Nick hopped back from the sudden welcoming voice by the owner. “Call me Levi, the owner of this little seaside shop of trinkets.” His smile looked friendly to Nick while his own body kept the flight instincts on high alert. As for Levi’s looks he did dress up for halloween as a sea witch that pairs nicely with his milk chocolate-like skin color (pulling it off quite well to still look sexy) and his eyes remind him of moonlight reflecting off of water. “T-Thanks and what a nice shop you have here. So many things and stuff to pick from.” Now a bit of sweat is traveling down his cheek. His body can sense the danger he is in and it’s all because of Levi. “I do pick each of these out myself, but you seem new to seeing such items. Could I be of assistance in helping you find an item that’ll fit your desires?” Offering his hand out towards Nick which made him blush, Levi’s action and tone of voice charming his feelings in a way he wished Wolfe could do for him. Nick felt invited to take him on his offer, but still knew that he shouldn’t when the magic from Levi sensed odd and two faced. “I’m sorry, but I just stopped in to find out what this place was. I have a friend waiting on me so I shouldn’t really keep them waiting.” Nick, using this false excuse to leave the shop, felt a hand grab his shoulder gently once his back was turned then see a business card offered to him between two of Levi’s fingers. “At least remember to come on by again. I’m sure I can find you something helpful or entertaining like a way to train that wolf of yours with a mere sound as an example.” Nick took the card with a nervous laugh then carefully left the shop and as far as he could from the place…

On Wolfe’s end he took up the sneaking approach and moved along the rooftops to observe this market street. He didn’t know much about understanding magic though had a fine knowledge of beasts to avoid along with demons he learned from his hunting years. As for why bring this up was that he can pick up on these creatures though he only sees oddly dressed humans walking about. Their attire did hint that he could have ended up in Japan, but the air and environment here didn’t quite add onto that hint…

“I can’t believe someone set up a spirit market in town,” said a man dressed as an umbrella yokai. “Strange that this whole street was kept under wrap,” came from his buddy dressed as a spider. “Come on, I heard someone came dressed as a demon. I think they are offering up free handjobs.” Well, that was bold of an offer to speak of in public and Wolfe was quite disgusted by such the idea… And decided to follow in case Nick was somewhere close be. “(That goat better not be doing something stupid or idiotic again).”

After some traveling he stopped outside of a stall that led into a sign-less building while someone running the stall took notice of Wolfe. “Yo, welcome to meet the 7 deadly sins stall. Care to meet one of these deadly hot fellas while the night is still alive, fur ball.” Wolfe growls from the nickname given, but smells a scent that he hopes could be Nick’s. “So, does the wolf have a name or will fur ball be the last name ever heard from you after taking a step inside~” Wolfe ignores the imp dressed man while saying, “It’s Conner,” then into the building he goes… The place looked decorated like a 3 stars haunted house however when he came across 7 doors, each one either had an odd smell or something creeping out underneath the doorway, the feeling he had felt like he was about to face a monster behind every doorway. Yet Conner smells Nick’s scent coming behind the doors label, “lust,” &, “gluttony.” He checks behind the Lust door first to see a demon-dress man chatting with a man he heard chatting early. The men dress topless with purple markings along his arms, hips while one more markings the bottom of his abs & cured back horns matching the colors in a darker shade. His tail looks realistic in its swaying motions as the demon spoke to the umbrella-dress man. “Call me Valentino darling and welcome to my little room of lust. How could I be at your service and remember you’ll have to pay whenever I’m ready to collect.” Conner pulled out of the door to look behind the gluttony door to see a table, a black inky man eating and the other buddy from earlier happily rubbing this man’s tummy. “Lubric, please don’t stop eating. You have some much more to eat and have the room to pack everything away.” Conner was losing interest and still had his nose sniffing for Nick till after just a moment pulling out of the door to peer right back inside when he heard some odd sounds. Looking back inside to see this Lubric cleaning his lips with a napkin while messy plates littered the table & floor around it. The man that was rubbing Lubric’s tummy was missing while his costume lay on the ground in pieces.

