#i'll add her in retroactively! >_<

[watmels]

Shiratorizawa’s Spy - Fanfic Masterlist

A compilation (with previews) of the fanfics made for Shiratorizawa’s Spy.

Click the links to read the whole thing!

📖 Fanfics ━━━━

1. bound for ruin by writertanisha (ao3), ~4.3k words

2. wannabe (are you for real) by mostlyharmless (mezzaniine)​​ (ao3), ~5k words

3. harmony by windypuddle​ (ao3), ~2.5k words

4. #selfcare by windypuddle (ao3), ~1.1k words

5. Can You Keep A Secret? by Catharsis_13 (ao3), ~800 words

6. Another secret by Ka_gey_amas___milk (wattpad)

7. 1, 2 by artic_honey (IG)

8. Losing Game by Kaykoo (ao3), ~3.1k words

9. I Know Your Secret by Bokkunn (ao3), ~2.3k words

Broken/removed links:

Post by shio.draws (IG)

Story by DragosteaDinTei (wattpad)

💖 Conclusion ━━━━

I absolutely loveee reading fanfics based on Shiratorizawa’s Spy. If you make one, please let me know and I’d be happy to share it too!  😊

#haikyuu #shiratorizawa's spy #fanfic #masterlist #fanart masterlist to come soon #i missed someone's spy-noff2 art entry 😭 #it was totally within the deadline and everything but i missed it and did not draw her a cameo ahhhh i can't believe i did that #i'll add her in retroactively! >_< #please lmk if i missed your work.. and i will always love to see future works :')

[ndostairlyrium]

😫🍳✨Give me all three for all three DA blorbos 😌

Oh no these are super cute ;A; thank you dear!!!

😫 - How does your muse handle a family member being stressed out? What about sick?

Ela: Whenever her brother was sick she was ready to spend the night in his room with comfort food and a book on some epic journey ready to be devoured. And when he was stressed out, she distracted him by organizing small trips in the countryside to just chill and exercise with the sword. Visits to the burg were a big thing too! She's a person that prefers to comfort you how she would like to be comforted rather than trying to do something out of her reach.

Hawke: He's an active listener, so he's asking what would they need first before acting on it. Mother is stressed out? Her room would magically turn into a florist laboratory. Carver is sick? Warm bath with bubbles plus his favorite magazines will appear instantly. Also these. He can handle other people's distress quite well, since he's a chill guy.

Ankh: Oh she is the one that is stressed! In a good way tho, because she's a provider and has many resources. She would be the one googling symptoms, actually, but she won't tell you about that article on autoimmune diseases that just matches perfectly with your illness. She's that considerate u-u She'd stay with her loved ones as long as she can, providing everything that's necessary to ease their suffering. And if they're exceptionally stressed, she can either offer a joke to de-escalate or an ear to listen. Among all three, she would be the most worried, so she'd check on her loved ones often.

🍳 - What kind of family gatherings does your muse prefer and why?

Ela: Considering her family gatherings were huge dinner parties with lot of protocols to be respected literally, mentioning a date for some event crushes her soul. She loathes big events, but she's okay with group activities so if a big gathering happens you can find her at the archery spot embarassing herself with her most beloved.

Hawke: He's okay with everything, really, but the more the merrier, especially if the family involved is his Kirkwall crew.

Ankh: As long as there's some drama to be discussed, or to be watched, she's there, and family gatherings are the epicenter of some major drama she would hate to miss! She'd probably listen to other's preferences before organizing things tho - read as Cullen is an introvert and she prefers to put his comfort first. They can totally hide behind a column to eat berries from a napkin and she would be the happiest.

✨ - How important is family to your muse?

I would say that the three of them care deeply about their respective families / found families and they would totally love to be part of their respective cliques too?? Ankh discussing politics and lore with Merrill and Velanna? Chef kiss. Hawke fangirling over Dorian's studies on necromancy and time magic alongside Morrigan? Prepare popcorns. Ela and Bull demolishing a small building with Isabela just because? 10/10.

The ask meme

#long post #family headcanons #elanor cousland #kerry #ankh #also here I say it and here I deny it #ela got a huge 'oh shit I'm into that?' moment when dark souls boss lav just straight up told her that gaspard was put in power as a tool #but like #ankh in general makes her head go 'wait what' so it was probably just confusion - it wasn't. #I would say they have the same taste in men but ela would literally fuck a barstool so let's just avoid to indulge with that comparison lma #but... I mean... some of ankh's partners really had the personality of a barstool so... *gestures confusely* #and that's a thing they both have in common with hawke too so #let's add a 'bonding over barstools' in their connections page #a note I know that I'll regret retroactively

[paraparathecow]

Kris is not "a knight", Kris is THE knight.

Of all the characters we know, Kris seems to be the one most emotionally attached to the unused classroom.

It just makes sense that the only human teen in the entire town, who grew up with divorced parents and no special achievements, would try to do something like making a dark fountain when their big brother leaves.

Another thing that ties the card kingdom fountain to Kris is how it "recently appeared". Do you know what else happened recently? Asriel went to college. You could assume both things happened at around the same time.

But wait, if Kris did indeed open the fountain in CH1, how come king doesn't recognize them?

Well. The simple answer is that king literally never met the knight. The knight must be a lighter, since only lighntners can open fountains. If king met the knight, and realized it's a lighter, wouldn't he change his opinion about them? Well, you could say king is a hypocrite, but even then -

There is no in game evidence for king (or any darkner, in fact) meeting or knowing the knight.

(yes, even the secret bosses didn't necessarily meet the knight.)

The closet thing we get to this is a couple of characters saying "the knight arrived" (which, considering dark world lore is retroactive, means about as much as "the fountain was made")

The closet thing from king is during his battle when he says "my knight..." Which isn't too different from saying "my god..." Or something in this style. Definitely doesn't mean king ever met the knight.

What about chapter 2, then? Surely that one completely disproves the theory right? Well, if you pay attention to details, NOPE.

Let's go over the counter arguments one by one.

Q1: If Kris made the fountain during CH1's ending, how come Noelle & berdly had their books on the table and bags on the floor immediately after the fountain was sealed?

A: remember this scene in CH1?

We could easily assume something similar happened to Noelle and berdly. The papers on the floor stayed Normal, so maybe the table did too. They walked in, realized it's dark, put there stuff down, then fell.

Q1.5: why were the books outside the bags then?

A: Look at how they carry their bags and books. There's your answer. alternatively, maybe they started studying in the other room but realized they’d rather work in the computer room.

Q2: why were they on the other side of the table? wouldn't it make more sense if they put their stuff down earlier?

A: there are two possible answers.

One is that this was ignored to make it so that the characters you are talking to are facing the camera (for better presentation)

Another is that it's possible that the light switch of the room is usually positioned in such a way that would make them go around the table before actually realizing it's not where it's supposed to be.

Q3: why were they slouched over when the fountain sealed?

A: why wouldn't they be? We never get to see how Susie and Kris are the first time they exist a dark world by sealing it. It could very easily be an experience that knock you unconscious for a bit. Another explanation is for a bit of extra suspense in snowgrave. You don't immediately know if berdly will wake up.

Q3.5: whey weren't Kris and Susie slouched over then?

A: we don't actually know if they were. When Kris falls asleep in class, there's no special sprite for it, and they definitely were slouched over.. another option is that Kris woke up after Susie so we never get to see her unconscious. A third option is that you can get used to this experience.

Q4: why don't Noelle and berdly mention anything about entering the room when it was very dark or falling down?

A: they don't mention anything else about how they got into the dark world either, so it's not that strong of a point. But it could be due to shock, being evrowhelmed, believing it was also part of the dream...

With this, I think I covered all the counterarguments to Kris being the knight. If I missed any, feel free to add them below, and I'll try to answer as many as I have free time for

#deltarune #deltarune theory #kris deltarune #deltarune knight #ho ho ho! i'm lost and confused!

[idiopath-fic-smile]

having a quiet afternoon in; feeling like doing that "choose a WIP and i'll write a bit of it" meme that's been going around but I only have 2 WIPs so it's really just a binary choice:

"e/R 1970's" (sequel to this)

"the patron saint of all-night diners" (sideways spin-off of this feat. Julie the waitress and the Reagan-hating fry cook falling in love)

(i don't think you're supposed to give that much context to the WIPs but *sunglasses emoji* sometimes you gotta break the rules.)

snippets under the cut. both of them are set in restaurants in the American midwest, which i mention only because it might be distracting otherwise. throw me an ask about one or the other and i'll write three more sentences. i will do this until i get tired.

e/R 1970's

Grantaire frowns down at her menu. “Suppose I’ll have to get used to lentils eventually,” she says, “if it’s bound to become part of the lifestyle. Only, remember when all you had to do to be a lesbian was want to make love to women?”

“And live entirely submerged in fear and shame?” Enjolras replies, without heat. New York’s Stonewall Riot seven years earlier—and the bolder, more confrontational movement that followed it—have changed her. With a suitable outlet for her particular magnificent energy, she is more focused than ever in work, and a little calmer in repose.

“True,” Grantaire replies. “But I worry that any day now, we’ll be issued a box of cats.” She shakes her head theatrically. “You know I can barely keep houseplants alive.”

“Houseplants don’t meow until you remember to water them,” says Enjolras. “And I admit, I have a morbid curiosity for what you’d name a pet.” She raises her eyebrows.

“Skinny Bones, if we fed him the food of our people,” says Grantaire. “Did you see they sell vegetable ice cream?”

Enjolras shrugs serenely. “We’d give him meat,” she says. “Cats are carnivores. And as far as human food goes, the spinach and black olive enchiladas aren’t half bad.”

They’re sharing a table at Viv’s Vegetarian Spot, the best lesbian-owned cafe in all of Boystown and likely all of Chicago. “Best” being perhaps a little generous, in Grantaire’s meatloaf-and-potatoes-loving book.

“You know I admire your devotion to supporting our sisters-in-arms—our sisters-in-amour, let’s say,” Grantaire counters, “but in this one particular case, I’ll never grasp why you—”

Enjolras reaches over and squeezes her hand; their waitress has swooped in, the numerous political pins rattling on her denim jacket like chainmail. “WE HAVE BEEN TOO NICE TOO LONG” reads one. “OUT OF THE CLOSET, INTO THE STREETS” reads another.

“Hi there, I’m Sandy. Can I get you two anything?” she asks.

“I’ll have the enchiladas,” says Enjolras. She hasn’t moved her hand on top of Grantaire’s. And then she beams up at Sandy and adds, deliberately, “And my date will have…”

“The enchiladas also,” Grantaire fills in, swallowing hard as Sandy nods and retreats to fetch them waters like this is the most normal and natural thing in the world. “Alright,” Grantaire says. “I think I can grasp it now.”

the patron saint of all-night diners

The first thing to know about Al’s 24-Hour Eats is that it didn’t start as a haven for the queers and deviants of the greater Indianapolis area.

The second is that the transformation was no accident.

“Julie Williams,” says Lloyd, the night manager.

Julie nods, smiles blandly. She does not adjust her unfashionable brown turtleneck or her equally out-of-date khaki maxi skirt, both chosen with care at Goodwill in an effort to look as staid and buttoned-up and employable as possible.

Lloyd’s eyes scan down her resume. She presses her lips together. Given that he’d kept her waiting in the narrow, dingy outside his office twenty minutes into their scheduled 10 o’clock appointment, it feels like he could’ve at least already read a single sheet of paper. A bead of sweat slides down her spine.

There are six lies on her resume, and seven truths. The lies: previous places of employment, mostly, retroactively fitting her with a past where she has always been known as she. The provided contact numbers belong to sympathetic friends who have been told to answer the phone cautiously over the next couple of days. The truths: her name, first of all, truer now for years than whatever might be printed on her birth certificate. Her list of relevant skills; even in her previous life, she knew her way around a tray of plates, a table full of rowdy drunks.

Also this: Julie Williams is a people person.

This will be important later.

“You ever done this before?” Lloyd says suddenly.

Julie blinks. He’s still holding the paper in his hand. The paper which says that she has a combined fifteen years of experience working as a waitress in dining establishments across the Midwest. This is not strictly true, but that’s not the point.

“Yes, I have,” she says, in her most pleasant voice. “Most recently, six years at Sunrise.”

“Sunrise in…?” Lloyd trails off.

“Lafayette. Up way past Lebanon.”

“Were you any good at it?”

“Very,” says Julie without hesitation.

Lloyd lets out a long sigh. “That’s good, that’s good. Between you and me, we’ve been having a tough time filling the night shift lately. Nobody wants to work anymore. And this part of town going the way it’s been going, we’ve been getting a lot of weirdos applying.” He raises his eyebrows.

“I’m real sorry to hear that,” she says. A second bead of sweat is slipping down to join the first one, right at the start of her asscrack. Charming.

