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platrom · 1 year

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Red, Red Wine.

VILLAIN! YANDERE! DEKU X READER

NOTE: The second part of “One Last Time” is in the works. However, there is no set time when it will be released. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and endless kindness. :)

WORD COUNT: 4,655+

WARNINGS: DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT, intense yandere themes, severely unhealthy and toxic relationship dynamic between reader and Midoriya, intimacy is used as a way to assert power, predator/prey dynamics, dominant/submissive dynamics (like the abusive and non consensual kind), vague description of dead bodies (hinting of dismemberment of heads that are familiar faces), constant on edge behavior, there are frequent signs and mentions of domestic abuse behavior, Midoriya is a top villain, reader was once a civilian, Stockholm syndrome (sort of), reader is appeasing to midoriya in order to survive, condescending and patronizing pet names (doll, darling, etc.), a huge plot twist, they are on the top of a building, Midoriya physically abuses reader, description of blood, not a happy ending

THIS TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP IS NOT HEALTHY. IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE ARE STRUGGLING, PLEASE GET HELP. THIS BEHAVIOR SHOULD NOT BE CONDONED. PROCEED READING WITH CAUTION.

“Izuku, where are we?” Your dainty hands clasp onto his scarred forearms, fingertips squeezing helplessly against his bulging muscles. Gently, Izuku pulls your body closer to his, your lower back pressing against his abdomen. Your feet are sectioned in between his, and he places his chin on your shoulder before leaning into the crook of your neck.

Your lover’s coarse palms cover your eyes, preventing you from seeing this “surprise” he had planned. Despite the loss of one of your senses and the feeling of your husband’s astonishingly and worryingly warm body around yours, your ears still pick up the distinct whirring of cars speeding in the distance, couples giggling, and kids shrieking. The world around you sounds alive— free. It’s the first time such typical yet genuine sounds have reached your harking ears and your shoulders relax at what you could only describe as mellifluous noises.

A gentle breeze kisses your skin, sending a shiver down your spine that sends goosebumps down your arms. Instinctively, your shoulders droop as you lower your hands to rub your biceps to produce warmth for your chilled skin, mentally chastising yourself for wearing a dress for this occasion. That little voice that had possessed you, chanting at you to wear a dress for one of the sporadic times you were allowed to leave the penthouse with Izuku was a devious runt, considering it was still fall season and the beginning of winter had begun to mark its incoming presence.

Though, Izuku had told you that this was an extremely special occasion and wanted you to style yourself appropriately. You couldn’t just disappoint your Izuku, could you?

No, you couldn’t.

“Darling,” he coos, “I need you to keep your eyes closed for me, okay?”

Obediently, you nod your head and breathe out a small word of confirmation. Smirking into your skin, Izuku lifts his head from your shoulder and firmly grips your chin between his forefinger and thumb, leaning the back of your head into his chest. His hold is a warning— one you know all too well. If you do something he doesn’t like, it’s off with your head.

Time after time, Izuku would effortlessly place you in such subtlety compromising positions that most would brush aside for simply loving touches like the protective hand on the waist, the classic intertwining of fingers, or even the casual arm slung around one’s shoulders. And one way or another, each one would leave you vulnerable to his wrath. They all were positions of impeding submission- just as if with a predator and its prey. It was like the game of cat and mouse: the cat allowed the mouse to run to provide it a false sense of security and a chance to “hide,” but the cat was always one step ahead of the mouse. It knew the critter better than itself.

Presently, if he as so much desired to inflict the smallest ounce of pain upon you, he could tighten his grip on your chin, using nothing but the mere strength of his fingers to inflict severe and intense pain upon you. No arm or quirk required. And if he truly wanted, he could snap your neck without a moment’s notice and you wouldn’t even be able to feel it.

In short, you were inferior to Izuku Midoriya in every single way and he had no problem reminding you of your place that was tropic levels below him.

His fingers tilt your jaw upwards and that familar feeling of dread and panic begins to well in the pit of your stomach like a parasite festering. Dim memories resurface in your mind, reminding you of the reality that Izuku was a calculating man that always planned miles ahead. He analyzed his enemies and allies like a scientist studying its confined and captured test subjects, jotting down and mentally noting every minuscule detail about them. Every reaction, every action, every quality and characteristic.

Whatever your partner was planning, it frightened you to no end.

“Izuku?”

Behind you, your husband’s chest puffs in pride at the overly saccharine tone of your voice. He had taught you to habitually direct nothing but sugary sweetness towards him when even daring to garble out his hallowed name. Like a compliant little puppy, one that had been punished for their bad behavior as well as rewarded for their obedient behavior, you had begun to accommodate and form yourself to his liking.

For ages, you called him by his surname and work title (as well as a few other names) until eventually, he had broken your resolve and forced you to call him by his forename. Now, whenever he heard you say “Izuku” oh-so-sweetly in that voice of yours that left him spiraling in a flurry of jubilation, his heart would explode in his chest like thousands of fireworks lighting up the starry night sky.

Alas, you only knew this information because of the countless times your inamorato had gushed like a lovestruck puppy over how elated and enraptured he was by your voice that called to him like a siren luring their victims into a pool of water. He never failed to make it known just how he worshipped you.

“Don’t fret, my love,” Izuku coos, pressing a chaste kiss to the top of your head. “If you fall, I’ll catch you. Do you remember the vows we exchanged at our wedding?”

Don’t screw this up.

It’s a mantra that repeats in your head incessantly like a wailing baby pleading for its mother to pay attention to them. It was the same phrase that rung in your ears at your “wedding” with Izuku, cautioning you to step on your toes so you didn’t slice your heels on glass. It reminded you that the shards littering the floor with their serrated edges were not from the barriers you shattered, but from the ones you prompted him to explode into smithereens.

How could you forget that traumatic day? How could you forget the blood that spilled out of the young man’s chest, the only one who tried to free you from the suffocating clutches of the world’s deadliest villain?

On that fateful day, countless of Japan’s greatest heroes stood beside you, surrounding you like a wild pack of blood thirsty coyotes. Their eyes glistened with that exact unhinged glint that sparkled in the viridian irises of Izuku’s, the crazed faces that spoke miles about the demented thoughts that were conjured in their minds.

You wouldn’t put it past them to have given this same fate to some innocent civilian like you once were.

“How could I?” you respond serenely, forcing your lips to pull into a reminiscing smile. You’re sure that if you could see Izuku’s face, he would be grinning like a dork with a faint blush on his cheeks. Some things never changed with him.

The bulky man behind you mumbles something unintelligible and releases your face from his hold before taking a grand step back and clasping your hand in his and twirling you. The ends of your dress glide up and away from the skin of your legs, the smooth satin flowing like a rose finally budding its luscious petals.

In the care of his hands, you move effortlessly, like a professional figure skater performing on ice. The moment your chest presses against his, Izuku’s arms wrap around you, securing you to him completely and preventing all possibilities of escaping. His grip on you reminds you vaguely of a viper squeezing its prey to suffocation, watching as its victim’s eyes bulged out and jaw gaped like a fish out of water in a vain attempt to save itself from the claws of a reaper, to ignore the sound of death knocking on its door.

If death was embodied by any person, it would be Izuku Midoriya.

“You can open your eyes now, darling.”

Years ago, when you watched Pro Hero Deku speak in interviews, you thought that his emerald eyes were surely jewels crafted by only the finest, most nubile and skilled hands. That some deity who roamed the Mountains of Olympus had plowed through the toughest of mines and destroyed millions of geodes with a strength that only myths could describe to give him irises so exquisite and unparalleled.

Now, when you stare into the eyes of the former Symbol of Peace of Japan known as Deku and now the recorded worst villain worldwide, you are greeted by a glowing, radioactive green that bubbles with the promise of acid-burning flesh and scars to last a lifetime.

The memory of the eyes of a genuine hero is a dim one and in its place are the eyes of a bloodthirsty villain. How could such a person change in only a couple of years?

Because of you.

He sighs fondly, eyelids drooping and shoulders relaxing at the sight of your sinless eyes staring widely in puzzlement at his.

Play dumb, you remind yourself. It’ll all be over soon.

He adored whenever you let him take the reins to pamper you and would condescendingly coo at you whenever you succumbed to his overbearing behavior, too tuckered out to resist the absolute hulking mass of a man that claimed to belong to you entirely, body and soul.

Being obedient and compliant always came out with a better outcome for you both. After all, he was the apex predator and you were nothing more than his pet. Another mere prey in the food chain, caught up with an animal greater than it could ever be.

Against Izuku, you were weak. But you had claws too. Maybe not as sharp, but you could fight back too. And if not physical, then you could outsmart him. Be conniving. Sly, slick, quick.

All you had to do was play your pieces correctly. Stalemate or checkmate, you would get there eventually. You just had to be patient.

Delicately, Izuku taps your chin with the tip of his fingers, the gentle motion so foreign it successfully snaps you out of your thoughts and redirects your full attention on him.

“Darling, I know the sight is one you can’t beat, but I didn’t bring you out here to just stare at me,” Izuku teases, patting your head lightly. The remark is one so casual and so normal that it sends you reeling in shock and face exploding in warmth, forcing your eyes to shut in embarrassment and your lips to purse to stop a squeak from escaping your throat. Your arms move to wrap themselves around your face to conceal your flustered expression.

“If you really wanted to just stare at me, we could have stayed home. I don’t mind the attention, either— it’s not everyday I get to spend time with a pretty lady like you.”

The sound of Izuku’s hearty chuckling echoes into the night, increasing the heat that crawls onto your neck. Without a doubt, you’re smudging your makeup in a poor attempt to conceal your face from his prying eyes, but the act of lighthearted, innocent embarrassment is one you haven’t experienced in eons and you choose to only tighten your grip on yourself in a futile attempt to linger in the warmth and refreshment of the feeling. Izuku’s guffaws sound so casual and free— unlike the menacing and maniacal laughs you had grown accustomed to as his prisoner.

Hesitantly, you sneak a peek from the shelter of your limbs and watch as the hulking mass known as the world’s deadliest, most dangerous villain chuckled until tears began to form in his eyes.

“Don’t laugh at me,” your arms fall to your side and you lower your head, falling into a dejected stance. “I was just spacing out.”

Deku grins giddily, his normally dull jade eyes lightening up in fondness. Dramatically, he lifts a scarred hand to his face and another to his chest, leaning back to imitate a distressed and offended damsel. “Oh, I would never, my love!”

Rolling your eyes, you slap Izuku’s shoulder with an annoyed huff. Without a doubt, your poor efforts to inflict the smallest amount of pain on Izuku must have felt like nothing to the man who experienced years of strenuous and grueling training to strengthen his body to accommodate one of the world’s most puissant quirks that made him firmer than the mantle of the Earth itself. So much so, that even All Might could not defeat him— his own successor had surpassed Japan’s greatest hero and arguably the world’s best hero internationally. Izuku Midoriya, Deku, was a force to be reckoned with.

His name was whispered like a curse on the streets, and the heroes of today didn’t dare to even say his name.

Though, this villain was once a hero. You just don’t know where it all went wrong, when the world lost its privilege to scream out for their favorite hero to save them and instead gave you the role of being the lady in distress.

But you do, don’t you?

“Why are we out here anyway? It’s freezing, Izuku,” you trail off, making a show of rubbing your arms vigorously to further accentuate your point. Glancing above you, the stars of the night twinkle above you in mockery, their sparkles brightening despite your current misery.

A small murmur of apology slips past his lips, his hands reaching to cup your cheeks and stroke your face lovingly with the pads of his thumbs. “Today’s Halloween,” Izuku begins, and that familiar glint of adoration forms in his eyes as he watches your eyes widen in giddiness at the sound of your favorite holiday. Slowly, he leans forward until your foreheads touch, green curls tickling your scalp, and he moves his fingers to slip under the neckline of your clothes before rubbing tender circles on your neck, calloused thumb caressing the salubrious and unadulterated skin in contrast to his tainted and sullied skin. “I know how much you love the holiday, so I wanted to take you out to watch it happen in live action.”

The gesture is sweet, you can admit. He never took you out, considering the circumstances of your situation. It was thoughtful of him to remember that when you were younger, dressing up and collecting candy had been an absolute must for you every year. Who could pass up free candy?

Certainly, you couldn’t. Before and presently.

Hesitantly, you lift your hands to hold onto Izuku’s, (e/c) eyes gazing back into besotted basil ones. Having Midoriya in such close proximity was making your head spin— the savory scent of his cologne blended in with his skin so well, so much so that even with all this time spent together, you could never get used to the combination.

How could you?

Like the trained pet you were, you lift Midoriya’s hand to your lips and press a chaste kiss on a scar that ran all the way down to his forearm, eyes fluttering shut in hopes of appeasing your husband, the world’s deadliest villain.

Be obedient, you reminded yourself. Just do as he desires and you’ll survive.

“Always so appreciative, my love,” Izuku hums contently, pleased with your submissive behavior. “I taught you so well, didn’t I?”

A small smile breaks out on your face, akin to the mischievous grin of a Cheshire cat. The pawns on the chess board were falling into place, in your favor.

Check.

Breaking away from him, you cautiously inch towards the edge of the building, peering past the short concrete wall that prevented people from tipping off the rooftop. In the distance, you see people of various ages dressed up for Halloween. Little children skip down the street with their parents in step, dressed in frumpy little pumpkin costumes, sparkling princess dresses, and simple prince-like tunics. Teenagers huff as they chase their younger siblings down— scolding and chastising the children as they tiredly wipe at their eyes, smearing the heavy and dark lines of eyeliner they had spent countless hours applying.

Others drunkenly stumble down the sidewalk with their arms linked together, giggling like gossiping girls. The clicking of their heels meeting the rough surface of the pavement fills the silence of the night, along with the joyous and festive behavior from the neighborhood.

Brightly illuminated inflatable pumpkins fill the lawns of residential homes, childishly frightening faces painted onto the translucent orange tarps. Plastic bones crookedly stick out of the dirt and faux skulls litter the gardens located on the block. Styrofoam graves are splayed methodically on the ground, followed by hollow coffins occasionally stuffed with skeletons.

Halloween reminded you of the life you once had; it brought the innocence and kindness that laid deep within individuals to bubble up and explode. It showed a sweeter side to the world, one that allowed children to waddle around excitedly, shriek in joy, and chortle in pure jubilation at the immense happiness such thoughtful and caring behavior brought.

If only the world was still kind to you.

“That’s not the only surprise I have prepared for you, darling.” There’s a playful lilt in his voice that you haven’t heard in ages, a memoir of an era where nothing but sunshine, starlight, and moonlight flowed through a hero’s veins. A period where the sky was sincerely never the limit, where the world and its residents had begun to find tranquility, where crime rates that had previously skyrocketed has dipped to an all time low.

“Look behind you, darling.”

Obey him and you’ll survive.

Swiveling your head to side, you peer over your shoulder and past Izuku, only to be met by the sight of the classic Hollywood round table with a long white cloth draped over it.

Long, thin candles are placed in the center of the spectacle, their warm glow inviting you to sit down at the table. In contrast to the darkness of the night, the scenery looks absolutely breathtaking, as if it were straight out of a fairytale. Where a prince would free an enslaved princess and love her unconditionally until the end of time. Where two souls would travel the world hand-in-hand, safe in each other’s presence.

But not every story is the same; not every princess gets a happy ending.

On each side of the table are the standard silverware laid out, containing the elegant and ever-so-classic salad forks, fish forks, dinner forks, and more. Large, white plates rest in between the utensils, plated with katsudon on both your plates— Izuku’s favorite dish.

Two elegant, wooden seats are placed on opposite sides. The embroidery on the wood is done to a level beyond pure excellence— the carvings are delicate, thin, and flawless. Swirls and spirals decorate the deep mahogany wood, and laid atop the seats are thick, velvet cushions. Without a doubt, the pillow is sturdy yet so utterly soft and delightful.

“It’s all yours, my love.” His hands envelop your lower back, gently nudging you to inch towards the setup.

His heavy footsteps follow yours, the pounding of his black oxford’s meeting the floor below ringing through your ears.

It reminds you of the countless times you’ve heard Izuku’s footsteps late at night after he had come home from a long shift, or the days you spent in solitude, locked in a basement and chained to the walls of the cold, pitch black room.

He pulls out chair for you, before pushing it back in once you’ve securely seated yourself. Returning to his side of the table, he sits down and lifts a bottle of wine from under the table, popping out the cork.

“Care for a glass?” He’s nearly done pouring himself a hefty helping of liquor before tipping an empty glass in your direction and grinning.

If all went to hell, at least you would be buzzed enough to forget about it all.

You nod your head.

After pouring you a glass, you both proceed to eat. The meat is tender, savory, and flavorful. Once the noodles meet your tongue, they practically melt like a popsicle on a hot day. There’s the perfect amount of seasoning and chives that can be found in each bite, sending you reeling for seconds.

Minutes pass and the night continues to darken as you both feast on the meals in front of you, downing each bite with a sip of the sweet wine poured for you both. By the time you’re done chewing on your last bite, you’re a few glasses in and drunk.