Conner backs out & away from the room, but is surprised as he is held behind his neck, lifting off the ground like a puppy. “Yo, Lubric, you have a shy puppy cutie waiting in front of your room. Think I could keep this one? I’m sure he’ll be such an obedient pet for me if someone wants a milk bone as a reward~” Valentino caught Conner and held him by the neck with ease. Conner, already being affected by his touch, felt shy & enjoyed being held though fear was rising when he saw a man squirming inside of Valentino’s balls and cock oozing cum. “Come on Valentino, he was waiting in front of my door so he’s my snack. I’m sure you’ll get another snack soon.” Lubric got up from his set now with a squirming stomach on display to view, walking over to grab Conner from his Valentino… (time to switch back to Nick) Nick was still enjoying his night though he was soon left to be among the few that are pushing onward in the night. Some adults just went about their night as a fog rolled in… Then came a voice that echoed around Nick and other men. Sound enchanting and alluring that his body moves on his own deeper into the fog. Others followed towards a building obscured in the mist… Nick was about to be the first to walk inside this building if it wasn’t for a crab snipping towards his ankles, snapping him out of the trances to hop away from this crab. He stepped aside as another enchanted man walked in as the first of many others and zombie-walked into the place. He slowly creeps inside to get hit by the familiar scent of magic that shoots fear all the way down his spine… “Welcome back little goatee~ Did your friend of yours forget to show up? Or did someone lie just to get some air from me.” Levi's voice rang in his ears and felt like it was clawing at his nerves. “Now why would a new visitor be so scared of me? I thought I was doing such a charming job at winning over your attention~” Once more his body moved on his own inside the shop, passing the shelves and went behind the checkout counter (catching a glimpse of discarded costumes on the floor with the scent of saliva radiating off) to stand in a brewing room made for a witch. “At least stay for a while and enjoy a freshly made treat as thanks for stopping by.” Levi reveals himself walking out for an adjective room to this one and offers a goat shaped cookie, Nick’s hand reaches out to grab then feed himself the cookie. Nick enjoyed the sweetness of this treat, but could see more goat cookies floating over to him from where Levi had entered. “It is rare for a forest creature like yourself to wander so far to the sea. I should prepare such a rare treat for myself properly. One stuffed goat full of sweets will taste wonders for me.” Nick is forced to eat any of the floating treats that awaited to inter and Nick within his head fear how the losing chance of escape for him.

Two living creatures from the forest and now ended up in two different places, facing their own problems that may or may not keep them wherever they are for a long while (for good). Stay tuned is all that I can say.

(Can’t forget the credit, the demon of lust and gluttony belong to Gigifabulous while the beachside witch belongs to mrbolo)

#male vore #vore story #male vore prompts #vore prompts #voretober #by me

[greensaplinggrace]

darling for the ask game obv let's get the important one out of the way

😭 idk if this was meant to say darkling but I'm doing him anyway

how I feel about this character: I love him. he's an interesting character that usually gets misinterpreted by the majority of fandom. I like that he has so much potential as a concept, but it makes me sad that that potential is rarely actually realized canonically. all in all, he's a character I really relate to for many reasons: his isolation and loneliness, his depersonalization and dehumanization, his high levels of empathy, his relationship with oppression and repression, and his drive to help others at the cost of his future and his sanity. I also really love his complex relationship with rage and apathy at the injustices of the world, which gives fascinating insight into his existence as an immortal and as a naturally idealistic person who lost faith in others

all the people I ship romantically with this character: mostly alina and mal! I also like him and nikolai together sometimes, and I can see the appeal of luda. plus of course any poly combination of any of these.

my non-romantic OTP for this character: aleksander & ivan is a hilarious friendship tbh. also I'm so in love with the ways genya parallels him and is so similar to him that I adore seeing them together on screen or in fics or basically anywhere, even if just for the horribly tragic tension that really brings out the depth of both their characters.

