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#But if he doesn't protect humans then who?
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vent post. There are two stories i was told in my teenage years that even before i had a real concept of trans issues made me uninterested in discussing the supposed sacredness and safety of separated sex-based spaces.
First, when i was like 13 or 14 my PE teacher told us about a time she went to a women's public restroom, some guy was hanging out outside the bathrooms, she didn't think anything of it, went to the bathroom, and he walked in after her and like, creeped on her over the top of the stall. She was ok, she wasn't telling us this to scare us, just telling us what to do in situations like that (and iirc she was telling the whole co-ed class this, not just girls, bc it's useful for everyone), but this taught me immediately and forever that there's nothing actually keeping these spaces separate really, that anyone can be a creep in any space, and that establishing a space like that as for women only isn't actually particularly useful for safety.
Second, when i was 16 i was at an anime convention, a friendly acquaintance of mine and i ended up in conversation outside, and he showed me his bare wrist and told me he'd been kicked out. A female friend of his had stepped in dog poop outside, and between that and the stress of the convention she'd had a bit of an emotional breakdown, so being her friend, he started comforting her and ushered her into the women's restroom so they could wash the poop off her shoe together. And because he was a man who went into the women's bathroom, he got kicked out, no matter that he was doing something that was actually beneficial to a woman. Punishing a woman's friend for supporting her was supposed to... protect her somehow? This made it clear to me that a no-exceptions rule separating the sexes like that wasn't actually inherently good for everyone.
And this isn't even getting into me as a child needing to accompany my younger sister to the restroom when we were out with just my dad because she had certain support needs past the age he felt comfortable bringing her into the men's room with him. And what if I'd been born a boy, or she'd been the first born? Who's helping her then?
And of course even putting all this aside, we should always prioritize compassion and support anyway. But i never even needed to meet a trans person to know that "keeping men out of women's bathrooms" is silly nonsense. But trans people also need to pee anyway and as humans they have that right, so leave them the fuck alone. your precious women's restroom is just a fucking room with a door, holy shit give it a fucking rest, if someone is attacking you in the bathroom that's bad and if someone is in there to pee that's good and it doesn't fucking matter what their junk is or was when they were born.
a woman could have done the exact same thing to my PE teacher and it would have also been bad no matter how "supposed" to be in the restroom she was, and no one should ever be punished for helping a crying friend wash their shoe.
Anyway i know I'm speaking to like-minded folks here, i just think about those two stories literally every time bathroom gender shit comes up and it pisses me off.
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jinwoosungs · 1 day
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{ 155 }
follow you.
jinwoo sung x fem.reader
{ i will follow you way down wherever you may go | i'll follow you way down to your deepest low | i'll always be around wherever life takes you | you know i'll follow you... }
anonymous said: Is it possible to have a scenario with Jinwoo where f.reader is dealing with a co-worker in his 50s at work who makes her uncomfortable by making inappropriate remarks in his conversations with her and never respects her personal space, she isn't scared of him but he makes her anxious and nervous at his sight for 7 months straight...and she doesn't tell Jinwoo until he starts noticing that she spaces out more often lost in her thoughts. (Its a true event that happened to me at my work and I hope you can write a comforting scenario for it😮‍💨 also eager to see more of protective Jinwoo 😏)
lately, you found yourself dreading the thought of going to work.
you were a young woman who was a regular civilian in this world filled with hunters, gates, and monsters. ever since these strange gates began to appear all across the world, thousands of people awakened with this unique ability to combat against these threats-
your boyfriend being one of these well known hunters.
however, you were not one of those special humans that had awakened with these abilities.
which was why you worked a regular office job in the midst of the city. and your job was by no means too difficult-
however, there was just one tiny issue with your workplace-
and that came in the form of your highly persistent coworker.
he was a balding man that appeared to be in his mid-50s named ryung. the moment your assigned cubicle was directly next to him, the man made it his life's mission to constantly flirt with you. in between breaks, he would find you and proceed to talk to you, all while placing lingering touches against your arm or shoulder.
"you're so beautiful, hehe."
"you say you have a boyfriend, but i don't believe he's serious about you. hell, if i were 30 years younger, i would have snatched you up and put a ring on that pretty little finger of yours!"
"damn, your ass looks fine in that skirt..."
hearing such constant remarks was enough to make you shudder.
despite the many times you told him you had a boyfriend (that also worked as a powerful hunter!), the man refused to back off. and the fact that this had been going on for nearly 7 months now made it so much worse for you.
now, you were filled with anxiety when ryung casually saunters up to your cubicle. even during the times where you purposely ignored him, the man would simply proceed to linger outside of your cubicle, forcing you to listen to his heavy breathing and crazed mutterings, only walking away when the sounds of your other coworkers approaching forces him to make his retreat.
you thought about turning in your letter of resignation several times, but always decided against it, since this was a good job that paid well-
and you didn't want your boyfriend to do all the heavy lifting when it came to your shared finances.
being so caught up with your thoughts, you couldn't even touch the breakfast your boyfriend had made for you, making him frown in response. he calls out your name several times, but you remain completely unresponsive to him.
"sarang." he calls out your nickname while brushing the ice cold glass of orange juice against your cheek. the sudden, icy sensation felt against your skin successfully manages to break you out of your thoughts, forcing to face your boyfriend's concerned gaze.
"jinwoo... what is it?"
jinwoo sighs before running a hand through his hair, placing the glass of orange juice back on the table. "i was asking you if you were okay for several minutes now, and you just recently responded to me. is something bothering you? i noticed that you haven't been yourself lately... ever since you started your job at that company."
you shift around uncomfortably in your seat, feeling as though you were being interrogated by jinwoo.
"it's nothing, jin. just-"
"bullshit it's nothing."
jinwoo then casually sits back in his seat with his arms crossed, his voice coming out as strained as he was clearly trying to control his anger.
"has ryung been bothering you again?"
your mouth goes dry, meeting jinwoo's gaze with wide eyes.
"h-how did you know about that?"
a smirk paints his handsome features. "have you forgotten just who your lover is?"
ah, that's right... he was the shadow monarch. he probably placed a bunch of his soldiers within your shadow and saw what was going on through their eyes.
"i could always have bellion rip through him for you?" jinwoo asks you while letting out a series of rich chuckles, but you were only half-certain that he was simply joking.
"n-no, you don't need to go that far. ryung is harmless... but a nuisance."
jinwoo hums before gesturing at your plate of breakfast. "come on, go ahead and finish eating. i'm going to take you to work."
"oh, you don't need to, jinwoo-"
"sarang, please, i insist."
with his voice dripping with a saccharine sweetness, you could no longer deny him. letting out a sigh, you give him a nod before returning your attention back to the delicious breakfast jinwoo had prepared for you.
you spend the next thirty minutes making small talk with your boyfriend, setting up plans for the upcoming weekend while being filled with an eagerness for the end of the week. once you finished eating and jinwoo had washed all the plates did he grab his keys. smoothing out your blouse and skirt, you grab your own briefcase while walking out the door with jinwoo.
throughout the whole drive to your workplace, jinwoo holds on to your hand while keeping his other hand on the steering wheel. during every stop light, he brings the back of your hand up against his lips, giving it a sweet kiss while basking in your joyful giggles.
soon enough, jinwoo arrives and parks in front of your office building, unbuckling his seat belt before heading out to open the door for you. seeing him smiling down at you, you give him his hand and allow him to walk with you into the building.
upon entering your workplace, several people recognized jinwoo and immediately greet him (all while trying to hold back their awe). your boyfriend keeps his hand on yours, simply returning their greetings with a smile before escorting you to the elevators.
the ride to the twentieth floor was filled with eager giggles and soft kisses, and you quickly felt your anxieties melt away. a few seconds later, the elevator doors slide open as you and jinwoo walked into the floor where you usually worked.
but instead of allowing you to enter your cubicle, he places a hand behind your back, leading you directly towards ryung's office space.
as if sensing you, the older man looks away from his computer screen, raspy voice calling out your name in an almost possessive manner when he faces you-
only to let out a desperate gasp when jinwoo uses his powers to lift ryung off the ground.
"ack!"
"jinwoo!"
but jinwoo ignores your sudden cries of his name, eyes glowing a bright purple hue as he continues to lift ryung mid-air with his telekinesis. choked sounds were heard coming from the man, and your mind was spinning, becoming filled with a sudden panic-
you didn't want jinwoo to get in trouble because of this man!