“Yeah.” He pulls himself to his feet and shakes his head. “This place is headed downhill fast. Has been since that seedy little rathole across the street opened.” He must be talking about Hey Sailor, the windowless establishment Julie passed on her way here. Mentally, Julie updates the little dot on her mental map from probably a gar bar to almost certainly a gay bar.

“I should warn you,” he adds, “the crowd gets a little wild at night. Our last waitress quit because she couldn’t hack it. Think you can stand up to the freaks and perverts?”

She can feel her smile go sharp-edged. “I don’t let anyone push me around, sir.”

Provided the patron saint of all-night diners comes through for her and she gets the job, Julie makes a solemn vow to herself just then, regarding said freaks and perverts.

This, too, will be important later.

#wip meme #e/R 1970s #the patron saint of all-night diners #cw some mention of period typical homophobia #(ETA re: the 1970s story no slander against vegetarians; i was one for like six years. i just think it's an interesting like cultural shift

[archer3-13]

for fun, thoughts on each of the original gotei 13's captains and lieutenants in relation to the soul society arc

yamamoto: for the kind of character he is, i've always rather liked him. he hits the kubo sweet spot of a sympathetic monster, and overall he serves as an effective symbol of the calcification thats gripped soul society for thousands of years but without being completely unreasonable in the process. ontop of that i do appreciate the suprise of the tybw noting how the original gotei 13 were far stronger then the modern gotei, but because of the intervening centuries they lost the blood thirsty edge of warlords that made them so terrifying, because it adds an interesting dimensionality to the sentimentality yamamoto often displays to that modern gotei 13 and what distinguishes him from ywach despite being similarly brutal, overpowering authoritarian figures. which can be further complicated by reading into yamamoto and his history as a stand in figure for japan and its history as a whole, though obviously thats just reading into things.

sasakibe: like so many figures in bleach, more a plot device then a man. i like his design, i like his power, i like his relation to yamamoto and the grief that his death inspires in the resolute head captain. but hes otherwise such a non entity that theres not much else to say.

soifon: shes cute and i find it absolutely adorable how shes a murder simp for yoroichi. aside from that serves as a pretty fun minor antagonist in the soul society arc, and i enjoy how shes very a 'do as i say not as i do' kinda person who cares waaaay to much for her subordinates despite being the head of the gotei black ops murder squad. which arguably ties into her complicated feelings regarding yoroichi and the feeling of being abandoned when yoroichi had to go into exile [which makes it all the cuter that they patch things up, albeit off screen].

omaeda: not a fan as i think he can be a bit too annoying compared to his moments of competence, and the joke of 'big goofball is actually an elite assassin' does wear thin for me. i do appreciate how hes genuinely devoted to his captain and how that feeds back into soifon being more willing to do stupid things to keep his ass alive due to her own history.

gin: gin saaaaaan! always been a fan of the shit stirrer and his grins and constantly closed eyes. gin is one of the characters kubo used to best effect in all of bleach i'll go out and say, serving as an excellent red herring in the soul society arc, and a strong third party looking for the right opportunity in the winter war ontop of his tragic and well presented death. plus hes just a fun unnerving dude who can easily go from goofy to terrifying looking at the drop of a hat and for whatever kubo needed him to do.

kira: hes okay, helping to make the soul society arc and its mysteries all the more intriguing, and his power is neat. plus his gloomy demeanour does well at hiding how intelligent and decisive he is in a fight which is nice. as it stands however hes one of many characters that feels unfulfilled in terms of potential, not helped by whatever the fuck was going on with him in the tybw.

unohana: theres a reason everyone liked her even before the tybw and kenpachi 'mc fucking losing it' unohana became realized. kubo just did a really good job at giving a character with such a non threatening design overall the atmosphere of such a potential dangerous person well still overall acting in a kind and mothering way in most of her interactions. i still find her shikai kinda confusing in relation to her bankai though, but thats retroactive writing for ya.

isane: i get why she ended up being pushed into the role of fourth division captain at the end of the series as there really wasn't any other option for it that would make sense. but at the same time it does frustrate me because i feel like with that end in mind it would have been amazing to see kotetsu develop the confidence or display the combat skills that speak of potential captaincy over the course of the series, but she ultimately just kinda white mages it up well deferring to her captain. which is even more of a shame because i love her personality and her design.

aizen: aizen is amazing in the soul society arc, because hes an incredibly successful twist villain whos plan makes sense and is intimidating not because of its complexity but because of its simplicity. hes unnerving because of how he combines the captain aizen qualities we briefly glimpse of affability and politeness, even kindness, with casual and monstrous cruelty and overwhelming power once the mask comes off. aizen is fantastic in the soul society arc. that all goes out the window following the soul society arc, where after he just walks around preening like any other peacock chess master villainous overlord about how everything is going according to keikaku, not helped by his plans and what influence hes had on things becoming progressively more complex, far reaching, and stupid as the series progresses. its really not surprising why hes such a contentious villain for so many people.

hinamori: man she gets the shit kicked out of her, to the point that it gets really cruel and sad. and the worst part is that theres never really a sense of pay off for all that suffering either, she gets the shit kicked out of her and then fades into the background of relevancy. i feel it woulda been cool if instead she got to be a captain following the timeskip into the fullbringer arc, get some satisfying sense of karmic self actualization following all the shit she gets pushed through. woulda been more interesting then just dumping the visored into the empty spots anyways.

byakuya: pretty boy pretty man. an effective rival antagonist for ichigo to match up against in the soul society arc, and i find his development from cold and ruthless to finally displaying the buried emotions and affections he has for others in his life to be some strongly compelling stuff given the heartbreak and tragedy in his life, as well as an effective commentary on class, position and the stifling effect that rules and the expectations of conformity and propriety can have on individuals.

renji: he deserves to be one of the main characters i'd say. overall solid stuff.

komamura: big fluffy dog man ruff ruff. theres a lot to unpack with komamura that i feel bleach never really did, but what was done with him was at least compelling and interesting to see. plus he fights far more intelligently then his broiling blood and brute force powers might suggest he would which is fun to watch. plus hes a big dog man! whos a good boy? he is!

iba: well an easily likeable character, being a gruff exterior dude with a surprisingly insightful mind on people and their character, like isane he doesn't really... do much outside of accompanying his captain. and well hes a total devoted bro, it is frustrating the he ends the series in a captains seat without being allowed to showcase the kind of potential that would inspire that positioning.

kyoraku: an effective captain jack sparrow type, who gets more compelling but also scarier the more insight we get into the tragedies that have befallen his own life which tend to scale with how viscous he can be in proportion during combat.

nanao: i feel like her fight in the tybw really helped salvage her as a character, because well she was perfectly acceptable until then she was also kinda just background noise as kyorakus secretary like lieutenant who freaked out hard to show off how powerful yamamoto is. her fight with the chicken god angel however opened a lot more compelling aspects of her character and the ending involving gaining courage from kyoraku assuring her he'll always support her is sweet in relation to how their character dynamic is a lot more give and take equally between the two.

tosen: i feel like kubo ran into the problem of what to do with tosen when it came to how aizens power works, and so he just kinda gave up and made tosen a surprise third bad guy as a character. i say this because he gets his ass handed to him quite brutally by zaraki and has a whole little character thing during that fight, and then the betrayal happens and he suddenly feels like a completly different character acting like he shouldn't be keeled over/nearly dead from being almost killed by kenpachi like ten minutes ago. doesnt help that his contributions during the winter war are mostly just to fuel komamura and hisagis own angst by being as villainously despicable as possible in the brief ten minutes he has showing off weird new powers that never really get expanded on again and then unceremoniously killed off in an abrupt and cruel fashion to have aizen be a cheeky bastard.

hisagi: i feel like kubo wanted hisagi to be more of a thing then he ended up being, but what is there is a solid character nonetheless who ends the series getting a bit of a yamcha treatment unfortunately. which is rather frustrating.

hitsuyaga: theres a lot more anger and impatience in him when we first meet him compared to later, which could arguably be said as character development or could be called out as inconsistent but im not gonna split hairs. hes the kind of character the inevitably gets popular and in his particular case i do rather like him so thats a plus.

rangiku: like gin shes great though for different reasons, and like a lot of characters like her i feel her more interesting qualities, the ruthlessness she often displays in combat, her intelligence and master of social situations, often get lost in favour of people slobbering over her sex appeal. shes a real fun character overall though.

zaraki: a bit overhyped if im being honest, but as far as battle maniac intense bloodlust dudes go hes a solid 8/10. it helps that hes a lot more emotionally vulnerable and complex in that regard then shonen battle maniac bloodlust dudes can often be.

yachiru: adorable murder girl is an adorable murder girl mascot. the stuff in regards to her relation to kenpachi not just as a girl he takes care off but a manifestation of his inner desire for companionship and the sword spirit stuff are i feel more interesting then she herself is.

mayuri: if his first appearance hadn't been so harrowing i feel he would have ended up being more popular then he is. he serves as a personal demon for uryu to fight very effectively, but as others have pointed out he quite obviously gets reconnected to be more charming and goofy then he originally was in later appearances. i actually find his tybw role to be the most interesting however, as it often feels hes at something of a crossroads there still embodying the older gotei mindset of peace at any cost, that older darkness, thats coming into conflict with the newer ideals and gentleness the gotei is starting to move towards thanks to figures like ichigo, a conflict he only resolves on a personal level upon nemu's death by not so much repenting as resolving that hes not gonna wallow in the old darkness and change with the times instead. that's the way i interpretted it anyways, which i feel gels with how he seems far more gentle with hachigo nemuri then he was with nemu from what little of them we see. also, i do find it interesting how he seems genuinely taken aback to some extent by ikkaku genuinely thanking him for saving zaraki, which when combing through what details we have of his past suggests some desire to actually connect with the people around him that he tends to bury due to his research and troubles with interpersonal relations in the past. which is all fascinating in its own way, but also as noted before, all comes from his post uryu fight soft character retcon where he becomes goofy murder scientist as opposed to horrific murder scientist.

nemu: eh. in her first appearence shes more so there to remind us that mayuris a monster. and in later appearances shes just kinda there to be weird fetish bait for villain powers, and unnaturally strong. and then she blows up. point being i feel like she never really finds solid footing as a character, which makes it difficult for me to really care all that much. it kinda happens at the very end, but again... she blows up pretty quickly after. essentially needed more time to cook as it were.

ukitake: less developed kyoraku but instead of being a jack sparrow type hes a sickly man whos secretly a bad ass. i dont dislike him, i just kinda wish we got to see more of him before he croaked.

kaien: is black haired ichigo. effective in relation to rukia and her character journey and story, but i dont personally have much interest in him.

#bleach

[captain-is-king]

After the Supernova Chapter 2

Link to Ao3 Here

Look, if I was Nova I would need to do a lot of yelling and crying to process everything that happened. And I like the idea of after everything Nova actually WANTING to sleep. Like she's mentioned in the books before that she wished she could be unconscious for 8 hours like everyone else. And I feel like after the couple days she's had, that would be more true than ever.

I also really want to (eventually, later this fic) write a scene (or a few) where it's Max, Adrian, Hugh, Simon, and Nova cooking together in the kitchen. Just the sheer domesticity of it makes my chest hurt. Maybe Simon lets Max wear his stupid black and white checkered apron. Maybe they actually move the superhero stuff down the hall and the food into the closet in the kitchen. MAYBE THEY ALL MAKE LUMPIA TOGETHER. Or they surprise Nova with it! Either way! All of the above! Anyway, uh, I'll write that at some point.

Also, Simon and Hugh can't replace the family Nova had with the Anarchists, but I do think they can add to it. Like Nova will still have Leroy and Winston. When, in this chapter, Nova is upset about the Anarchists I don't think she's necessarily talking about Leroy. Leroy was the only one who ever suggested that Nova NOT be an Anarchist. He gave her that out in BOOK ONE. And I thought that was a really interesting distinction from all of the other Anarchists.

Like we all saw Ingrid using Nova to get back at the Renegades. I never suspected that Honey would turn out like that, but in retrospect it isn't entirely surprising. Like Honey told Nova how to flirt with Adrian but looking back on it, I don't know that it was ever for Nova's benefit. I think the expectation was ALWAYS that she would betray Adrian and everyone else in the end.

And I don't think Leroy was perfect because he did go along with Honey to change the plan at the arena to rescue Ace and obviously they've all made a lot of mistakes. But I don't think he ever would've pushed back if Nova said "No don't chemically burn my fingerprints off" or "I will take you up on the offer to go make a better life for myself." And I FULLY plan to address that later in this fic. I have so many ideas, y'all.

Also, I LOVE the idea from @honey-harper-official (I don't have the link, sorry!!) that Winston basically sabotaged the plan to kill the Renegades at the parade. Like that is canon to me. I really really like the arc that Winston went through and he was one of my favorite characters from book one because he clearly actually cared about Nova?? He could've betrayed her to make things better for himself but he didn't. I don't even think he really considered betraying her.