my unpopular opinion about this character: I have a lot lol. he was right about most things, but I don't think alina was wrong to leave him. I think he's a good character in the book, less so in the show, but in both he suffers from such bad writing that he ends up acting ooc half the time anyway. he's clearly empathetic and caring, and he is obviously able to feel love - but this has no bearing on his morality or any justification for his actions whatsoever. tbh I have so many unpopular opinions of him that it doesn't bear repeating them all lol.

one thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: that he died better in the show (and that he was written better overall with actual real depth). that he was never resurrected in the books (or at least that his second ending wasn't what it was)

my OTP: malarklina! 💖💕

my cross over ship: none

a headcanon fact: he's still afraid of the dark to this day. he's always cold and alina's always hot. he's very good with kids. he speaks so softly because his mother is abusive garbage and his experiences with men all suck. he's demisexual and biromantic and agender. he dissociates regularly due to both trauma and regular dehumanization, and this affects the way he views his personhood as well as his gender. he always knows the time of day because he can feel the shadows around him. he operates at some level on inhuman instincts tied to the nature of shadows & light.

give me a character (x)

#shadow and bone #sab #grishaverse #aleksander morozova #the darkling #myramblings #asks and answers #ask games #eyo!! ty for the ask! <3 <3

[buddy-daddies]

theory time: is "suwa" rei's real family name ?

buckle up, friends, for this one is a wild ride that i don't have a lot of faith in, but it's been haunting me for a bit now.

i keep thinking back to the scene in ep3 where kazuki and rei are talking about their respective childhoods, and one thing seems a little odd to me.

it's clear that the only thing kazuki really knows about rei's family is that it's a filthy rich one. he calls rei a "rich boy" in ep4 and makes an off-handed comment in ep3 that rei's family "sounds like a pain."

from the character bios on the official buddy daddies website (translated here by the amazing @skeletonpunching), we know that rei was born into a huge mafia family. i would think it would be strange for kazuki, who a) has been in the criminal world for many years and b) works primarily in intel gathering, would not have made the connection that rei is from this prominent mob family.

is it possible that rei goes by a different family name, then ?

his reasons for doing so could be numerous. we know he doesn't exactly have the best relationship with his father (who literally tells him not to call him "father" at all), so it could have been to distance himself from that family name that brings him so many awful memories and nightmares (like in the start of ep3.) is he maybe in the same boat as miri and an illegitimate child that the father had with a mistress ? maybe the father didn't want his bastard son to carry the family name but kept him as a pawn in his mob family army.

what, then, could rei's real family name be ?

my guess ? ogino

sound familiar, right ?

that's this guy's family name.

the next part of my theory is that ogino ryo and suwa rei are related.

the most likely possibility ? ogino is rei's uncle.

rei and ryo are very close given names, so it's quite possible that was an intentional choice by the showrunners and a small hint that they're somehow related.

(i am not going to even begin to entertain the thought that ogino ryo turns out to be rei's real father. that would be a CRAZY TWIST but i will stick with uncle for now.)

also, look at them. they both have sunken in eyes and do not know how to look at people normally.

this is not to mention the fact that they're both pale as all hell, have dark hair, and even have somewhat similar eye colors.

we see a scene in the opening where rei's on his motorcycle, and then it shifts to ogino rolling down the passenger-side window of his car.

there is also a scene in the trailer where ogino (i THINK it's him, correct me if i'm wrong !) asks (presumably) rei, "why do you kill ?" it's asked over a scene of rei in an unknown vehicle, which i think might be one of his father's men chauffering him, and then we hear rei reply right after. very fishy.

the lovely @albertinesimonet has a theory, born from the conversation between kyu-chan and the boys in ep5, that rei might have been there with ogino the day that kazuki's wife died.

could kazuki (or even his wife ?) have done something (intentionally or on accident) to warrant the organization placing a hit on them ? was rei involved in the death of kazuki's wife, and has he kept that knowledge from him this whole time ?

the idea has led to some very intriguing discussions about whether rei took kazuki in and lets him jerk him around on the regular out of guilt and feelings of atonement...

much to think about...