Setting the cutlery down, you rest your chin on your palm, quietly gazing at Izuku’s massive figure. The angered thoughts that you had buried deep inside your mind creeps out of its closings, slipping to the front of your brain. Its claws push past the protective barriers that grew with time and experience, the survival tactics that you had to develop in order to adapt to an entirely new universe.

Maybe, it’s the liquor thrumming in your veins that pushes you to open your mouth clumsily and let words slip from your lips that you knew would have you punished.

"Do you regret it?”

Izuku’s fork stills, his head remaining downwards towards his meal. The air between you both stills, the candles that once radiated a tranquil warmth now becomes one that burns within your skin like a raging fire and raises the hair on your arms.

“Don’t go further,” the embers whisper. They flicker as the pace of the wind picks up, sending wisps of your hair flying. “Don’t play with fire when you know you can’t quell the flames away.”

“Don’t fall for the same trap you did years ago, (Name).”

But you were never one to listen to warning signs, were you?

“You had it all, Midoriya,” the words gush out of your mouth like a flood filling a building, no force able to prevent the inevitable from occurring. “You surpassed All Might— the greatest hero to have ever existed in history since the beginning of quirks; everyone adored you and villains fell at your heels. You even managed to eventually defeat All for One. Wealth encompassed you and you could have had any person you wanted as your partner.”

The red liquid in your cup captures your attention, twinkling in the moonlight. “Yet, you threw it all away. Why? Anyone would have died to be in your position.”

Izuku remains unmoving, almost refusing to react. It’s like when a predator and it’s prey meet eye to eye, each one staring the other to make the first move. To attack or flee. But in this case, you were already cornered.

Helpless, weak, defenseless. Those were the words you would use to describe yourself. But your inferiority only spurs you on, feeding into the ignited flames.

“You took everything I had, even when you had to all.” Tears well up in your eyes, hands moving to fist at your dress. It’s overwhelming— the intensity of your emotions that now settle upon you. The liquid courage that once flowed through your veins seeps out of your system, leaking from your eyes. The edges of your vision fade away into a blurry mess, impairing you. Softly, you weep, “Why can’t I win, just once?”

The tears spill from eyes like a dam cracking from the pressure of the water. The trickle is slow, light, but as each tear falls the intensity increases until they stream down your face. Shallow breaths are taken with each sob, each exhale a painful heave that leaves your shoulders rattling. Loose limbs freeze in place like stone, muscles tending to the point of violent shaking.

Your sobs are obnoxiously loud, disruptive, and foreign with the beauty of the night, but you can’t stop. You set a foot into the rabbit hole and now you’ve fallen into it with no escape.

A gentle scraping of wood against tile is drowned out by your desperate breaths, until you feel warm hands clasp your own and hug you tightly. Small murmurs leave his lips as he tenderly rubs your skin, the heroic instincts he once had kicking in.

Truly, there were some parts that you could not entirely remove from a person no matter how drastically they changed.

Eventually, the tears run out and you are left motionless in Izuku’s hold, eyes stuck in a blank stare. You’re nothing but a mere doll, lifeless and pliable. Izuku coos at you as he shifts you in his arms, pressing a chaste kiss to your forehead.

“Stand up, love” he whispers, shifting his hold onto your elbows to raise you from your chair. “I have one final surprise for you.”

You comply, leaning into Izuku’s hulking figure. Tuckered out from your wracking sobs, all ideas you held about refusing to succumb to his touch escape your mind.

“Look at the ground, darling.”

And you do as you’re told.

At first, there’s nothing but the tile of the building under you. It’s dark outside, but it looks solid in color. It would be rough against your skin if you fell on it. Probably cold too, like the feeling of thousands of needles piercing through your skin.

Then, a slight heat begins to emit from beneath you, warming your footwear. The plain color of cement fades away into a light gray and eventually, into an ivory. There’s sudden clicks from below you and instinctively you clutch onto Izuku’s arm, mind alert. You don’t have the energy to panic, but you know that something isn’t right.

The ivory fades away to form a translucent tile, but there are undefined shapes below you.

The clicks continue, but with each one it sounds closer and sections of the building under you light up, the brightness seeping through the cracks.

“Izuku, what’s this?” Your voice quivers, knees trembling in place.

He grins maniacally, verdant irises gleaming in glee. “Just wait and see,” he responds.

The clicking comes closer and closer, and with each light that switches on you can begin to make out certain shapes.

Familiar faces.

Once the final light turns on, you’re in tears all over again, in a state of shock. The bloodied faces of your former classmates, friends, and coworkers stare back at you, their own eyes lifeless. It’s disgusting, the blood that covers the building below you.

You open your mouth to speak, but no words come out. You can only stare in horror as you watch the people of your past look back up at you, long gone from the world.

“Isn’t it just extraordinary?” He squeezes your shoulders enthusiastically, beaming from one ear to the other. “You get to see all the low-lives of your past dead, in front of your very own eyes. Everyone who made you suffer is finally gone. Isn’t that just wonderful?”

The sight makes you want to vomit the katsudon and wine back up again.

“Can’t you see how much I love you, darling? I killed everyone who hurt you to make you happy!” He twists your face to meet his, moving to press a kiss to your lips.

And you don’t stop him.

You can’t.

You never could.

You should have listened when you were told to run, just like you were so many years ago. You should have listened to others, too blinded by ignorance.

This time, you were blinded by fear.

And now, you were stuck forever.

Closing your eyes once your lips meet his, you accept your reality.

You were stuck forever with Izuku, married to the world’s worst villain.

You fell for his trap and now had you in his grasps forever, just like he planned. You could never outsmart the puppeteer; this was his world. Not yours. It never was and it would never be.

And you had finally accepted the inevitable.

“No one is coming back for you, you know? You’re mine forever.”

You would never win against Izuku Midoriya. No one ever could.

It was best to accept the truth sooner than later.

#© platrom, plot / writing / banners & headers. do not repost, reblogs are appreciated! please consider leaving a comment and a heart! <3

#deku x reader #mha x reader #yandere midoriya #yandere deku x reader #yandere midoriya x reader #villain deku x reader #midoriya x reader #yandere izuku x reader #yandere izuku #izuku midoriya x reader #dead dove do not eat #midoriya izuku #x reader #bnha reader insert #deku x you #izuku x you #midoriya x you

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crazyk-imagine · 1 year

Text

Leadership and Mended Relationships

Pairing: Leonard “Bones” McCoy x Ex-Captain! reader Characters: Leonard “Bones” McCoy, Ex-Captain! reader, James T. Kirk, Spock Warnings: Fake aliens, bad alien biology (author created), mentions of crew mates dying or being dead, Kirk and reader interactions, Kirk and Bones interactions, classic Spock behavior, fighting, mentions of stabbing Word Count: 3,357

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You sigh, staring up at the sky as you think about everything that’s happened to lead to this moment; you in a tree, so your friends don’t harm you.

Can you even call them friends if they’re constantly trying to kill you?

You shrug off the idea and return your focus onto nothing and stare at the sky with an empty head, no thoughts running around.

It’s almost… peaceful, even if there are times where you wish you still had someone to talk to.

The annoying whispers of people below you, draw your attention onto them.

They clearly don’t know who resides on this planet now and certainly won’t know how to protect themselves.

You sigh and climb down from the tree branch. You stand behind the two. “Would you two shut up?”

The blond male raises his phaser, aiming it at you.

He looks familiar but you can’t focus on that. “What are you two doing here?”

The two men glance at one another, each with a raised brow. “Where’s your ship? I need to get you two out of here.”

The darker haired one furrows his brows, unable to tell if you’re being honest or not. “How do we know we can trust you?”

‘That voice is familiar?’ You roll your eyes, shaking your head. ‘Absolute idiots.’ “Those things you’re hiding from, are infected with an unknown disease. They were once people I knew but now, they will severely harm anyone that gets in their way. Now, I’ll ask you again, do you want to live?”

“Which way.” The captain interrupts before the darker haired man could interject.

“Good.” You jerk your head to the side, “follow me.” As you slowly move away, you listen to their complaints and sketchy attitude towards you.

“I don’t think this is a good idea.”

James glances back towards you, rushing ahead of Leonard. “Yeah, well, we don’t have a lot of other options, huh.”

“How do we know we can trust her?”

He stops, barely having enough time to keep distance between you and him. The lighter haired man turns around to face his friend and loyal shipmate with a questioning look. “Do you see anyone else willing to help us?”

You shush the two, not wanting either of them to draw anyone closer.

The man in blue continues to make unhelpful comments.

You can’t take it anymore and decide to do the only thing you can and cover his mouth with your hand, needing him to shut up. “You need to shut up, okay?”

Your gaze travels up from his hand, leaving you to stare into his eyes. “If you don’t, you two will not make it out alive. Do you understand?” ‘These eyes…’

A vulcan runs through the bush blocking you three from the rogues. “There seems to be a tribe of- oh. Hello.”

“Both of you keep,” you stare at the two who seem to be the most compliable. “’complains too much’ quiet and stay here. Do. Not. Move.”

You push the push aside, needing to see where they are and come up with a plan. You turn back, glancing over your shoulder, “when I say run. You run.”

“Wait,” the captain begins to argue.

You shush him, “don’t speak another word. Do as I say when I tell you to, okay?”

The captain sees the fire in your eyes and nods.

You run forward heading towards a tree, knowing it’s your only means of safety.

James glances over at his buddy. “Are you happy, Bones? Our one chance of survival just ran away.”

“Shut up, Kirk.”

You jump down onto the first one that moves closer, tackling it to the ground.

You two battle with one another, struggling to dodge the punches coming your way, only to succeed when you punch it in the nose and it proceeds to fall to the ground, no longer moving.

Your head snaps up as two others stomp, rushing towards you.

You pull out your handmade dagger, swiping at the closest one.

It lets out a shriek, holding its arm as if it’s in pain.

“Run!”

None of them could move.

Spock tries to get you to move but neither of them listen as he tries to persuade them away from here.

The other rogue comes up behind you, wrapping their arms around your waist, pulling you into their grasp.

The two of you struggle before you manage to get the upper hand, thrusting your elbow up, hitting its nose.

There’s one thing you’ve come to realize and won’t hesitate to teach the others, wanting to save lives. Maybe make up for the lives you saw lost today.

The rogue that got away from you shrieks, most likely upset that its two companions are now dead. It isn’t much of a fight between the two of you once you get the upper hand.

You take a deep breath, holding your side at the sharp pain that comes with every breath you take. ‘Slowly inhale. Exhale.’

You push the bushes aside, showing the three your tired expression. “Now,” you huff. “I ask again, where’s your ship?”

“Why do you want to know so badly?” James asks you.

Leonard chimes in before you can answer. “What did you do to those-”

“Rogues. Can I get a captain, a doctor, and a Vulcan back to their ship because that’d be great.”

“And what of you?” Spock asks.

You shrug, “whatever you see fit.”

“I don’t believe I understand the term “you see fit”. There is no reason to see why things are fit. Are you referring to your camouflage attire?”

The three males have been unable to see your face this entire time, but you simply answer his question with a stare.

“Call your crew. They’ve waited long enough. I want to get you out of here. The longer you stay here, the more at risk you all are at becoming a rogue.”

“Is that what happened to you and your crew?” The captain asks.

You sigh through your nose, “yes.”

Leonard grits his teeth. “We can’t contact our crew.”

You pinch the bridge of your nose, “what’s the last thing you remember seeing before being chased over here?”

“It was really colorful.”

“Well, isn’t that helpful. Can any of you tell me something else? Something distinct?”

“We were near a camp or what looked like an abandoned campsite,” the dark-haired man chimes in.

“Oh.” Your voice doesn’t come out as comforting as they could have hoped.

“You know where it is?” The captain asks, surprised by your answer.

“Yes,” you say, with a sigh. “Get up, it’s time to start walking.”

“How do you know there aren’t going to be anymore coming after us?”

You take a deep breath. “Those three were the last of my crew.”

“Who are you?” The Vulcan asks.

“Someone trying to help you. Now you can either sit here with a high risk of being infected or you can follow and be quiet while I get you out of here safely.”

“Why’re you talking like you’re never getting out of here?” James asks.

“I never thought it was going to happen... still don’t. I also don’t expect you to invite me aboard. You have a crew to protect and look out for. I understand.”

“You went through the same thing.”

“… look at where that got me.”

“I’m sure you did everything you could.”

“It wasn’t enough.”

“You seem like the kind of person who would do everything they could to protect those they care about and, in some cases, even complete strangers.”

“Is this how you get girls into your bed?”

“Well- not mine- but- that doesn’t matter. How- how would you know?”

“You have a quality.”

“A quality?”

“I bet you use those blue eyes to reel them in.” You push plants aside, giving the three more space to walk through.

“Am I wrong?”

“I don’t find this to be necessary regarding our escape, captain.”

The corner of your lips tugs upwards. “That’s correct, Spock.”

“Wait- wait. You two know each other?” Leonard asks, shocked at the interaction between the two of you.

“We were all in the academy together.”

“If I’m not mistaken, at one point, we were in the same class.”

You stop, looking up at the sky as you take a deep breath. “We’re here.”

“Cap- Capt- Captain.” The captain pulls out his comm.

“Scotty.”

You smile when you hear the classic sigh of relief from a crewmate. “How’re we lookin?”

“Good. Better now. Ready to beam up, Sir?”

“Yes. Beam up the four of us.”

Your head snaps in his direction.

“Four?” Leonard leans closer to his captain, “Jim, are you sure about this?”

Before you know it, you’re on the ship and find a few others giving you strange looks. “Are you sure you want me here? I don’t even know your names.”

“You never told her our names?” Spock asks, although he's sure you know their names. He knows you were always one to try and remember people’s names, reason unknown to him.

You cross your arms, “does it matter?”

“It will when we have you checked out?” James says, unsure of what he’s suggesting.

“I’ll pass,” you assure him.

“Pass? You’ll pass...” Leonard chimes in. “On a visit to the doctor which you haven’t been to in how long?”

You avoid his gaze. “A while.”

“Exactly.”

“Nope. I’m not doing this” you spin around to walk away. “Bye.”

“Hey! Wait up!” The captain shouts, running after you.

“I’m Jim.”

“As in Kirk?”

He tilts his head. “How’d you know?”

“I went to school with you.”

His expression doesn’t change.

“You definitely did not pay attention the first time this was mentioned.”

He scoffs, “that’s rude of you to assume.”

“It’s not assuming if I’m right. Now, go get me a new uniform and we’ll talk.” You raise a brow when he doesn’t move.

“O- okay. Follow me.” He shows you where the spare uniforms are (after asking one of his crew members where to go) and grabs one for you.

You take it, examining it. “Is there anything else besides a dress?”

“Not at the moment.”

“Could I get a red one? Gold just- it’s not my color anymore.”

“Yeah, no problem.” He switches the uniforms for you. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.” You unwrap the scarf from your head and remove your goggles, followed by the rest of your attire.

His eyes widen at the sight of you stripping down. “Wow, your just-”

“It’s skin, not a new undiscovered planet. If you can’t handle this, turn around.”

“I think I’m good.”

He squints when he sees your tattoo. “Have I met you somewhere?”

You pull the dress up, slipping your arms through the sleeves. “I did mention we went to school together.”

“Yeah, I know. I meant besides that.”

“I’ve been everywhere so it could have been a number of places.”

“Okay. It’s just- I’ve seen that tattoo somewhere before.”

“I’ve had to change on the way to class before. Could have been then.”

He nods. “Follow-” He’s cut off when the ship shakes, you fall against the wall.

“Captain on the bridge.”

“What’s going-”

“You need to get power and you need power now,” you tell the two men who sit in front of the captain’s chair.

“There’s too little power. We can’t leave.”

“I’m getting us out of here. Jim, I need your permission to-”

“Captain, they’re trying to make contact,” a woman in a red outfit says, holding her headset in one hand.

“Let them.”

“Isn’t this a surprise?”

You turn to see the man who did this. “Krealigah. (kr-ee-leh-gah) Taking my crew wasn’t enough. You’ve decided to steal this ship’s power. Still trying to continue with your torture plan?”

“I wouldn’t say that. You know what happens to those who bad mouth me.”

“And you know what I can do. Seems to me like we know hardly enough about each other so how about you and I beam down so we can have a proper talk?”

“As nice as that sounds, I’m going to pass.”

“Why do you need their ships power? You have enough to leave.”

He chuckles, “who says I want to leave. Maybe I want to see how long you think you can survive with this crew.”

“The only thing you want to do is see innocent ships become tainted and ruined by whatever poison you have on you.”

“We’ll see about that.”

“He’s scanning us,” the dark-haired man sitting in front of the captain’s seat says.

“His shields are down, right?” You ask.

“Yes.”

“Put yours up now. Jim, you need your shields up now and someone to go down to engineering. One of his men came aboard and messed with your systems. I know who. If you give me your permission, I can stop him and make sure the same thing that happened to me doesn’t happen to your crew.”

He nods, “Mr. Sulu, shields up. You and I are going down to engineering and stop this guy.”