"if you continue to flirt with my lover so shamelessly like that ever again, i'll kill you."
within seconds, jinwoo releases his invisible grip on ryung, causing the older man to land on his knees for him. he was coughing, with tears filling his vision as the fear was evident in his eyes. completely ignoring ryung, jinwoo turns his attention back to you all while giving you a sweet smile.
"come, i'll take you back to your cubicle, sarang."
you give jinwoo an exasperated sigh, running your hips against his all while whispering to him, "you're insane, using your powers on him like that...?!"
"so what? i put the fear of the shadow monarch into him. there's no way he would dare to flirt with you now."
as if on cue, you hear ryung let out a whimper while pretending to type something on his computer. you shake your head at jinwoo, but still accept his kiss when he leans down toward you.
only after he was satisfied with your kiss did jinwoo pull away from you. "call me when you're done with your shift, and i'll pick you up."
you give him one last nod, watching as jinwoo leaves your office before deciding to login to your own computer, ready to start your day with a confident smile on your face, secretly grateful for jinwoo's intervention as you were certain ryung would leave you alone now.
{ ... }
the next morning, when you came into work and saw that ryung's cubicle was completely emptied of his belongings, confirming your coworker's mention of his sudden resignation-
that was when you let out a relieved sigh while giggling slightly.
perhaps you would need to treat jinwoo to something nice after all.
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a.n. - hhhhh more double updates because i love jinwoo soooo much! 😭
all stories are written by rei; reposts, translations, and plagiarism are not allowed.
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shuttershocky · 3 days
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Is there any power scaling discussion that will inevitably make you feel the need to respond, no matter how irrelevant power scaling is to the actual media in question?
"How did Nero defeat Vergil at the end of DMC5 he's only 1/4th demon he should be much weaker wahh wahh plot armor"
First of all, Nero won because he wanted to win more than Vergil did. Second of all, Vergil's used to fighting an agile clown like Dante and not a brute gorilla like Nero who has no problem with just grabbing him and slamming him into the dirt repeatedly until he cries uncle.
BUT ALSO we know that human blood fuels demons in Devil May Cry. They have to consume it to grow their powers, which is why these guys keep powering all their infernal machinery with blood and why the tree whose fruit is kingmaker of the underworld must feed on human blood.
Before Nero, it looks like Vergil and Dante's strength came from being the sons of Sparda, who was Mundus' strongest soldier and was able to solo all of hell for his lady love.
But honestly I think a lot of their power comes from their nature as hybrids. When Urizen consumes the same fruit that made Mundus king of the underworld, he gets torn a brand new asshole by Dante working with an 8 year old's logic (if Vergil cut himself in two with the Yamato, maybe stabbing myself with Rebellion glues both my sides tighter?) and it actually works.
Not only is Dante's SIN Devil Trigger form written down in Nico's notes as matching (or even surpassing) Sparda's peak, he crushes Urizen both before and after the latter consumes the fruit containing human blood worth millions, completely mystifying the demon king because what the fuck kind of bullshit powerup is that?
Urizen's only able to match Dante's strength once V fuses his human self back into him to recreate Vergil.
I think being a demon-human hybrid basically acts like an infinite human blood battery. It's already inside you and never runs out because your body just makes more blood. The demonic side isn't granting the power, it's granting the abilities; the human side is the gas fueling this killing machine.
The whole time Sparda was turning on his own hell legions for Earth pussy he was unknowingly stumbling into the blueprint for creating unbeatable demonic super soldiers, and had no idea.
Every time Dante defeated the likes of Mundus or Argosax they must have been calling horseshit because there's no way they're getting destroyed by this buffoon just because he's Sparda's son when fighting skills aren't something you inherit like it's hair color, not realizing Dante's powers are fueled by his own blood (and plenty of self-stabbing).
This means that Nero is not inherently weaker than Vergil or Dante by having less demon in him, because it's the hybrid nature itself being their strength.
While Nero's powers aren't as mature as theirs, his demonic strength is enough to grab both Dante and Vergil's SIN devil trigger forms and push them back when they charged at full might, and in fact he's physically strong enough to lift giants like Goliath and ragdoll them around like their name is Bluto and he's just eaten a can of spinach.
Dante even points out at the end that Vergil cut off his own son's arm for more power and the son still kicked his ass anyway. By the end of DMC5 Nero doesn't need the Yamato anymore to do Buster moves, he can shape his own aura into arms to punch and grab things just as effectively, making him completely independent from actually using any devil arms to fight (he only needs human weapons like Lady does). He's strong enough that Dante trusts him with protecting the world by himself while Dante goes to hell, which is a big ask given you know, everything in DMC 1-4.
TL;DR - Nero strong
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pixiecaps · 6 hours
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Cellbit: Dude, this is the most difficult thing that- that I’ve had to do up until now. Solving the enigmas, dude, didn’t even come close to this. I have to lie to everyone I like. I have to see everyone who trusted me slowly becoming disappointed. I have to take that all quietly and continue saying the biggest atrocities that I disagree with just to get some information. Something!
-
Cellbit: It’s like if you looked someone in the face and said the worst things you can think of knowing that you’re doing it to protect them, you know? Ultimately, you're doing it for their own good, but you're hurting them now for- for a greater good. It really sucks, dude. It really sucks. Like the things I had to say to Forever, the things I had to say to- to Badboy. The things I have to say to everyone, dude. Like everyone using my own arguments against me. (Laughs) And I being forced to try to refute my own head.
-
Cellbit: And I'm trying to make things very obvious. I'm trying sometimes, like, I'm trying my best to leave books accessible in obvious places- in obvious chests. And say things that I would NEVER say to them. They know, at least deep down, they have a little suspicion that it doesn't make sense. And maybe they can read- Because Cucurucho, he has one problem. He doesn't have the social tact that humans do. He doesn’t- He doesn’t function like a human being. He has letters saying that he doesn't understand how pronouns work and doesn't know what feelings and wants are. He knows what feelings are, but he doesn't know what it's like to have feelings according to what he said. He doesn’t know what are- He has a letter where he says, “I don’t know what is want.”
Cellbit: Thinking about that, the only way I can get around it is by leaving purposeful nuances that I'm saying absurd things so that if you see me from a distance and you don't know me it looks like I'm- that I'm an asshole and I'm really fighting with them but the people who know me, who’ve been with me over these last- All this time on the island and still love me and know I’d never say those things, “No, dude, it doesn't make sense that he's saying these things. It must have some purpose. That logic doesn’t make sense.” It has to make A BIT of sense for Cucurucho to believe it but it can’t make so much sense that my friends don’t doubt at least a little bit. Those who know me know. I'm relying on that.
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valsdelulucorner · 3 days
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Mammon head cannons <3
We all know mammon is tsundere, loving to bottle up his emotions towards his loved ones and put on a act. However whenever you two are alone, his tough guy persona melts away completely and turns into your shy demon boyfriend. He both hates and loves that you have that power over him
He loves to collect little trinkets. Hey, no he didn't steal them!..... most of them. I like to think that he has some really sharp eyes so even if something is really well hidden, he spots it a nicks it. He loves showing off his collection to you, talking a million miles a hour as he holds onto your sleeve and boasts about his new tiny thing
If you were to come down to devildom as a welder or a Jewler, oh lord he will try to marry you on the spot. He absolutely loves to watch you work on your creations, even subjecting little ideas he comes up with for you to make. Sure, at the start he tries to steal your creations to sell them but once he gets closer to you, he absolutely loves bringing you his little trinkets to wield into rings and bracelets
Absolutely loves making nests with his pillows and blankets, spreading his body out on top of his nest in his full demon form. He will act all shy if you find him like this on his nest but when he realizes your not making fun of him, buddy, you are in for a long night of cuddles and deep conversation.