And I can't have him be dead in this fic because I NEED him and Nova to actually talk. And I need Nova to have someone from her childhood who fully didn't emotionally abuse her or see her as a pawn or a tool to regain power. I think, narratively, Winston dying didn't add much except the reconciliation with Nova, and if I go back and retroactively say that a (magical prodigy) healer actually got to him soon enough (even though Nova thought he was dead dead), I don't think it takes anything away from the story.

Anyway an excerpt from Chapter 2 under the cut :)

“So, Dad and Pops said probably won’t be back here tonight since they’re trying to get ahead of…whatever happened at the cathedral,” said Adrian, “But, there’s four empty guest rooms in the house, so you guys can have your pick.”

Nova considered briefly whether it would be inappropriate to ask which rooms were where the murders had taken place, but she thought better of mentioning it in front of Max and instead said, “I was actually hoping to take a shower. It’s…been a long day.”

“Oh, right. Do you just want to use my bathroom downstairs? I don’t think any of the guest bathrooms have, well, anything in them. There are a couple extra towels down there, though, and soap and whatever else you need. Or I could draw something, I guess. If you want.”

“I’m going to choose my room!” Max said, already halfway up the stairs. “But I need to know which ones might have ghosts, first.”

Nova could use Adrian’s bathroom. She didn’t know why she had made a big deal of it anyway. It felt strangely intimate, but so did all of this. Staying here, imposing on their family. 

“I’ll find what I need,” she said. “It sounds like you have to give the official tour.”

He shot her a grateful smile, and bounded up the stairs after Max.

Thankfully, it wasn’t hard to remember which of the dozen doors on the first floor led to the basement. She made her way down the stairs, remembering the last time she was here. The entire house had smelled like cinnamon, and Adrian had shown her the dream she told him about. He drew her a jungle, and birds, and headphones, and she had fallen asleep for the first time in ten years. 

Part of her wanted to see the studio again, but she knew nothing would be left. It all would’ve vanished when Adrian neutralized his own powers. So instead, she opened the door to the bathroom and peeled off her sweaty, dirty clothes while the water ran.

When she stepped under the water, Nova realized it was actually hot. Since the Anarchists had moved to the subway station on the Day of Triumph, hot water had been a rare luxury. Even at the row house, the water had been tepid, at best. 

As she stood there, the water running in rivulets down her body and the heat melting the tension in her muscles, she couldn’t help but begin to think, again, that she didn’t deserve this. 

She might as well have been the one to kill those people in the arena. To kill Callum and Winston, and who knew who else. She was the one who helped the Anarchists and the Rejects get inside. She had given Ace his helmet. 

And here she was, as though she were any other house guest in the mansion where Ace himself had slaughtered a family only a decade prior. 

How could Simon and Hugh let her into their home? How could Max joke with her and Adrian as if nothing was different? How could anyone think she deserved any help or affection after everything she had done? Everything she had not done. All for the benefit of a lie she had believed for ten years.

There was a knock on the bathroom door. 

#renegades trilogy #nova artino #winston pratt #adrian everhart #max everhart #leroy flinn #hugh everhart #simon westwood #supernova #after the supernova

[theincredimazingbablesquatch]

Eight Questions for Nine People!

I got tagged by @throwbackjoe, check out his answers here!

1) Last Song I Listened to: SubUrban- Candyman. His whole discography is a vibe

2) Favorite Color: A Very Specific Shade of teal that will activate visceral feelings of retroactive cringe for several of you. You know who you are. (I liked it before the character, fyi, she just made me like it more)

3) Last TV Show or Movie I Watched: Honestly I just finally watched past S1 of Attack on Titan because I heard the finale pissed people off and I had to experience it myself before I could pass judgement. The judgement was pretty much this exact face:

4) Currently Watching: Doing a rewatch of Kyle XY because Hulu suggested it and I hadn't seen it since it was airing back when I was still a baby gay. As for first-time-watching, I'm living for Hermitcraft and the chaos of the Life series.

5) Sweet, Savory, or Spicy? Sweet and spicy! But I guess if combination isn't on the table I'll opt for spicy.

6) Relationship Status: Happily taken! We've discussed the idea of random occasional thirds and we're technically open to it, but we're also both picky af and our types don't overlap much. Add in the fact that I'm borderline-demi and very few men stand a chance.

7) Current Obsession: Anything Soulsbourne/Fromsoft or Soulsbourne-like. I basically can not play anything else lately, or if I do I get bored super quick. Currently bashing my head against what I assume to be the final boss of Lies of P, with plans to start AC6 soon-ish.

8) Last Thing I Googled: "Katee Sackhoff Mandalorian" I knew I'd seen gifs of her in it, it came up in a convo and I wanted to check HOW MUCH she was in cuz she's been one of my favorite B-listers since 2000s BSG.

Tagging my own peeps!

@brianisbored @tommyangel @methuselah87 @izadore-heart @tuff-dallas @atlas-prime @dancyrilkingston @stormesandshowersparttwo @clowreedsforfilth

#tag game #mutuals #about me #Youtube

[badsithnocookie]

secrets of the enclave (dantooine fp/story)

Oh Boy another field trip with annoying sith

altho krovos is probably just grumpy she can't be with her gf so i'll let her off. rivix is on thin fucking ice however

with all the saboteur options in this story bit it's actually more frustrating bc i Just Know that nothing willever go anywhere with it

one thing i will say for swtor tho is their environmental artists are top tier.

WHY IS THE RAKATA TEMPLE MUSIC PLAYING. this is the dantooine enclace YOU EVEN HAVE THE RIGHT TRACK IN GAME ffs

oh krovos is convinced malgus gives even a single blue fuck about the empire this is adorable. babygirl you are not very smart are you

leeha :D

oh. oh rivix refuses to listen to you if you tell him to play nice. rare elusive bioware character with a spine. god dammit bioware stop making me like your characters

oh okay i guess leeha's in schroedinger's morturary as well now huh.

it's funnier tho than it has any right to be that krovos and malgus have a Force Bond. even if, granted, everything that would be needed for it was retroactively added with this story chunk, but. quality bioware storytelling

im assuming the same is also true of someone who babysits the pc pub side as well. really considering it's the pc who keeps having to spank him it's them he should have that bond with but i guess you have to include for non force users so

(nah im not even commenting on the revan stuff like. yeah i knew it going in and yeah its shit but at this point i cant muster anything much beyond tired disapproval)

i kinda don't. entirely hate the little thing where you're sending companions off on missions across the galaxy? but like. i dont love that it's filler cutscene content. a more involved mechanic along the lines of xiv's squadrons or sto's duty officer system where you can send npc parties out on missions for rewards/alliance xp could have been an interesting addition (kotfetet era mostly) if only bc it would. 1. give the illusion that you're actually Commanding shit and 2. some purpose to these npcs you're otherwise just collecting to take up space in your base, but. that would require like. effort and i don't think bioware broadsword have had the resources to add such a system since before f2p. (then again they're adding this new companion unlock grind with the current patch so idk)

but apparently this was the last real Content before lots which i dont have unlocked and. honestly part of me just wants to just sub for a month so i can gripe about how terrible it will inevitably be

i know that the launch stuff at least is largely considered underwhelming but like. my expectations for this game are somewhere in the gutter so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

but. i will revisit that thought in the morning lol

#appo liveblogs old content #secrets of the enclave

[asksoldieron]

SO-24: Whatever Happened to Poor John?

If there's a lot of engagement on this, this post is liable to get real long, beware before you expand.

No art, but I am working on it and I will add it retroactively. The eyes are letting me draw, just real slow.

Welcome to the Engagement Lounge, for La Goualante du Pauvre John (253|24) an instalment! Short comments can go in the replies, but there's a 475 character limit. Longer ones will need a reblog. Remember to @asksoldieron if you're reblogging someone else's reblog, so I can see it too!

Woo! We just got back from a 2 night stay on a houseboat, it was definitely trying to kill us (I'll do a post on the main blog later, I have so many scary pictures), and we loved it anyway. So I'm distracted, but I did manage to unwind a little. No wifi, only phones! But I think I got pretty much everything formatted OK before we left. We'll see!

Now it's time to back up and see what happened to John after he smacked into the Elysium Inn's glass door and escaped into the wild! His friends picked him up and they're ready to do more terrorism together! ...Well, maybe in a little bit. They all need a break to unwind, too, but they're not gonna get it. Jenny will put her big brother back together as best she can, but she's going to be a little irritated with Erik and Co. and everyone else who allowed him to break down that badly.

And we end on a cliffhanger! The "real spy" is suddenly revealed! Unfortunately, that'll be all you get for about two months, unless I can put something cool together for our birthday in April. It's doubtful.

The spouse and I are about to have the most stressful two months of the year (probably... hopefully). He's got to prep for his CPA exam, which is 8+ hours of testing over multiple days. They will require him to do two practice cases a week, timed, the longest of which will take 5 hours. We expect adding that much fake accountant business on top of his actual job and everything else we gotta do will fry his brain. And there's the added stress that the test costs thousands of dollars. If the unlikely happens and he fails this time, taking it again will hurt. We can swing it, but it'll hurt.

It looks like his current employer has his back, though. The capitalist exploitation is different up here! A promotion to a better-paying position that will qualify for the experience he needs to be a full CPA (he needs 2.5 years) is in the works. If he gets it, he can stay with them, and they'll pick up his school costs. His dream job is still doing actual, meaningful work for a nonprofit of some kind, but he can hack this one for another 2.5 years if necessary. As long as we can still afford food and housing! I think we can. The whole immigration thing seems a bit backed up, but when we're allowed to own property, we can afford a floating house like that houseboat we stayed at. Not exactly like it, dear god no, but similar. That may be what our future holds.

But we gotta make it to June, first! I have no idea what my internet life will look like or how often you'll see me, but I'll try to get some stuff done. Hopefully, I can come back with another six, illustrated, as soon as the stress abates. Thank you for your patience until then!

[Back to Site?]

#tin soldier and soldier on #instalment #engagement lounge

[purplekoop]

Time for the first of Overwatch 2's new heroes to get a requeue, with this one possibly being a surprise!

Sojourn

New Role: Tank Health: 500 (400 normal, 100 armor)

I'm skipping the backstory this time because... well truth be told, I'm not super read up on the ins and outs of Sojourn's normal backstory, and what I do know from her Origin Story video and cinematic doesn't really give me any great ideas for how to twist it. Instead, I'll go over the broader concepts for her visual design changes and then her kit.

The most obvious problem with making any hero into a Tank that wasn't one already (or vice versa) is size. Being a role all about being the center of attention in a team fight, taking a lot of damage and being able to shrug it off, Tanks have to be bigger than the other characters for balancing reasons. Of course, there usually has to be some "reason" a character larger enough than the average to justify a tank-sized health pool, which Overwatch actually accomplishes in a number of ways to make each Tank stand out from the rest. Reinhardt's a big dude in power armor, Roadhog is a big dude but with a hefty gut to soak up hits instead, Junker Queen is tall and buff but not as wide as the big guys, and Zarya is below average in height compared to the others, but carries around a massive gun that adds some bulk to her silhouette. There's also the more obvious ones, like mechs and big robots, but even between them there's variety in the execution.

Which... makes things hard here, since taking a character not designed to be a Tank and fitting them into the role arbitrarily goes against that design convention I respect so much. Doomfist is the one character that was originally made to be a non-Tank, then was assigned the role retroactively with OW2. This worked out for a few reasons, such as his kit already having more crowd control mechanics than typical for a Damage hero but perfectly enough for a Tank, but the other reason is that he was already a decently big guy, and that massive gauntlet certainly added to his bulk. He did get a slight increase in size (which I guess makes him so far the only hero to get a height retcon), but it was a pretty natural transition otherwise.

So that philosophical preamble in place of a backstory aside: how do we make Sojourn fit as a Tank.

In the initial post where I sorted each hero into a new role, I tried to think about what characters had traits that I could extrapolate into fitting a different role. For some characters this was based around existing gameplay mechanics, like Mei and Reaper already being more durable and defensive than other Damage heroes. For others, I tried to have a little foresight and think about how I could tie other traits, like narrative or aesthetic theming, into fitting the new role.

Admittedly, Sojourn was a bit of a toss up between the two possible requeue options. Her specialty is supposedly that she's a tactician, but this is a trait that her gameplay doesn't really convey outside of her being a competent fighter. Not to bully DPS again, but it's arguably the least "tactical" role of the three. I flipped back and forth on where to put her, but ultimately decided on Tank because I feel like I had the best ideas on what to do with it, both visually and functionally.

So, okay, for real now, what's the plan here.