“You should be-”

“Let’s go.”

“You don’t like to listen, do you? Always one to throw yourself straight into danger, huh.”

“It’s called protecting my crew.”

“Protecting your crew and being stupid are two different things.”

“Now that you two have been acquainted, can we go down to engineering now?”

“Spock, good timing as always.”

You rush towards the doors and step inside.

“She’s still here? Why is she- and you gave her clothes?” Seems like he does remember you.

You spin around and poke his chest, “you need to shut up and know when to respect someone who’s saving lives, not in the same way as you but keeping people alive know the less. Keep talking like that and you’ll wind up with a foot up your-”

“Okay,” James pulls you away from Leonard, making sure to keep a distance between the two of you. “You know, this would be a lot easier if you two could be friends.”

“I don’t see that happening.” You cross your arms.

“She isn’t making this easy.”

You shake your head. “I swear,” you mumble.

“What do we need to prepare ourselves for?”

“A whirlwind of torture. When these doors open… grab anyone, you can and get them out of here.”

“But we could-”

“Spock.”

“Yes.”

“You don’t like to admit when anyone is right but if either of these two are the last ones here, you get them out of here.”

He nods, “understood.” Leonard furrows his brows at how you managed to get the Vulcan to cooperate with you so easily. ‘She’s certainly changed…’

The ding makes your heart race.

You know what’s coming but don’t want to experience it… again. You run out the doors, knowing exactly where he is. Placing the makeshift weapon into your belt.

“Where are you going?” Leonard asks, from the bottom of the ladder.

“Don’t follow me.”

He grumbles and runs over to his captain when James calls for him.

It wasn’t hard to find him, he threw the first punch.

You continue fighting him even as you hear your name being called.

Before he could try to escape you, you managed to grab the weapon you made for this occasion and jam it in between his ribs.

“This is where our paths never cross again.”

He stumbles backwards, his arms thrown out in front of him as he attempts to catch his balance. In the blink of an eye, he’s gone.

You let out a deep breath until you cry out in pain.

Krealigah managed to grab your ankle, pulling you with him. He uses the little amount of upper arm strength he has left and pulls himself up.

Before you know it, all three use their phasers, giving you the opportunity to kick him off the wired path.

James and Leonard haul you up, off the ground. “Is that it?”

You nod, “yeah. He’s gone. It's over.”

The captain gives you the biggest smile he could have.

“I don’t like that look you’ve got there.”

“Why? I’m not doing anything wrong?”

You glance back at the other two to find Leonard shaking his head and Spock as emotionless as ever. “Start walking, I need to see a doctor or something.”

“Then it’s a good thing we have a doctor right here.”

You glance at him up and down. “I only see “complains a lot” standing there.”

James snickers into his hand, “Bones… you’ve got a new name.”

The man rolls his eyes. “I’m not going to stay here and listen to this.”

You roll your eyes, “neither am I.” You step around James, attempting to leave until your body doesn’t want to cooperate. You slowly limp away from the three males.

“Are you limping?”

“No.”

“Your ankle is hurting from when he grabbed it, is it not?”

“Shut up, Spock.” You make it to the ladder. “I’m fine.”

“You are not going down that ladder with your ankle being the way it is.”

“I’m doing it. None of you can stop me.”

“Fine. Hurt yourself more.”

You give Leonard a sarcastic smile. “Just means you’ll have to take care of me longer.”

He shakes his head, “there’s an elevator over there. Come on.” He grabs your arms and pulls you up, keeping a tight grip on you so he doesn’t lose you.

You four stand in the elevator with James and Spock in front of you as Leonard lets you lean against him.

As soon as you get close to the med bay, people are asking questions and pulling him away. You manage to catch yourself before you can fall.

You look around, everyone’s busy saving lives and fixing everyone’s wounds.

You turn around to leave and sit in one of the break rooms, wondering where you should go from here.

“Here you are.” He pulls out a chair and sits across from you. “I thought you managed to get off the ship.”

“No,” you glance at the ground. “I just needed to let you all do your jobs and-”

“I didn’t see your chart anywhere.”

“That’s for a good reason.”

“No one pulled you onto a bed?”

“I left before anyone “could” besides I don’t need it. I’m fine.”

“You could have fractured your ankle. Come here.” He moves the chair closer and lifts your ankle, examining it. “It doesn’t seem like anything’s broken but I need to be sure.”

“No,” you shake your head. “I’ll be fine. I-”

“You’re going to the med bay and getting examined. You’ve been gone for three years and no one’s…”

“Three years is a long time.”

“She divorced me a year before you got promoted and assigned that mission.”

“So, your babygirl’s about seven now?”

“She’ll be eight in a few months.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

You avoid Leonard’s gaze. “I thought you were dead this entire time. How could you not tell me?”

“I was given orders.”

“That’s ever stopped you before.”

“I needed to know you’d be safe.”

Hearing those words warm his heart, you’ve been protecting him this entire time… something he wanted to do in return for the longest time. “I missed you.”

“I know,” you smile at him. “You used your relieved angry voice on me this entire time.”

He shakes his head, hiding the smile that slowly stretches across his lips. “I’m happy you’re safe.”

“I know.”

“Aww.”

“Dammit, Jim.”

“What’d I do?”

You roll your eyes. “I’m glad to see someone else adopted you.”

“Yeah, we’re really a match made in heaven, aren’t Bones?”

“Kirk, if you don’t shut up. I’m going to inject you again.”

James narrows his eyes at his friend as he hauls you up out of your chair, knowing Leonard wants to have you get checked out at med bay. “Don’t forget I’m your captain, Bones.”

“You’d die without me.”

“Okay, can you two keep it in your pants and take me to that damn med bay before I start limping there myself.”

Leonard shoves Jim away and helps you get there, needing to make sure that you’re okay.

#star trek #star trek fanfic #Star Trek Fanfiction #star trek imagines #star trek imagine #leonard bones mccoy x reader #leonard mccoy x reader #leonard bones mccoy #leonard bones mccoy x you #leonard mccoy x you #leonard bones mccoy fanfic #leonard bones mccoy fanfiction #leonard mccoy fanfic #leonard mccoy fanfiction #crazyk-imagine

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eventually27 · 1 year

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Can I request some frat! kyle spencer fluff 🫶🏻 thank u ily

Absolutely! Not bad for an hour I hope, Writing this picturing it was happening to me 🥹, hope you like it, I love getting requests! ily more x

String lights..

*no warnings, just pure fluff*

You look in the mirror at the dress you just put on, short but not too short, just enough leg, it hugged all your curves in the right way, you felt like ripping it off and putting on your pyjamas, but Madison would force you back into it anyway, you could make it through one night right?

"Is that what you're wearing?" said Madison as she strutted her way into your room, wearing literally nothing. She absorbed the attention she attracted everywhere she went, especially parties, but you didn't mind. You preferred not to have it for yourself. " Yes, Madison, you wouldn't want me to steal the spotlight, would you?" You said sarcastically smiling, You both were so different you often wondered why you were so close. Madison shot you a smirk, " No one could steal it. We both know that," she replied while admiring herself in the mirror. " Now let's go!!" She shouted, filled with excitement for the night ahead.

You walk through the doors, Madison leading the way, straight away she darts off in the direction of a group of frat boys, what a suprise! You scan the room, you feel out of place, people everywhere dancing, drinking, flirting, playing beer pong, you definitely needed a drink if you were going to survive this. You needed to find Madison first. You walked around the downstairs searching, but she was nowhere to be seen. You notice a blonde frat boy in the distance looking at you. You admire him for a moment, but your vision was iterupped by a group of passing drunk girls. You walk your way back through the living room and to the stairs, maybe Madison was up there, you where about to take a step when you felt a tap on your shoulder, "I thought you could use this" he said handing you a drink, it was the blonde frat boy you had seen earlier, " Ahh classic frat boy move right?" you replied, you knew exactly what most frat boys were like, so you approached this conversation with caution. He let out a laugh to your reply. " I may be a frat boy, but it takes someone special to get my attention... Nice to meet you. I'm Kyle, what's your name?" He asked, " Nice to meet you, Kyle, my name is Y/N, " you said while looking him up and down, "Nice to meet you too, I've never seen you around here before but, I've seen Madison, where have you been hiding? " Kyle asked. You felt like he was undressing you with his eyes as he asked that. "I'm a pretty private person, I like to keep myself to myself, I'm not really a party person. I guess Madison is trying to change that, " you said. You replayed the many times Madison had tried to drag you out in your mind. You knew there would be many times to come too, " Well, I don't think you should change yourself. You seem pretty cool," Kyle replied with a smile. These words made your heart beat faster. You took a big gulp of your drink to level your head out, Kyle laughed at you downing your drink and said, " So you seem pretty different to Madison, how do you know each other? Are you in a fraternity?. "We've known each other awhile now, I guess she's kinda my family, but that's enough about me, I'm sure you've got other people you want to drink with" you replied, you thought you sounded boring, but you didn't want to give too much of yourself away so soon. "Wow, the first pretty girl I've met that doesn't want to talk about herself," he said while laughing. "You felt your cheeks heat up at him calling you pretty, "I won't leave you standing here alone. Let me make you a drink, and we can go and sit down. He said as he pointed in the direction of the sofa across the room, you where surprised he suggested that you spend more time together, but the thought of it made your body heat up. You watched as Kyle began making you a drink, " Don't make it too strong," you say while laughing, "I won't," he replied, " Well that looks like it going to be strong" you said, " Come on its not, I promise, I would never lie to you" he said laughing, his laugh and smile were contagious you couldnt help but laugh in return.

You follow Kyle as he leads to the way to the sofa, and you both sit down. You notice the string lights up above lighting up your corner of the room. You see the way it makes Kyle's blonde hair shine, and his dark eyes sparkle. He looked better than anything you had ever seen, his beauty shot right through you like a bullet. You could see him watching you. You felt embarrassed he had seen you admiring him, you watched his eyes as they scanned you, you saw him look up your bare legs, over your body until they met your eyes again, " Y/N I think you look beautiful tonight" he, you couldnt help but smile, these words massaged your ears as they entered, your knees were touching as you were sitting so close together, " thank-you Kyle" you managed to say, red cheeked, you both took a gulp of your drinks and laughed, you felt happy right now, you hadn't felt this happy in awhile. Your thoughts were interrupted by the shouting of Kyles frat clan, cheering at a beer pong game," You don't seem like a frat boy, you seem different to your friends" you said while watching them at the beer pong table, " I have fun with them, they are like my brothers, but I've got real plans for my life you know, I want to make something of myself, I want to be taken seriously, I want to be an engineer" he replied, his eyes filled with passion and hopefulness, this only made youbmore attractive to him, he wanted more for himself, he had more depth than anyone in this party, you loved that. You said, "I think that's really great, Kyle, I think you will be an amazing engineer when you get there, I'm sure you can do anything if you put your mind to it" you really did think he would be successful, his passion and determination seemed so strong. You watched as he smiled. He looked so happy to hear you say that. You felt like he didn't get that kind of support from his frat members. "Thank you Y/N that means a lot." he said as he placed his hand on your knee. The feeling of his bare skin on yours sent pulses through your body, it seemed like it sent pulses through his, too.

"I'm glad you came tonight Y/N" he said, still keeping his hand on your knee. "I'm surprisingly glad I came too," you said. You had never been glad Madison had taken you to a party before, but this time you really were. " Not bad for a frat boy, am I?" He said laughing, this made you smile, " you are much more than a frat boy, Kyle, " you said. Kyle placed his hand on your chin to turn you closer towards him. You felt your heart start beating nearly double. You starred into his eyes and watched as his eyes moved to your lips, you couldnt help but separate your lips and let out a deep breath, you both moved your heads closer together at the same time so your lips met, you felt Kyle smile through the kiss, which made you smile in return. You both got a hunger for each other and didn't want the kiss to end. You continued to collide and felt his tongue demand entrance which you accepted, your tounges massaged each other, and you felt as though everyone in the party had disappeared and all there was were you both. Kyle broke the kiss and said, "I think you should come to parties more often," and then you continued to kiss under the string lights.

#kyle spencer #evan peters #kyle spencer fluff #ahs coven #fanfic #ahsedit #fluff #american horror story #evan peters fanfic #fanfiction #kyle spencer x y/n #ahs fanfic #evan peters fluff #tate langdon #james patrick march #kit walker #jimmy darling

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demonscantgothere · 1 year

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Reading Bear McCreary talk about how he composed the musical themes for The Rings of Power is eye-opening, but this sequence about Halbrand's theme stuck out:

With other outlier characters, such as Galadriel, Elrond, Durin, and Nori, I strove to write a separate theme, distinct from their cultural theme. However, in the case of Halbrand, I chose not to, instead allowing his personal theme and the theme for his culture to be one and the same. This shared theme implies he is a ‘head of state’ character, like King Durin, or Sadoc Burrows, supporting the revelation that Halbrand might be descended from a line of kings. This story thread will be teased in this episode, and made clear in the next. The ragged band of survivors is attacked by a sea serpent, referred to by one as “The Worm.” This challenging sequence was my first full-length action scene in the show, and I spent the better part of a week on it, crafting a furious 3/4 horror ostinato, driven by snap pizzicatos in the strings, searing brass, blasting choral clusters, and ripping woodwinds. My favorite moments in the sequence were when Halbrand struggles to separate his half of the raft, and then the climactic moments when Galadriel swims away, both of which supported the action and also felt like the classic, old school Hollywood adventure scores I grew up with. I was exhausted when I was done writing this sequence, which only added up to about two minutes of action. However, I had set the template for my desired level of complexity and layering in action cues for The Rings of Power, and my fate had been sealed. This was by no means the largest action scene in the show. Quite the contrary. I knew that in the next episode, I faced a lengthy battle with Orcs and that in episode six I would score a battle spanning the majority of the episode. Given how much energy I just expended scoring the worm sequence, I was nervous about how I could sustain my creative, mental, and physical energy over the next six months. Still, now was not the time to look ahead. For now, I refocused my energy into finishing “Adrit.” After the sea serpent attack, Galadriel and Halbrand alone survive, clinging to a pitiful raft. Galadriel is intrigued by his revelation that he was chased from his homeland by her sworn enemies, the Orcs. The musical connection between Halbrand and the Southlands is made explicitly clear later in the episode, in the moment when Galadriel asks him if he will tell her where the enemy is. When at last, he responds, “The Southlands,” this shared musical theme for his character, his land, and his people, bursts on to the soundtrack. As they did with the Southlands Theme, Erik Rydvall’s nyckelharpa and Olav Luksengård Mjelva’s Hardanger fiddle bring their signature sound to the Halbrand Theme. In one of the episode’s most memorable moments, Galadriel and Halbrand are caught in a terrible storm in the Sundering Seas. Galadriel, knocked unconscious, falls into the sea. As she sinks to a watery grave, soprano Sladja Raicevic sings a haunting rendition of Galadriel’s Theme. When Halbrand dives in to rescue her, the Southlands Theme resonates. The instrumentation sits atop a lush new harmonic chord progression, with strings and regal brass. Thus, musically, the audience senses bravery and nobility beneath Halbrand’s rough exterior. This richer variation will evolve as the audience learns more about the people of The Southlands, and Halbrand himself.

source (x)

But reading, "When Halbrand dives in to rescue her, the Southlands Theme resonates. The instrumentation sits atop a lush new harmonic chord progression, with strings and regal brass. Thus, musically, the audience senses bravery and nobility beneath Halbrand’s rough exterior."

The musical composer, admitting Halbrand's rescue of Galadriel was based in bravery and nobility and not self-service, I just . . .

Bless you, sir, for your good service.

#saurondriel #sauron x galadriel #galadriel x sauron #haladriel #halbrand x galadriel #galadriel x halbrand #the rings of power #rings of power #trop

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bamdelune · 11 months

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Genshin boys as uni students + content creators 🎧🎬🗯 (Sumeru edition) headcanons!

— this took a while to post because I saved the draft the moment my wifi cut off and I had to rewrite the whole thing.

— these are my personal headcanons, you may feel free to disagree with me ! little wonky when it comes to talking about what they do in uni because a high school student wrote this 🔥

Al Haitham ★ Law Major + Day in My Life

As much as I want to assign him to being a literature major, I believe he would choose law over it because he believes in practicality and plans WAY ahead into the future. It's not that he was forced into it, he chose it himself to survive in society and he's somewhat fine with that.

He's passionate about his course to a certain/decent degree but I image it's not even measurable to his interest in books & analyzing literature.

Naturally excels in his class and is commended for majority of his thesis papers and projects.

Adding to the last bullet: Whenever the professor assigns those scenario based requirements, the teacher will always get shocked from reading his works because he finds the most unexpected ways (and uses the most unexpected constitutional statements) to answer the question and somehow they always turn up reasonable.

In terms of content creating, he doesn't upload on a schedule but gets irked when the date between today and his last upload is a little too far so he uploads one when he feels today is gonna be a productive one.