#buddy daddies #buddy daddies spoilers #suwa rei #rei suwa #my post

[raisedbythetv89]

Using a beloved anti-hero/fictional serial killer - Dexter to illustrate a point about buffy - STAY WITH ME lol HEAR ME OUT OK

Imagine if during Dexter we got a season where something happened to him where the guilt of killing somehow became enough to stop him needing to kill (he still had the impulse but could control it and not act in it) and he became tasked with being the protector and guardian of a 15 year old girl of a person he killed as penance. A way to right a wrong and work towards his redemption for all the innocent lives he took along the way for the sake of his survival and not getting caught. (Not penance for the actual evil ppl he killed just to clarify)

And INSTEAD when she’s 16 he starts to develop a romantic relationship with her, openly discussing that it’s wrong but not doing anything of substance to stop it from happening and their relationship eventually causes him to start killing again and he doesn’t do anything to stop the girl from believing it’s her fault. Eventually Dexter abandons her when he realizes she holds no true redemption for himself and maybe he is just causing her more harm than good but does continue to lead her on by making her believe if one day he does enough good they can finally be together - you know like this young girl is his reward for being a good enough boy.

This is the framework for Buffy and Angel’s relationship without the vampires and the 231 year age gap.

If you enjoy Bangel I will never judge or shame you for it we all get to like what we like freely because at the end of the day it’s fictional and liking things in fiction never hurt anyone.

BUT if you’re a bangel who likes to act morally superior and judge spuffy’s and cry “seeing red” every chance you get (which truly just like WHY we all will never forget, that moment was so traumatizing for everyone involved including the actors. Spuffys just look at everything AFTER that episode that was Spike’s fantastic redemption arc and Buffy’s forgiveness, as well as everything that came before (the context that spike and buffy had a very blurred boundaries, sexual and physical relationship without a safe word and with established treatment of each other that lied WELL outside the norms of healthy relationships with regular humans without superpowers and super strength) Rather than the traumatizing standalone attempted SA scene from buffy that was the ONLY ONE that was actually filmed in a graphic and horrifying way vs alllll the other ones that blow right past actual SA or severely violating memories/minds/bodily autonomy - angel, willow, faith, ethan, giles/the council and xander’s violations of buffy, spike, riley, anya, giles and tara to name just the examples I can think of off the top of my head - angel, willow, faith, giles and ethan all with souls when they did it! vs soulless spike.

Maybe reconsider not throwing stones from your glass house when my ship’s framework without the vampires is: two enemies who have killed a lot of the other’s side and who were tasked with killing each other but instead fall in love despite their best efforts not to (not without hurting each other in the process of course, it literally would not be ENEMIES to lovers if they didn’t do awful things to each other along the way we are fully aware of both spike and buffy’s problematic behaviors) but both being SIGNIFICANTLY better people for it by the end of both the tv show and the comics because they both take accountability, apologize and seek to right their wrongs when they do cause that harm to each other and treat each other as equals.

Basically bangels and spuffys will NEVER agree or see things eye to eye because of the vastly different nature of these two frameworks of relationship dynamics so stick to your respective sides of the fandoms and we can all just have a chill, fun, sexy, sad, peaceful time lol ok? OK thanks 💜

#spuffy #spike btvs #spike and buffy #buffy and spike

[agro-carnist]