Visually, my idea is... not the strongest I think, but it's fairly simple. Sojourn's body is very heavily cybernetic, and her weapon is a railgun... apparently. I know sci fi tech can do what it wants, but if you know what a railgun is in real life, then you know it's not exactly a handheld deal.

Her redesign is pretty simple, just bulking out what's already there. Her railgun now is much bigger, comparable in size to Zarya's particle cannon. To support this extra weight, her cybernetics are exaggerated to be much larger and more apparent, bulking her up overall and bringing her from about 5'10" (on the taller side already) to about 6'6" (around Zarya's height, though similar to some non-Tanks like Moira and Lifeweaver). The cybernetics also wouldn't quite as seamlessly be hidden away in this design like they are normally, with more of her arms and legs being clearly tech rather than having skin-colored covering. Her outfit would also have more clearly visible armor plating to go along with her armor health.

With that finally established, let's go into her kit:

Her primary fire is still, of course, the Railgun. As it is normally, it fires high-speed energy projectiles in rapid succession. However, it'd get some small adjustments to fit slightly better as a Tank weapon, namely a slight decrease to fire rate and a damage falloff penalty, but increased clip size and having greatly reduced spread.

We'll save her secondary fire for later and instead go over her other abilities, starting with her passive ability, Power Dash. This is a midair jump ability, similar to Hanzo's Lunge or Lifeweaver's Rejuvenating Dash. Using the thrusters built into her legs, Sojourn dashes a short distance in any direction based on her aim and movement. The dash can even be angled vertically to dash upwards. While the movement is brief, any enemies she collides with during the dash also take a small amount of damage and are knocked back in the dash's direction.

Speaking of adapting her old abilities into new roles, her second ability Disruptor Shot is now replaced with Disruptor Field. Sojourn's wrist opens up to reveal a blaster, as usual, but the projectile fired instantly creates an spherical energy field that travels ahead slowly, weakly damaging enemies caught in it, but more importantly destroying projectiles, with nearly identical behavior to Defense Matrix. The energy orb will shrink as it absorbs damage however, making its damage-denial capabilities finite, though the damage it can absorb is nonetheless quite high, and is more limited by properly aiming and timing the field to maximize its effectiveness. The field itself also technically counts as a projectile, and while it phases through barriers and enemies, it still can be absorbed or deflected. If two of the orbs from opposing Sojourns collide, they both instantly delete each other, regardless of their condition prior.

But Disruptor Field is only her supplementary means of denying damage. Her main defensive ability (in the ability 1 slot where Power Slide was) is Energy Guard. Sojourn has her Railgun change shape into an energy shield, which she holds up to protect herself from incoming fire. The shield only blocks damage from the front, similar to Doomfist's Power Block or Ramattra's Nemesis Form Block. However, unlike those abilities, Energy Shield has a unique factor limiting its effectiveness. The shield completely negates damage for the first few seconds it's active, but the percentage of damage it nullifies is reduced over time as the ability is active, with taking damage from enemies speeding up the rate the damage reduction is decreased. As the shield gets weaker, the more vulnerable it is to being reduced even faster. The shield's effectiveness is displayed on a meter near your crosshair, similar to Reinhardt's barrier. When the meter is reduced fully, the shield "breaks", causing the ability to go on cooldown for several seconds. This can be avoided however, as the ability can be cancelled early, causing the shield to be lowered to recharge. This still incurs a short 1 or 2 second cooldown, but rewards more careful usage of the ability by increasing its overall uptime if managed properly.

...Alright, that was a lot of words, but the reason why I made the ability this way is for her secondary fire, the Railgun charge shot.

Blocking damage with Energy Shield charges the railgun, similar to how landing damage with her primary fire does the same normally. The more damage is negated, the more the railgun is charged, on a scale of 1 to 100. This makes blocking damage with a fully in-tact Energy Shield more effective than blocking the same attacks would with a lower charge shield, as the damage Sojourn takes herself doesn't go to charging the Railgun.

Finally, firing the charge shot using the energy you've gathered from blocking attacks. The charge shot is her secondary fire, and fires a hitscan beam that does damage relative to the charge. This should sound familiar, but there's a few differences. You actually have to charge the shots by holding down the fire input before releasing to actually fire the railgun shot. However, the amount of energy you spend on the charge shot doesn't have to be all of the energy you currently have. You can hold the shot to spend all your energy in one big blast, or hold the input for less time to fire multiple long-range hitscan shots in rapid succession. A full-power 100% charged shot has a unique upside though: it can actually pierce enemy players and barriers. Unlike normal game Sojourn though, the charge shot can't score headshots.

Now for her ultimate... I don't have a better name for it, so I'm sticking to "Overclock", but its function is very different. Sojourn shifts her railgun into a third mode, shaped like a defensive manned turret with the shield out but the gun still aimed and ready to fire. While in this stance, Sojourn blocks all damage from the front completely for the entire duration of the ultimate, but her movement speed is significantly reduced. Damage blocked goes into powering a single, superpowered shot of the railgun, which pierces enemies and barriers no matter what, but the power and width of the beam can increase dramatically depending on the damage that was absorbed beforehand. The beam can be fired at any time while the ult is active, but doing so early naturally limits the amount of time it can instead be used to soak up damage and in turn power up the resulting shot.

So yeah, that's Sojourn! More of a gameplay and concept based one this time, but the kit idea finally clicked with me and I wanted to share it sooner than later without making myself come up with a backstory first. I had fun both twisting Sojourn's existing kit with all her existing abilities present in some way, adding new mechanics (with some inspired by other games like Disruptor Field being very blatantly just Engineer TF2's Short Circuit, or the new ult basically just being Ink Vac from Splatoon 3), and tying it together into something that'd hopefully be fun to play. I mean... not like it's gonna be playable, Workshop doesn't allow for some of the mechanics like projectile deletion, and I don't think it'd fit into my original hero shooter game concept in quite the same way, but hey, I like to do my best even in only daydreams.

Another one down after I got hit with a burst of motivation earlier today! For the next one, I think I'm finally gonna bite the bullet and finally de-Tank somebody for once. The two I have in mind for next are both gonna be interesting, and will probably be among the most drastic visual overhauls of the whole AU. For one they might even feel like a completely new person!... Possibly literally!

#overwatch #overwatch 2 #overwatch role requeue #role requeue #sojourn #sojourn overwatch #overwatch au

[neoninky]

TWST Fic "Her Ivory Crown": Chapter 10

Ok so first thing's first-

This is the last chapter I'll repost today/tonight. But more importantly - this is a REDUX chapter (cue fanfare) because when I originally wrote this chapter two years ago holy shi-, it was before two of my OCs that are near and dear to my heart were fully developed.

This was a horrible mistake that needed to be retroactively corrected so I went back and added a bit more of a proper introduction in the chapter for my beloved, my wonderous...Luna and Cowrie Cerith *chef kiss*

I present to you readers that have already experienced this and the sequel story and any new readers, the new-new Chapter 10 of 'Her Ivory Crown'. Enjoy~

Ch. 10: Conflict of Interests

Jade and Floyd circled about through the crowd for the third time, the first two times being for patrol for troublemakers and this time being for a "casual stroll" meant to make sure all of the booth pick ups were going off without any problems. Part of the deal Elise had made was that a nice percentage of the profits from each photo booth and the merchandise booths would go directly to Azul and therefore add to the NRC's festival sales numbers in exchange for the support Azul and the rest of Octavinelle had provided to make all of this possible so last minute. While there technically wasn't a rule against two schools joining forces, it was frowned upon as an unfair advantage. Therefore, this part of the operation had to be done discreetly so no one else would suspect any foul play. Just like how no one suspected that the props, photography, and booths were all set up by the highly resourceful Octavinelle dorm itself. Or that Manari Ali and her vice dorm leader, Jinnah Safiri, were both given a magic booster so that they could not only create but perfectly replicate each of the outfits (minus a few additions) and the backgrounds for the photosets perfectly using their own magic. A much faster and efficient method than making everything by hand. Or if anyone did suspect, they understood the no-snitching policy that was very prominent on Night Raven's campus that was now being extended to their female guests.  Jade quietly observed other assigned members of his dorm sneaking into each girl's booth, picking up the prepared envelopes the girls had ready for them and then casually disappearing into the crowd to pass them along to an eagerly awaiting Azul. There was nothing to report aside from the fact that the girls were keeping their side of the contract with ease. So far the results were even better than they or the Octavinelle trio had expected but even so...Floyd was feeling irritated. Jade had already had to stop him from being too rough with some other students that were getting a bit too touchy with the girls trying to hand out tickets. To be fair, Jade did wait a couple of minutes before stepping in. Something about not wanting to scare the girls too badly. Floyd just yawned and pouted at his brother, "Hey Jade...how long do we gotta keep doing this? Everything is going to Star Fishie's plan...it's booooring..."

Jade just smiled at his twin and patted him on the shoulder, "Hang in there, Floyd. We just need to make one more round," the more composed twin noticed that they were almost at the Octavinelle booth and grinned, showing his teeth, "unless you'd like to see to this one personally? I believe they might have an opening for us..."

Floyd looked just in time to see Elise's own 'twins' walking to the top of the stairs at the front of their line. The two girls give him and his brother playful, inviting looks after the petite one whispered something to taller vixen-like girl. While Night Raven had the Leech brothers, Sacred Crown had the Cerith sisters. The elder sister, Luna, was dressed as Jade, appropriate since she was also the Cerulamare vice dorm leader. Luna had molten sharp gold eyes that were warm and sultry and long, pin straight, silken black hair with tiny flecks of gold throughout. Cowrie, the younger sister, was much shorter and more petite with choppy ragdoll, matching black hair and sleepy baby blue eyes. She was dressed as Floyd, which given her spunky attitude also seemed appropriate.  They were mermaids too, apparently. One was rumored to be on a mandatory singing ban due to a 'siren song' incident that put Sacred Crown's campus on lock down for about two months. They weren't sure which sister it was, but the twins had been warned to approach both of them with a healthy amount of caution just in case. Floyd heard the warning but wasn't slowed down in the slightest, not when 'Star Fishie' and her crew just got all the more interesting! Jade could only follow his twin with an amused sigh as Floyd made a b-line towards the two girls, completely ignoring all the other boys already in line. 

"Welcome Leech Brothers~" the two girls chimed in melodic unison, "Princess Elise will see you now," the sisters smiled sweetly at the brothers, ignoring all the complaints coming from the boys in line who didn't know any better than to keep their mouths shut. They learned pretty fast once Floyd gave him this signature about-to-snap look, however. The sisters took the arm of the brother they represented and led them up the steps to their own Miss Ashengrotto who looked very pleased at their arrival. 

"Well if it isn't my favorite twins! No offense, girls." 

The two sisters just giggled before returning to their spots and let the boys decide where they wanted to stand before the picture was taken. After which, Elise retrieved the printed photo and slipped it into a thicker envelope she had stashed in her Azul coat. The princess gave the brothers a light smile as she sneaked the envelope into Jade's blazer inner pocket with the deftness of a trained professional. 

"Thank you, gentlemen!" the three girls said in perfect harmony, making Floyd giggle mirthfully at how sneaky they were being in plain sight. Jade's smile stayed on as he gave Elise's hand a couple of light kisses.

"Thank you, ladies."

Who knew girls from a 'princess school' could be so entertaining? The boys in line only groaned and muttered their complaints under their breath as Jade didn't bother hiding his display of affection. Nor did Floyd restrain himself as he draped his arms around Elise from behind, making her giggle. These displays ultimately meant nothing but the twins did enjoy riling up all the impatient bottom feeders no matter which school they hailed from, knowing they wouldn't get these special perks. Their eyes were locked onto the two mischievous Cerith sisters the whole time, however. To add a bit of salt to the wound, Luna blew the pair of brothers a flirtatious kiss, making the ignored patrons even more disgruntled.  -

Riddle wasn't paying attention to anything people in the crowd were saying around him as he was following their flow back to the stage for the final two performances. It had been such a roller coaster of an afternoon that he had no idea how to feel right now about any of it. His mind circled back to earlier when he stood next to Reine, waiting to get his picture taken with her.

He had lost count of the embarrassing amount of times he stared at her, completely smitten. It was so bad even Riddle couldn't fool himself anymore. The real question was how did Reine feel? Were there actual signals or was Riddle so desperate for validation that he was looking for something that wasn't even there? The little king silently waved those fluttering thoughts away as they shifted back to Zehn's ugly words. Riddle did believe Malleus when he said that Zehn had to be motivated by jealousy more than anything but part of him struggled against a shard of belief in Zehn's words too. 