Ok hear me out, when mammon cuddles you, he lets out soft snores that sound like a mix between a purr and the sound a crow makes when its happy. He will hide his face in your neck while cuddling as his arms wrap protectively around your waist, subconsciously purring his little heart out in his sleep as his wings cover you in a protective hold
After having you literally die in his arms that one time, he realized how easily it was for you to slip from his fingers so this man does HEAVY research on humans. What humans cant eat, what irritates their skin, what's best for their health, what food will make them live longer, what temperatures they can withstand, the whole 9 yard. He will always give you a bottle of water at morning, noon, and night and will refuse to go anywhere unless you drink some. If he finds out you haven't been drinking through the day, he will genuinely get scared you will die and beg you to drink. He might have missed a few things but he loves you dearly
He gets bad nightmares about loosing you and those dear to him, they started happening more often after he held your dead body in his arms. He would usualy wake up in a cold sweat and go find lucifer, making sure to poke his head into his little brothers rooms to make sure they are ok before going to find comfort in Lucifer. But with you? He would cling to you and thank anyone who would listen that you were still alive, still next to him. He would hide his face in your neck and quietly cry himself back to sleep, being woken up to immediate comfort from you
He mindlessly doodles when he is bored or if he is focused on something else, like you for example. He likes to admire you during class so sometimes when he's supposed to be taking notes, he will start to subconsciously doodle you in his notebook. He will turn bright red if anyone points this out and he will throw his notebook into the wall, just like that video of the guy throwing his laptop into the wall. Poor guy wont get a break
My man will 100% steal you away from his brothers and just go for a walk with you, it doesn't need to lead to anywhere, he just likes talking and being with you
He calls you his little treasure, his jewel, his first, and most likely a nickname of your actual name. They roll off his tounge so easily, he will accidentally call you these Infront of people. "Stay away from my treasure!" ..... "your what?" " D...DONT AVOID THE QUESTION!"
"I wouldn't trade you for all the grim in the world treasure, you mean more to me then money"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I absolutely love Mammon, he is my favorite character but i dont think this was written to the best of my ability. I might come back to this in the future but until then<3
Who should i do next?
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gabessquishytum · 12 hours
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Hob was new to the city, so during his first full moon he put on his "collar" and walked about in his wolf-skin. Mostly he looked like a big dog and he chose a werewolf friendly city to move to, so he figured he wouldn't be hassled too much.
🐺🐺🐺🐺
While walking about Hob smelled something delicious! Following the smell lead to a tall pointy fence, but Hob wasn't going let a fence stop him,,,he jumped. Hob landed in a garden (only scraping his side a little).
The garden wasn't what he was smelling, though, as nice as it was. Hob continued to following the smell around the corner of a house where he came upon a pup and its father.
They were his smell!
Hob didn’t want to startle them too much, so he yipped from a distance. If wolves could sheepishly wave, Hob would have.
The larger wolf started to growl, when the pup shot out and started (cutely) yipping at Hob, wagging his tail and poking Hob with his nose.
Papa!wolf quickly changed back into his human form, sighing Orpheus; Hob used that as his signal to change back himself.....apologizing for intruding,, to the still fantastic smelling (beautiful) man.
Hob was screwed.
Himbo werewolf Hob!!! I love him!!! Also Hob in a collar... ajsjdbdhshs ANYWAYS.
Of course Orpheus is desperate to play with his new friend, the big fluffy brown wolf who is twice as broad as his dad. See, his dad is very protective, so Orpheus doesn't have a whole lot of friends to play with, either in wolf or human form! He wants to play!!!
Dream grumbles under his breath but agrees that Orpheus can play with Hob. Only five minutes, though. Hob quickly shifts back to wolf form and immediately engages in tag, play fighting, even a fun chasing game with a football! Little by little, Dream is also pulled into the game, until the play-fighting ends with Orpheus and Dream successfully pinning Hob’s big fluffy body against the ground. They caught him! And Hob has never been more pleased to be caught, it's fair to say.
Unfortunately Hob can't stay forever (and he's polite enough to excuse himself instead of waiting for Dream to shoo him away). But Dream surprises him by inviting him to stop by for dinner after the full moon is over and done with. For Orpheus's sake, obviously - it has nothing to do with the fact that Hob smells so good and is so handsome with his hair messed up and dirt on his face. He just deserves a proper welcome to the neighbourhood. Or something.
Hob accepts the invitation and apologises again for just jumping into Dream’s garden, but Dream just snuffles against him and gives his ear an affectionate nibble. So Hob is starting to think that following his nose wasn't such a bad idea after all...!
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teriri-sayes · 2 days
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Reactions to Chaos Creator's Chapter 287
New title - 36. Cale-nim is Better Than a Dragon
Brief summary: Poetic description of Clopeh's "holy" smile. Cale visits Epley's island. Cale's group discuss Exion's plan to deal with them. CH vs. Clopeh.
==========
I knew that Clopeh was one of the author's favourite characters, but today was seriously pushing it. 🤣🤣🤣
"Fufufu." Clopeh Sekka laughed softly. The smile on the beautiful face of the white-haired and green-eyed man was truly holy. -Okay, Cale. I understand now. Super Rock started talking seriously. -When a blizzard rages for days and days, covering the world in snow and turning it white. -The beautiful green colour of the trees, the only thing holding on to the white world, even though you thought it doesn't make any sense. -When the blizzard suddenly stops and the sun peeks through the clouds, casting its rays on the snow. -The way the sunlight glistens on the green leaves of the only tree standing strong. -That feeling of holiness. Super Rock was very serious, as if all his doubts had disappeared. -That holy feeling is basically built into that bastard's smile. Ha. It was a really long explanation. Cale was shocked, but kept his mouth shut. He couldn't be bothered to retort, but his expression crumpled at Super Rock's next words. -Of course, your smile when scamming someone falls short to it. This Super Rock, what are you talking about?
J-Just look! Look! All those lines just to describe the "holiness" of Clopeh's smile. 🤣🤣🤣 And Super Rock, what happened to you? 🤣🤣🤣
Moving on, I thought Epley and the mage chimera were dead, but Cale was treating the two as having escaped rather than being dead. Epley's island was wiped off the map, but the source of the world caused an abnormal phenomenon on the sea, making it boil continuously.
Next up was Exion's plan to deal with Cale. It was not just the pope that Exion summoned, but the bishops and heretic inquisitors too. The remaining dragon gods were invited too, though it was optional. Emperor Alt and several human kings were also invited. Cale deduced that Exion was planning to have all those groups deal with Cale instead of Exion himself doing it.
After that, the focus returned to Clopeh. Today was his happy day because Cale praised him for doing a good job with handling the political affairs of this world. Cale even said that he would give the sword of the elven guardian knight who protected the Dragon Lord.
But... Clopeh must get CH's approval first before he gets the sword. And thus, the man's eyes reminiscent of green leaves turned to a slimy and murky green swamp... Author-nim, come on. You had to end today's chapter with a poetic description of Clopeh's eyes this time? 🤣🤣🤣
Ending Remarks I love this chapter because it was full of Clopeh madness that even the pope decided not to mess with him or Cale. 😂 And Cale regretting having Clopeh by his side. 😂 Next chapter is a duel between CH and Clopeh. I'm looking forward to how much Clopeh had grown in this arc.
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cryptiicism · 2 days
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labru, the winged lion, and ✨ trauma ✨
picking back up from last week's episode of me being cryptic, lets go!!
so, why do i find labru interesting and why does the winged lion matter?
first, let's go WAY back, back to the beginning when kabru was a kid. growing up he was ostracized because of his eye color, and he specifically notes that he must've been a monster.
jumping forward, who loves monsters? who breathes, eats, and thrives off of the knowledge of monsters because it is his second nature? laios touden, a man who would tell you everything there is to know on monsters because he finds them interesting. he loves them.
that, is why labru works so well, because for kabru to love laios... he has to love himself.
but first, he has to go off the deep end because he's kabru and that's what he does. why though? because growing up and being hated for standing out, only to find someone who loves the very thing you see yourself as. something that you have deemed unlovable is revolting, and like the situation you grew up in you choose fear over any attempt to understand.
but that's why kabru is different, because unlike monsters he has the ability to change his nature. so he does, just... not before the winged lion gets his hands on laios.
however before we delve deeper into the dungeon's clutches , let's look at how labru views themselves.
kabru -> " i'm a monster dressed in a persons clothes. "
laios -> " i'm a person dressed in monster clothes. "
obviously, they are both outsiders, just as their fellow party members are so why does it matter?
think back, just as laios loves monsters there is a man who knows people inside and out literally. that is kabru of utaya, who analyzes people like it's a sport going out of style.
that, is why labru again, works so well because like how kabru views himself as a monster to a degree. laios craves to be shed of his skin because his monster clothes fit all alright, but they itch... it's not quite right, because they were given to him just so people could have a reason to say " look it's a monster!! "
but it's just autism , and leading into that ... laios obviously has depression as shown when he gets grabbed by the spirits , having suicidal ideation because he thinks it'd been better if he had died in falin's place . so for kabru to be so fascinated by people , it's like rubbing ointment on laios' itching skin because he feels seen .
he feels like a person when kabru expresses that he finds laios interesting and engages with him , and it helps ease those out of place feelings when they make each other feel seen .
too bad something else sees laios too , and laios stares back into that void because while his itch is temporarily soothed , it comes back .
that's how trauma works , it can be eased but it's still there . like an insatiable hunger , and that's why laios is the subject of the winged lion's interest . Laios' desire is to be that of monstrous nature , as long as his nest is protected and he is full , all is fine .