One thing that's come from this is that it's shown who is actually interested in the truth and who isn't. The fearmongering, dramamongering crowd don't care about any actual research that's been done on the topics they passionately attack people over. Have they ever bothered to ask what the professionals that study and treat kink, paraphilia, and paraphilic disorders have to say? What their position is? No, they care what other people online believe. They don't let the evidence lead to a conclusion. They look for any "evidence" that supports the conclusion they've already made. They let what they think makes sense to them design the argument rather than anything tangible. They see what big name online has been called out and say that's the proof. What FEELS right is proof. What I consider "normal" is the proof. They very easily brush off any actual evidence shown them as not worth their time, or clearly made by pedo apologists because it doesn't confirm "common sense," or grasp for any tiny reason to dismiss it as untrue, while also providing absolutely nothing to support them. People that care about aligning with what is true actually look into what has been said by people that know what they're talking about, even when they don't come to the same conclusion. They are able to see that there are many potential outcomes and choose the one that they feel has the best supporting evidence, but are willing to change their mind based on new information. This situation isn't just having an opinion or disagreeing with someone, it's specifically anti intellectual and fear mongering. It's designed to paint your enemies as the worst people based on the most bad faith interpretation of what you see, without any room for anything else, no matter how much the evidence disproves you. It is no different than how the ARAs or other fear-based groups function. The goal is to set up a person that does not exist but give it someone's name, and then destroy it. It is not about learning or the truth or protecting anyone. It is about using alarmist tactics to depict yourself as a morally righteous hero by casting out regular people you have deemed as too deviant to be worth human decency. Create a sense of danger based on emotional responses, build that up, and then attack in a blind rage. There is only room for black and white thinking in those groups. Never believe there is a possibility you could be wrong. That's the thinking of predators. Anythinf and everything the enemy does is proof of their monstrous nature. No matter what they say or do, it's bad. And these predators are all around you. They are master manipulators. Once someone is labeled a predator, you can't trust anything they say. They are Bad and we are Good. They don't act like WE do, and we are Good, so they must be Bad. Anything you do, it's for the good of children and animals. Think of the children. Think of the animals. The world is full of predators. Deviancy is predatory. Destroy deviancy at all costs.

But never step out of line and show a whiff of anything your friends have decided is unclean, unacceptable, immoral. They will cannibalize you. This way of life leads to everyone turning on each other at some point. Anyone that doesn't adhere to the arbitrary rules will be attacked. Consider another point of view or ever question what has already been decided as true will make you an outcast. Ever suggest that maybe you are wrong and you'll become a monster too. Because it's not about learning and growing and discovering a better outlook. It's about punishing an imagined evil and maintaining a Visage of righteousness. And what we feel is good must be good, and what we feel is evil must be evil, not matter what anyone, even the experts, say otherwise.

[horizon-verizon]

We know from the text that moon tea can be used both to prevent pregnancies and to terminate them. My question is, what do both law and custom in Westeros say about contraception and abortion ? And what else ways there are to make abortion in Westeros ? It seems like Cersei used a different method to abort the baby Robert had gotten her impregnated with (a decision that I wholeheartedly support),“Your Robert got me with child once,” she said, her voice thick with contempt. “My brother found a woman to cleanse me.” This may have been through the use of moon tea (as Cersei later says she knows of it), or it may have been a D&C or similar technique. What are your thoughts ?

Love, love this question, anon!

Before the answer, moon tea is also not always 100% safe and can cause severe side effects, like those that affect a young Lysa Tully. But so were most especially if dosed or taken wrong.

Here is AFfC Cerssi's thinking of Margarey, with the use of "murder" implying that like today's Christian religions, abortion is considered a "murder" of life:

So it's definitely an ideological belief that it's "murder" stemming from the most strict of Seven canon...yet in secular practice and custom, people use moon tea often enough for nobles to refer to it several times. There are no declarations or laws against either the use of moon tea or abortion itself, but you can see how abortion & moon tea and a woman revealed to be using if unmarried will suffer grievous censure or even death, according to circumstances. If you are a Queen Consort, for example, and you prevent your husband from having heirs/more heirs, you'd be seen and punished as meddling/ruining the line of succession. Of course, it'd be better if you already had kids but still, a Queen--who is supposed to model her behavior after the Mother(Seven)/the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and Queen of Heaven is more beholden to her role as that AND a woman/child-bearer than a King is to his faithfulness to her. That doesn't necessarily mean EVERY single queen or noble wife obeyed of course, just means that if it found out, she would pay a heftier political and personal price than others.