Reine had been nothing but pure sweetness to all of the boys she met since her arrival. She was warm, welcoming, kind whether she was talking to him or someone more eccentric like the eels. As a future ruler, diplomacy was always at the forefront of her words and actions no matter the status of whom she was around. Could it be that maybe she was just being nice and placating him? ...Riddle didn't want to accept it but yes, that could very well be the truth. On the other hand, something did seem different when he entered her booth. The princess was happy to see him, she didn't try to pretend she wasn't. She also seemed a bit more tender than usual. It reminded him when he, unintentionally, surprised her in her dorm. Reine was softer, more unguarded. It was so charming the memory alone made Riddle's heart squeeze a bit too hard. Pull it together, Rosehearts, you're getting downright obsessed! he silently hissed at himself, trying to remind himself the reality of the situation. Ugh, why did everything have to be so damn complicated? Whatever higher power had been listening to the poor boy's internal struggles wasn't done testing him yet apparently.  He heard the familiar voices and laughter of the visiting girls join in the flow of the crowd around him as they were closing up their booths and heading into the main staging area. Elise and Reine were linked arm-in-arm not that far away, both girls seemed very pleased with the outcome of their efforts. Silver and Sebek had been dismissed from their duties, he guessed, since they were nowhere to be seen. In their place was a very attentive Floyd, hovering over the girls from behind with that stupid half-awake grin on his face as he kept playing with the small horns on Reine's head. Either she didn't mind or didn't notice but it made Riddle want to run up and smack his irritating hands away from her. In his hyper focused state, Riddle felt himself bump into the taller figure in front of him and apologized automatically before doing a double-take. Judging from the outfit, the ears, and tail, Riddle thought he bumped into Leona but that was definitely not Leona's beautiful face or modelesque body now facing him.

"Pardon moi, Mr. Rosehearts," it was definitely Adela de Beau's elegantly accented voice that was currently addressing him and her sapphire blue eyes peering down at him right now. Riddle immediately corrected his gaze and cleared his throat, "Miss de Beau, forgive me for bumping into you...also, not to be rude but are you...a lioness?"

The tall girl sighed and crossed her arms in frustration. Not at Riddle because who could blame him for being surprised but just the explanation was a bit odd. Her golden blonde-tuffed tail swayed back and forth behind her as she took a breath and motioned for the boy to keep walking with her as she explained. She normally didn't feel inclined to explain herself but in her short time around Riddle Rosehearts, he was nothing but earnest in every way. Plus it was no secret amongst the female students that Reine and Riddle have grown fond of each other's company. So if Reine trusted him...

"My heritage is a bit complex," she started gently, "my father is a lion beastman and my mother a very beautiful and open-minded human woman. A very odd arrangement that was frowned upon by many in my hometown." 

Riddle was both confused and fascinated. Marriages between beastmen and regular humans weren't completely unheard of or even seen as strange in some places but obviously that was not the case in Adela's background. 

"The short version: I was born a hybrid but instead of looking like a mix, my body can switch back and forth between the two as part of my unique magic. It's pointless really," she laughed dryly, "however, my human form is more appreciated in the modeling that I do. I suppose I've grown more accustomed to it. But I suppose I should thank my juniors for convincing me to play along with their idea...it feels nice every once in a while to let my other self out for some sun." 

Riddle took a minute to admire the golden fur that covered her tail and ears and the feline slits in her eyes. Honestly, this girl was gorgeous in either form so her employers preferring one versus the other made no sense. Then again any sort of media marketing never made a lot of sense to Riddle anyway. 

"I'm not surprised that you're a model. You've modeled with Schoenheit before haven't you?" Riddle wasn't that interested in fashion but he did recall seeing a couple of magazines with the two of them featured in it. Mostly because he confiscated them from Cater. 

Adela smiled at Riddle's keen eyes, "Oh? Why yes I have. You didn't strike me as someone who was interested in such things, Mr. Rosehearts. I've actually been honored to model with Vil Schoenheit quite a few times before. He is exquiste." He hadn't been paying much mind to the female whispers coming from behind them until Adela suddenly let out a loud snarl and whipped her head around, ears flattened. The offending girls had 'accidently' stepped on her tail and gave half-assed apologies before skittering away. The looks in their eyes were anything but apologetic. 

"Petty little rats...ugh now I remember why I usually don't walk about like this," seeing the surprised look on Riddle's face, Adela huffed, "most of us at Sacred Crown get along peacefully at the best of times, but you put them a mile within of a heart-throb like Vil or Mr.Le Blanche, they lose their senses and turn vicious. Of course, it doesn't help that Vil has already made his intentions of asking me to the dance known. So I will be making my boutonnière with him in mind. Poor little bitches can't handle disappointment it seems."

Riddle felt an electric currant of guilt pulse through him for first of all bringing up the topic but also unknowingly step into more personal territory, "Oh, I am sorry for prying into your personal life, Miss de Beau."

This made the girl chuckle lightly at his guilty expression. The poor thing looked like a scolded puppy, "Non, non. Don't be. Vil and I are professionals and occasionally colleagues. Nothing more. We work well together so why not enjoy the dance together? Saves us both the trouble of dealing with the crude rabble. It's definitely not the first time a fuss has been made and it won't be the last, I'm sure..."

Riddle followed her gaze towards Reine and felt his brow furrow, "Has Miss Reine been harassed as well?" The lioness let out a hum as she recalled the specific memory, "I remember it started when I was a first year. We were having a holiday ball with Royal Sword. Zehn Cavalier ignored all of the girls who desired him for their dates and invited Reine to the ball as his partner, a younger girl not even in highschool yet. You can imagine how livid they were...it's only a rumor, of course, but I've heard he has been that way for years. Any event, school or otherwise, that called for a date or dance partner, Cavalier would always have his eye set on Reine and her only. It wasn't until she was a proper Sacred Crown student and everyone realized that she was a princess aiming for her mother's throne did the bullies start to move on to other targets. Do not be fooled by a sweet voice and face, Mr. Rosehearts. Girls can be oh so vicious when they covet something or someone." 

Riddle wasn't surprised at all to hear that Zehn had a history of being weirdly possessive of the princess, "I'm guessing he intending to secure her for the dance in a couple of days too then..." he couldn't keep his tone pleasant sounding even if he wanted to.

"That would be my guess as well. But this is a new situation we find ourselves in. We've never attended a dance with two boys' schools at the same time...anything can happen, yes?"

Riddle remembered Cater mentioning the dance as well. This seemed as good a time as any to get some inside information, "Miss de Beau, you mentioned making a boutonnière?"

"Yes. It is a long standing tradition at Sacred Crown. Whether we host a dance or attend one with either Royal Sword or another boys' school, the girls make a boutonnière to give to the beau of their liking. The boys do the asking in most cases and present some sort of token or make some grand gesture to win the girls' favors. If the girl says yes, she gives him the boutonnière to show that he has won her affections and will be her escort for the evening. A bit old fashioned but still romantic. We have danced with other schools before but Royal Sword takes pride in their amorous feats to, how you say, 'win fair maiden's heart'..."

Romantic was one word for it. Humiliating and nerve-wracking were better ones though. Adela couldn't help but smile at Riddle's look of worry, "Have faith, Mr. Rosehearts. If there is a fair lady you desire, I have no doubt you have everything you need to be victorious." 

Judging from the spark in her eyes and the swish of her tail, Adela knew something. Before Riddle could muster up the guts to ask, they had reached the arena's main seats. The lioness saw the other Sacred Crown dorm leaders grouped together closer to the stage, waving to her to join them. She gave the younger boy a graceful half bow before departing, "We have a saying in the days before a ball when everyone is rushing to win their desire one's company. Good hunting to you, Mr. Rosehearts."

Riddle's face flushed as he remembered Cater practically screaming the very same saying to him as he left to get his photo with Reine earlier. He wasn't sure if he should feel exposed or angry before feeling a good mixture of both. Riddle barely had time to process before the diamond boy himself clapped a hand on his shoulder and guided him a few rows down to an open seat by him, Trey, and the Adeuce combo. Unfortunately he found himself surrounded by probably the most eclectic group of people possible: the shady Octavinelle trio behind them, the very sparkly Pomefiore trio in front, and Kalim and Jamil on the side. 

"Here he is! Just in time!" Cater plopped Riddle right down next to him, smack dab in the middle so he'd have no escape before whispering to him, "Sooo how'd it go? You get the coveted photo? Let's see it!"

"Isn't the next performance about to start?" Riddle huffed trying to sidestep the subject altogether. Cater wasn't having it and forgot to keep whispering.

"Aw come on, dorm leader! You get a picture from the day's most exclusive booth and you're not going to share? Come ooon. The was the only one I couldn't get before they sold out again and again," the diamond started to whine. 

"Fine. If it will stop your pathetic whining," Riddle carefully pulled the envelope from inside his jacket and removed the photo with Reine and her group so Cater could see it. Cater being Cater of course drew everyone else's attention to it as well and suddenly it was crowd. The three most excitable members immediately rattled off their comments without batting an eye. The others didn't not look but instead gave more subdued murmurs of praise and approval.

"OOOH she looks so good! Like a dark sorceress!!" Kalim chirped excitedly as he leaned all the way over to get a look.

"Heeeh~ Mantie Ray is so so prettyyy. Lucky Goldfish...I wanted a picture too. And a squeeze." Floyd chuckled without any hint of shyness whatsoever. 

Rook was practically writing poetry as he spoke with what looked like a glistening tear in his eye, "Quelle beauté~ Ah, my mortal heart can't take this, this goddess setting my soul ablaze-"

Riddle snapped and flared like an angry porcupine. "DO YOU MIND?" he snarled, red in the face as he snatched the photo away from Cater and everyone's prying eyes and shoo'd them out of his personal space. Thankfully he was saved from any further embarrassment as the next performance started with a roar of female voices cheering for Neige who just walked on stage with the seven dwarf students, his smile as brilliant as ever as he waved to the crowd. Rook went into full blown fanboy mode while Vil sat stiffly next to him with a blank expression and polite clap. 

In pure Neige Le Blanche fashion, the song and choreography both were fun, light-hearted, and adorably charming. The song was so catchy that it was sure to haunt all of their dreams for many, many nights to come, especially the whistling that joined the lyrics about whistling and working. 

A few rows down, the Sacred Crown dorm leaders seemed to be enjoying themselves a bit more, bobbing and clapping along with several other members of the audience as Neige charmed all of them as usual. Reine knew better than to look around and have a repeat of earlier. She just smiled and clapped along, eyes focused on the stage, like everyone else and completely ignored the buzzing thoughts in her head...or  tried to at least. The princess' brain wouldn't stop replaying the photo shoot moment she had with Riddle earlier even though literally nothing happened. He showed up, they said maybe two word to each other, he stood next to her...looking really sharp in his uniform and almost touching her hand...their fingers definitely touched when she handed him the picture afterwards. And he smiled and said something but she didn't really hear it because she was very distracted by how nice he smelled and looked- OK so some things kinda almost happened. Maybe. Almost. Or did it? Maybe she was just imagining things?  Reine was grateful that everyone around her was so distracted right now. Her face may have been calm but she felt like she wanted to crawl into the deepest hole possible. Reine had always considered herself a very composed, very self-aware princess but now she felt like a clumsy fool mentally falling tripping over herself over absolutely nothing. Unfortunately for her, Reine also wasn't as sneaky as she'd like to think. She nearly jumped right out of the row when a whisper to her left suddenly said...

"I saw that, by the way."

Reine quickly turned and saw Petra had scooted closer to her, giving her the most smug look possible, "Yeeeah that little long distance bout of flirting with the VIP ticket you and Riddle had going on earlier...That."

Suddenly the deepest hole wasn't enough. Reine wanted-nay-NEEDED to dive into the very abyss of the nearest ocean and drown herself right that second. Seeing the shock flood her friend's face had Petra grinning like a damn fool.

"So...come on. Just say it."

"Wha-what??"

Petra scooted even closer to whisper right into Reine's very pink ear, "You. LIKE. Hiiim~"

Oh sweet underworld, where was that ocean when she needed it?! Reine couldn't respond. Her brain was on fire with a myriad of debates sparking off all at once. Petra was relentless.

"Aaaand I'm pretty sure he likes yooou~"

Reine covered her now rose red face with a tiny squeak of protest. Really? Was the boy's affection for her so obvious to everyone but her? Ugh Great Seven above, she wanted so badly to feel happy about this but this was beyond embarrassing. Actually she did. She felt so stupidly happy that-NO no no NOOO! This couldn't be happening! No, it couldn't be with Riddle because then...then...

Petra immediately started to regret her playful teasing. The princess in front of her went from being a bashful, blushing mess to someone who looked genuinely upset very quickly. Too quickly. She quickly grabbed Reine's hand and led her as casually away from the crowd as possible, saying something about going to the bathroom so none of the other girls would get suspicious or worry.

-

"Reine, what's wrong? Having a crush isn't a crime...or do you actually NOT like him like that?" Petra's formally teasing voice was now hushed even though the hall was empty. 