The lion says as much, however that's just it turning laios' mental health problems into a reality. the desire to be a monster stims from being a outsider as a kid, and plus they're just cool- but it comes from never having a place in society, and detaching hence why laios doesn't care for anyone besides those he dubs as close.
but after the demon is defeated, that's when we really see kabru and laios grow close, because at that point they both realize. They understand and see each other, " I felt like like something I wasn't and I wanted to be loved. " so..
they love monsters, they love humans, and they finally have a home where they are loved back.
@sicklyworm hope you enjoy !!
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whumpsday · 2 days
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3 whumpy anime to check out this spring!
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Go Go Loser Ranger is a heroes vs. villains anime where the villains are the good guys and the heroes are downright evil. Having wiped out all the powerful monsters more than a decade ago, the heroes keep the weakest monsters captive, to parade around and torment on a weekly basis while the public believes otherwise. Because they're immortal when hit with most weapons, they'll always reform to be hurt over and over again, despite feeling all the pain.
Footsoldier D is one of those weak monsters, an immortal shapeshifter made of dust, called a "duster". After escaping the heroes' arena, he forms a plan to kill the heroes and steal the few weapons they have that can permanently kill dusters, freeing the rest of his kind. Given that he has the constitution of a porcelain doll, he can't use strength to fight: he has to rely on wits, stealth, shapeshifting (despite knowing very little about humans or the outside world), and a shaky alliance with a double-agent ranger who seems to be taking advantage of him for her own gain.
Whump tags: villain whumpee, hero whumper, immortal whumpee
Watch it on Hulu, Disney+, or any unofficial anime site.
And if you don't have time to check out a whole anime, the Go Go Loser Ranger opening theme video is also really good, with fantastic visuals symbolizing D's struggles!
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An Archdemon's Dilemma is a romantic comedy stuffed to the brim with popular whump tropes. Zagan is a demonic sorcerer who attends an auction for the possessions of another recently-killed sorcerer, when he sees that one of those "possessions" is an elf slave, Nephelia. Having had a destitute, harsh past himself, he feels a rush of sympathy and buys her way out, vowing to ensure her safety. However, Nephelia is terrified, believing she's about to be used as a sacrifice in a dark magic ritual. And unfortunately for both of them, Zagan is a socially awkward loser who sucks at communicating.
It's surreal seeing something that looks like it could be a caretaker-new-master whump fic as an actual, fully-realized anime. It definitely doesn't take itself too seriously despite the premise, leaning heavily on the "comedy" part of romantic comedy, and is mostly just a silly time with lots of whump-adjacent stuff thrown in. Fanfic-y to the point of "there's only one bed" being an actual line.
Whump tags: fantasy slavery (very pet-whump-esque in its tropes), caretaker new master
Watch it on Crunchyroll or any unofficial anime site.
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The Grimm Variations is an anthology of horror retellings of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales. With each episode being written and directed by different people, it varies wildly in quality, with episodes ranging from laughably bad to incredibly good, but I'm here to talk about episode 2: Little Red Riding Hood.
The Little Red Riding Hood takes place in a dystopian future where the upper and middle class use virtual reality technology to augment their reality. One man, Grey, is tired of this and craves the real: specifically, the feeling of real blood spraying him as he murders countless women, his wealth and connections protecting him from consequences. But when this serial killer makes the mistake of targeting a woman called Scarlet, he finds himself on the other side of the knife. This episode is a complete and utter gorefest with multiple onscreen torture scenes.
This isn't even my favorite episode of the series, it's like my 3rd favorite. But episode 2 is the one with the gruesome torture scene, so it's the one that goes in this post.
Little Red Riding Hood whump tags: whumper-turned-whumpee, torture, gore
Little Red Riding Hood warnings: sexual assault, eye gore, fingernail gore, violence against women, major character death
Watch it on Netflix or any unofficial anime site. Orrrr if you just wanna watch the big torture scene without any of the context, it's on Youtube.
that's all I have for now :)
(P.S: Dungeon Meshi, while not really whumpy as a whole, is also currently airing and very very good and I might write whump fanfic for it at some point in the near future. Netflix or any unofficial anime site.)
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codenamesazanka · 1 day
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I'm sorry, I'm fixated on The Walk because it has seemed like such a pivotal point in Shigaraki's life, and in the story. And then when it finally came time for Deku to save Shigaraki/Tenko... it gets relegated to two measly panels. 
In Chapter 69, Shigaraki reveals his resentment of basically the entire world for being so carefree when they know, logically, someone is out there suffering - "someone, somewhere...is off killing people, for whatever reason... these fools keep smiling and laughing... living their lives." 
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Later, building on this idea, he realizes - and states out loud to Deku - that All Might annoys him because All Might has created a false sense of peace. Plus, All Might himself smiles so bright and cheerful, as if he's invincible, as if he can and has saved everyone: "The reason these fools can smile and live their lives... is cuz All Might's always got that grin on this face... Smiling wide, as if to say... There's no one he can't save!!" 
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Paired with a flashback of a severed hand, much like the ones Shigaraki wears, the implication is clear: Shigaraki resents how no one came to save him when he had a quirk accident that killed his dad/family; moreover, specifically, he seems to hate the bystander effect - that tragedy and suffering can happen but the people around such incidents can just not give a single crap. There are people in trouble, but the majority of the world doesn't bother to help, because they think Heroes will take care of it - All Might, especially, has made them feel like it's just not their problem. 
This was before Shigaraki regained his memories, but his life since the amnesia hasn't really disproven any of that. He was picked up by AFO, a Villain, first of all; but he would later create the League, all members of who have clearly suffered from something and was never saved - not by Heroes, but also not by people who are supposed to protect them, like parents and family, and not by their fellow humans. 
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There's a reason Shigaraki targeted Bakugou to kidnap and recruit - he saw someone who seemed to be restricted and suppressed, literally bound and gagged on live television, a thing allowed and even awkwardly laughed at by the people around him. All Might was smiling as he presented a medal to the clearly upset boy. And so he thought Bakugou would understand.
When Shigaraki remembers his past, his memories also don't disprove the bystander effect and his hatred of it either. In the house his father built, everyone saw he was suffering, but did nothing. They never stepped in to stop Kotarou’s harsh punishments; in fact, they only ever come to him in the aftermath to try to coax him to stop crying - essentially telling Tenko that hey, they aren't going to stop the actual problem (Kotarou), but they will try to make Tenko accept it. As if it's not their problem, but rather Tenko's. Tenko says that all he needed was just to hear a word of encouragement from them, but they couldn't even give him that. 
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All this passivity in the family eventually leads to the moment when Kotarou slaps Tenko hard - twice! - and yet his mom and grandparents only stood by and watched. (Afterwards, they apparently also allowed Tenko to be forced to stay outside, crying, until nightfall.)
Then, of course, is The Walk.
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Dozens of people saw a clearly-distressed lost child walk past them, and did nothing. Tenko at that moment is tragedy and suffering made manifest - he's a tiny little boy, alone, scared into silence, bloodstained, barefoot on concrete in a city. He's not hidden away or in some unknown corner of the shadowy edges of society - he's there in front of everyone, in broad daylight. 
And no one bothers to give a crap. Or, even if they do, briefly feeling troubled at the sight, they look away. The one lady who did try to help ends up deciding this was above her pay grade and explicitly states never mind, Heroes will take care of it. Everyone at the scene feels it's not their problem. 
(And the thing is - Tenko knew he deserved to be saved. There's one line that always stuck out to me: "I thought maybe the reason no one helped me was because I was being punished for killing my family." 