Other real-life Europeans didn't obey the Church in everything or even to a certain zealous degree as people today might think, the church as after all an institution rather than the religion itself, though yes it can and has modified some beliefs to influence how it worshippers think about...pretty much everything of human existence and humans' relationship with the world (ex, colonization and the slave trades-missionaries). People held pagan-originated festivals, drank alcohol in great amounts, ate a lot, and had sex even when unmarried or extramaritally. (Example, the maypole) The most interesting fairytales people have or the ones that endure to this day are from pagan Celtic or Anglo-Saxon myths and religions or tales told for social control. There were medicinal and regular recipes from pagan Anglo-Saxon or Celtic rituals/life. Popes, priests friars, and monks had concubines and/or bastard children and used prostitutes for sexual relief, some even going so far as to advocate for the continuation of prostitution for the sake of keeping the "right" women from men raping them/the men having a place to expend their sexual energy. Some bishops and most Archbishops came from noble families to represent or be used for the families' political schemes/secular desires or ambitions and/or had some of their own. Anyone heard of the Borgias & Pope Alexander VI?

For some states, some monarchies, and some periods of monarchial Europe, a monarch could only be crowned and recognized as a ruler if the Catholic church/Pope crowned them. The Church informed the monarchy and vice versa. (Henry VIII made the English crown & England separate, forming the Anglican Church, which nonetheless retained many Catholic practices, imagery, etc. changing mostly in leadership, the crown.)

Even for a married woman, since the purpose of a noblewoman is to produce heirs for her lord/king, if she'd found "willfully" taking moontea for something else other than preserving her life and master-recommended and her husband at least in some way aware...well. I don't need to spell it out for you. So this also speaks for contraception implied as an unideal necessity conditioned on decisions from others outside the woman herself. According to circumstance.

D&C (Dilation and curettage) is only first recorded in late 19th cent for Europeans. Westeros is modeled after medieval-early modern period Europe, specifically England, France, the Italian states, and Germany. As far as I know, it wasn't a real option for real-life med/Tudor people, so it wouldn't exist for Westeros, esp w/how invasive it is, people arent really going to think of this. (btw, today as well as in the 19th century, people don't just use D&C for abortions)

I also don't think that moon tea was the only resource women had to contraception and abortion. That would be too implausible, esp considering how women had more than one way to prevent or end pregnancies. Sure, it's possible that Cersei used something other than moon tea since she'd want to not be discovered and moon tea is so recognizable and known. We don't have the details, Cersei also could have taken moon tea. If she didn't there is no named alternative to moon tea that I could remember nor from what I tried to research.

#asoiaf asks to me #westerosi society #abortion #contraception #cersei lannister #westerosi women #asoiaf #agot #a feast for crows

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

Royalism is one of the very few beliefs that I don’t understand at all. I can understand the thinking behind a lot of beliefs, even ones I disagree with, even ones I find reprehensible. Anti-abortion? They truly believe that clump of cells is alive and killing it is murder. Islamophobic? They believe Muslims are violent and/or misogynist and people need to be protected from that. Anti-immigration? They believe there are too few resources in the country, and the people who live there will have less if they have to share. Sexism? They believe the biological and/or social differences between men and women determine what kind of people they are, some of the things they determine are better than others, and people deserve to be treated accordingly. Homophobic? They really do believe that gay relationships are harmful to society. Religious? They’re looking for a way to understand and find comfort in the existential void that plagues us all, who can begrudge them that? People who believe there should be no taxes truly believe that this would incentivize people to work harder and create more jobs and then society would prosper. People who want to get rid of regulations in various industries believe that the money saved from not having health and safety standards would translate to more jobs, better pay, and a better life for employees. I think those people are wrong, and I think people who believe many other things are wrong, but if I try, I can see why someone would think that way.

I don’t get being a royalist, though. There’s no way of looking at the monarchy where it makes sense to believe people are better off on a practical level because they exist. So veneration of the monarchy is about something intangible, like a religion. At least believing in an actual religion means putting faith into something unseen, that could be special and supernatural and unfathomable. But I don’t get walking around in 2023 and putting that kind of religious-type faith into people who are demonstrably just humans.