Reine spoke barely above a whisper, "That's not the problem, Petra. I think I do like him. I...ok fine, I really, REALLY like him but I can't afford to have feelings for someone like Riddle." 

The other dorm leader blinked at her owlishly as the two of them sat for a beat of silence, really letting that statement sit there between them. 

"I don't get it. What's wrong with Riddle??"

Reine laughed dryly as she felt her heart ache, "Nothing. Absolutely nothing is wrong with him at all. He's so good and kind. I never feel uncomfortable around him. He makes me feel so...happy. But, we haven't even known each other for that long. I'm going to be the queen and I'm currently trying to decide who is going to be my king....but what does Riddle want?"

Petra could feel the high ebbing away from her friend as she spoke and it suddenly clicked for her too. Being royalty was full of complications, even when you weren't heir to the throne. She said nothing and just sat down on the cold floor next to the worried princess, letting Reine continue.

"It's different when it's another royal or someone raised in the royal court. We were born into this and groomed for it. What if he already has plans for his life, his future? He's free to make those choices. I can't take that away from him. I couldn't bear it. Even though the thought of always having him beside me is...very nice." 

"And...what about Zehn Cavalier?" Petra said his name like it was some sour thing in her mouth. 

Reine had definitely not forgotten about him which just made this all an even more frustrating, tangled mess, "Yes. What to do about Mr. Cavalier...I still haven't quite decided. Unfortunately." This felt like a lie even as it came out of her own mouth but no one else needed to know that yet. 

Petra leaned her head on Reine's shoulder as they both sighed tiredly, "Man...why can't we just go to school and, I don't know...fumble our way through classes, exams, and boy problems with little to no consequence like everyone else does? Between you and Riddle and Elise and that mermaid prince guy, we're well on our way to having a solid 'Sad Princess Club' established. Don't even get me started on all the guys my dad keeps trying to get me engaged to. Ugh..."

This got a laugh out of both of them at least. The loud cheers from the crowd echoed into the hall, letting the girls know the Neige's performance had ended and that their girls were on next. Petra quickly hopped up and grabbed Reine's hand to get her off the ground. Reine gave the brunette a pleading look, "By the way, you didn't hear any of this, right?"

"Oh, of course not. I mean it doesn't really matter either way. I'm pretty sure everyone in our school at least suspects you two by now anyway," she said with a wicked giggle. 

"...Great." 

-

The stage was dark as the Sacred Crown group entered and took positions, Charlaine took a deep breath and let it out quietly as she took the center position between Manari and Jinnah. It was now or never, go big or go home! The crowd quieted down just in time for Charlaine's  voice to start singing acapella, ringing across the arena clear as day. After a few moments of just her voice, lights up and music on and there was the Sacred Crown Hall dance team poised and ready, dressed in alternating Scarabia and Pomefiore dorm uniform replicas. Flanking Charlaine on either side was Manari dressed as Kalim and Jinnah dressed as Jamil. Charlaine was dead center dressed to the nines as a mini Vil Schoenheit with every detail in place from his crown to his perfect smokey eyes. Granted the skirt was shortened at the last minute to avoid any dancing casualties.  Rook and Kalim were estatic as the music took off to a more upbeat pace and the girls all started to dance in perfect sync together. Vil and Jamil both sat in stunned, open-mouthed silence, just staring at the display. Celebrity or not, this was the first time Vil could remember seeing someone dress up like him and not only doing it so perfectly but also singing and dancing at the same time! Jamil by himself was so self-concious about getting any excess amount of attention so seeing Jinnah dress up like him and dance very well in his outfit broke his brain entirely. Every move Manari and Jinnah made around Charlaine while she sang, framed her like a work of art until the three of them would dance together again, the whole time Charlaine sang with a bright smile on her face. Many of her fellow Sacred Crown students in the audience were already clapping and singing along, making her sing with even more energy. Her energy was infectious. The dancers' movements were excuted so tightly it was like second nature to them even if their outfits were two completely different styles. All their hardwork had clearly paid off. 

Once the final verse ended and the girls hit their final dance move in a tight finish, the crowd was on their feet just like they had been with both Vil and Neige's performances. Rook was legitimately in tears this time, clapping and swooning with as much gusto as he could possibly muster, "OOOH!! Mademoiselle Skylark, your voice, your smile! C'EST MAGNIFIQUE!"  Kalim was just as excited and even shaking a still stunned Jamil next to him as he rambled on about how impressed he was. Jamil could only clap as he slowly snapped out of it. The one and only Vil Schoenheit wore a smile of approval as he too applauded the girls' wonderful performance. She wasn't as beautiful as him, of course, but Charlaine had certainly impressed him nonetheless. On the stage, the girls were breathing hard and felt a bit wobbly as their adrenaline wore off but they still couldn't believe the sight in front of them. The dancers behind the main three girls took a bow and then motioned for the three leads to do the same, which made the crowd cheer even more. 

"Well we did it," Manari laughed over all the cheering to Charlaine and the others, "Now...we just wait and see." 

-

No one in the audience moved from their spots except those who had performed earlier. Now each group stood waiting on the stage to hear the results. Like in the official VDC, the votes were left up to each student and each performer as well. If they were being honest, the girls weren't too hopeful about taking first. Sure, they gave it their all and the audience responded well but they knew a good chunk of the Sacred Crown student body were hardcore Vil or Neige fans. Or both. So their chances? Not great. Still, Manari, Charlaine, and Jinnah stood in row in front of the rest of the girls, ready to place wherever they ended up as the votes were counted. Vil, Rook, and Epel stood next to them, looking as cool as ever. Though Charlaine did catch Rook smiling over at her which did distract her from her nerves temporarily. Neige was on the other side of the girls, looking a tad nervous but still mouthed a 'good luck' to Manari and Jinnah. The other three groups were standing in the back, none looking all that hopeful. Reine and the other dorm leaders in the audience had voted for their girls in confidence but that didn't make them any less anxious. 

"This was a very close competition! Third place, losing by only a handful of votes....," the contest's chosen MC paused for a dramatic drumroll, "...Royal Sword Academy's Neige Le Blanche!"

The girls looked at each other wide-eyed. Did they hear that right? Neige only took third?! They clapped for Neige's group but they along with Vil's group couldn't hide their surprise. If the legendary Neige only took third then who the hell are in the top two?!

"Second and First place...are only one vote apart!"

Vil had a sudden wave of deja vu slap him right across the face and he didn't like it one bit. The look he gave Rook didn't go unnoticed but Rook just looked back with a face of complete innocence. Both Epel and Charlaine looked like they were about to pass out. 

"Second place....Sacred Crown Hall! Which means First place goes to Night Raven College's Pomefiore!!"

The sound of the crowd was deafening. Surely Vil was dreaming...he did not just...finally after all this time...Rook and Epel were beside themselves and only them gently pulling him front and center alongside them could snap him out of his trance. He couldn't hold his composure as reality finally hit him. Charlaine wasn't even upset. She absolutely beamed as she cheered and applauded him along with everyone else. Manari and Jinnah just shrugged and cheered on the Raven boys as well, "Can't beat the real thing, I guess!" Also they wouldn't be surprised if Charlaine had in fact given the Pomefiore boys her vote. Oh well~ All that was left was one last win...

-

All of the dorm leaders plus Alyssa and Jinnah stood in a tight circle around Elise as she stared at the tablet, waiting for the sales numbers to update. Every last item and ticket was sold and every last madol promised to Azul/NRC had been delivered and accounted for. Now they just had to wait for the sales committee to finish tallying up the numbers for each school. By this point, they had changed out of their outfits and into more casual clothing, any additions like Reine's horns and fangs were gone. Azul and the twins had just finished submitting their numbers to the committee, all three of them looking quite relaxed which could mean one of two things: 1) the girls met the conditions of the deal and succeeded in pushing NRC to the top of the sales contest with all of their contributions thus everyone involved prospered OR 2) the girls didn't met the conditions but still made Azul a lot of money and they would also become his personal waitresses in the Mostro Lounge proper for the rest of the week. Also something about the girls giving Azul and the twins something irreplaceable on top of their labor but that was never truly specified in detail...

"Oh!"

One chirp from Elise made all of the girls lean forward even more. The results were in aaaand....there it was in print: Royal Sword Academy in third, Sacred Crown in second, and Night Raven College in first. Elise turned around to the rest of the girls with a triumphant grin. Floyd giggled and clapped happily as the girls burst into a round of excited cheers, "Yaaay~" Jade and Azul looked equal parts satisfied and amused. 

The news spread like wildfire and the girls of Sacred Hall never felt so good about second place in their lives. The majority of the Royal Sword boys were very good sports about it and gave their congratulations to the girls and their rivals. And for Night Raven College, there would be absolutely no living with them or their over-the-moon Headmaster now. 

Azul and the twins approached the excited ring of girls to thank them properly by inviting them to the Mostro Lounge to celebrate now that the day was officially over. The other students of Night Raven were also invited. If Azul had any intention of inviting Royal Sword, he never said so. Though seeing a very content Che'nya wrapped around Reine, he supposed he could make one exception. Riddle couldn't stop his smile from growing as he saw Reine hug the cat boy, looking undoubtly happy. Someone else had caught her eye and she said something to Che'nya before running off through the crowd now moving towards the exits, the same black lace dress she wore earlier fluttering about her legs. He had no idea who could make her move so quickly until he saw her run straight to Malleus as if they were old friends. The princess and the dragon both looked so happy to see each other even though they only just met. Riddle frowned at tingle of jealousy that was starting to surface and mentally brushed the unnecessary feeling away. He walked towards the exit, frustrated with himself, only to be stopped by Floyd.

"Neee Goldfish-chaaan. Come to the Mostro Lounge, we're gonna have a big party!"

Riddle really wasn't in the mood to deal with him right now but before he could reject the invitation, Floyd flashed him a toothy grin, "Mantie Ray and all her friends are coming too, heh heh..." 

Damn it. Now Floyd was teasing him too?! Azul and Jade insisted as well, giving Riddle little choice but to accept. 

-

"Girls. We did it. We got 'em."

The girls of Sacred Crown all gave a hearty cheer that rang throughout the Mostro Lounge lead by Manari. Not only did they accomplish what they set out to do and not get caught for all their behind the scenes mischief, they managed to beat Royal Sword Academy TWICE! History had been made and no one could ruin their moods tonight or ever. Elise sat in a corner booth across from the man of the hour himself, sighing contently, "Well I must say today was a huge success for all of us, wouldn't you agree, Mr. Ashengrotto?" 

Azul was beyond pleased, "Oh yes, you precious pearls have exceeded my expectations tremendously!" 

The princess' angelic smile took on a whole nother meaning very quickly, "Oh I'm so happy to hear that. Now then. Since our contract with you has been satisfied, I think now is a good time for you to complete the last step of your contract with us, or more specifically with me."

Azul felt a cold prick of panic run through him. He had read over every single syllable of the contract paperwork that she, a human princess of all people, had presented to him and had him sign before signing a contract with him on behalf of her and the other girls. Everything had been right there and he had agreed to it all. Octavinelle would provide the resources the girls needed to meet the criteria of the sales arrangement, along with the twins who would act as muscle to keep rowdy customers in line if needed. Also Azul would personally have all the rights to the pictures taken to continue selling exclusively to the students of NRC who didn't beat the rush in time. So long as a cut of the profits were donated directly to Sacred Crown, anonymously of course. The only grey area had been this aforementioned last step...perhaps he had been too blinded by such a golden opportunity that it slipped his mind to worry about it.

"Yes, of course...and what exactly is that, your highness?" Azul asked unable to hide the pop of nervous energy in his voice. 

Elise batted her eyes innocently at him, still smiling sweetly. It was then Azul released that this girl probably didn't deal with being told 'no' very often, a terrifying quality in women of status really. Especially the aggressively, deceitfully sweet ones.

"Oh it's not much. A token, a mere triffle really~" this made the Cerith sisters standing behind the princess giggle impishly, "I just want a favor from you, Mr. Ashengrotto. Doesn't have to be today or even tomorrow. Just a promise to do me a favor when I need it. See? Perfectly harmless." 

Azul was confused but he just chuckled light-heartedly, "Well I see no issue with that. It's the least I can do for the sweet pearl that has brought me such a bounty." She probably won't remember anyway, he thought. Oh but she definitely would. Jade and Floyd silently looked forward to it. 

-

Both Riddle and Reine felt absolutely exhausted. They were both surrounded by much more excitable friends on opposite sides of the room, taking selfies and regaling in the day's events. A moment of reprieve would be so nice right now...fortunately, they both had the same idea at the same time and no one bothered stopping them. Especially the ones that noticed the two of them at the same time.

Riddle made his way to an isolated corner next to windows that peered out into the underwater scene surrounding the lounge and let out a breath as soon as he was alone. At least he thought he was alone.

"You too?"