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Tenko knew he did something bad, he was feeling immense guilt, so much that he was rendered mute, but he wasn't expecting to be punished then and there - he hadn't written himself off. Not being helped wasn't a foregone conclusion yet. He killed his family, but he wanted help - he knew he should be helped. Basically, it wasn't immediately, "I did something bad, so of course a Hero won't be here, now I need to run away and hide" - it was "[I did something bad, but] somebody... anybody, just me tell [what to do]. Someone help me." The idea that he deserved being ignored because of what he did seemed to have only come afterwards. 
This is why, I believe, in Chapter 365, Inner Tenko thought, "I wasn't broken back then... but it's not like anybody reached out a helping hand to me. It's not like anybody even looked at me." 
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Two of the flashbacks are scenes from after he did a Bad Thing - Hana running away after he killed their dog; the old lady turning away, after he wandered into the city post-massacre. He did a Bad Thing, but "I wasn't broken back then..." 
There's also the flashbacks of the family pre-massacre. Scenes of his grandparents trying to pacify him, of his mom looking sad, of Kotarou being angry with him - all likely because Tenko was in trouble for talking about Heroes again, which was against the household rules, but wasn't/shouldn't be a strike against him. He was restricted and suppressed and couldn't fit in with the family, but "I wasn't broken back then..."
All those people in his family, on the streets - none of them ever helped.)
The Walk is the ultimate embodiment of his long and ongoing issue of Heroes and regular people doing shit nothing. It's the exact complaint Shigaraki was giving in Chapter 69. It's completely damning. 
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This is what Shigaraki means when he says "everything I've witnessed..." in Jaku in Chapter 281 (and again in Chapter 379). He's seen it all - how there's all this pain, but Heroes have not done anything about it. And because Heroes are pillars of the community - because Heroes are civil servants, essentially representative of the governing system - the regular masses of citizens both follow their example while also becoming complacent. Now they just smile and laugh, living their lives, as if Heroes will and should take care of everything and all will be and is fine. 
Early on, Shigaraki put most of the blame on Heroes and so focused most of his plots on them - the USJ attack and Camp Raid were on Hero students - but he very much disliked the civilians and their bystander apathy too, and was already starting to make plans to destroy the system that enabled that. It’s remembering the Shimura Household Dysfunction and The Walk - the lack of help, the rejection, all civilians that passed him by - that really solidifies his hatred and conviction, causing him to fully embrace destruction - his attacks post MVA doesn't target just Heroes, but everything and basically everyone.
AND YET. Barely any of this shows up when Deku comes to save Tenko in Chapter 418. 
In fact, it starts in Chapter 417, when Nana and Deku intervene in Kotarou's slapping of Tenko. The rest of the family is noticeably absent. The only thing Deku and Nana needed to do was stop Kotarou. That Tenko also had an issue with how the family kept taking Kotarou's side and abiding by the abuse? Not relevant anymore, I guess. 
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(Also, Tenko actually does believe he's broken, been broken from the start for being born with Decay. He even wonders why Deku would come help him. Somehow "I wasn't broken back then... but it's not like anyone even looked at me," has become "I'm broken and who could ever look at me given the way I am?" Note additionally that Deku doesn't actually discourage this notion. He only says "Well, I'm here to take your hand and give you peace.")
Meanwhile, The Walk is no longer part of Tenko's origin - or at least, not significant enough to warrant a Memory Environment. Yes, it's true that stopping and saving Tenko at The Massacre means Tenko wouldn't go on to walk The Walk, and I suppose you can argue that technically the issue of bystander effect has been solved since someone did finally show up to help. Deku didn't have to help, but he did. He made it his problem to figure out why Shigaraki seemed so sad inside, and he reached out a hand. 
But like. The Walk is still a thing that happened? It's still a problem? All those people still ignored a five year old? Deku saving Tenko doesn't mean the old lady suddenly gained a backbone and conscience to not walk away. In fact, it just makes it even more 'not her problem' because after all, a Hero did show up! She did exactly what she was supposed to do - nothing. 
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It’s just not addressed. To quote @stillness-in-green, “Shigaraki gets way more dangerous to the common civilian after he gets his memories back, and it's a real crock that the story doesn't address that specific turn and what causes it, instead retrenching to "The Slap Bad; AFO Bad.””
I don't like Deku much, and I probably would've rolled my eyes at it, but I did really think Deku would get to be at the memory of The Walk, and he was see all these civilians ignoring Tenko, and he would be gutted and horrified, and maybe he’ll hear what the old lady say about “the police or a hero or somebody will help” as she leaves, and he’ll think something like ‘that's right, a Hero should be helping… but that doesn't mean all you civilians can't even ask if Tenko’s okay and walk him to a police box’, and he would chase after Tenko to save him, and maybe even say something like ‘What you said at Jaku about civilians being coddled. I know it too well that they didn’t want to get dirty. They're trying to support Heroes better now, but they should also support each other. We should all help each other. Let’s change things. I’m here now.’ Because it would make sense and provide a conclusion to this whole thing???
But no. Shigaraki wants to destroy because Tenko was sad he was born with an evil quirk and because of that he doesn't know how to love himself and so the source of the problem ultimately lies with himself. Deku is here to validate his existence so Tenko can feel better that someone accepts him so he can learn to love himself and stop all this nonsense. Except wait it turns out AFO gave him Decay and also turns out AFO manipulated his life since even before his conception so who knows what's even real anymore. Maybe the people on the streets really wanted to help Tenko but AFO made a gas leak fill the city with Asshole Gas and so no one helped and Shigaraki has been operating under a gaslit delusion for the past 15 years and his grievance against bystander apathy is completely invalid. Bummer. 
The series hasn't ended yet, and it's possible that the Walk will still be addressed. I've seen it theorized that civilians will show up to help stop AFO and finally save Shigaraki/Tenko like he had wanted all those people on the streets to do all those years ago. 
However, without the problem explicitly stated or even known - Deku never sees the family passivity, and he seems to have only caught glimpses of The Walk (and of course has no reaction/introspection/opinion on it) - this feels unlikely. Plus, the recent chapter hasn't filled me with hope or inspiration. The best the civilian could do was offer an All Might t-shirt. That's not exactly "I won't assume a Hero will take care of it and I'll take action myself"; it's more "I'll trust in Heroes even more to take care of the problem." I know that's not exactly fair, in that fighting AFO and helping a lost child are problems of very different magnitudes. But the fact the story hasn't given the civilians an opportunity to ‘redeem’ themselves, so to speak, in the latter case kinda proves my point, I think. 
So far, the story seems to think that Shigaraki's issue with passivity and complacency is actually irrelevant. Or has been solved by Deku. Who took on the immense task of saving Shigaraki because he possesses a drive to save others that eclipses all common understanding. So Deku is special, and thank god someone so special existed to save Shigaraki. Because otherwise, Shigaraki wouldn't have been saved. Due to the majority of people being passive and complacent. Which isn't a thing that needs to be dealt with.
(Or, I guess you can say that it was All For One who planted the hatred of bystander effect into Shigaraki/Tenko (if he didn't somehow manipulate the people on the streets (and the Shimura family, previously) into ignoring Tenko), since he did say “Everyone just passed by, pretending not to see, thinking some Hero would save the day. Who decided to make the world this way?” when he first found Tenko. So even that hatred and grudge isn't ‘true’ and we can dismiss it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
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Parenting Heacanons - Chuuya, Atsushi
Character(s): Chuuya Nakahara; Atsushi Nakajima (Bungou Stray Dogs)
Tags: SFW, fluff, familial, headcanons
Warnings: Mention of pregnancy
Notes: AFAB reader; originally posted on ao3 here; this is old and I'm not caught up with the manga now so sorry if anything seems strange
Chuuya
I'm not going to lie, Chuuya's initial response to finding out his partner is pregnant is not going to be very positive. He's not angry or anything, but he didn't really want kids and doesn't feel the slightest bit ready to be a father. He isn't going to run away, though; he knows it's sorta his fault you're in this situation to begin with so he's going to swallow his pride and stick around for your sake.
He spends the whole pregnancy low-key dreading having to take care of a baby. Mostly because he's got no clue how to do that. That's not to say he isn't trying to find out how; if you check his browser history at this point, it'll probably be a lot of parenting articles.
He'll say he wants to leave naming the baby to you but if you come up with name ideas and ask him for his thoughts on them Oh Boy will he have some opinions for you.
As soon as the baby is born and he gets to hold it, it's like all his apprehension just vanishes into thin air, he is immediately in love. Like, he looks this tiny, helpless human he helped make in the eyes and immediately knows he would kill and die for them.
I think that it would be a more interesting dynamic if he had a daughter; he'd still be a good father to a son, but with a daughter, he would truly be wrapped around her little finger. That little girl will be SO spoiled, she'll be the one all her classmates want to be friends with because she has all the newest video games and the best dolls.
Lord have mercy on anyone who tries to bully his daughter, not just because he'll be more than willing to beat them up but if she's inherited any of her dad's personality, so will she. If she gets in trouble at school for fighting back against a bully, she will get high fives and ice cream from Chuuya.
When she's old enough, he'll teach her to fight for real. He knows he won't always be there to protect her, so he wants her to be able to keep herself safe.
Once she's old enough to start dating, Chuuya will do the entire protective dad routine to any boys she might bring home. He will all but do a full interrogation about what they're planning, make it known that he knows how to hide a body, and if they bring her home even a minute late he is going to lose it.
Word will get around about this. It is not going to be easy for Chuuya's daughter to find a prom date.
Atsushi
In the early stages of pregnancy Atsushi is going to feel sicker than you.
This poor boy is straight-up terrified to be a parent at first because of what his own childhood was like. It isn't that he doesn't want to have children, exactly, he just doesn't want to end up continuing the cycle of abuse. Of course, the fact that he's worried about that at all is enough to tell you that he'll be a fine father, but good luck convincing him of that.
Once his child is born, all his worries are going to lead him to go so far in the opposite direction, he's probably never going to so much as raise his voice at the kid. He is a major pushover of a parent, Atsushi's child could get away with murder.
He's also going to have a hard time denying them anything they want. This is going to be another spoiled child for sure. The kid's probably going to end up as a bit of a brat because of this, and Atsushi can't even get mad because he knows it's no one's fault but his own.
On the positive side of things he's going to be such a supportive dad as well. He'll be in the front row of any recitals, plays, spelling bees, anything like that his child participates in and he is going to clap the loudest because he's so proud of them!!!
He'll try to help them with their math homework at some point, but quickly realize that he doesn't really know how to do math either. Much frantic googling will ensue as Atsushi tries to quickly learn long division for his child's sake.
When they get old enough to start hanging out with friends on their own, Atsushi is going to be so worried if they stay out later than they said they would, even if it's just by a few minutes. He'll also want to know exactly who they're with and where they're going. He isn't trying to be overbearing, he just has anxiety.
Voted most likely to cry when his child moves out. Empty nest syndrome is gonna hit him so hard. His child is probably going to get daily texts from their honorary aunts and uncles at the Agency reminding them to call their dad.
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pianokantzart · 2 days
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As cute as it is that Maddie described Knuckles as her kid, weird how not a single member of the construction crew question how her kid was apparently a giant fire-truck red echidna
So let me get this straight, Knuckles has punched his way through 4 different construction crews? At this point this seems like something that should be solved with a little sit-down talk. Maddie didn't even explain to Knux what he did wrong, of course he's confused.
I have absolutely no idea how Maddie made it to the kitchen without seeing all the changes Knuckles made to the house.
Honestly if Knuckles hadn't created the livingroom fighting pit they might have been okay with keeping the warrior chair. It's clearly a part of echidna tradition, doesn't hurt anyone, and it might actually be fun to have Sonic and Knuckles have little (supervised + far from the house) fights over who gets rights to the chair.
The way Knuckles goes in for the hug with the ghost/hallucination pulls on my heartstrings. He hasn't been that affection with anyone. He needed that hug :(
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"Wade Whipple? He is no great warrior" "Neither were you when we first met" ... To be fair, I believe Knuckles was younger than six at the time.
The fact that the "an echidna warrior has no home" line has come up twice makes me think he's going to be eating those words by the time he returns to the Wachowski household.
I like that Knuckles shows so much enthusiasm about Wade's bowling once he sees how skilled he is at it. Once someone actually takes the time to explain things without condescension and share their passion for it, he is incredibly open and friendly.
Oooh and now Wade is talking about how he loves bowling so much because his dad taught him oooooh no
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GOD the way Knuckles immediately protects Wade when things get bad and does the "get down Mr. President" tackle. I love him so much.
The mixtape cd animation end credits are adorable.
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Final thoughts?: It's fine. Obviously, Knuckles carries the show. The downside is the human characters. Maddie and Wade are okay, but everyone else is doing this over-the-top live-action cartoon level of acting that's a little grating. Too much ham. But overall, it's nice to know more about Knux and his background. I like also the addition that Knuckles has some pretty impressive rudimentary scrounging/building skills. I like to imagine him helping Tails construct something one day, with Tails handling the intricate electronics while Knuckles handles the base form/bulk mechanics.
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archiveikemen · 23 hours
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Ellis Twilight Main Story: Chapter 3
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This is a fan-made translation solely for entertainment purposes with no guaranteed perfection. I do not own any of the original content. Please support CYBIRD by buying their stories and playing their games. Reblogs appreciated.
Warnings and FAQ
Ellis: Bodyguards?
At breakfast, Victor was talking about the unexpected incident that occured during my first job as the “fairytale keeper”.
Victor: That’s right! If Jude and Ellis protect Kate, our secrets will be kept safe too.
Victor: At the same time, Kate will also be able to observe the two of you up close and write everything down in her records…
Victor: It’s like killing two birds with one stone!
Victor: What do you think, Ellis?
Ellis: I’m fine with it if Kate is.
Ellis: Just because no one was hurt yesterday doesn't mean that sort of thing won't happen again… I want to be by Kate's side in case.
Victor smiled in response to Ellis and turned to Jude.
Victor: Of course you'll take this new responsibility seriously, right, Jude? You hate doing favours, don't you?
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Jude: Tch…
(I feel safe being near Ellis, but…)
Ever since having my life threatened because I was with Ellis and being mistaken for “Jude Jazza’s woman”, I couldn't help but feel wary of Jude.
Jude: Don’t you start wailing when you get caught in a scary situation, princess.
(He’s so intimidating… but this was a good suggestion from Victor, so I mustn't chicken out.)
Kate: I’ll be fine. I’m surprisingly tough!
Jude: … Hah.
Jude snorted and went back to reading the newspaper.
Ellis: Then it’s decided. I’m looking forward to working with you, Kate.
Kate: I look forward to working with you too.
Unlike Jude, Ellis returned a soft smile.
Ellis: By the way, you can be more casual with me.
Kate: Huh…?
Ellis: You could say “yeah, me too” or something.
Kate: Y-Yeah… me too.
Ellis: Mm, much better.
I felt comforted by Ellis’ warm vibes.
Victor: Administrative matters aside, now let’s talk about your mission.
I straightened my back and listened attentively to Victor’s words.
(This will be my first real job as the fairytale keeper.)
I bear in mind that this was important in helping me gain their trust.
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Victor: — Truth is, there is something I want you to collect information on.
Victor: It’s regarding the series of kidnapping cases happening all over London.
Kate: Kidnapping…?
That dangerous word brought back the same anxiousness I felt when I met the members of Crown for the first time.
Victor: Correct. The victims’ ages ranged from infants, to adolescents, and even grown adults.
Victor: One thing they have in common is that the adults were either prostitutes or street performers.
Victor: Popular songstresses from taverns have gone missing… many of them lived unstable lives without proper residential addresses.
Jude: Because the victims weren't people of high importance and mostly didn't have fixed addresses, no one reported them missing.
Jude: As usual, the police aren’t going to do anything about it either.
Unfortunately, like Jude mentioned, people who worked in the entertainment district were often looked down upon.
In that world of glitz and glamour, they were treated like pieces of trash in a garbage dump.
Victor: So, about the mission…
Victor: Have you heard about the ongoing art fair in London, the one with a few performers gathered there?
Kate: Yes. The scale of the event is not as big as the social season, but it’s rather crowded.
Victor: I want Jude and Ellis to go to that art fair and collect the necessary information.
Victor: These people may be vagrants, but they’re more bonded than you think.
Jude: Why do I have to go? This is useless.
Victor: Remember the human traffickers you dealt with in private? They might be connected to this case.
Victor: This has gone too far, don’t you think? Besides… today's your first day off in a long time.
That sounded like information Victor wouldn't be aware of, unless someone told him. Jude shot a glare at someone…
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Jude: … Ellis.
Ellis: He asked, so I answered honestly. Sorry.
(The power balance between these two might surprisingly be of equal level…)
Victor: See you!
Victor sent us off with his cheerful voice and we headed for our mission.
(The fair is even more crowded this time round…!)
Colourfully decorated stalls lined the venue of the art fair and delicious aromas wafted through the air.
The people were entertained by not only the food, but also the street artists painting and performers showcasing their talents on stages around the city.
Walking around the fair, I couldn't help feeling immersed in the lively atmosphere.
(Oh no, I’m getting too carried away… I must focus on our mission.)
(Right. I should ask him now.)
Kate: Ellis. Jude. Could you tell me about your curses?
Ellis: We haven't told you yet?
Ellis: I have the curse of the “Briar Bushes”, and Jude has the curse of the “13th Fairy”.
Ellis: They’re based on a motif called “The Thorn Princess (Sleeping Beauty)”.
(Curse of the briar bushes and the curse of a fairy…)
The 13th fairy was an antagonist who placed a deadly curse on the princess out of spite for not being invited to her birthday party.
(I know that's the fairy’s sin, but…)
(What sin did the briar bushes commit?)
As I thought hard about it, Jude suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned around languidly.
Jude: We don’t need a party of three. You go in the other direction to search for information.
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Ellis: What about protecting Kate?
Jude: You’ll be fine doing that alone.
Without another word, Jude disappeared into the sea of people.
Kate: … Does he hate me, by any chance?
Ellis: I don’t think so, he treats everyone like that.
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Ellis: His intention was probably to protect you from danger by avoiding being seen with you.
(Hmm, I don't really think so…)
I swallowed those words that I almost blurted out.
Kate: … If that’s the case, he’s actually rather kind-hearted, isn't he?
Ellis: I wouldn't say that. He loves hearing the people he hates scream in pain.
Kate: …
(It scares me how easy it is to imagine that…)
Ellis was the total opposite of him, showing kindness to everyone he met.
As though to prove me right, people all around us started approaching him the moment Jude left.
Flushed Man: Oh, you over there! Thanks for taking care of me that day!
Ellis: You’re welcome. Remember to drink in moderation today.
Kate: This is…?
Ellis: I found him passed out on the streets the other day, so I piggybacked him home. I don't know his name.
Kate: Eh!?
(You brought a random stranger home and nursed him back to health!?)
That wasn’t the only thing that left me in shock—.
Furniture Artisan: Business has been booming thanks to Ellis promoting my works to people!
Bespectacled Student: I’m so glad to run into you again! Um, I’d like to repay you for helping me fix my bike, could I have your contact information…
Cat: Nyaa.
(Even a CAT thanked him…!?)
(Or should I say, judging from the number of people who thanked him as we passed by…)
I could tell that Ellis did many good deeds on a daily basis.
Kate: I’m a postwoman, and yet you’re even more well-known than I am…!
Ellis: Really? I think this is pretty normal, though.
Ellis smiled gleefully as he watched the people smiling around him.
(Everything Ellis did for me yesterday is without a doubt just a usual thing for him.)
Someone who spreads joy.
Watching Ellis’ interactions with the people in town brought those words to my mind.
(Does someone like him even have any “sins” I can record down…?)
(Rather—)
(Why would someone this kind-hearted work for an assassination organisation or with Jude?)
Despite having personally witnessed his kindness… that question surfaced in my mind.
Ellis: Kate, Kate.
Kate: … Oh, I’m so sorry! I got lost in thought.
I came back to my senses and noticed Ellis peering into my face up close with his head tilted in puzzlement…
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Ellis: Were you thinking about me?
Kate: …!?
Our eyes met at a close distance like a pair of lovers gazing at each other, sending my heart into a frenzy.
(Ellis doesn't seem to be conscious of it, but… this is too close.)
The situation was the same as when he went to see me in my room the morning after I came to Crown’s castle.
It was the second time seeing his twilight coloured eyes up close.
Feeling my cheeks turn red from the embarrassment, I turned my eyes away from him.
Ellis: Ah, hit the nail on the head.
Kate: How did you know?
Ellis: Hmm… just a hunch, I guess?
Ellis handed me a steaming mug with a smile.
Ellis: Here, I bought this milk tea from that shop over there while you were lost in thought about me.
Ellis: This is to thank you for helping me with my mail the other day.
(... Ellis is awesome…)
Ellis’ eyelashes lowered and he lightly blew on the cup of milk tea before taking a sip.
Ellis: If there’s anything you want to ask me, feel free to.
Kate: … Understood.
Ellis: Just “okay” is good.
Kate: … Ellis, why did you join Crown?
Ellis: Victor recruited Jude to join Crown, then Jude said OK and I joined too, I guess?
(You joined just because Jude did…?)
Kate: Why are you always with Jude?
Ellis: You have many questions, huh.
Ellis smiled and held his mug in both hands.
Ellis: My life was a mess before I met Jude. I moved from place to place, never having anywhere to settle down.
Ellis: When I came to London, I met Jude by coincidence.
Ellis: Some stuff happened, and we made a deal.
Kate: A deal…?
Ellis: That I’ll work for Jude, and he’ll comply with my request in return.
Ellis: So… we’ll be sticking together until the time comes when he fulfils his side of the deal.
My next question gave me a feeling that something might happen if I heard the answer, causing a stir in my chest.
Kate: What request did you make…?
Ellis: It's—
Performer with Flashy Hat: What is going on!?
(...!?)
The sudden yelling made me jump in shock and look in its direction.
Behind us, in the back of a temporary stage, a performer was scratching his head in distress.
Performer with Flashy Hat: Two people can’t make it for the performance… this is a DISASTER…!
(Two people… two performers… could it be?)
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Kate: Ellis.
Ellie: … Yeah.
— “The victims of the serial kidnappings were often prostitutes or street performers”.
We exchanged looks and headed towards the distressed performer.
Kate: Um, excuse me.
Flashy Hat: Hm? Oh. My apologies, Miss, but my show has been postponed by another 10 minutes!
Ellis: We heard you saying just now that two people can’t make it to the show…
Flashy Hat: My buddy who is supposed to perform with me has gone missing without a word.
Flashy Hat: Geez, lots of people have been disappearing into thin air lately… it’s starting to get suspicious.
(Multiple people… going missing…)
(If we ask this person more about the disappearances, we might find something.)
Ellis: If it's alright with you, could you please tell us more?
Flashy Hat: Sorry, but I really don't have the time for that right now! Even if I have to do it alone, I must think of what to perform up on stage.
The performer shooed us away… but stopped and looked at us again as though he had just gotten an idea.
Flashy Hat: If you guys help me out with the show, that’ll be a whole other story.
Flashy Hat: Haha! I’m just kidding. Being short-handed is one thing, but it's a strict rule to never allow amateurs on stage.
He shook his head, seemingly to dismiss his suggestion as an impulsive one.
Ellis took a step closer.
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Ellis: Help? What kind?
Flashy Hat: Haha! You’re serious about this? I was merely joking.
Ellis: But you said that you’ll tell us the details if we help you, didn't you?
Flashy Hat: … What? Hey man, you guys got a problem or something?
His friendly face twisted.
Flashy Hat: Giving out information about my buddies puts them in danger.
Flashy Hat: I can’t guarantee that you two don't have ill intentions. We're strangers that just met.
Kate: How can we earn your trust?
Flashy Hat: Let me think…
Flashy Hat: If you guys are willing to be used as a target for knife throwing, or tied up and thrown into a tank…
Flashy Hat: I’ll trust you.
(Target for knife throwing…!?)
Ellis: Okay. I’m good at that stuff.
Ellis unhesitatingly proceeded with the negotiations while I stood there, baffled.
(Ellis is so confident when it comes to negotiations. It must’ve come from his experience in working with Jude…)
Ellis agreed to help the performer with the show, but negotiations didn't go as we expected.
Flashy Hat: Tch tch tch… you alone isn’t going to be enough. That lady has to help out too.
Kate: Wha…!?
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Ellis: … Why?
Flashy Hat: Perform, of course!
Flashy Hat: Just think of it. A tragic story about lovers being torn apart, building up and coming to a tear-jerking finale! The audience will definitely love it.
(... Knife throwing… being tied up in a tank…)
Ellis looked at me worriedly when he noticed my face turning pale.
Ellis: Kate, you don’t have to do it if you don't want to.
(Victor has done this knife throwing thing before, so Ellis will be fine with that.)