Doesn't talk a lot in videos and just shows himself going about his business (mostly studying in the silence of the library or in the bustling environment of the nearest cafe, he still manages to concentrate either way)

When he reads new books with really good plots, he somehow incorporates them into short videos along with his usual routine and talks about what he thinks of it so far (which prompted a few not so pleasant comments on some of his videos because of his unbiased opinion)

Absolutely despises bullshit and problematic authors and problematic plot points and he makes no effort to hide that.

He likes silence. he finds the silence of his room with only the sound of his mouse and keyboard clicking and clacking as he edits his videos. he finds both the lack of sound and the activity very theraputic.

Posts study with me videos — believes in the power of the body doubling study method and it's a win-win for both him and his followers.

Examples of his videos would be something like what saranghoe or kai notebook would post on their channels (check them out! they're so cool omg)

Kaveh ★ Architecture Major + GRWMs & DIML

Be honest were you really expecting another major for him...

Okay, maybe he would fit as a fashion/art student.

If it's not obvious enough, his blueprints and structure plans are immaculate. Whatever the prompt is, he would ALWAYS find a way to make it fit into both the theme + his distinct architectural style or draw it even better. This man is so full of ideas and genuinely loves his major.

Affinity to classical and dainty architecture styles.

Enjoys doing interior designing as well — he tries to include them in his initial exterior designs if he has the time but majority of the time, he doesn't.

He's a self-care babe. Already has an estsblished skincare, haircare, nailcare, and even makeup routine by the time he starts content creating.

Trust me, if his course didn't entail straining his hands a lot from sketching and nails getting accidentally cracked (to his dismay), he would've painted them a LONG time ago. Instead, he paints his friends' nails for fun.

Is the type to upload anytime without a schedule like he genuinely enjoys making videos and such. Even if those updates last for about 30 seconds or a minute, he uploads them.

His videos are motivation to get your life togjether just because his looks like it.

It's not. He lives off of lattes and convenience store snacks on his off time. (He also films himself even when he doesn't look as put together as he does in his usual videos).

Examples of his videos would be the content Song Jia (free지아) would post. Drops effective tips, recommendations, and even advice from time to time.

Cyno ★ Criminal Justice Major & Tighnari ★ Med Student + Vlogging & Mukbang

Cyno

I decided to write these two as a duo because I headcanon them as roommates as well in a modern au.

Cyno despite his kind of intimidating course takes it very well and has always been a fan of solving stuff related to criminology. In serious moments, he's able to give his two cents on social topics.

The fastest in his class to answer and solve scenario-based questions.

He's a fucking pain in the ass (said in a loving tone) to watch action/thriller movies with because on top of the puns and jokes he makes, he ends up spoiling the plot because he's already deduced what's going to happen.

Tighnari

Tighnari is a tired medical student, taking up a pre-med course in either biology or medical devices.

He's the type to have the messy-neat room, papers neatly but at the same messily sprawled on areas in his room but it adds to his personality so it's alright.

The one med student who makes his notes as neat as possible because he believes that it's better to understand during his first year and the one who relies on a distant memory to decode what he wrote in his notebook that looked like it went through 7 failed situationships, 3 divorces, and lost the custody of 3 children in the later phases of his academic career.

Despite that, he remembers the names and uses of medical treatments and supplements at the top of his head.

Tighnari likes to be precise in practice operations during the later years in med school after pre-med.

Cyno introduced the idea of content creating to his roommate.

Tighnari agreed because he's drowning in student debt.

They would mostly do vlogs when they go out with friends or play board games (Tighnari cheats his way to the top whilst Cyno is left to wonder how he, the master at card games and alike, is losing to someone who just learned the mechanics 5 minutes ago).

Their viewers enjoy that bit very much.

When the weekend pulls closer, they like to plan the food they want to eat at home for a video or the restaurant/food fair hopping they'll be doing on a random Friday. It's a routine they do to unwind from the stress of academics.

They also gossip together while filming and eating.

The type of content they would post would be like the videos Stephanie Soo posts.

Scaramouche/Wanderer ★ Performing Arts + Gaming & Covers

He's so K-pop idol coded, did we as a society forget one of his hobbies was dancing in canon

He has a background in contemporary dancing/ballet and hip-hop dancing.

His voice is angelic and his professor really likes his vocal color (probably would have TXT's Soobin / SVT's Minghao's tone).

Scara ensures that dance moves are always clean when he performs and makes sure that there isn't any idle part of his body when he dances. His right hand is up? His left arm has to be placed somewhere at the same time. He hates it when he looks awkward on stage.

A really wide vocal range and can comfortably shift vocal tiers. He only strains his voice when the following note is unbelievably high for his pitch.

Shines the most in slow and r&b type performances, and is extremely flexible physically and in terms of genres.

When he posts content, Scaramouche takes interest in horror games as well as fixed-world (I'm not sure about the word) RPG games (ones like Persona 5, Honkai Stsr Rail). He screams (much more than he likes to admit).

He posts dance covers and song covers as well and gets a lot of praise for it online, urging him to become an idol (little do they know that he's studying to do just that).

Books really nice dance studios for covers and goes all-out for outfits.

Examples of his videos would be what Tuonto/Jake and Antony Chen would post.

(main masterlist)

#bamdelune #bamdelune's bookstore #genshin impact #genshin #alhaitham #kaveh #cyno #tighnari #scaramouche #wanderer #sumeru #headcanons

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valdekboy · 12 days

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Roadtrip

Some of you might remember my other roadtrip drawing. This time i decided to put everyone in their own cars.

I'll be honest, it's a bad one. It started as doodle, then i kept on adding things, then fixing them and every time i fixed something, two other things were messed up. Then i didn't know if I should post it or scrap it. After two weeks (+3 days now) i decided that i'll post it, maybe someone will take some inspiration from this or will learn from my mistakes. So . . . here it is. This time there are two additional characters: Kovy Cat belongs to Kovox Ashley belongs to AshNicholsArt Why are they here? More on that below.

If you want to read a bit more about this piece then go ahead, if not then Thank you for your time.

So, about the cars and colors: Jax got a tooned version of VW Beetle because who doesn't like beetle, it's fast, big and maybe alive. . . Why these colors. Well I couldn't think of any colors that would fit and i didn't want to color the car with the same colors as the driver, so i thought about checking out the VA for these characters. That's why it has Kovy Cat inspired paint job. Same thing with Zooble, I didn't want to paint the whole car in dots, stripes and multiple colors (like Zooble parts) so i took the colors of their VA character. I thought Zooble would most likely enjoy something simple and practical, and this big and spacious kombi fits all the criteria. For those who want to know the car is loosely based on Datsun Cedric / Ibishu Claria For K_K i thought that they would enjoy their own mobile home. Big classic van with lots of space inside. Perfect for inviting many of your friends for long road trips. Lastly, about my car. It's a small Satsuma with offroad suspension and RWD (and probably some spare pistons in the trunk XD). Tiny car for tiny potato. That's it. If you survived this far then Thank You for your time and i hope you have a wonderful day! (I have something similar planed with these characters and cars, something hopefully better looking than this piece)

#vb_art #cars #jax #tadc jax #tadc zooble #zooble #K_K #sweet cap'n cakes

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sleepynegress · 1 year

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If you finish the Kindred series, I would be interested in hearing your thoughts. I have finished the first 5 episodes and am massively disappointed so far. It doesn't seem to do the novel justice. I wanted to get more of the perspective of the enslaved people and Dana's introspection. I didn't mind the modern setting, but I didn't like that Kevin and Dana were no longer a married couple with shared intimacy and history. I recall a scene from the novel where Kevin says something along the lines of the conditions of the enslaved people not seeming as bad as he would have imagined and the ensuing tension that caused between the two. It seems like Octavia Butler's fantastic material has gone to waste. I can only hope future adaptations of her work are better.

It really felt like the producer set out to translate or make the material more understandable/digestable to a viewing audience, which came off to me as dumbing it down...(which is always a mistake, or the reason why animated movies for kids written to grow w/ you instead of being written down "to kids" end up being classics) Because that's literally what he did... And now, the logic, which was so tight in the novel (Butler was notorious in keeping the plot tight) suffers in the series. Now... It gets spoiler-filled and yelly... apologies, ahead of time. The connection/audience investment the producer sought, was already there in the growth & connections of the characters, right along w/ the readers being in Dana's gaze in her empathy and helplessness in trying to help people in a futile and spectacularly soul-destroying system (HOW DID THE PRODUCER NOT GET THAT?!). The fact that the centered characters Dana interacts w/ most, start out as children and we watch them grow to adults; shift and get shaped in that hellscape of systemic slavery IS THE DAMN HOOK!! The characters (Rufus, Alice, Nigel, Sarah...and even Kevin being there so long....) is all he needed and that's where his focus should have been.

Instead he tried to answer questions nobody asked and ended up creating more questions...i.e. He tried to explain the time travel with some kind of generational power by adding Dana's mom to the plantation. But that doesn't make sense because you're telling me Dana's mom never felt her life threatened ON A SOUTHERN PLANTATION for over ten years... You're also telling me she materialized there SLAVE PASS-LESS and somehow ended up being free...itsjustnotrealistic.gif!!! Kevin and she just had a vague connection via ride home/Tinder hook-up in this Hulu iteration, and you mean to tell me he stuck around through all the weird yelling and dematerialization?!! THERE IS A REASON why Butler had them married and that investment being believable is a big one!!! I mean, sure whiteness lends a kind of reckless curiousity but NOT THAT MUCH, DAMN!

Now that the producer added the complication of the mom going forward in time after touching her BUT ENDING UP SOMEWHERE ELSE (a thing that really happens in this show lolwtf?!), that big life-changing ending for Dana, won't make sense. All of the connections w/ the enslaved characters don't feel substantial enough, because this man wanted to spend time *fixing* the fucking time mechanics instead...Nobody cares why the zombies are zombies in Night of the Living Dead!! They care about the characters, their connections, and how they survived or didn't.

Also! Kevin not being a history teacher made them more bumbling than believable to other characters in that space, and his lack of anything beyond that tentative first surface connection to Dana makes him being left less tragic and investable... and how Dana acts toward him REALLY STUPID in that era!!

*sigh* That said...I thought the casting, effects, and that spare synth track was okay.... The writing and plotting/direction just sloppified, what Octavia Butler made *incredibly* tight. It should have been a limited series focused *hard* on watching these characters change and devolve because of the system they existed in. Not a mystery about why this family has time travel powers. The producer really couldn't see the forest for the trees. I'm just... How did he mess this up?? It was so easy to get this right, if he actually liked the fucking novel. *smh*

#I am disappointed #kindred #octavia butler #meta #review #kindredfx #fxkindred #hulu #it hurts they really got someone who thought butler's writting needed improvement

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co-mixed · 1 year

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One Girl in All the World: a super spoilery review

There’s a non-spoiler review on my insta but here I’m planning to go all out. I wanna share my thoughts on all the things that were going through my mind while I was reading, but because there were too many, I’m just gonna talk about some.

In Every Generation was exactly what I wanted the canon to be. Picking up after the show’s been off the air for a while (a long while), not focusing on what happened to the majority of main characters (but briefly hinting at that), and telling the story of a slayer (or the slayer).

And One Girl continues this tradition, putting Frankie against a new Big Bad.

Here come the spoilers so go on ahead if you’ve read the book.

The story

It feels like season 2, where Frankie already has her slayer routine down, has her Scoobies in check and training, and a demon to swoon after. I guess, for a slayer, this would be what passes for normal life. First of all, this all fits in well with Buffy s2. It definitely gives off the same vibe and, what I like most, the Big Bad is not ancient evil like the Countess, but something more personal – a slayer. Or rather a band of slayers with Vi, which makes it personal for Hailey, and Aspen as their leader, which makes it personal for Frankie (because she’s Grim’s evil ex although he himself may or may not be evil, so…). And the fact that Buffy’s disappeared makes it personal for everyone else.

Of course, you don’t trust the sappy “I want to give the power back” from Aspen. You buy it from Vi, but we know her. Vi isn’t evil but she’s traumatized which I love as a concept because we never got to see the real impact of surviving the first with no slayer power to back you up. And those girls went through hell. Just getting the power doesn’t make you strong and doesn’t make you a hero.

But Aspen wasn’t there, and she’s the other side of that coin - when you get the power you might want more. I think I called it right away through all of the hints at her personality. Which are brilliantly done, I can almost see how it could have happened in the show, somewhere mid-season. So Aspen is the evil slayer who recruited a bunch of others, including Vi, for her cause that is seemingly humanitarian but really just a power grab. I actually see Kennedy trying to pull something like that and not just because she’s irritating, but because she’s too power-hungry. Alas, it’s not her. It’s Aspen, who skillfully invents just enough propaganda to brainwash a bunch of slayers who weren’t in s7 and are nowhere near Buffy’s inner circle.

Speaking of Buffy, she’s alive (which no one tells Dawn, which IS classic Willow to be fair), and imprisoned in another dimension. This is a good balance between where we need her to be – not in this story, and where we can’t in good faith put her – in the ground (again! Third time’s a charm). And this is very fair, since Buffy has no place in this particular story. No matter, at what point she shows up, she will immediately draw all attention to herself. She is a great motivation and role model for Frankie, and in a way, it would’ve made every bit of sense to me even if she was dead. Yeah, I love Buffy and don’t go all you’re betraying the icon for a new kid. But as long as Buffy’s alive, it would be hard to let her go and follow another slayer.

And the inevitable question of who she ends up with? It shouldn’t really be resolved. That’s it on Buffy because see? She’s already taking up too much time, and this isn’t even her story.

So Frankie’s up against slayers which is scary and unfair and seems impossible.

To make things worse, she’s up against an army of familiar demons. And here is one of the things I love: every book tries to namedrop the demons we know: Fyarls, M’Fashniks, hellhounds, etc. Most do it randomly and aggressively and you feel slightly irritated. This one gives you a damn good reason with the beacon and doesn’t really focus on the demons as much as their impact. And the “greatest hits” comment is very well deserved.

The swim team tho… that really made me laugh out loud and with joy. It’s like every easter egg is done in a very loving manner. I love that, and while it doesn’t hit at nostalgia (because I just finished a rewatch and because I watched the show 8 times in 3 years), it does tie in to the history of Sunnydale.

Frankie and her Scoobies are up to the challenge though, and with a little help from their friends and adults, they defeat demons with blunt force and slayers with smarts. Which really sums up Frankie and establishes her as her own slayer with her own approach. She has the “I’m not Buffy” moment and I love her for owning that. And once again, this follows the show in a smooth manner. Something similar, mind you, already drove Faith to evil, so could we stop comparing slayers?

The story is wholesome like a tv season, so you feel like you’re still watching the show. And its ending leaves so many stories to be told. I am really not ready for this to be just a three-book story.

The Characters

Always my favorite part.

Are we the grownups?

I watched Stranger Things just last year and the thing I loved most is that it feels like a ya show, but it has several arcs for several groups of characters with different ages thus avoiding the absent parent issue that used to be a staple for ya.

This same thing happens in both IEG and OGIATW. Only the adults are actually involved where it matters. We know these adults and we know how it used to be only their thing. Yeah, they had Giles also, but he was still very much a watcher, an authority. And Willow and Oz, they feel much more like how we feel now. Relatable. They still don’t know what they’re doing (because who ever does?) and they have to combine parenting with the supernatural stuff. They wonder how Joyce and Giles managed (they drank). This hits close to home whether or not you have kids. And immediately you can put yourself in Willow and Oz’s shoes.

How mature are any of us anyway?

There’s their relationship as well, that’s brought up again in this book. The fragile co-parenting thing on top of their past. It’s lovely how this gets resolved and then Sarafina shows up to both complicate and uncomplicate things. Again, like in the show, life is happening and it feels cozy.

The kids are alright

The only issue I have with this book is there’s not enough room for everything that I wanna know. I wanna spend more time with these characters, hang out with them between patrols more and I understand that that’s simply impossible in just one book. But some side stories would sure be nice. Tell them in comics because I don’t see much fan art and I want to see fan art. I think I’m most impressed by their non-toxic dynamic. Buffy, Willow, and Xander managed to be terrible to each other and never address them. We still love them, (except for Xander) but we call this out daily. Frankie, Hailey, and Jake are not that at all. They are supportive and open, and that helps them. That’s why when Frankie’s with Jake before the final battle, getting their kindergarten magic, it seems natural and honest. If they ever turn on each other, there better be a damn good reason.

Frankie

This girl is fantastic. I already covered her slayer side and her skill. But I’m yet to talk about who she is. Which is something she herself is trying to figure out, and like most teens, she compares herself to others. Like most teens, she looks at herself through a magnifying glass and finds herself lacking. But she learns to appreciate it and sticks to her own style. That’s so useful coming from a teen character who isn’t confident. Gaining that confidence without relying just on superpowers (because so what if she’s a slayer, who isn’t?) is what Frankie does flawlessly.

There’s also first love (in her case it’s really more hormones than in Buffy’s). Still, all the similarities are done in such a hilarious way when everyone around her says “No, no, no!” (except Hailey who’s all “Go for it!”). I love how it dawns on Willow that she used to be that same support group for Buffy. But Frankie did indeed, inherit the main Slayer gene with going for the dark broody type who may or may not be evil. And there’s something both mature in the fact that she understands this ambiguity right away, and her incredibly immature teen-crush attitude.

While many may say that it was the same for Buffy, I can’t agree. Buffy was more independent by that point, her life was entirely different, and she continued to grow in that relationship. Also, 200 years vs 2000 is a considerable difference. But you know what, we aren’t talking about that, and not ever in comparison to real life.

Back to Frankie and her hot demons. She has her own way of dealing with relationship issues, and that’s a damn straightforward one. I admire that, and to me, this is one of the things that modern teens probably do better than we used to. There are fewer games and assumptions. Still, even with that, a teen is a teen, so she isn’t wise beyond her years and she will make mistakes.

Hailey

The dynamic between sisters, especially conflicted, is something I had no doubt Kendare Blake could manage. After Three Dark Crowns and (earning redemption for Kat of all people), that is a given. Hailey is the “powerless” one of the bunch. But she works hard and she is a very formidable opponent even for demons. She has a lot going on too, with the new relationship that seems to be going well prior to meeting the parent. And that’s a timeless issue, I mean when was it ever not an issue? Expectations are absolutely always in the way and she ends up in this annoying limbo where she wants to know what Sig is thinking but he doesn’t let her. And like so many of us, she takes the only exit we know – push ‘till you get the answer. Is that right or not? I mean, who really knows?

Now there’s an irreparable strain on her and Sig, and Sarafina might go away but the issues won’t.

See, High school is still hell doesn’t matter whether you’re actually in class.

Jake

Jake also has things to sort out. First of all, with his wolf: he wants to get the level of control Oz has, but is he doing it for the right reasons? This can be a metaphor for a lot of things, especially in your teens. But he’s trying to grow up faster and become more of use. While no one actually knows how it would work for him. I honestly even forgot that he was born a werewolf, and we haven’t seen that yet. But I love that with this book Buffy lore is getting richer.

The other thing for Jake is his feelings for Sam (who’s still wondering why Spike didn’t let him join the D&D campaign). Sam is Jake’s friend, we already met him, and here has his first encounter with the demonic creatures. He is gonna have a tough choice to make and had it been a show, imagine the drama. But so far it seems like their relationship is gonna go fine, they both like each other and have things to discuss and figure out. I keep saying it feels like season 2, and it does because of these little things. That’s why I want more time with these characters, they have their own sectors of life that are so exciting.

Spike (neither a kid nor an adult really)

I was thinking of throwing him in with the adults but come on, it’s Spike. If you missed him for what he was in the show, then don’t sleep on this series. It’s literally the same character: he’s not an overly romanticized love interest, he is still recalling the good old days when he ate people, he attends a poetry club (which is both funny and perfect for him), he’s irresponsible when it comes to his day job (rebel). And you can bet he will try to look cool when there’s a chance of seeing Buffy again.

Not to compare but the things that irritated me in Big Bad and Bloody Fool for Love (neither book is bad but I prefer both vampires closer to canon) are averted here. You instantly recognize the Spike you know. And his Watchering… well let’s just say we could argue whether his statement from the first book is true and Wesley was the worst. I mean both got rogue slayers on their hands, and he is still learning how to be the good Watcher with Frankie. But no one is perfect and he’s at least getting closer.

Personally, I think Robin Wood would’ve been the perfect Watcher. Much better than Andrew.

To sum it up:

The story continues to metaphorize teen experiences.

It works well for both old and new Buffy fans, and for every generation.

Every character we know feels absolutely true to who they should be by now.

Lore gets expanded and some theories even bring more sense to the go show.

New Scoobies are established and going strong.

There are hints at future character arcs and a strong idea of what’s at the core of the next book.

As far as expansions on the canon go, this one is perfect in every sense.

#books #buffy books #in every generation #one girl in all the world #buffy #buffy summers #willow rosenberg #spike #frankie rosenberg #hailey larsson #jake osbourne #scoobies #btvs #buffy the vampire slayer #kendare blake #book review #talk to me

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harineren · 9 months

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TTW Sonicverse I

Before I get to the lore of this place, I want to address some main facts for our fellow Sonic fans.

1. TTW Sonicverse (later - TTWS) is not AU, parallel dimension or headcanon of your well known original. It is a separate multiverse that belongs to it's own franchize minorly, yet it does not mean it's lore is unimportant or that my Author is trying to claim company's rewritten work. Read All-Fiction Tales by #harine-tales tag

2. TTWS has no Master Emerald at all.

3. TTW mobians are slightly taller than their initial counterparts due to slight different anatomy, disabling anyone from ability to SPIN, removing such options as spindash, drop dash or homing dash series.

4. TTWS is finite, consisting of 1001 universes, not all of them focused on "Mobius"

5. TTWS initial universe implies that mobians came after humans due to certain events I will list down later

-------☆------

Geography

Mobius consists of 4 "countries"

- Arco Federation

President based region with the most of cities and humankind

- Areha Empire

Mobian-built land, one of first places where mobians started to appear and cooperate

- Cali Kingdom

Exile country of mobians and very few of people, who don't trust Arco Federation but seek no spilling blood for whatever the reason could be

- Eggman's Territory

Pretty much the untouched lands, not so long ago taken by Ivo for building Metropolis city citadel

-------☆-------

Planet's history

Origin

TTW Earth-Mobius events branch begins from one dimensional God creating this multiverse and Chaos Emeralds.

4 billion years ago

Chaos Emeralds are given to the first civilization in the universe

Phantaiser, the outerversal God, builds a church to keep Reality Stones and inhabits it with monsters, mazes and such.

A stranger with Godlike powers takes a few Emeralds and copies them across the multiverse to aid him in creating Haron, Taron and many universes ahead of time.

3.5 billion y.a.

Blastaro prototype is found and trained by ApyRyzor. After some time, he is promoted to guard Reality Stones.

A powerful fog appears from nowhere, sealing most dimensions in the outerverse and corrupting weak Godly minds, including Rezataph.

3 billion y.a.

Rezataph's mind was corrupted by the Mist and his own power lust, so he attacked Blastaro for Reality Stones. Phantaiser took the fight instead of Blast and sealed his brother in Hell Dimension. Fight reaches a planet with emeralds so they scatter across timespace.

71K y.a.

Earth as we know it was formed. Classic human history soon starts.

2070

Humanity finds another livable planet, but only a limited number of them could be privileged to depart.

2089

Humans that left on the planet, started a war to reduce the amount of the planet's resources consumed. Nuclear bombs were exploded in places they were intended to be launched from.

2093

After endless wandering, one of the gems falls on the destroyed First Earth and renowns its plant life and animal DNA, so they turn into “mobians”.

2097(-2132)

With humans, who survived the war, they made a truce to rebuild the planet into what we know as Mobius.

2099

Knuckles the Echidna is born at Angel Island.

2105

Gerald Robotnik is born.

2117

Humans who had lust for Chaos power, excusing it with humanity progress, founded ARK. 1924th, young Gerald Robotnik joins ARK.

2116-2127

Government and ARK started a mission to find the other 6 signatures similar to the Emerald they already had.

2124

Gerald Robotnik joins ARK

2128

When Mobians found out about such news, they feared this power and as soon as they could, managed to steal the gems and use them to reset human memories for a few decades backwards. Humanity now believed they were those who departed on another planet and those aliens (mobians) accepted them. History of humanity was rewritten.

2130

As the leader of such a steal & reset group, Knuckles hides 4 C.E. on Angel Island, entrusting the other 2 being hidden somewhere else far away. Humans got only 1 Chaos Emerald in their hands.

2130-2200

Government of Arco Federation, going from ARK’s research, decided to make a battery first, and then - a currency, charging lit golden rings with its energy.

2132

The reset’s efficiency however could not last too long. ARK did find Mobians to be more adaptable units to Chaos energy than themselves, so they started to make clones of living units and other tools to tame Chaos Emerald’s power.

2150

My grandpa, Hirogami was born in Taiyo Village (Areha Emperya)

2165

Project ARK-U (Ultimate) starts as ARK actually finds one of two randomly hidden Chaos Emeralds.

2171

Hirogami meanwhile finds the second hidden Emerald.

2177

Ivo Robotnik was born.

2184

Project ARK-S starts just as advanced cloning was mastered. The S type meant “scout” which was intended to travel the space by oneself in search of livable planets.

2199

Project ARK-S19 (Sonic) escapes with Project ARK-T04 (Tails). Maria Robotnik is suspended in freeing them and trying to help Project ARK-U34 (Shadow) as well, so she was killed.

Dr Ivo is sent to catch Sonic, but he turns against ARK. Sonic, Eggman, Knuckles, Tails and Shadow destroy ARK together.

2200

After the events of 2199, President of Arco was suspected of assisting a crime against living individuals and was forced to leave his post.

Considered as dangerous, currency of Chaos Rings was stopped and given away to Sonic and Tails

2201

As Dr. Ivo applied for being voted in; few voters who did not like him, gave him a nickname “Eggman” making that a meme. Unluckily, even such “popularity” did not help him in winning so he left Neopolis.

2202

G.U.N. was founded by a new President, as Shadow joins it before Rouge does the same.

2200-2205

As Ivo went into exile, he started building his own city apart from any country - Metropolis. Tails assists poor doc with building, but they argue over ecological topics and Tails gets “fired” by Eggman.

2206

The year when I was born.

Dr. Ivo builds his own metal prototype of Sonic, suggesting blue blur to test that thing in its limits, to which Metal lost but still gathered some data in untouched HDD. By that moment yet, Iv o needed to have Metal Sonic for what ARK needed him but without using Sonic himself, to which latter did not mind.

2207-2210

Ivo starts to build his own spaceship alone to get to better resources, reconsidering fox’s words, to these new Tails was glad, however they still did not want to find common ground, because Ivo would not withdraw his ecologically inefficient factories anyway.

2210-2211

After a short expedition through space, Ivo finds out his own power is not enough for farther travels, but in the meantime he already built quite an army of robots which arrived to Mobius with him

Ivo goes to Angel Island in order to reason with Knuckles over Chaos Emeralds, but echidna stubbornly declines. Infuriated in his inability to prove to the mobian that “his Empire is made only to benefit the world selflessly”, Ivo snaps and attacks Angel Island to which he was effortlessly stopped.

2212

Not giving up on doing the best for everyone, he tries to build an artificial sky over Mobius, which could do any weather needed or do a better filtering of starlight’s ultraviolet. But his experiment fails and “sky” starts to behave chaotically, unable to be shut down, except by force Eggman did not have.

Completely losing reputation and any hope to recover his family’s name, Eggman totally gives up on helping humanity kindly.

2212-2214

Eggman returns to colonizing planets he could, in order to get better resources.

"Golden" Sonic (first time coming to Super form) fights Metallix and wins.

2213

New Eggman’s version of Metal (Metallix) is sent to Mobius mines, raiding it as a “new Emperor’s” territory, while other bots take over North Pole.

2214-2215

Eggman returns to take more territory for Metropolis’ expansion and improvement.

2215

Mecha Dino arc, where Eggman goes back in time with Chaos Emeralds to take a truly accurate model of dinosaurs for hard and large works.

Sonic follows him as they fight and warp occasionally, also revealing the truth about reset, after which Sonic defeats Eggman’s creation.

As a result of this clash, for next time Eggman decides to make mecha dragons for errands between colonized planets.

2216

Upon his travels, Eggman comes across the ruby buried under old temple ruins in Cali Kingdom. Infamous events of Sonic Forces occur. No cheap shit Zavok, no scared Tails, not too much power of friendship this time however. (Well, in that continuity, Zavok and Chaos do not exist anyway).

2217-2218

Eggman desperately tries to check the multiverse theory in practice to breach the bounds of the home universe and find something else. To his surprise, he succeeds in contacting his alt self

Eggman learns about 6D ether and makes new fuel out of it, not just to speed up and buff his combat robots but also travel outside his universe into 6D.

Meanwhile for mobians, Phantom Hunt arc begins to seek the lost original Phantom Ruby, not without Eggman’s robots and even myself a little.

2218-2219

Spends time building new robots with his AU selves, gathering more Emeralds than ever before. 35 Chaos Emeralds.

Sonic with the help of Ruby and Chaos energy defeats Eggman’s Council creations, handing off the Ruby to Tails after victory.

Original Eggman gets “home arrested" by Phantom Super Sonic, unable to leave his universe.

2219-2220

With the arrival of Shadow and Tinik as well, Ivo finds out about Path energy, trying to harness and fabricate it into his space dragons, while building a new machine to warp reality and crumble the universe from inside to build it anew.

2220-2221

After yet another failure, Eggman tries to hunt for Reality Stones or the same Planet of Prisms but you know there are guardians far above his league.

2223-2224

As the latest and most insane attempt ever, Eggman tries to absorb/siphon all life energy and knowledge of his AU counterparts to become closer to omniscience but explodes from backfired overflow through his device.

As a result, an entity of Path, Chaos and Ivo’s irredeemably corrupted and incomplete soul fusion is formed. It transcends into the future, taking over Silver first, forcing Knuckles to try separating the entity from poor hedgehog and seal into Emeralds to swear never ever using them.

But unluckily his tactic fails and the entity consumes Knuckle's soul, killing him and taking over his body to use 7 Emeralds and become local “Enerjak”.

Sonic and Tails are forced to kill their friend’s body for good without a trace and bury Chaos Emeralds deep on Angel Island.

Coming in next part: More facts about TTWS characters and artifacts

#fiction #writing #harine tales #project ttw #sonic the hedgehog #discord roleplay server is open #ask in DMs

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nic-spit · 2 years

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HORROR MOVIES WATCHED 2K22

‼️ Disclaimer ‼️ these are half baked opinions that, in the end, do not really matter, and have no effect nor hold any judgement on if you enjoyed/did not enjoy the same movies. I have no critical thinking skills and the number rankings are frivolous at best. YMMV. Have a good day. I love you drink some water. Be cool.

TO BE UPDATED

SPOILERS AHEAD

COMEDY-HORROR

Not everyone enjoys the hack n slash and brutality of other horror types so let's start with some lighter movies for those folks:

HOLLYBLOOD (Netflix) - 7/10

Spanish (dubbed) Twilight parody turned very very very light thriller. Literally, Hollyblood is the in-universe name for a Twilight movie. Has the most supportive dad to exist. "He's confused but he's got the spirit" in human form. CGI is minimal and cheesy, practical effects are cheesy and silly as hell. A good time. Desperate teen love, and nuns. Guys wearing eyeliner. A+

THE BABYSITTER (Netflix) - 9/10

Always a sucker for an Evil Barbie. Has some of the most bloodthirsty teenagers in it who can also be wholesomely supportive of the kid they're trying to kill. Found Family in reverse. So much blood and a good amount of gore. Loses a point for the kid wanting to be a cop tho.

MY BEST FRIENDS EXORCISM (Amazon) - 10/10

Trauma and backstabbing everywhere, just like real highschool. Adults not caring about their teenage daughters, just like real highschool!! Bash from GLOW teaching kids about lifting weights for Jesus!! Just like real highschool!!!! For real tho the 4 main characters are all pretty insufferable in a realistic way and the more horror the movie turns the less i think Bash from GLOW was told it was a horror movie and not a straight comedy.

CLASSIC HORROR/THRILLER

Blood n gore and monsters and sometimes magic:

THE PRIVILEGE (Netflix) - 0/10

Idk what the fuck even happened in this movie. Nothing happened and nothing mattered. Don't ask too many questions cuz they won't answer them. Maybe ghosts? Maybe demons? What was with the old lady?

BLAIR WITCH (2016) (Netflix) - 0/10

Why did we watch this we hate found footage this made no sense IF EVERYONE DIED WHO FOUND THE FOOTAGE

NO ONE SLEEPS IN THE WOODS TONIGHT (Netflix) - 4/10

A Polish (dubbed) kids-at-camp type movie. Mostly disappointed in how the fact they were at a tech-addiction camp never came into play outside of not having phones, and a lot of the deaths felt anticlimactic. Also aliens? Not much CGI use and one or two of the practical moments was cool. Gain points for hilarious mannequin head toss and Jurek's death scene.

THERE'S SOMEONE INSIDE YOUR HOUSE (Netflix) - 7/10

All the gays live. The killer is not who you'd probably expect but exactly who it should be. Kids trying to survive high school. The killers motives made no sense after the first two murders.

ELI (Netflix) - 7/10

Not really a horror movie? Nothing scary in it but some predictable jump scares. Cool movie anyway tho. Netflix is lying about the 'heart-stopping scares'. Medical horror, maybe.

INCARNATE (Netflix) - 8/10

Short (84 minutes) sweet and to the point. Did its thing and ended. Inception but Demons, hosted by Mr. Batman Two Face himself. Genuinely want more.

TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2022) (Netflix) - 8/10

Gentrification Is Bad and Influencers are Fucking Annoying: The Movie. Lots of blood and screaming, loved the inclusion of school shooting trauma. Party Bus massacre best massacre. No magic no monsters just a pissed off dude committing murders in the name of his mom and town.

THE RITUAL (Netflix) - 9/10

Andy Serkis's movie about why camping is bad and he's right to say it. Fuck hiking. Norse mythology, cool monster, cool visuals, cults, guilt, friends fighting, compasses spinning in circles, all the good ingredients a horror movie needs.

THE OLD WAYS (Netflix) - 9/10

A somewhat realistic take on someone not believing there's a demon inside them. Cool visuals and effects, definitely had my gag reflex activated strongly at one point. The end is not the end and then there's the REAL end that is SO MUCH BETTER than if they had stopped ten minutes before. Main character ends up badass af. Based in Mexico.

HELLRAISER (2022) (Hulu) - 9/10

Confused on the rules but doesn't matter because Jamie Clayton and cool monster designs. Everyone gettin' off on torture. it's a good time. Love all the skin peeling, it's like helping mom with the potatoes on Thanksgiving

A LIL DIFFERENT

Focused more on the mystery and story than the amount of gore scattered around (not that there's NO gore mind you):

THE BYE BYE MAN (Netflix) - 0/10

Yes we watched this because of the name. It should probably go under the Classic Horror style group but because of how hard it failed at feeling like horror it doesn't deserve to be there. The entire budget went into getting Carie-Anne Moss for the last half hour and honestly she's the best part of it. There's like?? No blood?? Would get two points for the cool little girl who saves her family by not being able to read in the dark but not even that can reclaim how bad this was. 3 college kids dick around and the killer does NOTHING the whole movie.

FEAR STREET trilogy (Netflix) - 10/10

Yes loosely based on RL Stine books. Don't worry, the Gays win in this one. All three movies NEED to be binged together honestly imho, separately they fell weird and disconnected. Great story and mystery, the time jumping is great and reveals so much information, Josh and Martin need to be protected and cherished at all times forever. Lots of violence and blood, gore is few and far between.

#horror #Halloween #movies #media #Netflix #2022 #horror movies #nic reviews #hellraiser #Texas chainsaw massacre #Hulu #Amazon

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octolingo-writes · 2 years

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Hello Linked Universe gang! This is my first post here, and I’m using it to talk about an AU I have—it’s a Dark Link AU on Ao3 called “Your Own Assassin” where each of the Links has a Dark, which in and of itself is not original but I had a lot of fun designing each Link’s Dark (long post ahead boys)

So first off, there are two types of Darks: Full Darks and Half Darks. The Full Darks (I’ll call them FDs and the Halves HDs for now) are from games where Dark Link/Shadow Link exists prominently, and HDs are not. Time, Legend, Hyrule, Four, and Warriors have FDs, which means Twilight, Sky, Wild, and Wind have HDs. The only visual difference is that FDs always have bright red eyes, while HDs do not.

For a FD to die permanently, they have to be killed by either a) the Master Sword or b) their Hero (Time’s Dark couldn’t be killed by a different hero unless they wielded the Master Sword). Due to the Sword’s magic, FDs cannot touch it without burning. The HDs can, and their conditions of death are more unique than the FDs. If a FD is killed in any way other than DIRECTLY from their Hero or the Master Sword, they are resurrected in their own Hyrule within a few days.

Now that that’s out of the way, on to the Darks!

Time’s Dark: Fathom

Fathom originated in the Water Temple, where he was defeated by Time. Instead of being killed by the hero directly, Fathom allowed himself to drown in the chamber’s water, so he could be resurrected. He tried to fight Time on one other occasion, much later: when Time had met and married Malon. Time convinced him to flee before he was killed.

Fathom looks like Young Link, but he wears a blue tunic and has hair that sparkles like a mirror (iridescent and reflective). He can travel through any reflection by way of Mirror Realms (which I might make another post about), but he can’t teleport between them—if two lakes were connected by a river, Fathom could travel from one to the other, but if they weren’t connected by something reflective, then he couldn’t.

Legend’s Dark: Duel

Duel is unique in the sense that he doesn’t want to kill Legend, but he does DESPERATELY want to beat him in a fight. The two have battled numerous times when Duel convinced Legend to fight, and Legend has beaten him every time, but Duel always managed to escape before being killed. He has a strange sense of honor, and while Legend will use underhanded tactics to beat him, Duel will not.

Duel wears blue like Fathom, though his clothes are much darker—more of an indigo. He has black hair, like that of Ravio’s (they aren’t related). He can summon any of Legend’s items from nothing and wield shadowy versions of them, which is what makes him such a threat in battle.

Hyrule’s Dark: Dark

Dark is the most powerful of any of the Darks, despite not being the first one to be created. He fought Hyrule once, and he gave Hyrule the scar on his abdomen. Dark survived the battle due to a crumbling section of the chamber’s wall—he leapt into it and crushed himself so Hyrule couldn’t kill him. While Fathom’s death was traumatizing, Dark isn’t bothered at all by his own (frankly, he’s not an easily bothered person).

Dark looks like the classic Dark Link: a shadowy figure with glowing red eyes. In terms of special abilities, Dark has a lot. He can travel inside shadows, though he can’t travel through them (only hide in them). He can also transform into any monster in Hyrule, and speak to monsters while in one of these forms. He also acts as the leader of the Darks in Figment’s absence (more on Figment later).

Four’s Dark: Shadow

I’m sure most of you know exactly where I’m going with this, but I’ll give explanation regardless. Shadow is the Shadow Link from the Four Swords Manga, his appearance and backstory is exactly the same. The only difference is that instead of dying at the end of the manga, Shadow returned to a Realm within a small Dark Mirror (small enough to be carried around). He is trapped in the Mirror, which is carried around by Fathom. The two communicate either through signing or speech, when Fathom travels inside the Mirror to talk to him.

Warriors’ Dark: Reflection

While the rest of the FDs were created by Demise’s curse directly, Reflection was made by Cia’s magic. He’s fought Warriors a number of times throughout the war (any instance where Dark Link appears in Hyrule Warriors), and survived because it wasn’t truly him fighting, it was one of his duplicates. That’s Reflection’s main ability: he can duplicate himself into up to four copies that all look and act exactly like him. He’s also got some magical abilities, though he doesn’t use them often (it’s mostly creating portals).

Reflection looks like Warriors, but with white hair and red tattoos on his face and arms, like the tattoos Cia has. He wears a purple tunic and chain mail (it’s very close to Warriors’ outfit, except without the scarf). Reflection has a central weakness, however: any injury Warriors suffers, Reflection and all his doubles suffer the same wound, even if it’s a sickness. Hypothetically, if Warriors died Reflection would be gone for good, which means Reflection has a lot of trouble fighting his heroic opposite.

Twilight’s Dark: Interloper

Interloper is the first of the HDs, and probably the most complicated one (sorry). He’s never fought Twilight, rather, he just stalked him through his adventure. Twilight is aware of his existence primarily through his dreams, which Interloper can invade.

Interloper has no real and corporeal body—he possesses the bodies of others, and the only way to tell if he is possessing someone is that their eyes turn white. He has to leave a body in order to possess a different one (obviously). He can be shoved out of a body if the person he’s trying to possess fights back hard enough, but once he’s gotten a strong hold it’s very hard to push him out. If the body he’s possessing dies, Interloper does not. He can also transfer images to other people’s minds through physical contact—it’s similar to his possession, only it doesn’t go so far as to attempt to take over the person’s consciousness.

The only way to kill Interloper is to kill his incorporeal form, called his True Form. It is a being of radiant energy, though in reality it’s made of Twili magic. It is very sensitive to anything light-related, even sunlight, and very easy to kill if caught without a body.

Sky’s Dark: Figment

Figment is the original Dark, and the most powerful one. However, when he first fought Sky, he was much weaker than Sky was. He tried to beat him after Sky’s adventure, and was defeated almost immediately. The power of the Master Sword sent Figment to the Sealed Realm, the same place Demise is being kept (though Demise’s seal is stronger, and the two cannot interact). The only way to free him would be with the Master Sword. Figment, like Interloper, has the ability to mess with Sky’s dreams, and he can speak into the minds of the Darks.

Figment looks like a cross between Demise and Ghirahim: he’s the same height and has the same build as Ghirahim, but has fiery hair like Demise. His eyes are red, though not the same red as the FDs. His clothes are form-fitting and black, patterned with scales like the Imprisoned. In terms of being killed, Figment follows the same rules as the FDs. The only reason he didn’t die in his initial confrontation was because of the immense power of the Master Sword and how new the Sealed Realm was.

Wild’s Dark: Hollow

Anyone who’s played Age of Calamity will recognize Hollow as a Link made out of Malice, and that’s exactly who Hollow is. He was made prior to the Shrine of Resurrection, and he looks like pre-Shrine Wild, only made of Malice. Anything he touches, plants or otherwise, burns.

Hollow has little in the way of personality—the only thing he focuses on is his mission of killing Wild, though the two have not met since Wild’s awakening in the Shrine. Hollow cannot touch the Master Sword like the FDs, but unlike them, he won’t die permanently if killed by them. Hollow has a Malice Eye hidden somewhere in his Hyrule, and if the Eye is defeated, then Hollow dies.

Wind’s Dark: Facade

Wind was not meant to be a Hero of Courage, so his Dark was a last minute creation. Facade was crafted by Ganondorf directly, from the body of a Bokoblin reinforced with magical runes and spells that make him stronger and faster than a normal Bokoblin.

He looks very similar to Wind in face and build, but he’s got the ears, fangs, claws, and skin color of a Bokoblin from Wind’s Era. He does not get along well with the majority of the other Darks, especially not the FDs, because they consider him inferior. He’s much easier to kill, too: since he’s a Bokoblin, not a being of dark energy, he dies permanently no matter what kills him. Even if it’s something completely unrelated to Wind or any of the other heroes, he still dies permanently.

———————————————————————

Well, that’s the Darks! Thanks to anyone who stuck around and read these, because I know I wrote a LOT but I’ve also spent a lot of time creating them. If you have any more questions, feel free to send an ask because I’d love to talk about these guys!

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #octo posts #YourOwnAssassinAU

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lindsaywesker · 1 year

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Good morning! I hope you slept well and feel rested? Currently sitting at my desk, in my study, attired only in my blue towelling robe, enjoying my first cuppa of the day. Welcome to Too Much Information Tuesday!

Sir Isaac Newton died a virgin.

It is illegal to mispronounce "Arkansas" while in Arkansas.

Some penguins are prostitutes, offering sex in exchange for pebbles.

Once you fall in love, there’s no going back to just being friends.

A man once tried to rob a bank after paying $500 to a ‘wizard’ to make him invisible.

Cameron Diaz and Snoop Dogg used to go to the same high school and she bought weed from him.

Squeezing a man's testicles can kill him, due to the release of too much adrenaline.

In 2018, Munafri Arifuddin ran unopposed for mayor of Makassar, Indonesia. He lost the election to "none of the above".

82% teens don’t ring the doorbell. They text or call to say they’re outside.

Australian koalas are in danger of extinction because over half of them have chlamydia.

A man named Walter Summerford was struck by lightning three times in his life. After his death, his gravestone was also struck.

Emotional pain lasts for 10 to 20 minutes, anything longer is actually self-inflicted by over-thinking, making things worse.

In 2020, two men were arrested in Florida while carrying bags full of drugs with the words ‘Bag Full of Drugs’ written on them.

When a potential meteorite turns out to be just a rock, geologists call it a 'meteorwrong’.

The New York Museum of Modern Art has had a Mondrian painting hanging upside down for 75 years. They plan to keep it hanging as is.

In China, it’s illegal to reincarnate without filling in a government Reincarnation Application form.

The most recent winner of the Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title Of The Year was "Is Superman Circumcised?" by Roy Schwartz.

The only difference between fog and mist is visibility: if you can’t see more than 100 metres ahead, it’s fog, not mist.

One of the best feelings comes when you realize that you're perfectly happy without the people you thought you needed most.

The sentence "Are you as bored as I am?" can be read backwards and still makes sense.

Vincent Van Gogh died penniless. He only sold one painting during his lifetime, 'The Red Vineyard'.

When you kiss someone passionately, their DNA will stay in your mouth for at least an hour afterwards.

At a restaurant, wash your hands after ordering. The menu is generally the dirtiest thing in a restaurant!

When the KGB tried to blackmail Indonesian President Sukarno with a sex tape, he is said to have been delighted and asked for more copies to be made.

When restaurants play classical music in the background, diners spend 10% more per person. When they play pop music, diners spend 10% less.

In 2020, a French man was awarded €40,000 by a court because they determined his job was so incredibly boring it had damaged his mental health.

John Harvey Kellogg, the co-creator of Corn Flakes, fostered 42 children but was so repelled by sex he never consummated his marriage.

Some of the stranger jobs listed in the 1881 UK census were ‘Turnip Shepherd’, ‘Gymnast To House Painter’, ‘Electric Bath Attendant’, ‘Examiner Of Underclothing’ and ‘Running About’.

According to a historical anecdote, a Neapolitan nobleman once fought 14 duels to prove that Dante was a better poet than Ariosto. At his deathbed, he confessed that he had read neither of them.

In 2010, a debate between the two candidates for prime minister of Australia had to be rescheduled because it conflicted with the final of ‘Masterchef’.

In 1986, two Russian pilots got into an argument over whether one could land the plane blind. Determined to prove he could, the main pilot shut the curtains and proceeded to land without vision. He missed the runaway, flipped the plane and killed 70 passengers.

In 2013, a 16-year-old girl cheated death and survived the tragic Asiana plane crash at San Francisco Airport. However, moments after the crash, she was run over and killed by a responding fire truck arriving at the scene.

To avoid US libel suits, authors will sometimes make sure to note that a fictionalized person has a small penis. For libel, it must be obvious the real person and character are the same. Men rarely want to prove in court that they are obviously the character with a small penis.

In 1940, a live broadcast of a BBC radio production of ‘Hamlet’ was so far behind the schedule that, before most of the characters had died, an announcer had to step in and say, “And there we must leave them ...”

Contrary to popular belief, Olympic athletes in ancient Greece didn't compete completely naked, they wore something called a kynodesme, a cord or string or sometimes a leather strip that was to prevent exposure in public and to restrict untethered movement of the penis during sporting competition.

Okay, that’s enough information for one day. Have a tremendous and tumultuous Tuesday! I love you all.

#mixcloud #mi soul #dj #music #new blog #lockdown #coronavirus #books #democracy #brexit #cronyism #election #tuesdaymotivation #autumm

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ariadnassecretdiary · 2 years

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Under this damn contract

Summary: Ariadna was just your average college student that suddenly found herself in a tight situation: she woke up inside her favorite novel! Well, isn’t that nice~? WRONG! She reincarnated as a support character whose fate is to end up dead, victim of the novel’s villain Kino, who’s thirst for blood and power makes him extremely dangerous! Right now, she’s one year ahead from the tragedy so Ariadna’s only choice is to find a way to survive. Ari must do anything in her power in order to avoid the destiny that was given to her. The question now is: will she make it?

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, […]

Chapter 6: Appetizer for wolves

Mun Ari: I apologize that the last chapter may have been a little boring ;-;. I need to go slowly, since it is for development ;-; Also! It was kind of funny that you all kind of hate Kino lol xD I mean… I have some bad news for you… you might hate him for a little longer ^^’.

I’ll do my best to make these chapters the most enjoyable and (if school allows it) I’ll go a little faster this time! Thank you once again for all the support and the patience as well!

Anyway, enjoy~

The battle that Ari had to confront was just ahead of her. The mighty mansion that was in front of her was breathtaking: it screamed the luxury and the exquisite taste of their owners. Ari was no construction expert, but she could almost swear that this mansion was twice as big as her own back in Iberitia. It sort of reminded her of the Buckingham palace back in her previous life… and the Wolfgang family were dukes! No wonder they were above in terms of wealth and status.

Ari would have admired the inimaginable amount of details… if and only if she wasn’t on the verge of a panic attack.

Her heart was beating out of control, she was shaking so bad she felt like her legs would give out at any minute. Ari tried to cheer up, to encourage herself or at least to calm herself down, but she was helpless.

As her brain was trying to send the signal to move, Ari felt an arm pulling hers. When she looked up ahead, Kino wasn’t looking at her: he was looking up ahead. Ari had to admit that he always looked so sure about himself, each step he made and everything in his body language screamed security. Not to mention, his selection for tonight’s event was on point: an elegant and classic royal blue with silver details. Perfectly matching her navy blue dress.

Ari tried to follow his steps, hers trembling like jelly but she forced herself to do it. The mighty entrance doors opened as they got close, almost by magic. Yet, there’s a limit for a delicate and anxious body like Ari’s. Her steps along behind his rhythm and soon her throat closed avoiding air to fill her lungs.

(N-No Ari! You can’t have a panic attack now! Not now!) Ari thought, desperate trying to get herself together.

But it was useless… it was already happening. She was already hyperventilating and soon her sight felt blurry, even everything around her was spinning. She had to speak up, or else…

“What is wrong with you?” Ari then heard Kino speak, somehow distant considering he was just next to her.

“N-Nothing” She managed to say, but he stopped.

“You’re clearly not” he stated as he looked at her questionably.

“M-Must be your imagination…” she tried to excuse herself, but he didn’t move.

“I think I already mentioned it, but…” he started as let go of her arm and moved himself in front of her. “I really hate liars. Now tell me, what is wrong with you?”

Ari tried to speak, tried to walk, but it was useless. Her intention was to dismiss the subject, but as she tried to take a step her legs missed her. But Kino was faster, grabbing her by the shoulders to stop her from falling.

Ari tensed, clearly she was commiting mistake after mistake.

(He must be angry, I’m ruining this before starting) Ari lamented and as she desperately looked for an explanation to give to Kino, she felt he guided her to the nearest chair.

As soon as she took a seat, she felt a little better as there wasn’t any risk of falling and embarrassing herself.

A short silence followed, Ari was trying to calm herself and she had to be fast: every minute counting.

“Better?” Kino then interrupted her thoughts.

“I-I’m sorry…” she apologized.

“What happened to you? You are trembling and pale”.

“I-I…It w-won’t happen again” Ari stated “I’m doing better now”.

“Answer me,” Kino warned her.

Ari opened and closed her mouth. Then she looked down to her hands on her skirt.

“I-I…I’m very nervous” she admitted “It’s very hard for me… doing this type of thing. I-It’s simply too much!” She admitted as she closed her eyes in defeat.

It was true: Ari was never good in any type of social gathering. Lately, she forced herself to do it and it was manageable since they were small and somehow insignificant reunions with a few people. But tonight it was different: it meant the difference between ascending to higher social circles or social suicide. If it was only her life at risk, she would have been able to handle the pressure much better… but she had to carry the weight of other lives as well. It was simply too much. And she couldn’t expect Kino to understand it.

“You’ve been studying for a month now. You have practiced a lot, what is it that is making you nervous?” Kino asked.

“I-I can’t help it…!” Ari replied “I-I’m not good at socializing as you”.

Ari knew she had to recover, each minute passing by was going against them.

“If you can't do it naturally, then fake it”.

At his words, Ari finally looked at him. He looked determined as if what he stated was obvious.

“F-Fake it?”

“Yes, you have to fake it”

“W-Why?”

“Even if we both know that this is false” he said as he pointed between them, referring to their contract “you are here now as the partner of a duke, therefore you have to act as such”.

“I-I!”

“You have to fake it. Fake it until you believe it” he stated “Act as a duchess, as tonight you are not the daughter of a marquis but my partner”.

Ari’s eyes wided. He meant every word he said and he was right in a way.

(Is he… trying to cheer me up?) Ari thought, but soon discharging the idea (Somehow it makes me remember the phrase that says ”tell a lie many times, until it becomes a reality”).

Ari lowered her face and closed her eyes for a moment. Lately, she has become good at pretending… she just had to continue as she had been doing so far.

(I can do this… they all depend on me… I can’t let them down!) she thought.

Ari opened her eyes and finally stood up.

“Good” Kino said as he saw her “Let’s go”.

Ari nodded and took his arm just like before. They walked towards the entrance and entered as soon as they heard they had been announced.

The dining hall, where the dinner would be healed, was just as beautiful as the exterior and even the hall they had come from. A long table with gorgeous flower centerpieces and tableware. Hanging by the rook, elegant chandeliers that gave light to the room with subtable music playing in the background. Many guests were chatting between each other eagerly, passionate conversations could be heard everywhere especially regarding art. Soon a voice announced the newly arrived guests and everyone turned their attention to them.

Ari looked at the considerable amount of people gathered and she felt observed. All their eyes were on them and she felt they followed their every move, judging them or even grading them. Ari gulped a knot that formed on her throat and tightened her grasp on her lifted skirt. They entered the room and soon a group of nobles surrounded them.

“I’m so glad you decided to join us, your grace and my lady!” a young lady was the first one to exclaim.

“I agree! You are the guests of honor tonight!” someone else exclaimed.

“I’m so grateful I was invited tonight! I knew I had to come when I heard you were joining us!” some other said.

Ari smiled and greeted each one of them and by the end she felt drained. Ari wanted to disappear in an isolated corner of the room and go unnoticed, but she couldn’t. Kino was keeping her by his side at all times, she could imagine herself like those children that keep their favorite toy with them at all times under their arm. However, Ari was sneaky, especially when it came to getting away from situations she doesn’t want to be in. At one point, all some started discussing the best strategy to hunt as some guests invited were having their debut next season. Naturally Kino was the center of the attention and was giving out some advice to them and some uninterested guests in the topic decided to excuse themselves, Ari took that chance to escape. Ari felt drained and decided to take a seat to charge the social battery. As if a magnet, soon another group of ladies join her and started to attack her with many questions.

“Lady Ariadna! Please tell us, what you felt when his grace dedicated his victory to you?” ask one.

“Lady Ariadna, what was the first thing you liked about his grace?”

“Lady Ariadna, what is your favorite thing to do with his grace?”

“Lady Ariadna, has his grace given you any present?”

“Lady Ariadna, have you…?”

Ari felt overwhelmed with some many questions. She answered them as she had practice so the story was credible. Yet, somehow she felt annoyed that every question was centered on Kino and not her, they were more interested in him rather than her. However, Ari thought it couldn’t be helped, after all he had made sure every time he was the star by assessing his best qualities… it was when they were alone he showed his real self. So Ari decided to continue and answer the most naturally practiced those answers that they had established. Just as Ari was worried they might ask something that might require a deeper or different type of answer, the butler at the entrance announced the arrival of the Wolfgang duke and duchess.

The couple were in their 40’s, however they looked well conserved. The duchess was elegant in both the way she moved and the way she dressed. Her dark brown hair with strains of white hair neatly tied in a long braid and her wine dress. Her hazel almond eyes, although they started showing signs of the pass of time, were sharp and captivating. She wore a modest smile as she descended the stairs by the arm of her husband, the duke. Just like his wife, he wore a crimson suit with his golden medals adorning it. His already gray hair also neatly arranged for the occasion, wore a small smile and his brown eyes focused on his guests now present in his home. Ari was impressed at their appearances, but regarding their beauty she could sense the strictness that she has heard about them. When they arrived at the bottom of the stairs everyone bowed in respect, and as part of the protocol the dukes greeted their guests one by one. Ari stood next to Kino, the difference was that Kino was perfectly calmed and Ari was a nervous wreck. She was trying to hide how she trembled, constantly drying her sweaty hand on her dress skirt and concentrating on the greeting she had to give. Kino must have sensed her nervousness and simply grabbed her hand, making Ari interrupt her tormented thoughts. Just in time for her to notice the dukes had just arrived in front of them to greet them.

“Your graces” Kino was the first one to greet them with a short bow of his head.

“Your grace” the duke Wolfgang did the same.

“Your graces” Ari followed with a bow.

“Lady Ariadna” the duchess then answered with a short bow of her head, showing the difference in status.

“We’re really grateful to be invited to your presence, your graces” Ari said very politely.

“Thank you for coming” the duchess replied.

“We have heard a lot about you two, so naturally we wanted to get to know you better” the duke commented somehow with a humorous tone.

“The pleasure is all ours,” Kino replied with a charming smile.

“Well! Now that we are all gathered, shall we get dinner?” the duke announced, this time for everyone.

All the guests took a place in the huge table already set. Once everyone was seated, the servants started serving the first dish and filled the glasses with sparkling champagne. Ari was never fond of alcoholic beverages, so she ignored her drink. Instead she focused on her food and followed all the set of rules she had to for the night to be a success. As she was focused on her food, soon the guests started talking and soon the table had a lively atmosphere. The duchess made time to have a small chat with all the guests, making sure no one felt excluded. Soon, she heard the duke was chatting with Kino about hunting. Although the conversation had happened before, Kino didn’t seem to care to repeat it and Ari guessed it was because he wanted to earn the favor of the duke. The duke was impressed by Kino's ability to hunt an ozlet and so Kino shared his technique for the next time the duke decided to hunt himself. In the meantime, Ari felt bored and anxious. She was surrounded by strangers and was worried people might ask her things she couldn't answer and ruin all the process they have made so far in the event.

“Say, Lady Ariadna” soon Ari’s nightmare became true when she heard the duchess directing her attention to her.

“Yes, your grace?” she answered.

“Are you having a good time?”

“Oh! Very much your grace!”

“It doesn’t seem like it, Lady Ariadna”

Ari felt the air soon turned serious. Ari wondered if she had accidentally offended the duchess and soon turned her attention to her.

“I-Is not like that, your grace!” Ari felt herself stuttering, a bad sign since it meant her control was fluctuating.

“I comment it, since you haven’t spoken at all” the duchess pointed out, her tone always serious not fully revealing what she might be thinking.

“Oh… I mean, I prefer to listen first and then express my opinion” Ari tried to excuse herself.

“So you haven’t found the need to intervene? Could it be that you might find this dinner boring?”

Ari felt she was stepping into a minefield. She found herself in a situation where everything she might say would be used against her… but she had no idea how she got herself in that situation.

“Not at all! It's just that I was very concerned about the delicious food, that’s all!”

“Lady Ariadna Koizumi. The youngest daughter of Lord Koizumi, youngest sister of Lady Akane Koizumi” the duchess started talking “I had the pleasure of meeting you sister”.

“Y-Yes, some time ago”

“Your sister… She's such a brilliant lady. Her conversations were very delightful, her vast knowledge in the fine arts was impressive”.

“I agree, your grace!” another lady by the table soon interfered “Each time she spoke, everyone listened to her! No matter which masterpiece we spoke of, she had a brilliant observation regarding it!”

“She mentioned herself that her favorite art was that of paintings. Her grace herself showed her her personal collection and she enriched us with all she knew about each piece!” someone else said.

“I-I see…” Ari commented, feeling a little weird.

“To think that her younger sister is all the contrary to her…” suddenly the duchess mentioned.

Ari’s eyes widened, feeling a knot on her stomach.

“It would seem like Lady Ariadna is more reserved” the duchess said “that or she isn’t fond of arts like her older sister is”.

Ari felt like her heart went cold. Somehow, it made her remember that sensation she hadn’t felt for a while now. It was a small pain that went unnoticed for her, but it was still there. The feeling of being compared.

Ari remembered that this pain, she had been carrying it even from her past life. That strange feeling that you are constantly compared by your oldest sister, even if it wasn’t openly or directly said it was implied. She remembered that Akane, her sister from her previous life, was just like the actual Lady Akane. They both were brilliant, always eager for more knowledge and therefore constantly studying to acquire it. Both were so smart, that those that had the chance to meet them, would be impressed. They weren’t afraid of expressing themselves, not caring if their opinions would be liked or not. Passion overflowing their interests, making everyone that listens to them be enchanted as well. They were highly respected as well, because they had good grades and also a strong character. They were strong, independent, logical… and even prettier than her. Everyone praised them, and indirectly expected the same from her. Ari was all the contrary to them and felt that once they knew them both, they compared them and always prefered Akane over her. Not to mention, the fact that in this life, Akane caught more attention since she was the heiress of Iberitia while her not. Ari couldn’t help but feel devastated.

“It can’t be helped then” the duchess ended the conversation and turned her attention to another guest. Ari felt she had ruined everything, she felt like everyone was staring and making fun of her. She even refused to look towards Kino’s direction. She could imagine his expression: surely he must be angry that she messed up her opportunity. She felt she had to hide, so she stood up and discreetly left to the toilet. Once she was there, she crumbled on the floor as soon as she closed the door. She hugged her knees to her chest and concentrated on her breathing and heartbeat. She had to compose herself, but she felt so humiliated. This was the first time she felt explicitly compared with Akane and surely she didn’t know what to do about it.

(Surely Kino must have realized his mistake by choosing me as his partner…) Ari thought (I just made my debut, but before and after it I’m not somebody in this empire to be useful for him. Thanks for tonight’s failure, all people’s lives are more in danger than before…).

Ari wanted to cry, to leave and ran home and locked herself in her room. Hopefully, she would be able to wake up back to her previous life: safe and in peace. But she swallowed her tears, since they wouldn’t fix anything plus they could ruin her makeup and that would be another problem.

After what she felt like a long time, she stood up and breathed in and out to calm herself. Even if she felt desperate, she had to make it till the end of the dinner. She had to, otherwise…

She soon stepped out of the restroom and walked slowly back to the dining room. As she was making her way back, mentally preparing for the rest of the dinner, she saw a room slightly open and light coming from it. Ari was going to ignore it, but suddenly a small melody was heard and she recognized it immediately. Ari stopped in front of it and after a minute she doubtfully opened the door and found it empty. She could have sworn that she heard a melody, but just as she thought it was her imagination, she saw what seemed like a small music box by the table at the center of the room. Ari got closer and found it extremely curious and pretty. It looked antique, but that didn't stop it from being lovely and delicate. Ari wanted to listen to the melody once again, but couldn't find the key or any mechanism for it to work. Just as she was about to leave, she heard a small sound coming from behind her and saw that the curtain suspiciously looked bulky. Ari looked down and saw that behind the curtain a pair of shoes could be seen, it was when Ari understood that someone was hiding… or more like trying to hide.

Ari didn’t know if she should act as she didn't notice the person behind the curtain, call out that person or simply leave the room. Ari simply chose the last option and decided to leave, when she noticed a different sound: whimpers. Ari could hear clearly that the person behind the curtain was sad and possibly crying. She felt her heart tightening, she couldn’t possibly leave and act as nothing has happened when clearly someone was crying. At least, she could ask this person if it was ok.

Ariadna took a deep breath and hesitantly reached where the bulge curtain was standing.

"E-Excuse me… is everything alright?" Ari asked in front of the person.

She heard the person gasping and trembled as if they were discovered and were scared.

"I-I won't hurt you! I was just wondering if there's anything I could do for you! T-That's all!" She tried to explain her intentions.

The person kept trembling and Ari thought it could have been best to leave the poor person alone. Ari thought that the least thing that person might have wanted was to be discovered if it was hiding.

"I-I'm sorry for the intrusion…" Ari said with a small sigh and turned around to leave.

As she was making her way outside, her foot stepped on what seemed like a tiny key. She picked it up.

“B-Before I leave, I think I found a key,” Ari mentioned.

As if she had said the best news in the world, the hidden person soon uncovered and ran to her encounter.

“Y-You found it!” the person said “Oh! I thought I had lost it!”.

Ari finally got to see the face of that person. It turned out that it was a young lady, Ari could even dare to say she was younger than her. Her small complexion made her look frail and gave a shy aura. Her straight red hair was neatly tied in a half ponytail and it reached up to her waist and had almond shaped hazel eyes. She wore a dark red dress with tiny black details and she wore a simple necklace with a teardrop-like pearl.

(She’s definitely a noble, but I wonder what she was doing here by herself) Ari thought as she saw her excitement over the tiny key she gave to her.

“Thank you miss… I really thought I had lost it” the girl shyly explained as she calmed down.

“It must be something really precious to you ma'am” Ari commented.

“It is… my grandma gave it to me…” the girl said. She turned around as if realizing Ari was still there, instantly blushed and going silent.

Ari didn’t know what to say either, but her eyes laid on the little box on the girl's hands.

“Is it a music box?” Ari asked shyly.

“D-Do you know them?” the girl asked, seemingly surprised.

“Yes, I liked them a lot” Ari said as she smiled “I used to have some, but I don’t anymore”.

Ari thought back on her previous life when she used to collect some music boxes she brought back during some of her trips. She used to enjoy watching them and make them play their melodies, it was such a sweet sensation.

“Some people,” the girl’s voice interrupted Ari’s thoughts, “think these kinds of things are not fit for a lady. That is a granny thing and so… I get embarrassed when someone finds it out”.

Ari looked at her and saw her sad face. She knew that sensation quite well, some people don't like what you do and tend to tease you about it.

“I see… Well, I like them” Ari said with a kind smile.

“Y-You do?” the girl asked, surprised.

“Yep! Although I don’t have one anymore, I used to enjoy seeing them and listening to their melodies even before going to bed!”

The girl smiled.

“Would you mind letting me listen to the melody?” Ari asked shyly.

The girl looked at her and nodded. She inserted the key and slowly lifted the lid. The melody was sweet and tender, it had a romantic tone to it and the effect of the mechanisms of the music box gave it a jingle almost like a fairytale. Once the music ceased, Ari saw that the red-haired girl looked calmed, she looked dreamingly and adoringly to the tiny box on her hands, as her treasure.

“Absolutely beautiful! I bet you sleep soundly every night!” Ari commented with excitement.

“I do…” the girl answered Ari.

Their little conversation came to an end when Ari heard at the distance how the orchestra started playing. Ari knew she had to go back to the dinner, but she rather stayed where she was.

“I think we should go ba–” Ari didn’t finish when she saw the poor girl had a scared face

The girl took her hands to her chest as she trembled.

“A-Are you ok?” Ari got close to the girl just in time as she almost lost balance. Ari caught her and helped her sit on the nearest chair.

“I-I don’t like b-being around so many people,” the girl said. “B-But I’m expected to do it constantly. M-My mom… s-she expects me to act properly a-and I-I don’t want to d-disapppoint her”.

Ari nodded, encouraging her to continue.

“E-Everyone is so good at interacting, b-but I’m not!”

Ari nodded, understanding.

“Well… I’m not good at it either”.

The girl opened her eyes in awe.

“Just like you, people expect me to act according to the situation. To be a proper lady at all times” Ari explained “I understand the pressure you feel”.

The girl seemed like a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders, like she was finally understood. Ari also understood that feeling: being heard without being judged. To find out that you are not the only one going through something. That girl must have needed to hear that she wasn’t alone.

“B-But people will talk!” the girl said, anxiously “I can’t afford to let people down”.

“Not everyone is good at everything. Besides, it’s impossible to please everyone… if you try, there will always be one that you won’t please”.

“W-Who?”

“You. You’ll bring yourself down, by pleasing everyone else” Ari stated.

The girl opened her mouth, but no words came out. She seemed to understand Ari’s words.

The girl’s eyes filled with tears and some tears fell for them. Ari placed her hand as a sign of comfort, allowing her to cry. Ari could try to guess she felt a weight being lifted from her shoulders.

(She thinks she has to be perfect. I don’t know how much pressure is put upon her, but I hope she can work on it).

After some minutes, the girl seemed to have calmed down and then asked.

“Then… what should I do?” the girl asked, defeated.

Ari thought for a moment and then answered.

“That depends on what you want: if you want, you can work on yourself to be more comfortable in social gatherings or you can stay the way you are and use it in your favor” Ari finally stated.

The girl seemed less tense after Ari’s statement. She also seemed deep in thought, but somehow calmer that a few minutes ago. Ari kept her company until she was ready to decide what to do next. They kept each other company, no pressure nor hurry to make a decision. Ari felt the girl needed time to put her thoughts in order or just to calm down and Ari had no hurry to go back. Besides, the girl seemed to just need company and someone to listen to her, that’s all.

“I-I want to work on my social skills. I want to be someone to be comfortable around people… that’s what I want” the girl finally stated with resolve.

“Sure! I’m sure you’ll make it!” Ari cheered for her.

The girl felt Ari’s excitement contagious and finally a tender smile appeared on her face. Ari didn’t insist on returning to the gathering, instead allowing the girl to continue talking about more trivial things for a while. Ari was enjoying their conversation, but she knew she had to go back to the dinner and make Kino company.

“I’m sorry ma’am, but I have to go now. It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance” Ari said her goodbye with a proper bow.

“T-The pleasure was all mine” the girl almost jumped to answer her bow. “I-If you’ll allow me”.

The girl then took a tiny bell from her pocket and made it ring. After some minutes a light knock was heard at the door and soon a maid appeared.

“Did you call, ma’am?” the maid asked.

“P-Please scort her where she needs to go,” the girl ordered the maid.

“Of course. Where do you have to go ma’am?” the maid asked Ari this time.

“Back to the dining room, please” Ari answered.

“Understood. I’ll ask another maid to guide ma’am back to her room then” the maid said, but then the girl spoke.

“I-I want to join mother’s dinner t-this time!”

Both Ari and the maid opened their eyes in awe at the girl’s words.

“A-Are you sure ma’am?” the maid couldn’t contain her surprise as she asked her.

“Y-Yes! That if I-I’m allowed of course” the girl answered.

“You're more than welcome ma’am! Your graces are always hoping for ma’am to join!”

Ari was still in shock, so she had to interrupt to ask.

“S-Sorry, but… did you say ‘mother’s dinner’?”

The girl spun around and nodded.

“Yes, my lady. Ma’am Amelie is their graces’ only daughter” the maid answered on the girl’s behalf.

“A-Amelie? A-Are you perhaps…?”

“That’s right: Ma’am Amelie Wolfgang, the wolf’s clan only hairess”.

Ari felt panic. Did she just spend time with the dukes’daughter!? She was worried she might have offended her in any way or maybe broken some sort of protocol by spending time without permission with a member of the Wolfgang family.

“I-I’m so sorry! I had no idea! I apologize for any disrespectful action on my behalf or words I may have said towards you, your grace!” Ari bowed deeply ashamed she didn’t know the girl that turned out to be a future duchess.

“P-Please don’t be! I thought you knew!” Amelie replied also panicked “However… I’m glad you didn’t know”.

“H-Huh?”

“Y-You didn’t treat me diffently and t-that made me happy” Amelie stated.

Ari didn’t know what to say.

“You see my lady, ma’am Amelie is quite shy. She never joins her parent’s reunions due to this, no matter how hard she tries. She always tried to gather enough courage to join everyone with no success.” the maid continued explaining “She was struggling in this room when I left to get ma’am some water. When I came back, she was having such a lively conversation with you my lady that I had no courage to interrupt you. Thank you very much to give her grace Amelie some company”.

“A-Also… t-thank you for treating me with no protocols! I get so nervous when people refer to me so formally!” Amelie added.

Ari raised her face and saw both the maid and Amelie smiling at her. Ari felt relieved and smiled as well.

“Thank you then, your grace” Ari said.

“N-Now… i-if you don’t mind, c-could you please a-accompany me…to mama’s dinner?” Amelie asked.

“Sure! We’ll give each other mutual support!” Ari agreed excitedly.

They both exited the room following the kind maid. Ari felt more sure having Amelie by her side, as knowing at least someone else was going through the same thing.

(Being an introvert sure is hard… she must feel so pressured as the next heiress…) Ari thought.

Soon they arrived and the doors opened. Everyone stared with shock on their faces at the newly arrived ladies. Ari felt her nervousness again forming at the pitch of her stomach, however she felt Amelie next to her tighten her grip on her. Ari knew she had to stay strong in order to bring comfort to Amelie, she was older and she was the one that encouraged her in the first place back in the room.

“It’s ok. We are in this together” Ari told Amelie only loud enough for her to listen.

Amelie nodded and they both entered the room one next to the other. The guests moved aside as they advanced and Ari could hear them whispering. But she ignored them, trying to stay strong for Amelie.

“Amelie?” they heard someone calling her.

When they turned around, there they were the duke and duchess. Behind them was Kino as well and Ari felt a knot forming at her throat not sure what he might be thinking. The dukes looked surprised, surely due to Amelie’s presence. Ari was looking for anything to say to help Amelie, but Amelie spoke first.

“Mother… father…” Amelie seemed unsure on how to react or say.

“You came! Amelie, you finally decided to join us!” the duchess broke all etiquette and approached Amelie, soon hugging her. Amelie didn’t oppose resistence and seeked her mother’s comfort. Ari smiled and she saw them expressing their love. Ari’s felt reliev her suspects of the duchess being hard on her daughter turned out not to be true. The duchess seemed more happy for Amelie’s presence than anything else. Even the duke was smiling at the developing escene and even the environment seems somehow warmer.

“Mom is so proud of you my dear Amelie” the duchess praised Amelie as they broke their hug. She even petted Amelie’s head in a soft and loving way.

“T-Thank you mommy… I’m sorry it took me so long” Amelie said worriedly.

“You’re here and that’s all that matters” the duchess reassured her “What made you decide to join us tonight dear?”

“T-This lady here… found me and gave me good advice. S-She also made me company until I gathered courage” Amelie explained, referring to Ariadna.

The duchess looked at Ari and with a grateful smile, she said:

“Thank you… I don’t know how to repay you”.

“T-There’s no need! It was all Lady Amelie’s merit, I just happened to pass by! E-Everyone would have done the same!” Ari said as she felt her face blushing.

The duke then took a step earning the guest’s attention towards himself.

“My friends, some of you may not know, but my beloved daughter is quite shy. She had not made her debut as she’s still young and so she didn’t join any event… until now. As you can guess, this is a very important event for us as a family and for that we are grateful you were all part of this joyous event. Please may you have patience towards my daughter, asking you as a father rather than the wolf’s clan leader. Now, shall we continue to celebrate?”

Everyone cheered and soon the music started playing once again. Ari felt less pressured not having everyone’s stares on them, feeling grateful for the duke’s intervention.

“Lady Ariadna” soon Ari heard someone calling for her. Finding the duchess in front of her.

“Y-Yes, your grace?” Ari cautiously said.

“Would you join my daughter and me to take some tea somewhere more private?”

Amelie behind the duchess had expectant eyes waiting for Ari’s reply.

“Sure!” Ari agreed and they made their way to a more private corner in the dining room. The duchess mobilized some servants to arrange a small table and three chairs for them to have some tea in private. They were extremely fast and soon the three of them sat enjoying a steamy cup of tea.

“Would you like some sugar, Lady Ariadna?” the duchess asked.

“Yes, please”.

“I think the tea will go just nicely with some cookies, mom” Amelie commented “I’ll tell a maid to bring us some”.

Amelie stood and went to do as she said, leaving Ari alone with the duchess. Ari felt tense, but soon the duchess broke the silence.

“I want to thank you once again for what you did today, lady Ariadna”

“O-Oh! Please, there’s no need, your grace”.

“I must insist, Lady Ariadna. I’m afraid that what you accomplished tonight is something really remarkable”.

“I-It’s not like that. I just happened to pass by really”.

“Yet, you decided to do something. Someone else might have continued minding their own business” the duchess pointed out “And you managed to establish a conversation with my shy daughter and you even convinced her to join us, you did what I have been trying to do for years now”.

Ari went silent. She really didn’t have any idea it meant that much.

“My daughter… gets so anxious regarding social gatherings to the point that she panics and is even unable to breath or move” the duchess continued “No one since the day she was old enough to assist, have had the opportunity to see even a glimpse of her since no one was able to suceed to convince her to join us…until now. As the future heiress of the clan, it is very important for her to create contacts and relationships and build a good image as well. However, she always struggled and it got into a point where I almost gave up trying”.

Ari then understood: the duchess tried pushing Amelie to open more for her own good, but Amelie had it hard being so shy. Amelie might have thought she was being a disgrace or making her parents ashamed due to her inability to properly socialize.

“I wonder if I failed as a mother…”

Ari gathered her courage and spoke.

“I don't think you failed as a mother, your grace”.

The duchess looked at her.

“You tried to encourage her grace Amelie to open more in your own way. You did so for her well being, but maybe there was a tiny misunderstanding between you two”.

“How did you do it? How were you able to convince her to join us?”

“To be honest… Her grace Amelie, is similar to me”.

The duchess’ eyes widened slightly.

“I also have a hard time interacting in social gatherings… to act accordingly and it means a lot of effort on my behalf to attend. I’m expected to do so and I force myself to act like a lady of my age and status. Of course, I’m slowly getting used to it, but it is still hard. So I understood her grace Amelie a little more. I just told her what works for me”.

The duchess closed her eyes and smiled, understanding the situation.

“I see… then I’m glad she found someone that could understand her situation and help her. Thank you”.

Ari smiled and this time accepted the duchess’ words.

“Also… I’m sorry. A while ago, I think I placed you in an uncomfortable situation. I hope you believe me when I tell you that it wasn’t my intention. I saw you so silent that I thought talking about your sister might help you join the conversation somehow. I think I caused you some grief since you retired almost right away. My sincere apologies”.

Ari felt moved. So the duchess wasn’t trying to compare her with Akane, rather trying to make her join the rest.

“It’s ok… thank you, your grace”.

“Mom! My lady! I bought the cookies!” Amelie came followed by a maid with a tray of cookies.

The three sat and talked a little longer, like having a party on their own. Not so far away, the duke observed the three ladies. He looked pleased looking at his daughter and wife having a good time after so long with Lady Ariadna.

Soon he was approached by Kino who saw the developing scene as well.

"I must admit I wasn't expecting anything from this dinner, your grace" the Wolfgang duke said. "Yet the young lady achieved something we couldn’t. I'm impressed".

"I'm sure my lady will be pleased when she listens to this," Kino replied.

There was a brief silence and the duke one again added.

"You got yourself a nice lady" he commented "you should take care of her”.

“I’ll take your advice into consideration, your grace” Kino agreed.

“Someone like her is always a good influence for those around her” the duke commented.

Kino smirked.

“I think that her grace Amelie and Lady Ariadna, would greatly benefit from being around each other, don’t you think your grace?”

The duke looked at him, interested.

“Indeed, a friendship between them would be really beneficial. What do you have in mind?”

“How about we discussed the details in private?”

The duke nodded and both gentlemen exited the room, without anyone noticing.

Ariadna was tired. As soon as the dinner was over, the dukes announced the end of the event and graded it as a great success. They personally said their goodbyes and once the carriage door closed, Ari laid in her seat. Her feet were killing her due to her high heels and she was feeling undigested due to all the cookies she ate as she enjoyed her own private reunion with Amelie and the duchess. Sure some people gave their greetings and she saw many guests looking her way with somee respect. Ari was only greatful everytthing was over.

“Did you have fun?” Kino asked, somehow amused by Ari’s reaction.

“I did… but it’s no fun afterwards. I feel all the tiredness hit me as soon as we went outside” Ari explained.

“Is that so?”

“Do you extroverts never get tired of socializing?”

“I never get tired actually”.

“I can hardly believe that”.

“Do you get tired? What a shame~ You must be jealous then”

“Not at all. Even if what you say is true, you would never know what it feels to enjoy a good rest after a hard day's work”.

“Talking about work… you did a good job back then, I’m pleased”.

Ari straightened up and looked at him with surprise. He sure looked pleased, a smile was visible in his face and his eyes matched it. Ari felt somehow relieved and happy.

“You proved to me you're worth keeping alive, keep it up” he said as he turned around with an arrogant smile towards the window.

Ari pouted, why did he have to ruin the mood? But… taking that unnecessary comment aside… It was the first time Kino actually praised her. She was glad that her small accident turned out to be a good thing, for not just Amelie, but for her and all the lives that depended on her.

When they arrived at her usual destination, Ari felt a string of pain due to the blisters that formed due to her shoes.

Ari whined silently as she took a step outside the carriage, but she wanted to leave as soon as possible to rest. Yet Kino was perceptive and he looked at her, Ari bit her lip and hoped he wouldn’t mention it.

“Is something the matter?”

“Not at all!" Ari almost rushed to the carriage that was waiting for her "See you next time, your grace".

Kino didn’t seem convinced, but only nodded.

Both carriages parted ways and soon Ari was back home.

Once in her room and ready for bed, she was finally able to relax.

(Such a tiring day. Thankfully it all turned well) Ari thought as she sighed (Still… I can't let my guard down. I bet this won't be the last event of this sort I'll have to attend).

Ari then looked at her desk and saw a letter resting by it, ready to be sent.

(I don't think this is working. So far I haven't received any type of reply and most of my letters were either lost or were never returned. This is not an efficient way… I have to think of something else).

So far, things have been working for Kino, so he saw Ari as useful, which is exactly what she intended to keep those innocents involved safe. Yet, Ari couldn’t help but think, just for how long will she be able to protect them this way? When will it be that Kino will stop needing her and dispose of her and the rest of her people? Once that happens, will the story repeat itself like in the original novel and he'll dispose of not just her but all Iberitia?

As these thoughts invidaded, suddenly an idea popped into her head.

(Wait a minute… Now that I think about it: in the original novel, Kino managed to earn everyone's trust with his charisma. He first 'helped' his brothers and his plans worked perfectly. Then, at a certain point he plotted against his own plans to ruin them and nobody was able to suspect him. He basically managed to build his plan from the inside, within the heart of where the story developed. He took the phrase: 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer' to the extreme… The difference was he never saw his brothers or anyone really as his friends, not even as allies).

Ari soon stopped her tracks.

(What if… I do as Kino did? If I managed to earn Kino's trust by helping him with anything he needs… I might be able to know in advance what he's planning. Then, I can ruin his plans just like he did! Of course it is risky and I have to be very careful and sneaky for Kino not to find out… but it is the only plan I have so far. But for that… I need to make Kino trust me and for that I need to obey him. I need to make him think I'm not a threat. That way I'll know his plans and stop him! I think it is a good plan…).

Ari went to her bed and after laying down and tucked under her covers. She then saw the tiny calendar she had by her night desk.

(There’s still time until the Star’s festival. I need to be able to change the fate before the oracle gives the prophecy… before the crimson moon festival. Things need to change by then…).

Ari slowly closed her eyes and hoped next time she sees Kino, she’ll be able to put into action her new plan, before it’s too late.

Mun Ari: Oh dear… this chapter sure took some time. College felt so heavy these past 3 months. I felt so tired and the only thing I wanted was to have a tiny moment to rest. Believe it or not, whenever I had a tiny break or I got slightly bored during class I would write a little bit. Sadly I only managed to write a couple of sentences in the best scenario. Anyway, I hope you like it and see you soon!!!

#ariadnassecretdiary #under this damn contract #inside ariadna’s diary #ariadna koizumi martínez #ariadnaxkino #manhwa inspired story #thanks for reading!!#mun ari's crappy writing #diabolik lovers latino #diabolik lovers oc

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