He looked to his right to see the princess sitting on some cushions, grinning up at him. The boy's brain was screaming in alarm, telling him to run away like a scared rabbit but the minute Reine patted the cushions as a sign that she wanted him to join her, his feet had other plans. The princess felt  guilty for beckoning him closer. Really this was going against everything she had declared earlier but she also seemed to be suffering from her body having a mind of its own. The two of them sat next to each other in an oddly comfortable quiet, watching the aquatic scenery on the other side of the glass. It felt so easy in spite of their nerves jumping all over the place. 

"You surprised me today," Riddle's voice was soft, "I really didn't expect you...well I didn't expect anything you girls did at all, actually." 

The princess' laugh sounded like a bell, "Ah ha. Then our plans were a success. Honestly though, I didn't expect to play the one and only Malleus Draconia either. It was Elise's idea. She wanted to take everyone by surprise in the 'most fetching way possible' and there's no stopping her from getting exactly what she wants, I'm afraid."

"Sounds like a certain aquatic dorm leader...hopefully they never join forces or else we'd all be doomed," Riddle snorted, not noticing the questionable look on Reine's face, "you were quite fetching tho-ahhh...um..."

Riddle caught himself a little too late. His face began to flush when he saw the way Reine smiled and bashfully tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "O-oh thank you. It was fun but very, very odd. Believe it or not, I'm not used to getting that much attention. Or at least not that much informal attention. I'm certainly not accustomed to wearing this much black either but...well Elise said it was good for building up intrigue and suspense for some reason."

Riddle's mouth grabbed the steering wheel before his brain could, "You look beautiful in black. A-and red too. You should wear them more often." Sweet strawberry tarts, stop talking!

"Goodness," it was Reine's turn to flush, "you are being rather bold with your compliments today, Riddle. Perhaps I should...I like your boldness." Wait she likes it, keep going-wait NO!

The boy cleared his throat in attempt to settle his nerves. It didn't work. There was just too much push and pull between the two of them, it was maddening. The princess was feeling just as conflicted and guilty. Why was she willingly making this situation worse by not just inviting him into her space but also flirting back?! Yes, Miss Reine Castilene, Crown Princess of the Rose Queendom who is supposed to be pulling herself off the market on purpose, you know what is happening here and it is FLIRTING. Honestly, you realize you have a crush and then hours later- while they weren't speaking out loud, Reine was very busy lecturing herself internally. 

"I like youuu...r..uh I like many things about you, Miss Reine." Ugh, he was drowning. Every ounce of cool authority right out the window in seconds. Riddle was so all around flustered that he didn't even notice himself instinctually leaning closer to the girl in front of him. Her surprised eyes were pulling him in like a black hole. A very pretty, sweet black hole. 

"Riddle...can you do one thing for me?" Reine's voice sounded unbearably shy. What was she doing? Why wasn't she stopping this right now?? She shouldn't want this as badly as she did but Reine just had to know, had to hear it for some unexplainable reason, "Can you call me by just my name? No honorifics?"

That's it. He was finished. A man absolutely defeated. Before he could never imagine being so informal with royalty but somehow it felt impossible to deny her request all the same. His voice came out in a soft hush as if he were speaking some ancient spell into existance, "...Reine." 

"Again, please?" the sound of her name wasn't anything new but with Riddle, it felt like its own form of magic.

Riddle gulped and spoke her name again this time with a bit more courage, "Reine." 

The princess couldn't hold back her laugh, she felt so stupidly giddy. It was embarrassing, awkward, and delightful. The feeling connected the two of them like an invisible bridge. "See? Was that so hard-"

The princess froze with a surprised squeak as Riddle suddenly pressed his lips to hers. In love stories, they always made that first kiss seem so embellished. So magical that the world would stop and fade into a dewy haze as the two lovers melted into each other's embrace, the music would swell, etc. etc. A very over the top scene that was usually pretty cheesy. Turns out, Reine realized, the real experience wasn't too far off. Her arms slowly wrapped around his shoulders as she returned the kiss with little to no hesitation, mentally noting how much broader his shoulders felt now that she was touching them, how good his lips felt carassing hers. Riddle's brain could only focus on how soft her lips were, how they tasted like honey, the soft touch of her dress's fabric as his hands found her waist, as one kiss turned into two...three...four very breathy kisses that brought them closer and closer to one another. It was around the impending fifth kiss when it all came to a very sudden cold flush of realization, making the two of them pull apart in a panic.

"I-I-I am SO sorry, Your Highness! I don't know- wha..." Riddle was a crimson faced mess trying to explain himself even though he had no baring on why he just did what he did. But he felt everything all at once: confusion, happiness, and guilt. SO much guilt. When did he turn into such a barbarian?! Reine wasn't much better off. She could only stare red faced and wide-eyed as everything sunk in. This...was...a...DISASTER. A disaster that she very happily and willingly let happen. Where the hell did all that resolve from earlier go?! So much for "I couldn't bear it" and "I don't want to get him involved blah blah blah" ...she felt like a two-faced liar. The two of them felt the weight of crossing that line bear down on them in that moment. Reine back peddled and grabbed onto any remaining sense she could and cleared her throat.

"R-Riddle...I should  be the one to apologize. I'm so sorry." 

Riddle felt the air around them plummet from the rush of emotions, and hormones, that was there only seconds ago and somehow it only made him feel worse. Did he offend her? Did she think he was just trying to take advantage of her? Was he a  terrible kisser?! Reine gave him a sad smile, trying not to let her eyes tear up, "I'm sorry, Riddle. The kiss was wonderful-" YES! "-but...it shouldn't have happened. I shouldn't have let it happen. Please forgive me." NO!! Riddle felt like a monster even though that was not Reine's intention at all. He quickly recovered and stood up, away from her, bowing formally to her.

"Don't apologize. You're right, Miss Reine, it was highly inappropriate and much too forward of me. I'm the one that should be asking for forgiveness." they both hated how rigid he had suddenly become. It felt like such a misstep but Riddle couldn't help it. He had never felt so foolish, so ashamed. Before she could say another word, the boy politely excused himself and quickly left the lounge in a silently tormented rush. Reine couldn't move. She could hardly breathe. She felt a chill run through her entire body as thick tears welled up in her eyes. 

She had ruined everything...

--------------------------------------------------

Tagging: @foxwitchaine @iscarlettappel @nuitthegoddess @1ndigowitch @wysteriadelights @evieyouknow @aiimee9

@victoria1676 @feldya @espada188

#neoninky #ao3 writer #ao3 fanfic #twisted wonderland #sacred crown hall #her ivory crown #ch 10 #chapter repost #chapter update #twst oc x canon #twst oc schools #twst oc dorms #twst ocs #the cerith sisters #luna cerith #cowrie cerith #heartslabyul #octavinelle #scarabia #pomefiore #diasomnia #riddle rosehearts #azul ashengrotto #vil schoenheit #kalim al-asim #malleus draconia #the tweels #jade leech #floyd leech #jamil viper

[cookinguptales]

I am so disappointed...

I really loved a lot of the things this season : Nadja personal project with the night club, Laszlo and Colin relationship as dad / son figures, Nandor being nicer to Guillermo, Guillermo having more confidence and getting closer to his family (his coming out moment obviously)

I mean some stuffs were annoying : from the get go I wasn't pleased with the 1 year ellipse... And all the unaddressed bomb they dropped (the taboo about vampire sleeping with slayers, the add on to the dick wish, colin hammering walls and OF COURSE Marwa ugging and kissing Guillermo after the infamous wish)

I, like at lot of people was horrified by what have been happening to Marwa and really hopped that AT LEAST she would be set free by Nandor with one of the additional wishes and that would be a big learning moment / character development for Nandor...

But this episode ? Was horrible. Through and through.

What they did to Marwa was unfathomable. It was not funny. At it developed nothing except make Guillermo suffer in an horrible cruel and unnecessary way.

Yeah Guillermo and Freddie could not last, because of many many reasons. And I think it would have been better (and funnier ) if the reason that it broke off was that Boring Bland Freddie was too freaked out by the madness of the household, or if Guillermo, when having Freddie actually surrounded by the household realised that he actually is boring and was only enticing in London far far from his usual (and chosen) life.

Or like I saw, Freddie realising that Guillermo have been lying and manipulating him and "Do I actually know you ? Or just the character you built for me ?" (He definitely created a character)

You know what would have been better ? Freddie freaking out that Guillermo called Nandor master and making a big scene out of it. Maybe spilling the beans about their sex life (or lack thereof) in front of a tomato red Guillermo and cackling Nandor. There . Way funnier. Way less cruel

The worst is that I am SO SAD that it was that horrible. Like I am mad but sad that I have a reason to be mad because I love the show and the characters so much ...

This is fairly long and I want to answer it thoroughly, so I'll just go point-by-point.

First, before I start, I get it. I'm also feeling just... really bummed out this week. I get that it's really just one episode that I vehemently didn't like, but it does have long-lasting implications for the show and its writing. It kind of retroactively puts a pall over the rest of the season. I'm really sorry to hear how upset you are, but I do get it.

To start with, yes, I also loved a lot of things about this season. I loved Baby Colin opening up the parts of Laszlo and Guillermo that were damaged by their own childhoods. I loved Nadja's glee at getting her vampire club. I loved The Night Market and Go Flip Yourself. I thought the Djinn was such a cool character, even if I didn't love the way the wishes were eventually used. I loved Guillermo getting closer to Nadja and coming out to his family.

But... yeah... There were some writing decisions that worried me from the very beginning, and that one-year gap was the biggest one. It's a lot of time for this show, and it worried me that they didn't immediately start engaging with what happened during it. I kept thinking they'd return to it and give it the thought it needed, but... that didn't happen. And I think we kind of learned through "Freddie" that maybe they didn't really have that much of a plan for what happened during that year. And that sucks to realize.

But I kept thinking everything would be well resolved somehow until the minute the Marwa thing dropped and it was like oh no. Like you, I was really, deeply upset by that storyline. There's a cruelty to it and a casual disregard for the character, and the unfortunate implications are... really, truly unfortunate. (The consent issues, the nightmare fuel of the mindfucking, only allowing a character to pursue their dreams after they get replaced by a white dude who really gets to pursue his dreams, etc.) I don't think those things were intended, but the fact that they never actually thought through the implications of what they were doing is genuinely worrying. It seems like someone in the writing room should've been like "WHOA now."

I, too, think that there were ways to deal with Freddie that would've been funnier and more true to the characterizations and themes they've been alluding to all season. All the things you've said are good ideas that I would've enjoyed more, and it would have made things more character-driven rather than just another creepy magical deus ex machina. I would have loved Freddie realizing that Guillermo was a little freak or Guillermo realizing that normal, boring Freddie couldn't satisfy him. I would have loved it if their very different lives divided them, or if Freddie had encountered some of the more fucked up parts of Guillermo's life. (Not... the way he did.)

I did not love what we got!

So.. in the end, I get it. I think I am also feeling more sad than mad. I kind of feel like I lost something I loved, haha. And I mean... I'm still gonna watch the show. But I know I'm always gonna have to offer caveats when I rec it to people now. I'm never going to have just unfettered joy for the entire show again. And worst of all, I'm never going to be able to just trust that they'll get it right again. And that really does suck. :(

#sorry for the delay getting back to you #you seemed so upset that I wanted to give my reply a lot of thought #replies #wwdits tag #wwdits s4 spoilers

[ainulindaelynn]

WIP Wordsearch Game

I was tagged by @sleeplessincarcosa & @brasideios <3

My words are Help, Eye, Sit, Hair, Touch, Spare, Situation, Certain, Real, and Question. I've overlapped a couple and kept them short since there are quite a few :)

Editing to add: I’m realizing some of these look quite smutty out of context. I assure you they are not.

See Hair for proof xD

Help: 

ACO 1: Korinthia

He was testing her, she realized, one small escalation at a time, learning the weight and balance of her body played against him. She couldn’t help the smoldering smile that rose up in response, lighting the binding between them again. He ran like fire through her nerves — like a roll of wind over coals, leaving a wave of glowing embers in its wake.

Eye & Question:

ACO 1: Korinthia

As she crossed back into his field of vision, something akin to a smile snuck across his face and she lifted an eyebrow, raising the question without words.

Sit & Touch: 

ACO 7: Underworld

His fingers touched hers, jarring her from the memory. She hadn’t noticed him move closer and sit on the edge of the bed, but he was there now, only a pace away. 

Hair:

Skipping this one, because every time it comes up, it’s either a spoiler or things are a bit more uh… *friendly* than I prefer posting to tumblr… xD

Spare:

ACO 1: Korinthia

They hadn’t come as far from the camp as anticipated, and assuming there would be time to spare, she decided to let curiosity lead. 

Cautious as ever, she receded from the bank and slipped a bit further downstream in the direction of Ikaros’ attention. The bird flew up and circled overhead, staying close, and after fifty meters or so, she spotted the subject of his attention. 

On the other side, pressed back a ways into the green wood, was a flash of movement through the trees.

Situation:

ACO 9: Home

I’m dropping this in here for a laugh, because my caps explosions are common pre-editing and maybe someone can save me some research down the line xD

Alexios on the other hand… was more confrontational. He was a warrior, one of the finest Hellas had ever seen, but he wouldn’t attempt the same goals. Stealth and intrigue weren’t his preference. He could never work in tandem with the army. There were no heroes in the phalanx and he would surely never pass a (THAT SYSTEM WHERE EVEN ONE OF THEM SAYING THEY FELT UNCOMFORTABLE WOULD BAR THEM FROM THE MESS GROUP - DROPPING VELLUM IN A VASE? NEED DETAILS.), not after killing thousands in the field. 

His situation was more dire. 

Certain:

ACO 1: Korinthia (briefly considered, ultimately abandoned scene)

She rolled her eyes and reached for the ties at her sides, stripping the pieces for a second time and wondering what foolishness pushed her to trust. Leather was certainly an advantage over bronze though, and she didn’t favor catching her skin between scales.

Real:

ACO 9: Home

Maybe Alexios had a flash of madness. It would be more than fair and, honestly, she would prefer that to the apathetic amusement he favored recently. She’d prefer his anger. Even if they had to leave Sparta and live on their own, at least it would be him. At least it would be real. Anything was better than this empty vessel.

I'm behind the ball on this one, so I'm going to skip the tag. If anyone wants to join, please do! I'll tag retroactively. Consider your words Attention, Close, Lift, Call, & Between

#tag games #fanfiction #ainulindaelynn

[deafmangoes]

An Album of Christmas Carols - 1

Growing up it was a household tradition to watch at least four or five adaptations of Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol each December (with a bonus round in June). As a result, I know both the book and many of the film adaptations pretty much by heart.

So at this festive time of year, I would like to educate you, dear reader, on the many different adaptations of this literary work out there and why they're all equally awful/brilliant. Over this week I'll do posts on a few of my favourite ones, comparing their differences and basically just gushing about things I enjoyed in my childhood.

"Scrooge" (1970, Albert Finney)

This musical adaption of A Christmas Carol was one of the household favourites and featured such heart-warming songs as "I Hate People" and "Thank You Very Much (For Dying)", the latter of which is accompanied by a freed debtor tap-dancing on Scrooge's coffin as it's carted away, prompting a parade through Camden Town.

Ghosts? Ghosts!

The best part of any film adaptation of this book is how they handle the ghosts. This one comes tearing out of the gate with no less than Alec Guinness (you know, Obi-Wan Kenobi) as Jacob Marley, who not only steals the first act but gets an amazing encore during the (entirely original) scene at the end of the film where Scrooge straight up goes to Hell.

The filmmakers decide to just skip trying with Christmas Past (who, if you aren't aware, is described in the book as looking like an androgynous, age-defying being too brilliant to look at directly and very much on fire). This film went with... Female Scrooge.

And don't get me wrong, she's great. She's sassy, sarcastic and takes none of Scrooge's bullshit, like any ghost should. Her section of the film takes up between a third and half the runtime, though we do get Fezziwig eating the scenery for a good chunk of it.

Christmas Present is up there as one of my favourite takes on the character. He's jolly but has an edge of deadly seriousness behind him, and an indisputable authority - so much so that he peer-pressures Scrooge into getting drunk in the first five minutes. Like his book counterpart, he delivers blistering retorts to the old miser and talks down to him in the way I imagine a very long-suffering parent does to a child.

It's difficult to get Christmas Yet To Come wrong, but yet somehow I still feel this film managed it. Yes, sure, it's a spooky and mysterious dude in a robe, woOoO, but it's just so... drab. They do (spoiler) briefly reveal themselves to be a skelling-ton towards the end of their haunting so there's that.

Highlights & Humbugs

The songs are actually a lot of fun, and Albert Finney does a very good job as Scrooge, particularly in contrast to a very cheery, clearly laudanum-fuelled Bob Cratchit. Marley's haunting is spot-on, even including the ghostly hearse that drives through Scrooge's hallway, often left out. Past, Present and Future all do their jobs ably, and the section where, again, Scrooge goes to Hell is so good I feel like Dickens should retroactively add it to the book. Maybe we can slip a quill and some paper into his coffin.

And, as I noted above, you've got people tap-dancing on Scrooge's coffin. It's great.

My main gripe about it is actually Scrooge himself: Albert Finney's portrayal really ramped up the 'shabby Scrooge' look to emphasise his miserly attitude, which I always feel is at odds with how a successful Victorian businessman would dress, no matter how much he wanted to save money.

Some of the songs do go on a bit too long, such as Tiny Tim's award-bait warbling that forces you to look upon this buck-toothed angel for what feels like an eternity:

Unfortunately he survives.

All in all, I give this version of the Christmas classic 7 Humbugs out of 10. It's a solid entry and still worth watching, but have the mince pies and sherry handy for when it drags on a bit.

#deafmangoes #ebenezer scrooge #a christmas carol #christmas carol #scrooge #scrooge (1970) #jacob marley #dickens december

[septembersghost]

It's completely insane to me that people are still saying Taylor isn't being truthful on this album and Joe doesn't mean that much to her. What's not clicking?

taylor: this album is confessional and deeply personal about my life, my fears, my insecurities, my pain, my joys, and my love, and i'm feeling a little bit soft and fragile in sharing it

taylor: writes the most honest, raw, emotionally vulnerable songs, not shying away even from the ugly, dark, messy things along with the beautiful, sweet ones

taylor (about joe): you don't really read into my melancholia, i been under scrutiny you handle it beautifully, i wake up screaming from dreaming one day i'll watch as you're leaving and life will lose all its meaning for the last time, i've never seen someone lit from within blurring out my periphery, i thought the plane was going down how'd you turn it back around?, karma is the guy on the screen coming home straight to me, all that you ever wanted from me was sweet nothing, on the way home i wrote a poem; you say, "what a mind," this happens all the time, you knew the entire time; you knew that i'm a mastermind; and you're mine; all you did was smile, i pictured you with other girls in love then threw up on the street, looked up at me with honor and truth, my hand was the one you reached for, i vowed i would always be yours, do i really have to tell you how he brought me back to life?, i'm so in love that i might stop breathing, we drew a map on your bedroom ceiling, it's been 2190 days of our love blackout

those people: is this all lies and fabrications? can't believe she doesn't tell us the truth and how unimportant he is to her!

it's, honestly, at this point, beyond being dumb, it's utterly dehumanizing. they have specific deluded agendas that erase her and turn her into a fictional paper doll. they don't value or respect her as a real human being. they don't honor her truth or listen to a word she says about what she's been through, or about the life she's built and the love she's found with him.

what's especially funny is not only is this album such a clear, authentic representation of her, it retroactively clarifies and defines/recontexualizes some of the stories on folklore and evermore too, which we had inklings were personal but maybe didn't have the entirety of the context. and that's disregarding the songs we already knew were intimately personal on those records. it also adds depth to the things she shared on reputation and lover.

they have not listened to her for six years (or ten, or longer). if they don't love and accept and hear her now, they're never going to. joe is the constant figure across five albums now, there are as many records taylor's made with him in her life as she created before they met. this is not new. he's the person she loves and who loves her, the person who quiets the noise and gives her safety, the person who she consistently describes as a light. there is no stronger way for her to say it.

#just say you don't care about her as an actual person at all at that point #anyway yes anon 100% you are right #anonymous #letterbox #taylor swift #midnights

[tuiyla]

This is going to be really long but I need to get this out. One of the most ridiculous things about IKAG to me is that the show directly contradicts all of Finn's attempted justifications for the outing even though we're supposed to be on his side. His main arguments are that the whole school already knew, Santana was his first which meant something so he didn't want her to be suicidal, and that she bullied him into it.

As far as the whole school knowing, Sue specifically says that the pizza guy's niece overheard Finn in the hall which led to her telling her uncle about Santana. If she already knew, she probably would've told him earlier, so the explanation for the ad's existence directly contradicts Finn's argument that everyone at school knew Santana was a lesbian. Pizza guy's niece didn't know and it's fair to assume that other people didn't either. She and Britt had been making out for guys' attention for years, so I doubt anyone other than the New Directions took any of the gossip about Santana being a lesbian too seriously. And ND only took it seriously because of Brittana's interactions in Glee and watching them perform Landslide.

Obviously the caring about Santana because he lost his virginity to her thing is contradicted by the first thing Finn said after they had sex which was "I don't feel anything because it didn't mean anything". Then, the outing her to keep her from being suicidal bullshit is contradicted by the fact that Karofsky literally attempts suicide as a direct result of being outed only a few episodes later!

Speaking of Karosky, they had Kurt tell him in season 2 that he doesn't believe in bullying but he doesn't believe in outing either. So, Glee acknowledges that bullying is not a justification for outing even when the bully sexually assaults someone and threatens their life. But Santana says a few more insults to Finn than normal and all of a sudden it's okay? And Finn was trying to insult her back the whole episode, like the "assless JLo" comment that didn't work. So, it wasn't even Finn being upset about being insulted, it was Finn being upset that he was shit at insulting Santana back. Their interactions in the episode don't support this idea that some fans have that Finn was some innocent victim that Santana continuously tormented.

Obviously there would be no good reason to out someone even if their arguments made sense. It just blows my mind that the show clearly understands the ramifications of outing someone but still expects us to be on Finn's side. It's honestly one of the worst examples of their hypocrisy and misogyny, and I will never not be pissed about it.

I have so many things to say on this topic but you covered much of it and said what needs to be said so I'll just add one main point, or rather a conclusion I guess. I'm glad to be able to provide a platform for this and that you chose to share it.

There are many, many things I find absolutely appalling and deeply insidious about IKAG but one of the main things that just piss me off so so much is this retcon. What you're also describing here is IKAG's retconning of the actual Mash Off scene where Finn outs Santana. And I have a hard time stomaching the scene itself but I realize that IKAG retroactively makes it so much worse with this absolute bending over backward trying to find a reason for the audience not to write off Finn as the homophobic, vile asshole that he is. Because they have to retcon it for their precious hero, don't they? Since the Mash Off scene shows a calculated, cruel speech in which everything Finn says is deliberate and aimed to hurt. But then IKAG turns around and does all that you described, desperately trying to whitewash Finn while also doubling down on him being a fucking despicable person - not intentionally, but come on. Blackmail? Saying Santana matters because he fucked her once? What the actual fuck is this.

It's an incredibly half-assed and offensive attempt to whitewash the act of outing someone. That's why IKAG doesn't make sense even if we accept its own twisted sense of logic. It can't; what it says Finn did and how it tries to justify it is simply not true. Finn deliberately outed Santana. He wanted to hurt her and so it did, but Glee didn't even have the fucking guts to follow through with that so instead we get Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. It's the worst case of having your cake and eating it. Santana is: outed in a vile manner, framed as though she had it coming, and then we can't even follow that logic and have to be told it's somehow for her own good.

Somehow, above all, that's what makes me despise IKAG the most and causes me the most emotional upset. That they had Finn act out of anger and do something so horrible and then they couldn't even stick with it. No, they had to center him in IKAG and try to find any stupid excuse as to why he just wanted to help, actually. DIsgusting. The single most stomach-churning thing that happened on this already questionable TV show. The number of people I had to convince to go back and actually watch the freaking scene of Finn outing Santana because, as a result of IKAG's retcon, they misremembered it as an act of passion in retaliation to her bullying. But it wasn't an outburst and it wasn't for any of the stupid reasons IKAG tries to come up with. It was cold, it was calculated, and it had exactly one goal:

Hit her where it hurts most and then kick her while she was down. And you're right, the show turns hypocritical by not condemning this action but didn't you know? No one cares about lesbians. Glee certainly doesn't when it can prop up its mediocre excuse for a male lead instead. Queer stories? They matter not when we can handwave them away.

And frankly, anyone who even attempts to defend Finn without even bothering to watch Mash Off, where the actual outing takes place, can go get fucked. Because IKAG not only tries to lie, fucking lie to us and say Lady Music Week is somehow a good idea, but it also tries to retcon the cruelest act of the history of Glee. An example of blatant misogyny and homophobia and I will also never not be pissed about it. And I'll never not tell people who fail to demonstrate an ounce of critical thinking by buying Glee's retcon to fuck right off.

#ikag continues to be my villain origin story #i think i might save up fly to la and strangle both ryan murphy and matthew flopson #y'all will vouch for me right it'll be justified #i wish everyone who buys glee's narrative in ikag a very merry step in shit #phew #deffo came to the right place with this lol #anti finn hudson #fuck him fuck him fuck him #glee asks #fallingoffasurfboard