My physical abilities were nowhere nearly as good as Ellis’, and yet…
Whether or not we would get information from that person depended on me.
(I have to trust them and just go for it…)
Kate: V-Very well. I’ll help.
Letter
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toriangeli · 3 days
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One of my favorite things about how Anne Rice writes historical fiction: she doesn't sugar-coat her characters.
As in, there was never going to be any way all these vampires going back 6000 years were going to align with modern sensibilities. They're not savory. They suck.
First off, any male of status from before the Great Depression probably did, in fact, look at an underage girl and think, "she LOOKS like she could grow up cute and interesting, but do I want to wait to ask her dad and risk someone else calling dibs in the meantime?"
Lestat: Killed majestic, beautiful animals that were only trying to feed themselves. To save the lives of people who were counting on him, yeah, but still.
Marius: Literally from ancient Rome, lots of ideals from that time, pederastic relationship with Armand, see above disclaimer about males from prior to the Great Depression.
Armand, Santino, most of the de Landens: I do feel like the Children of Darkness/Satan wouldn't have been founded in our time, as evidenced by Lestat so easily disbanding them with basic Enlightenment talking points, so I think it counts.
Louis: LITERALLY OWNED SLAVES. And not in a bullshit "but I treat them so nice and they'd just be owned by someone mean if not for me!" way, he legit believed this was what black people were for. Until he became a vampire and all humans looked equal(ly foodlike) to him.
Gabrielle: Let other people raise her kids while she became a library hermit.
Maharet and Mekare: Cannibals. Oh, sorry. Respectful cannibals.
Khayman: Nnnot even gonna be sarcastic about this one. He was as much a victim of it as Maharet and Mekare, hence them not blaming him in the slightest. But people today would be put on trial for following an order like that one, so I figure it belongs here.
Daniel: idk probably unprotected gay sex. It was the 70's.
Claudia: Gets a pass. She was five. All the bad shit she does is unrelated to her time.
Mael: Helped keep a vampire captive for years, then proceeded to kidnap someone and force them to become a vampire, all because "idk we're kooky druids and it's our religion."
Everard: Laughs at Benedict for being kidnapped and having his blood stolen. Victim-blaming at its finest.
Akasha and Enkil: I mean, we know what they did, but everyone hated them in their own time, too, so.
Eudoxia: Jesus Christ.
Davis: HAS NEVER DONE ANYTHING WRONG EVER IN HIS LIFE. /protects him forever #theonlyinnocentvampireprobably
And you know what? I'd take the worst of these over Bill Compton, Damon Salvatore, or Whassisface Cullen fighting for the Confederacy because "the greater good." Like bro. At least the dickheads above are being honest about it and we can judge those parts of them appropriately. You're trying to make us think you were doing something honorable by being vague. We know what you were really fighting for, and so do you.
Moral of the story: If you're gonna be evil, trying to be sneaky about it only makes it worse.
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yandere-paramour · 1 day
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Hmmm… how’d they handle learning that their darling is also a Yandere? Like for Atalanta’s example maybe she has her darling’s old place looked into and finds a hidden cache of pictures of her locked in a box with different names being tried out on the back.
Vivien is overjoyed! Literally, he's so happy. He's over at your house and he asks to use the bathroom and accidentally-on-purpose heads to your bedroom (the place he definitely hasn't climbed the tree outside your apartment and watched you in with his binoculars). He's snooping around, sniffing your clothes, totally normal stuff, when he opens your closet and sees several pictures of... himself? There he is at work, watching anime at home, looking at flowers and biking in the park, sleeping. He can't even fathom any of this, except that he should definitely give you some more pictures of him to add to your shrine. This is great! He now knows he can be WAY weirder with you, perhaps even alluding to some of his skeevier activities to test the waters. Best thing is, if you're as enthralled with him as he is with you, you'll never ever ever leave him! You'll stay with him forever! You'll marry him and be his beloved spouse and you can have five kids and grow old together! It's perfect!
Atalanta does not like this. The thought of someone stalking and being obsessed unnerves her but for a weird reason. Basically, she is ambivalent but views it with distaste if people far away from her idolize her, but she doesn't like it at all if Darling does before they've even met. She sees it like... like you're idealizing the idea of her rather than the real her. She knows she's rich and beautiful/handsome and intelligent, but she's also a person who desperately wants to connect emotionally with another human being. If you only see her perfect outer shell, you won't like it if you see the real human being underneath that, the human who likes Earl Grey tea and roundhouse kicks and reading late into the night. She wants a partner, not a worshipper. However, if you are a yandere who doesn't know her, but you realize after your kidnapping that she loves you and wants to protect and spoil you forever, she would welcome you being a yandere then. Her Darling is beautiful, lovely, well-behaved, and receptive to her love? She didn't expect this but she's pleasantly surprised she can get her life with Darling on track this early.
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litnerdwrites · 1 day
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"We don't treat Elain and Nesta the same because Elain Apologised,"
Elain and Nesta aren't the same people. They can't be compared. While I understand that Nesta said some cruel things in that cabin, so did Feyre. While Nesta could've made things a bit easier on all of them, so could Feyre. They both have reasons to apologise to one another, so if you're going to condemn Nesta for not doing so, then Feyre deserves the same treatment.
But if Nesta did want to apologise, what makes you think it would be the second that Feyre got back? And in front of fae, no less. Nesta is complicated character who carries herself with pride and is considered a very private person, and is described as being queen like multiple times. The two have more issues to work through than just a few mean comments, and the moments they have the most sincere heart to hearts, are when they're alone. Without Rhysand peering from behind a door way, listening in and commentating whenever he feels like.
Looking back, in ACOTAR 1, we learn some of the myths humans tell about the Fae including that they can't lie, and they have to and that if you catch one, then it has to tell you what you want to know. Both of those turn out to be false, since fae can lie, and Ianthe caught the Surreal, but we learn in ACOWAR that it wouldn't tell her anything.
We can assume this means that the rules the fae follow in our mythology are the same ones that humans believe about fae in ACOTAR, meaning it's a fair assumption that one of the many stories about fae include never letting yourself be indebted to them. Saying things like 'thank you' or 'I'm sorry' comes across like as owing them something, and Nesta is, at this point, under the impression that doing so will cause the fae to hold it over her head and use to demand things of her for as long as she lives, if not ask something straight up impossible to make her more indebted to them.
On top of that, Feyre just asked her for a favour that could get her and Elain killed. The Mortal Queens could've just decided to have Elain and Nesta arrested and executed for collaborating with fae, or have them exiled even. It wasn't a small thing that Feyre asked for, and basically peer pressured her into, with Elain. So it's understandable that pleasantries and apologies are the last things on her mind, when her and Elain's life could be forfeit at any moment.
Even if Rhysand offers to protect them, what could he do? Nesta's under the impression that the Fae hate humans, look down on them and would treat them horribly if she crossed into their lands. Moreover, she has a whole life there, that they're suggesting she could drop to move to the other end of the country without so much as a message to their father? Or an idea of what's waiting for them? To abandon their home, friends, family and peoeple?
For what? Potential servitude? Amongst creatures she were taught were slave driving monsters? To live under her little sister's rule (cause even if she wasn't HL at this point, as fae, she has significant power over Nesta. Plus the ruler of said land they're offering to take her too openly favours Feyre, and kind of Elain but hates her, so she'd basically still be living by Feyre's whims) for the rest of her short life? Literally what part of that is appealing?
So Nesta not apologising to Feyre at that dinner, makes sense. Our girl had bigger things to worry about. She probably would have if she Feyre didn't outright abandon her to deal with her trauma alone, only showing up when she wanted to parade Nesta around at parties for her own joy, without considering how it feels to her. Or when her court, who don't like her and whom she doesn't like either, show up to insult her, and blame her for having trauma.
If Feyre and Nesta had more moments like the one in the library, or the one all three had after Az and Feyre rescued Elain, Nesta would've likely healed and apologised on her own. If the IC had just stayed out of it, then all three sisters would've figured things out, on their own. The IC just want something to complain about, so like the CON and the HC, they make a problem, and they complain that it exists.
Also, if I remember right, Feyre herself said she wanted to start over at that dinner. So unless Feyre or Nesta want to bring it up or talk about it, why does any of her family get to hold it over her head for the rest of immortality? Feyre literally just called it water under the bridge and all three of them were going through their own shit at the time, so let them actually work through their own issues privately, and I'll bet that they'll solve it on their own within a year.
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