Obviously the foundational beliefs underpinning royalism are similar to the ones underpinning religious devotion; the whole monarchy is based on the divine right of kings. Most royalists in 2023 would not use the phrase “divine right of kings” to explain their beliefs, but that’s still what it is, it has to be. If you believe the royal family has any right to rule, you have to believe their right comes from that particular bloodline having some natural superiority over everyone else’s. Which is, you know, horrifying for a large number or reasons and the foundational belief that’s caused some of the worst things in history. But if you don’t believe in that bloodline’s inherent superiority, you can’t believe that anyone should get special privileges just for being born into it.

And I know some people do genuinely and unapologetically believe that some bloodlines are inherently superior to others. In 2023, you will find some people who openly declare themselves in favour of the concept of the divine right of kings. You can find some people who will believe in any ideology, no matter how obscure or archaic. Some people in 2023 still worship Odin.

What I don’t understand are all the basically “regular” people, who would not say they’re in favour of fringe belief systems, who still think the royal family are pretty cool. So maybe I do understand royalism as a concept, I just don’t understand how it can be mainstream. How people who would not claim to subscribe to the concept of certain bloodlines being superior, who do not hold devoutly religious beliefs that could justify the ideology, are still fine with putting one family in charge just because they’re related to some people who committed atrocities in the distant and relatively recent past. I don’t understand otherwise rational people who still held unironic coronation parties this weekend (I would argue that even sort of vaguely ironic coronation parties are not great, because seeing the monarchy as an amusing curiosity misses the Disney villain-style horror of basically worshipping eugenics and wealth disparity, but people can do what they like). There’s so much cognitive dissonance going on, like that one belief can be disconnected from the rest of someone’s belief system.

I can understand wanting to keep the monarchy for pragmatic reasons. Every once in a while, the debate comes back up in CBC news about how Canada is still in the Commonwealth, and the Queen of England – now King of England, I guess – is still officially our Head of State. Sometimes something will happen in our federal politics that, due to a weird technicality, requires the queen (now king) to be informed, and that’s just vaguely embarrassing. This is always followed by discussions in the news about how that might be fucking stupid and maybe we should change it.

They’re always polling the public to see if they believe Canada should still be nominally ruled by the British monarchy, to which my personal answer is that I don’t even think Britain should be ruled by the British monarchy, so Canada definitely shouldn’t. However, the monarchy’s role in Canadian politics is almost entirely theoretical and ceremonial, and getting rid of it would require fundamental changes to our constitution, which would be a lengthy and expensive process. It would cost a lot of taxpayer money for relatively little practical impact, and I understand the view that it’s not worth doing that when our government’s resources and efforts are better concentrated elsewhere.

There are so many logistical issues with getting the monarchy out of Canada, and of course it would be much, much more difficult and complicated to scrap it in Britain (though that would solve our problem, because if Britain did the work of abolishing the monarchy altogether, then Canada wouldn’t be stuck with it anymore either). I understand people who don’t think it’s worth going through that process, so we may as well keep it.

But I don’t understand people who actively think the monarchy is a good thing, who have a positive emotional attachment to it. People who see it half as a religion and half as a soap opera. If you want that so much, you can just go watch an actual soap opera, that doesn’t drain taxpayer resources or suspend any protesters’ right to free speech. Or for that matter, be honest about the magical thinking involved in this and join an actual religion.

I feel like belief in the monarchy should be a weird fringe thing, like every once in a while you’d come across someone with this archaic view and say “Wow, it takes all sorts.” It just doesn’t seem ideal for believing in one bloodline’s inherent superiority to be an acceptable mainstream view, to the point where we need a special term like “republican” to describe people who disagree.

Anyway, I have to admit I did make a rare-ish visit to Twitter today, to see entertaining people talk shit about the soap opera/religion, so here, have some Bugle Tweets from this weekend: