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cannedpickledpeaches · 2 months

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Mafia!Jade Leech x Mafia!Reader

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Notes and TW: Overthinker reader having a conversation with Mr. "Just Trust Me" Jade Leech. This series will have mentions of blood, violence, crime (kidnapping, attempted assassination, extortion), and harassment, as one might expect from a mafia AU. Please enjoy!

Tags: @guava-writes @itszzmoon @twstsandturns @myteacupisempty @rou-luxe

“Would you like some tea?”

Jade offers you a cup of something that smells like lavender. You shake your head.

“I’m okay.” You turn your attention back to your screen. He sets the cup and saucer next to you anyway. “Who knows, maybe you’ve put a suspicious substance in it.”

“Is it so hard to believe that I can do something out of the kindness of my heart?”

You chuckle and shake your head. “You? Absolutely not. Give an inch and you take a mile.”

There’s a beat where he doesn’t reply. You look up at him, wondering if you’ve said something strange, but his back is turned as he walks to his seat. When he turns back around to settle in his chair, his expression stills like a frozen pond. Perfectly crafted, carefully unreadable.

A few hours have passed since his phone call. You’ve decided to work in Jade’s office today, thinking that you might get a clue or a burst of inspiration if one of the subjects of your thoughts is in close proximity. He doesn’t seem to mind. If anything, his quiet hums and constant catering to your needs indicates that he’s rather pleased. Aside from the cup of tea releasing a wispy veil of steam, there’s also a plate of cookies and a bowl of cherries on his desk beside you.

“A penny for your thoughts?”

You close your laptop and sigh. There are too many to count, all swirling in your head without rest.

“Still thinking about what you told me this morning.” You don’t want to address the bigger issue—that (Y/N) apparently forgot who you are—so you start small. “I didn’t expect you to actually fall asleep.”

“Neither did I.” Jade frowns in thought. “I imagine it is a result of too few hours of sleep throughout the week.”

“Even so, you said it yourself. You can’t sleep around strangers.” You drum your fingers on the desk. “Maybe you actually do feel at ease around her.”

“That is not the case.” His voice carries certainty that surprises you. When you glance at him, you notice that his mouth is set in a firm line. “I was quite unsettled when I woke up.”

“Huh.” You can imagine it. His shock at his lapse in vigilance. But even so, no matter how tired he is, he has never made this sort of blunder before. “I guess there’s a first for everything.”

A shadow passes over his face. He stands next to your chair and leans over you. His eyes stare straight into yours—piercing mismatched eyes with an almost magnetic pull.

“I will ask you the same question as last night. Do you really believe that manuscript is a reflection of things that will certainly come to pass?”

Your heart jumps. Is he using Shock the Heart? But a few seconds pass, and no words leave your lips. This is not his Signature Spell. This is Jade Leech asking you a sincere, serious question. Besides, you have no reason to lie.

“Like I said, I don’t know—”

“Then don’t talk and act as though it is.” Is that frustration in his voice? He maintains eye contact with you, and you feel as though you can’t look away. “I, for one, think a predetermined future is horribly boring. My actions dictated for me, every event predictable . . . . I would sooner abandon it all and throw caution to the wind. The only reason why I am following the manuscript is because it outlines a way to restore my parents’ health.”

His sentence ends on half a breath, as though he originally intended to say more. He doesn’t. You wait, but nothing comes out.

“And?”

He kneels beside your chair, no longer towering over you or crowding your space. When he speaks again, he is quiet. But in the silence of his office, you hear it clear as day.

“And because that is what you want.”

Many history textbooks praise the Sea Witch for her spells and potions. One of the most famous ones took away a mermaid’s voice. You wonder if this is what that mermaid felt like. A storm of thoughts, but none able to be processed by your vocal chords. Parted lips that leak no sounds. You stare, nonplussed.

Eventually, you manage to let out a breathy, barely-heard whisper.

“What?”

His Adam’s apple bobs. “That is the truth. If that is what you wish for, then I will do my best to live up to your expectations. I know your good friend (Y/N)’s life is difficult. I know you think that by following this manuscript, everyone will be happy, because that is what it says will happen.”

You continue staring. The words seem to pass through you. It’s as though you are sitting in a dream, your surroundings wavering and surreal. What is he saying?

“The truth is that I could simply care less about (Y/N). She is at most an acquaintance. The reason why I give her special treatment is because I know she is precious to you.” He keeps rambling. You get the sense that he has been keeping quiet about this for a while. “As for the matter concerning my parents. If we follow the story, there is still no guarantee that they will be cured. Even you said you do not know if the manuscript’s plot will certainly come to pass. If Vil Schoenheit refuses to help my family, we will think of another way. He is not the only alchemist or curse expert in the world.

“I will follow what you want. But do not ask me to fall in love with (Y/N). That is the one thing I cannot do.”

“Why?” Your brain feels like porridge. Nothing seems to be getting through it. You cannot reason out a single thing. Isn’t (Y/N) created to be loved? Aren’t they written to fit like a glove on each other’s fingers? You’ve read the story. There doesn’t seem to be a particular reason why the Jade in the story obsesses over her aside from spending time together. It doesn’t actually matter. It’s the author’s will that their love is written in the stars—and the pages of that damn manuscript. It’s the point of the entire plot. “Is there something you don’t like about her?”

“Do I need a reason for failing to fall in love?”

Your mind blanks. Does he need a reason? He has a similar line in the manuscript. Do I need a reason for falling in love? If you think about it, isn’t it the same? No matter how you try and reason out the answer, love is not a puzzle with a logical answer. There is no formula, no recipe, no surefire step-by-step manual that you can follow to ensure success. Sometimes a spark causes a flame, and sometimes it sizzles out and dies. There is nobody to blame for either outcome.

You can’t wrap your mind around it. Why. Why. Why. Your brain, constantly overflowing with thoughts, cannot leave this topic to rest. A puzzle without an answer leaves you feeling antsy. Not knowing everything is a sin to your conscience.

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“That is how love tends to be.”

An unsatisfactory answer. You dig your nails into your palm.

“Then answer me this. Why do you follow what I want? Is it because I’m interesting? No, that’s not right. You just said following a pre-written script is boring, and that’s exactly what I told you to do. I don’t understand.”

“The script is boring. You are anything but.”

“Me? What have I done?”

He smiles, then, one wholly different from his polite masks or his teasing grins or even his unhinged laughter. It’s an expression you associate with the times he talks about his interests. The expression that blankets and scatters across his countenance like orange rays of the setting sun over ocean waves. A quiet and calm beauty. A fondness that he rarely allows to be seen.

“Did you know that when you have much on your mind, you look up to the sky? That is why you prefer rooms with windows. The attic in my home that you love so dearly is one such room, and you spend all your time there nestled on the window seat. On that topic, you prefer small spaces because it helps you feel secure while you think. This is because you tend to zone out, and it is easier to defend yourself when no threats can appear behind you.”

“Uh, this is more like a behavioural report than a reason.”

“I do adore observing your behaviour. Particularly when you are lost in thought. I find myself wondering what you’re thinking about. If you’ll share them with me. But oftentimes, you do not trust me enough to do so.”

You swallow hard. “It’s hard to.”

“Why is that? I’ve known you for fifteen years. Floyd has known you for just as long, Azul a little less. (Y/N) has only known you for one year. So why can’t you trust me?”

You fiddle with your fingers, no longer capable of meeting his gaze. This kind of outburst is not something you expected from Jade. How long has he been thinking this way?

“I can’t tell what’s going on in your head. That’s why. Everything you say or do just gives me more to think about. If you’re being genuine or not, if you’ll suddenly decide to turn on me, things like that.”

Hurt flashes in his eyes. His smile shifts from fond to rueful and raw desperation permeates his shaky voice. It sounds brittle, as though a well-aimed push would shatter it into infinitesimal pieces.

“Is it so inconceivable that I could do things for you without ulterior motives?”

You look away. “Only until it no longer serves your interests or amuses you. Even if I can’t trust you fully, I’m sure there’s at least some level of it between us. I mean, we see each other regularly. I even let you drive me home.”

“Yes, but I am afraid I am a greedy man. Anyone else turning their back on me would be tolerable, but you—if it’s you . . . . At least promise me this. Even if I turn on the entire world,” he declares quietly, “promise you will trust that I will not betray you.”

You open your mouth as though to reply. Nothing comes out. You try again, your fingers gripping your knees tightly.

“I think we’re too similar. We’re both too cautious. We both think too much. Because of that, I can’t let my guard down around you.”

“Yet that is exactly what fascinates me.” He places a hand over yours. “Trying to decipher your thoughts, wondering about the motivations behind your actions, these are all things I find myself enthralled by. Your brutality and decisiveness towards that which would benefit you, but your willingness to do anything for the people dear to you. Your cautious nature as you execute your bold plans. Every time I think I have you pinned down, I only unearth another layer. The mystery intrigues me. On the other hand, I cannot help but wish you would trust and open up to me a little more.”

“That’s contradictory.”

“I cannot help it.” He smiles wryly. “I am contradictory by nature, as are you.”

You study his hand that engulfs yours. Cool to the touch. Ungloved, too. You muster your resolve.

“Then promise you won’t lie to me.” You finally lift your gaze until it returns to his eyes. Clear eyes that have been by your side for years. The eyes of a liar and schemer. Ironic for the one who wields a Signature Spell that forces out the truth. But these are the eyes of Jade Leech, and you won’t try to make him be someone he isn’t. “Lie to everyone else, I don’t care. But don’t lie to me. You can try to trick me or give me half-truths. I’ll figure them out on my own. If I still get fooled, that’s on me. Just don’t outright lie.”

The pounding of your heart fills your ears. Then, it is replaced by the sound of his quiet laughter.

“I expected nothing less from you.” He brings your hand up to touch his cheek. It only lasts a moment before he lets go and stands back up, returning to his seat. “I give you my word. I will never lie to you again.”

You look at the teacup on the desk, the lavender tea inside now cooled. The untouched cookies and cherries. A soft clink rings out as you take the teacup and bring it to your lips. Sweet and fragrant. Even cold, the tea Jade brews is impeccable.

#twisted wonderland #disney twst #jade leech #twst fanfic #twst jade #twst x reader #jade leech x reader #multi chap fic #mafia au #jade promised to brew a relaxing tea last chapter #lavender tea promotes sleep and stress relief #even if you don't drink it the scent helps #so he wins whether you drink it or not #slow burn

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deakyjoe · 1 year

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Somebody’s Watching Me Part 12

Pairing: Simon “Ghost” Riley x Reader (“Sarge”, she/her, British, backstory)

Category: coworkers to friends to lovers with grumpy x sunshine dynamic/idiots in love

Summary: Can the two of you fix the damage that has been done? Or is it too late?

Warnings: angst, fluff, talks of injuries, British slang/terminology, strong language, mask is off

Word count: 1.4k (a baby in comparison to other parts)

A/N: Took a break from writing this series, mostly because I was burned out and had lots of uni work to be doing, but also because I needed time to think the ending through to give you all the best of what I’m capable of. It’s not as long as other parts but I feared that if I didn’t write it now then I would never write it. It’s pretty much where I always intended the story to go, just with a lot less conversation than originally planned. There will still be an epilogue after this but for now… enjoy!

When Ghost awoke, blinded by fluorescent hospital lights, and he saw Price standing at the foot of his bed with a deep-set frown... well, he knew things weren't good. It didn't help that you were nowhere to be seen. He didn't expect you to be fawning over him and nursing him back to health or anything. But no trace of you in the hospital room at all was not an encouraging sight.

"Am I dead?" Simon said gruffly, immediately coughing as his lungs clearly had something wrong with them.

Price scoffed. "You wish."

"Damn." He attempted to sit up straight, groaning when pain stabbed through his torso. "Ah, what the fuck?"

"I'd be careful if I were you. You were shot. Several times."

"Nothing new then." He sighed and looked at Price again, a grave look crossing his face. "Where is she?"

The captain hesitated for a moment before replying. "Home."

Shit, that definitely wasn't good.

"Why?" Simon didn't really want to know, too scared of the truth, but he needed to know.

"She was severely injured. Needed better medical attention than we could give her and then some time off once she recovers. She's home now but still in remission." Price checked his watch quickly, clearing his throat when he saw the time.

"Got somewhere to be?" Ghost asked, a sarcastic inflection in his voice.

The captain nodded. "Yes, actually. Already late from waiting for your lazy arse to wake up."

He only grunted in reply and waved his superior out of the room. "Go. I'll be fine.”

"You can go home to her once you've healed a bit more. For now, rest." And with that, Price walked out of the room leaving Simon in silence.

It was okay. He liked silence. Well, more he liked the lack of talking. People talked far too much about insignificant things. Strangely, he missed the sound of your voice chattering about insignificant things. He pushed that thought away and attempted to sleep for a while.

At home, in your flat, you were sick of friends coming over to visit you. Each one seemed to have some form of baked good or casserole and your refrigerator was full to the brim already. You hadn't even been home that long.

The sheer mass of people doting over you was becoming overwhelming in the most annoying way possible. You didn't need them constantly caring for you. Sure, the sentiment was nice enough but you were used to looking after yourself and healing independently. Usually you did it in the (un)comfort of a military hospital or medical tent. Unfortunately for you, you'd been sent home this time and had had no choice in informing your friends of your sudden return back. They just suddenly knew you were there and they were more than willing to help.

"I don't need you to give me a sponge bath." You'd told one with a roll of your eyes, still thinking about earlier in the day when you'd had to tell another that it was perfectly fine for you to drink apple juice and not stick to a strict diet of water.

Honestly, a part of you was enjoying being at home and having time to relax. Even though the cause of it was a little extreme, being able to sit on your sofa all day and watch reruns of old sitcoms as you made your way through every dish stacked in your fridge was nice. Almost... fun.

A part of you longed for something though. Simon. Obviously him. You craved to know how he was doing. When you'd first woken up, a nurse had simply told that he was alive and nothing else. Alive meant nothing. You didn't even know if his condition was stable.

You were worried, to say the least. And even Price wasn't willing to divulge any further information when you'd pressed him for it over the phone. He'd just mumbled something vague and moved on to asking you how you were doing.

It was frustrating. That was for sure.

The days passed and you grew restless, itching to get out of the house again. But you were sensible and followed the suggested instructions from the several doctors that had all agreed that you needed in order to heal properly. It was just a shame that it took so long to happen.

On day, what felt like, one billion of staying at home, there was a knock at the door. And after you'd taken a minute or two shuffling towards it, shouting out a stream of reassurances that you were on your way, you were utterly shocked to find your lieutenant on the doorstep.

Your mouth opened and closed a few times before a ridiculous sentiment left your mouth.

"Jesus, is this like those hallucinations you get just before dying?"

Simon said nothing, just the twitch of the corner of his mouth indicated that he had even heard you, and outstretched his fist to you.

In his hand, was an apple.

Specifically, one of the good apples from the farmers' market.

You looked up at him in confusion.

"Peace offering."

That explained it. So, you took it from him and opened the door wider to let him in. You weren't about to turn down a good apple or a peace offering.

Once you'd both settled yourselves into comfortable positions on the sofa, you wincing a few times and growing jealous that he seemed to have healed so quickly, you really took your time to look at him.

You tilted your head to the side and raked your eyes over him. "You're nervous."

"Am I?" His eyebrows raised a fraction.

"Yes." You nodded.

"How can you tell?"

"You scratch at the scars on your face when something is making you anxious."

"Hm." His eyes squinted at that observation, obviously not previously aware that he had that tell.

You moved on, not willing to dwell on that. "Why are you here?"

"Visiting an old friend."

You laughed sarcastically. "Oh, really?"

He shrugged, still as frustrating as ever. "You should've left me behind."

You'd be shocked if he hadn't been so self-sacrificial in previous times.

"Why would I do that?" You asked, lacing your voice with a mock innocent tone.

"Would've been the smart decision." He snapped.

So you shot right back. "Maybe I'm not smart."

"Yes, you are. You're just stubborn."

The words he'd once told you came tumbling out of your mouth. "A stubborn brat you mean?"

"That too."

You laughed again, shaking your head in disbelief. "You're right. I am stubborn. And I couldn't let you die. The idea of you... I can't stand it. So I let you live for selfish reasons. Alright?"

"You should have let me die."

"Shut up, Simon. That was never going to happen." You rolled your eyes at him and grit your teeth when a shooting pain stabbed through your side as you adjusted your position on the sofa.

Simon's hands raised for a second as if about to help you before he lowered them again.

Instead, he asked a question.

"Why not?"

You looked at him to see if he was being serious. He was.

"You know why."

"Maybe I don't."

You sighed. He was so difficult sometimes. Yet, you gave in.

"I..." You trailed off into thought.

But Simon wasn't going to let it go so easily. "You what?"

"I, y'know, I feel..." Your hands waved around as if hoping to grip a coherent answer from the air.

"Feel what?" The slight raise of an eyebrow hinted that he knew exactly what you wanted to say.

You sighed in defeat. "You know what I'm trying to get across here, Simon."

"I want to hear you say it."

"I feel for you. Have feelings. More than platonic. I... care... for you." You cringed at your own clumsiness, wondering when you'd lost your ability to fully communicate with words.

"I know."

You punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Cocky shit."

"I also care for you."

"I know." You scoffed teasingly.

He just repeated your words back to you. "Cocky shit."

The smiles that broke out across both of your faces were indescribable.

Yeah, the two of you were being slightly more awkward about this than usual but it was never going to be easy to just jump right back in to what you used to have. Smaller steps would have to be taken. And you were fine with that. As was he. You’d get there eventually, it was only a matter of time. After all, some things were just meant to happen.

A/N: Thank you all so much for sticking with me through my hiatus! I’m sorry this is a quick resolution but the epilogue is still on the way.

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dawn-moths · 11 months

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Hi I love your blog i was wodering if you could do number 15 with Undertaker,thank you in advance💓🥰

hi! i recognize your url haha, i’d love to do number 15 with undertaker for you 💕

prompt: watching their oblivious s/o lovingly

character: undertaker (kuroshitsuji)

words: 1900+

content warning: reader’s family was killed in an accident and has some survivors guilt, i put a little more “plot” in this than i originally intended so i hope you don’t mind lol, sorry if this is sad.

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The funeral home is bathed in shimmering, golden light as wisps of sunset stream in through the latticed windows, sun dust dancing in the beams that cast a buttery veil over the surface of shiny caskets strewn about the floor and catching in the bright glint of the glass bottles and jars lined up along the shelves.

A few of the candles are already lit, tiny flames flickering as they hover on the end of charred wicks, rivulets of thick wax making their slow descent towards the silver basins they’re perched in below.

You’ve come to love this place— a place that, at one point in time, had filled you with dread, reminded you of your own fragile mortality— as it now brought you peace.

Maybe it was because you’d become so acquainted with death yourself, had felt its lips ghost over yours with a near-fatal kiss when you’d been on the verge of leaving the living world.

You’d been the lucky one, they’d all told you, because you’d survived.

However, the rest of your family— both your parents and your two other siblings— hadn’t been as fortunate when the carriage had crashed over the cliff side, tumbling down the steep hill into the sea of pine below.

You still wondered why you’d survived while they’d all been claimed by whatever was waiting on the other side of life, but at least there had been one saving grace through all that hell.

Because, if you hadn’t had reason to seek out mortuary services all on your own, you would’ve never met him.

“Undertaker” was the only name he’d given you, still refused to tell you anything other than that title whenever you tried to press him, so, even though his insisted mystery at something as simple as a name sometimes irked you, you’d more or less accepted it.

In the beginning, you’d been wary of him, unable to look him in the face and carful to keep your distance.

But as time went on, as you grieved, as you recovered, and, at last, once your family was put to rest six feet under the ground, you’d found you’d warmed up to him.

Because it hadn’t just been the singular occasion of seeking out his business’s services that had pulled you into his orbit, or the inevitable return after the funeral to pay him what was due and thank him for all his hard work and consideration.

Undertaker had seen your pain plain as day from the very second you stepped through those doors and into his grim domain. He’d seen the fear and the loneliness and the mourning. The guilt and regret one often wears when they can’t help but think, if only I hadn’t made this one decision on that particular day, everything would’ve turned out differently.

So he’d comforted you. He’d helped you feel not so alone and, unlike the other more familiar faces that seemed to pop up to surround you at every turn, offering rehearsed condolences that were so sickly sweet they bordered on condescending, bringing an endless array of casseroles and roasts and all kinds of other deep-dished dinners that most nights had just ended up in the trash because you could barely bring yourself to eat in those first few months after your loss…

Unlike all the others who said what they thought you wanted to hear, did what they thought would help you instead of asking what it was you actually needed, Undertaker had treated you like he understood perfectly right from the start.

You figured he knew the intricate, silent language of death and mourning better than anyone, given that his day to day for who knew how many decades had revolved around it. But you’d expected him to be emotionally uninvested and purely professional when you’d first prepared to speak with a funeral director. So it very much caught you off guard when he’d been the complete opposite.

He’d treated you with compassion, patience, and, above all else, respect. He didn’t pity you, and gave no coddling words about how your deceased family was “in a better place now” or calculated coos making promises that you could ask him for “anything you might need, at any time” like the others who’d learned of your loss when you knew they had their own busy lives to jump right back into once they’d filed out of the funeral and the babbling brook of black clothes and tear-streaked cheeks had dispersed.

It made you wonder who he’d lost in his life, though you were never brave enough to ask.

So you’d found yourself returning to him, drawn back into his somber chamber of half-constructed coffins and gleaming silver instruments strewn about. You’d accepted his invitation to stay for tea and biscuits and felt grateful when he just let you talk about what had happened and how you felt, not feeling the need to interject or give you advice on the proper way to grieve.

Undertaker had sat across from you, secretly studying the distinct features of your face and your innate little mannerisms from behind his curtain of silver fringe, the scar cutting across his face just barely peeking through, and listened.

It was less than any of your other friends or family would’ve considered they’d done for you, but that simple gesture meant more than anything back then.

So when he’d offered you a position as his assistant, promising fair wages and adequate training, though you felt some apprehension at such a serious and, as you could imagine, having been on the other side of it, sorrowful task, you’d ultimately agreed without much hesitation.

Because there was something about being around him that had helped— was still helping— to heal you.

It certainly helped that, the more you two had gotten to know each other, the more comfortable he’d gotten about cracking jokes or making humorous little comments here or there.

Undertaker had a strange sense of humor, a dark one for sure, but as time went on you found that so did you.

You’d since lost count of how many times you’d both ended up laughing so hard you were practically wheezing, arms wrapped around your middle as you clutched the stitch in your side, entire body shaking with the kind of carefree joy that only comes from a good, hearty, unexpected laugh.

“Laughter is the best medicine,” he’d once told you, after you’d suddenly burst into tears after enjoying such a jovial moment, reminded how you’d never get to laugh like that with your family ever again. “Even in the darkest of times, just allowing yourself to experience small joys can help cure what ails you, even if only for a moment.”

You remembered his words often, whenever you were missing your lost loved ones. Undertaker had taught you to laugh more often even if for the sole purpose that they couldn’t anymore, and sometimes that fact alone was enough for you to at least smile.

“Because life is for the living,” he’d also taught you. “You must experience the things that they won’t get to and know that they would’ve wanted you to have a full life.”

So now, as you finished cleaning up and organizing everything in the shop for the day, humming a melancholy little tune quietly to yourself as you moved about, Undertaker leaned in the doorway and silently watched you, his silhouette a tall, billowy shadow as his dark robes draped over his svelte form.

His brilliant chartreuse eyes broke through the cracks in that curtain of silver meant to hide them, and he couldn’t help but grin to himself as he thought how lucky he was— after so many years of solitude— to finally have someone who brought real joy to his life.

Even sweeping the concrete floors, the dusty skirts of your dress swaying about your feet in rhythmic, graceful motions, Undertaker found you beautiful, his delicate, earnest little human.

You were careful around the one coffin he’d strictly told you never to open or disturb, doing a half-turned dance to maneuver the currently cramped space with all that littered the floor, but to Undertaker, you appeared as elegant as if you were the belle of a ball, slowly waltzing about the macabre dancehall.

He’d found new purpose in the life-after-his-afterlife in having you learn from him, in teaching you his trade, witnessing you succeed and fail and succeed again.

You were going to make one hell of an undertaker yourself one day, if and when his jig was finally up and he had to flee this place tucked into the darkest, dingiest corner of London.

Sometimes he thought you didn’t belong here only for the fact that, as he’d half flirted, half joked to you on your very first encounter, “Someone so pretty doesn’t belong somewhere so grim.”

Still though, he was glad you’d chosen to stay on your own accord. Glad that you had a reason to return to him every day, allowing him to bask in your presence, the only ray of light amidst his world of shadows and decay.

When you finally turned and looked over, you jolted a bit as Undertaker’s unexpected appearance startled you, and after letting out a gentle yelp and clutching your heart you found yourself smiling at him.

“What are you still doing here?” you asked, abandoning your broom as you migrated closer to where he leaned in the doorway. “I thought you went home already. I told you I’d close up.”

Humming out a lilting, fleeting note, Undertaker carefully reached a pale, slender hand over to brush some stray, flyaway strands of hair that had come loose from your braid throughout the day back behind your ear, delighting in the fact that you still blushed a little at the gesture even after he’d done it so many times by now.

“I got caught up with something in the back,” he informed you, his voice low and tender, nearly a murmur in the stillness of the room. “I thought I’d stay and walk you home. Make sure you got back safely.”

Undertaker was usually at the shop until long after sundown, sometimes so late you swore he must sleep here sometimes, only resting for a couple of hours before morning peeked above the horizon and tolled the bell on a new day, more work always to be done. (The phrase “you can rest when you’re dead” had taken on a slightly different, more morbid meaning now). In fact, you knew he’d often pull all-nighters, though if he had any bags under his eyes to tell of it you didn’t know. That part of him was still mostly a mystery to you, other than the few times you’d caught accidental glances of such iridescent emerald while you two were working in close proximity.

He’d offered to walk you home a few times before, but you’d usually refused, assuring him it wasn’t far and you could always call for a carriage along the way if you wished. He never pressed you or insisted too much, but tonight, perhaps it was because you were catching a glimpse of those unearthly eyes of his again, reading what you could swear was complete devotion in them, you accepted his invitation to escort you back.

The walk was mostly silent, though you took it more for the fact that the two of you had been working tirelessly these past few days than anything else. However, Undertaker used the window of comfortable quiet as yet another opportunity to gaze upon you.

Oh, how he’d miss you terribly when he finally had to go, and it hurt him even more so to know there was a possibility it would be without warning if he was found out before he could catch onto it.

But he’d spent too much time running from the past and trying to predict the future. All he really needed right now was to allow himself to enjoy the present he shared with you.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

from this prompt list. requests are now closed, thank you to everyone who participated 💕

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pinazee · 6 days

Text

And down the stretch comes murder

I wanted to take this moment to highlight the adorable child actors they got- Liam James and Carlos McCullers II. They are so perfectly cast as Shawn and Gus and they do such an amazing job! Im so impressed by them 👏👏

The whole spitball incident really highlights the differences between Shawn and Gus’ ethics. Shawn feels guilty for thinking he got the wrong spitter and ruined Jimmys life while Gus actually did it and feels no remorse at all. Perhaps it’s because Jimmy tortured Gus more, but it’s also come up a few other times i believe, that Gus is not above revenge nor is always willing to do the right thing if it interferes with his safety or his own code of justice, whereas with Shawn it’s like he can’t rest until he’s made things right. This, in addition to the ways he looks out for people (helping Lassie solve a case without him knowing, helping juliet find some kids without getting paid, standing between Gus and a gun), I think is why i tend to be more drawn to Shawn. I love tender-hearted morally just characters. Im not saying he’s always riding the high horse (pun intended), simply that at the end of the day you know he’s going to do the right thing. Don’t get me wrong, i love a morally ambiguous character too, and if I’m honest Gus’s outlook is certainly more realistic, but if i had to pick a favorite, i want the reliably good and wholesome over the self-serving. Not that im saying Gus is selfish at all, but of the two Shawns more our hero, even compared to his own cop father. I think Juliet is the only one who comes closest to matching that above and beyond heroism. I think the only reason she’s a step below is because Shawn simply notices others more. Thats all. If Juliet had Shawns abilities she’d be just as on top of it as him, probably more so. Actually she might get overwhelmed by seeing it all and not being able to help everyone. I think it’d be really hard for her to ignore sometimes. Which, okay I’m going down a tangent, but do you think Shawn had to learn to shut it off sometimes or like, learn to walk away? Cause i imagine day to day Shawn’s seeing people dealing with grief, abuse, or pain and with as kind as he is, it must be hard for him to ignore. Like if you’ve ever seen Daredevil, I’m imagining a less dramatic version of that haha

Henry will take any opportunity to point out Shawns failings or try to make him feel less than. Shawn tells him he’s there for a case and instead of asking him about it, Henry goes right back into you never could be a good handicapper because you lack the patience and follow-through it takes to put the time in and research. Also, the line “i let him talk to me” just doesn’t sit right with me even if the guy did turn out to be a skeeve. This kind of stuff makes me think Shawn either learned how to respect people from his mother or refused to treat people like his father. Probably both, though i hate to give her credit for anything haha

Look at his smile when he sees Lassie feed the horse. He’s so warmly amused by him. I wasn’t a Shassie shipper originally (as i just didn’t ship ppl in ye olden days) but i think I am now. I see it guys, I get it haha

These scenes are what makes the episode for me! I love them! We get to see both Shawns interacting and how he utilizes his vast memory, taking a peak into his mind palace so to speak. Plus he literally answered that common question of if you could go back in time what would you tell your younger self? (“Think big!”) I know they never really intended for this to be like a deep scene (nor expected certain fans to overanalyze it haha) but i like how he approaches the kid version of himself with a certain degree of amusement. Like I imagine if i was seeing my young self I’d probably be rolling my eyes at my sheer stupidity, but Shawns a lot kinder to himself haha Also little Shawns line “I thought I’d be bald by 20” was fucking gold! I wish I had better words for why this works so well but all i have is that it does and its brilliant.

Nice try Psych, your Canada is showing ;)

Heres some completely irrelevant info. The difference between a dreamcicle and a creamcicle: both are orange flavored, but dreamsicles had an ice milk center while a creamsicle was ice cream. And dreamsicles are no longer made.

I like this addition to the background. Its so cute. (Sidenote: this screenshot makes it seem like Shawn is the babyfaced assassin)

P.S This is the second episode ive seen him hold this frog. That is all.

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miss-tc-nova · 7 months

Text

The Smallest Lapse - Malleus Draconia x Reader

It's not my favorite, but I'm ready to move on.

Anyway, I remember his chef's vignette talking about how difficult it is for him to control is strength in regards to fragile things. I think people can be pretty fragile. I originally wanted to break the arm but I'm not ready to write that.

Premise: Malleus is avoiding his problem

Words: 1,334

Warning: Minor Glorious Masquerade spoilers

~~~~~

It’s been about a month since the events of the Fluer City social and while I very much enjoyed the proper event, I’ve noticed the peculiar behavior of a certain dragon ever since then.

Normally, we had no qualms spending our time together; in conversation or in silence—we were comfortable. But ever since we returned to Night Raven College, it feels as if Malleus is avoiding me. I can never find him at any our usual spots anymore. A few times when I’ve spotted him, I called out, only for the mage to turn a corner and suddenly disappear. Even when I go straight to Diasomnia, they always tell me that he's not around, but I swear I’ve seen him in the window.

I know he’s his own person and that he’s allowed to do things on his own. Hell, if he wants, he never has to see me again. But I miss him, and until he tells me those words himself, I won’t give up on him.

And I have a plan.

Now, obviously I can’t just call out to him or he’ll vanish again. As much as I want to simply confront the man, I need to think with fae rules. So after foregoing homework and wracking my brain, I was up all night.

And I think I finally have something.

Ambling the school yard, I check under every tree. It takes me at least thirty minutes before I find the delivery boy I’m looking for. Fast asleep as I expected him to be is Silver, perfectly comfortable beneath the dappled shade.

“Ever reliable, aren’t you,” I hum, tucking the envelope under his hand.

At the slight movement, the young man hums. I immediately put space between us, afraid that his retainer skills might kick in and he’ll act before he thinks. But thankfully, Silver remains at rest and I can hurry back to Ramshackle to await the fruits of my schemes.

I can’t help the grin that splits my face when I hear a knock on the front door. It’s exactly 7 p.m. Scurrying towards the entrance, I grab the front door and rip it open to find my guest.

He looks unamused, his lips pursed as he stares down at me. Lifting the envelope with his name scrawled on the front that I had entrusted to my messenger, for the first time in a month, Malleus speaks to me.

“Well played, Child of Man.” Frustration oozes from each word.

“Welcome to Ramshackle,” I say, waving my guest into the dorm. “We’ve been expecting you, Mr. Draconia.”

He crosses the threshold. “I’m sure you have.”

“May I take your coat, sir?”

My satire does not go unnoticed. “No, actually. There’s quite the breeze outside and I don’t intend on staying long.”

I frown, following him into the commons. “Well that’s a bit rude.”

“Unfortunately, my hands are tied. I have things to do.” Even as he insults me, his eyes never fall on me.

“Like what? Ignore me some more?”

“I assure you, I have not been ignoring you.” He peruses the random assortment of snacks I managed to procure for the sake of appearances. “School work and other commitments have been demanding my attention as of late.”

“Yeah right.” Skirting around the dragon, I get right in his face so he’ll finally look at me. “Look, I’m not gonna beat around the bush and if you don’t wanna stay, I won’t keep you long. I can’t spend all my time chasing after you when there’s not a hope in hell of me catching you.” A dark brow pops in surprise. “So I just want you to be honest with me. You can either tell me why you’re avoiding me.” I let my gaze drop. “Or you can just say you never want to see me again and we can leave it at that.”

The silence gnaws at my heart.

“Surely you must understand by now that I would never say those words to you.”

My lips twist in heartache. “Yeah, well, it sure feels like that’s what you want to do.”

Suddenly, he seems to be the one trying to speak to me. “That was never my intention.”

“You’ve sure got a shitty way of showing that.”

This time, both his brows rise; I’m sure nobody has ever spoken to him like that before. I’m actually surprised he doesn’t snap back or even just leave—I probably would have.

His mouth opens once, but the man rethinks his words. Then he tries again.

“Perhaps you’re right.”

It’s my turn to be surprised.

“I never considered that my self-control would be lacking, yet here we stand.”

My lack of understanding keeps my mouth shut, yet Malleus steps forward. As though my skin is paper, he coaxes my hand to rise. Fingers ghost my arm, brushing back the sleeve to bare what lies beneath.

This is nothing new to me. The spot has faded to nearly non-existent, the faintest discoloration the only remnants of what transpired. Considering just how bad it was, it’s healing fantastically. Originally, the deepest, darkest violet had consumed my entire forearm and for days after, I could barely move my fingers without pain. Honestly, that it wasn’t broken was a miracle.

And it was Malleus’s fault.

Actually, it was Rollo’s, but the injury came by Malleus’s own hand. When the floor fell out from under us, his immediate reaction saved me seeing as I was the only one unable to defend myself. His grip hurt like hell, but I’d take that over slamming into the concrete below. The ensuing insanity proved a decent distraction until the following day. Even so, I thought everything was fine all things considered. We enjoyed the rest of the social, even sharing a dance between myself and the Briar prince. I’m not even sure when he discovered what he'd done—granted I didn’t take a lot of care to hide it.

My question comes out softly awestruck. “That’s why you’re avoiding me?”

His touch retracts. “I don’t regret saving you, but this event has shown me that even the smallest lapse in judgement could cause serious harm.” The slightest furrow of his brows reveals the guilt he’s been struggling with ever since the school social.

His words ruminate in my heart—trying to get a grasp on the fear he’s feeling. Yet the understanding does not sway my own pain.

“Didn’t you ever learn that avoiding your problems never solves anything?”

“I’m sorry?”

“You’ll never learn full self-control if you keep avoiding the problem.” I gesture to my arm. “—and that hurts more than this ever did.” There’s a trace of fear sneaking through my heart. “Accidents happen—even to you—but I’m still here. We can get through them together better than before. So please…don’t stop trying.”

The young man seems to take in my words, but his heart still set on never seeing me again still terrifies me.

Chilled fingers graze my face, tracing along my ear and jawline until he tips my face by the chin.

Riddled with guilt, he says, “How is it that the person I hurt most seems the least afraid?”

“Because I know your intention.” Again, I brandish the bruised limb. “Besides, I’d take this over a split skull any day.”

Finally, a smile slips his lips. “Yes, I can’t imagine that would be very enjoyable.”

It’s always been an infectious problem, but I’ll never regret the second-hand smiles I get from seeing others happy. “So…wanna hang out?”

A finger taps his chin. “I suppose those other tasks can wait. After all, I was invited.”

“Yes!”

Without hesitation, I launch at the dragon. Not a single muscle budges as I collide into him but his arms still support my weight. Even with all my strength, he’s not fazed by my arms around his neck. Playfully, my head bumps against his.

“I missed you.”

That deep chuckle twists at my insides.

“I missed you too.”

#gender neutral reader #twst malleus #malleus draconia #malleus x reader

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dn-838 · 5 months

Text

How Aborted Genocide affects the Mettaton NEO battle

despite it's short length, Mettaton NEOs battle is definitely something that has brought up a lot of discussion, with people viewing it in very different ways. Some think that Mettaton NEO was just really weak and that things like his -40000 DEF in the files is canon, while others think that he never intended to actually fight us and was just working as a diversion to try and help more monsters evacuate before we attempt to face Asgore. As nice as all these ideas are, the nature of the fight is answered quite well in what is in my opinion the best and most underrated path in the entire game, Aborted Genocide. Now I could make a whole blog in of itself about why Aborted Genocide is such a masterpiece and how perfectly it does the arcs of every character, however this will just be focussing on what the route reveals about the Mettaton NEO encounter.

What is Aborted Genocide

For those of you who aren’t aware, Aborted Genocide is a Neutral ending that will always trigger if you spared any Mini-bosses or didn’t tire out the kill count in Hotlands after killing Undyne the Undying. Basically if you attack Monster Kid you are locked into getting Aborted Genocide or Genocide, with your actions in Hotlands quickly locking you into one of the two. While it is a mostly Genocide run with New Home being just like it is in Neutral. Mettaton NEO has a lot more to say when you kill him than in normal Genocide, and the ending itself is very different to your typical Neutral path, with Sans not speaking to us at all and Alphy’s being the one telling us how things are going (Sans isn’t completely absent, but he only has a couple lines aimed towards Alphy’s where he tells her that he found our number before Alphy’s is given the phone).

Technical stuff

Alright, so let’s just get the boring stuff out of the way first. Some people try to argue that the NEO body is canonically very unstable and weak, with the -40000 DEF in the files being his canonical stats. The problem with this is that relying on file stats would also require you to assume that Toriel magically has her DEF go all the way down to -9999 exclusively in a Genocide run, and that monsters like Whimsalot, the heavily armoured version of Whimsun that is trying to kill you, has less DEF than an ordinary shy Whimsun. You could try and make an argument that the stats are canon in Mettaton NEOs case because in Genocide the 900K-999K damage you do to him is scripted and isn’t actually the amount of damage you would do, however if your murder level (a stat present in the files of the game that calculates how far through the Genocide run you are which increases every time you kill a boss, mini-boss, unique enemy and clear an area) is below 15, the scripted damage is not present, and since the Mettaton NEO encounter is activated when your murder level is 12, facing him at any point between murder levels 12 and 14 will cause a normal amount of damage to be done, so the -40000 DEF is to make sure that an attack done would still kill in 1 hit (I know I could have just said that it’s not scripted in Aborted Genocide, but come on, if I’m gonna discuss the technical stuff I might as well go all out). I think we can safely assume that the 90 ATK & 9 DEF we see with Mettaton NEO in his check stats are intended to be the canon ones.

Mettaton NEOs dialogue

This is Mettatons speech prior to becoming Mettaton NEO in both Genocide and Aborted Genocide. Mettaton seems to know what a threat we are to both Monsterkind and humanity, and he tries to stop us by bringing out his original and most dangerous form. Of course you could realistically still gather that he was working as a diversion so more monsters can evacuate before Asgore absorbs the souls and defeats you, at least you can argue that until you see what he has to say when you kill him in an Aborted Genocide run.

Yes… Mettaton knew that Asgore wouldn’t absorb the Souls and that you would easily defeat him, but if that’s the case then he’d have had no reason to have only tried to work as a distraction, since either way everything was doomed. It seems most likely that Mettaton tried to fight you in a last ditch effort out of desperation, but since we grew so powerful and were so willing to cause harm, we were able to take him down easily. Speaking of that, on the topic of the Mettaton NEO fight, I have a little theory to share.

A tragic theory

So, let’s have a quick look at what Mettaton NEO says when we kill him in a normal Genocide run

Yeah… there really doesn’t seem to be anything to it like there is on an Aborted Genocide path, however I believe it actually holds quite a bit more importance than we originally thought, and that these 2 lines of dialogue make this death one of the saddest scenes in the entire game. Of course he talks here about his “fanclub”, which you would assume to be what is mentioned by him in the Neutral ending where he becomes ruler and that some of the Hotlands NPCs bring up, however there is something else that he calls a “fanclub”.

In Mettaton’s old house, he has a set of diaries, one of which he talks about how he first met Alphy’s, at a “human fanclub” no less. Now at first this seems to be the only time this human Fanclub is ever mentioned, but I believe that this was what he was referring to in his final Genocide line. While yes this may seem like a stretch, the thing is in Genocide Mettaton shows more care towards humanity than himself, accepting his death in Aborted Genocide because he knows that humanity will live on. I believe that Mettaton in Genocide meant the opposite. He didn’t know about Sans, he believed he truly was the only hope, and for that reason, when we take him down, he thinks that’s it, he thinks humanity is doomed, and he says “guess you don’t wanna join my Fanclub” for that very reason, to him, they are all already doomed… because of you.

TL;DR - Mettaton was genuinely trying to fight us and believed he was the last hope

#undertale #undertale theory #indiedev #mettaton #mettaton neo #undertale mettaton #mettaton undertale #ut mettaton #mettaton ut #undertale lore #undertale genocide

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tallowandport · 3 months

Note

https://www.tumblr.com/tallowandport/742177476402446337/the-mlp-infection-au-brainrot-has-gotten-to-me?source=share

Your au seems so intresting so far but gotta ask and sorry if this is spoilers for the story...just excited to see more and so curious:

Why would Celestia release such a devastating plague? Did the pony population get too big and she needed to kill some off in order to prevent overpopulation? If that guess is right, I'm curious if this will turn into a situation where Celestia is like "yes...yes the plan is working perfectly....ok maybe a little too perfectly...oh dear me, ok maybe I made this plague a little TOO strong because at this rate, ponies are going to go extinct...what have I done!?!?!"

Or was it originally intended to kill off an enemy of equestria buuuut it accidently reached ponies instead of the enemies and Celestia doesn't want to admit it was her because she knows it news that she caused a devastating virus and had planned to basically do virus warfare, the ponies would be VERY upset?

Or...those are just some guesses on my end on why Celestia would make such a horrifying virus and decide to release it. (Hopefully she was smart enough to make a cure so in the middle of the pandemic, she could pretend to be a savior and cure the ponies...if not or if the virus had evolved into a new strain that the cure doesn't work on due to the amount of hosts it had gone through, equestia is screwed.)

Also...two questions I wonder if Celestia thought about if she infected the ponies on purpose and not some accident happening when trying to attack an enemy...who is she suppose to rule if she had noone to rule over? How does she rule an empty kingdom? Bet she didn't think that tiny tibit through.

Still sorry for so many questions and stuff, just so invested in the story and curious about it and can't wait to see what happens!

Lol, no worries! I do actually have a rough draft of an evil monologue Celestia goes on about why she does this.

It is still a rough draft though, so I might change some details later, but here it is for now! I think this should answer all your questions.

Here's a transcript for accessibility:

[transcript]

This whole thing is Celestias evil monologue:

"Do you know how many times I've remade the world, Twilight? Of course not. Because this world is the only one you've ever known."

"I've done this so many times. At first, it was merely out of necessity. The first few worlds were destroyed by sheer accident and freak chance. Diseases, natural disasters, that sort of thing. And then it was War."

"I must've snapped at some point, maybe I lost hope? It's been so long that I've forgotten."

"The wars and conflicts got to me. I began destroying and remaking the world in order to get a fresh start, clear my head, make it perfect 'next time'"

"This world has probably been my best one yet. I even thought it could be the last one I'd ever need to make."

"But... Lunas rebellion a thousand years ago was the first worrying sign."

"I almost destroyed everything then and there, but then I thought... 'well, what world wouldn't benefic from a little interesting history?' so I held off."

Then, you came along, and it felt like my wish for conflict resulution could finally be solved... for the first few disasters."

"but then, conflicts just Kept Popping Up."

"You would solve one, and then an entirely new, unrelated, issue would present itself!"

"As if you were not a cure, but a magnet!"

"I can't let this go on. I am sick and tired of something always coming along to ruin my world."

"But I am also sick and tired of destroying the world like I usually do."

"So I decided on something different this time around... I thought releasing somethingslow and agonising onto the populace, something that'd make them destroy the world on their own, would be entertaining to watch... And you know what?"

"It has been the most fun I've had in AEONS."

[End of transcript]

Tldr: Celestias actually some sort of perfectionist God that's been destroying and recreating the world whenever something doesn't go exactly as she planned, and this time she decided to have fun with the destruction.

Ah, and as for why Luna, Discord, Cadence, and all them aren't mentioned is (for now, this is still a rough draft, this could change in the future) the fact they aren't actually gods, Celestia created them, too. And gave them the pretence that they had power.

Part 1, part 2

#mlp infection au #mlp infected au #my little pony infection au

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gradientdescentthreads · 2 months

Text

Embroidery Journal: Quilting + Applique For Only-Vaguely-Nefarious Purposes

I've finally cleared out my commission backlog enough to start a new project for myself, and this is one I'm really excited to tackle: an addition to my personal embroidery collection in the form of a horror art panel by @barbatusart. I spent entirely too much time last year embroidering cutesy little souvenirs for my coworkers. I think I'm allowed a little fun for myself now.

However: The solid color blocks in the background gave me brief pause. So I decided to whip up a quick little test project to experiment with how to work them in using a combination of quilting, applique, and lots of really really painstaking work with an x-acto knife. Experiment, steps, and final results below!

Step 1: Collecting Materials

Texture and fabric weight do make a very noticeable difference in any fiber arts project. For that reason, it's important to do test projects using the same fabrics you plan to make the final piece out of. Lucky for me, I have an abundant stash to choose from.

Step 2: Design

Alternately known as the step wherein I began to suspect I was going overboard by hand-drawing original artwork just for one little test project. In other news, guess what y'all - I can free-hand sketch eyes now!

Step 3: Quilt The Background

Please excuse the cat hair. For this test I'm just going for two color blocks but I think it's clear how this concept would extend to the geometric background in the artwork we're building towards.

Step 4: Create A Stencil

The idea here is that we should create cut-outs in the quilted layer, from under which the white fabric will show through. My design is not ideal for this because it has a relatively light outline, so there's not much margin for error. However, looking back at the comic panel that is my ultimate goal, the outlines there are fairly heavy and bold. If I can make it work on my sketch, I'm confident I can make it work on the final piece.

Step 5: Cut, Bond, and Hoop

A spot of quilter's spray adhesive was adequate to fix the two fabrics together. A keen eye will note that the final stencil was just a bit larger than intended and didn't quite perfectly line up. This is where the thin lines in my design aren't doing me any favors. But - good enough for now.

Step 6: Hey Look, It Worked

Would you look at that! I think this did actually do what I wanted to.

Notes For Improvement:

Using stabilizer on the quilted layer will help reduce distortion when it comes to placing it over top of the base layer - probably very important with a bigger design

Double sided iron-on stabilizer might be the way to go to keep both layers nice and bonded and prevent wrinkles

Thick outlines on the design border are definitely a must

That maroon fabric looks ok in this picture but in poor lighting, it very quickly disappears into the black, I might need to pick a different fabric

#embroidery #handmade #tutorial #applique #quilting

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thecontumacious · 2 years

Note

heya!! do you not mind me requesting luxiem college au? like u're both in a healthy relationship idrk hhh

College AU Luxiem

a/n: i think anon sent this after reading my first yandere fic 😭 check out the original boyfriend headcanons if u haven't~ ALSO YES IM SLAPPING THIS FIC AT YALL AFTER JOTC'S PREMIERE IT WAS SO FUCKING LIT AHHHHHHHHHH

reminder that all my work and others in the fandom are purely fiction and intended to entertain, not to be projected irl.

content utc!

Vox Akuma 👹🌹

would take performing arts as his major since he's super interested in voice acting!

you'd think he would take history as an easy way out seeing as he's lived for centuries now but bro i can tell you that he probably sucks at it :'

i can't imagine him taking anything else than performing arts. even then he wouldn't just focus on voice acting only. he'd perfectly take a role in acting too

dancing and singing maybe not too much-

but vox would enjoy them nonetheless since it's all about having fun

he's the popular student, whether he intended to be one on purpose or because he's just naturally charming. not all the guys rly like him since he's practically had all the girls drooling all over him

even the female (sometimes male) professors can't find themselves in the right position to teach him

not with that devilish smile, nope

he aces his practical exams and projects super well, not so much his written tests tho :o

students would sometimes ask advice on voice acting since he was doing that pretty well

no shortage of times where they asked only to get in contact with him, his number if they were lucky

doesn't really do tutoring sessions since he believes he still has a lot to learn himself, asking for advice sure, but teaching? nah

the film/animation students fight over him whenever they're assigned to make a movie production

vox might actually be interested in joining the student council and it's no surprise he's accepted since he's very charming, has relatively good grades and is flexible in group projects

on a more serious note, he loves meeting new people and making new connections so yeah!

besides the student council, would also join the drama club and most likely met shu there

again, for connections and to practice his skills

there have been one too many times where he was casted as the main characters throughout the years he was at college

what can i say? he captures an audience so well~

part time job is obviously barista.

i think vox low key has always wanted to become a barista

to him there's just something so attractive about being one?? or is this just a stigma that i have

whatever, being a barista is cool as hell

oh and he loves the idea of putting down whatever message he wanted on the customers' cup, he could be sweet or flirty

he likes it because he has the chance to make someone's day by simply writing a message to them <3

the job pays well, he can experiment with types of drinks and when there are leftover pastries from the day, vox gets to bring them home to eat

vox is a interpersonal (social), aural (audio) and a visual learner. as mentioned before, he won't be too good at taking written tests so linguistic is out of the question (doesn't mean he dislikes reading tho! i've heard him say that he reads books)

i also don't think he's the biggest fan of studying alone either so he'll always rope in a classmate or two so it's not so quiet

vox remembers much easier when there's something to look at, like pictures or something

audio learner because he wants to be a voice actor duh

he would have to get used to listening to other actors do their work to pick up on how they act in terms of their voice

how you and vox met was through a cinematography project you had

you were required to make a film production with a certain theme and of course as the rumors spread, you heard about everyone in your year fighting over vox as their cast

you too wished you could cast him but seeing as he was probably busy helping the others, you didn't really bother to ask

but vox was working at the cafe your team agreed to work in and he overheard your wonderful ideas for your project, so when he personally delivered your drinks, he also asked if you were open for casting since you came from the same college anyway

surprised to say the least but you couldn't refuse him, so he officially became part of your team too

so that was how you met your current unseiso of a boyfriend they call vox

he asked you out once the project was finished, saying that he didn't wish to stop meeting you

cheesy but romantic all the same

the perks of having a boyfriend who was in the performing arts major rly helped you out as a film student. you got to meet a lot of talented actors and you could ask for vox's help

as long as you paid in kisses and cuddles

at the end of the four year study, vox was obviously asked to make a speech. when he stepped on that stage, he did not forget to mention you:

"and to my lovely y/n, who's given me a path to so many opportunities to help with my development as an actor. thank you, darling."

may or may not have proposed in front of everyone

Mysta Rias 🦊🔶

criminology

because he thinks it's super cool he could track down criminals with rly cool techniques

but then he realized how fucking hard it is to be a criminology student and wished he could've picked something easier :"D

(let's pretend he didn't drop out okay <3)

ofc college was not cheap so at least mysta tried his best to get through

asking for a ton of help from his classmates or straight up the professor

he sure as fuck did not take another four years of this shit

anyway

although mysta is not the best in the class (bottom ten), a lot of people like him for his humor and his rly eccentric attitude about things

his fashion sense became one his trademarks

a good break from the stress of college rly

but people rly do question why the heck he chose this major but eh

definitely the type to hog for homework answers

i actually think mysta would make a huge contribution tho despite his lack of skills in the department when it comes to group projects

what i mean here is that he's always hands down to help however he can, especially the more physical and tedious workload

like needing to print papers, looking for as much material needed for the project or setting up the contents into a powerpoint

i still think that counts as a lot of work <3

professors know him because he frequents them for tutoring sessions, so it's safe to say that mysta is super close with all his lecturers-

but that's not a bad thing at all!

in fact, without mysta rly realizing, this has become his benefit. with most of the teachers aware that he is struggling in his classes, they tend to grade him based on his efforts more than the results of a test

so even if he thinks he's falling behind, ask his professors and they will say the exact opposite!

for school activities, i would say mysta would like to join the sports club as long as his classes don't take up too much of his time

he wants to be able to stay active instead of sitting down and studying all day, plus he gets to meet a lot people and actually where he met the super popular kaneshiro kid!

part time jobs is also something mysta could commit himself to, especially if it meant helping out with student loans

anything works out for him so long as again, it didn't take too much of his time and don't tire him out

lot of times where he fell asleep in the library when he should be catching up with homework and reading tests o.0

speaking of studying, mysta is definitely a visual and kinesthetic learner mostly bcs he's not the type of guy to just sit still and read that fucking textbook

far from being a verbal learner. def not the type to like reading for long periods of time

he claims to be an interpersonal (social) learner, but with a lot of people around him, it's more likely he won't get anything done

this is where you come in

you and him were paired up, and it just so happens that you were one of the students who was doing pretty well in criminology

anyone would've been happy to be paired up with you but mysta is a bit different than just anyone

he was actually intimidated by just how well you were doing and he kept telling himself that he was being such a burden to you

but you never fail to patiently get mysta to work on the ones that need more thinking, even if you have to guide him

for once, mysta knew what the assignment was about this time, due to your composure during work

after that, he may or may not have braved himself to be in one group with you a lot more

it's just that people tend to just give up on him but there you were, staying up late with him just so he could get some material down for an upcoming test

when you fell asleep, mysta let the words of falling for you slip

"really?"

"HUH? YOU WERE AWAKE--"

"i like you too, dummy. now get back to studying. we'll go on a date after the test."

final project weeks were the same. lots of staying up late together (mostly bcs of mysta) and checking each other's work.

when the results were almost out, you actually had to stay over at mysta's bcs of how fucking nervous he was. was he going to graduate? did he have to start another year over?

as you held his hand tightly, mysta opens his results and sees his passing grade, officially now graduated from college

he sobbed against you that night, thanking you over and over again for always there to help him and being so patient

Luca Kaneshiro 🦮🔆

he took me a while to figure out what major best fit him (disclaimer: i swear i've heard him mention what major he took but my tiny brain forgot what it was and from what stream ;-;)

sooo i think it's most likely business since he is in the mafia

the skills could be super useful if he's going to need some extra funds for his syndicate

he'll take only a bachelor's degree because he wants to focus on his mafia work as soon as college finishes

luca is most obviously the jock of the school and one of the more popular students because of his extroverted nature

tbh tho his grades aren't too great??? let's say average :D

he's more like the guy who's looking for the fun of college instead of actually getting the education-

because of this, a lot of people like to hang around him. sometimes students who have super good grades can be a bit unapproachable, ofc not because of the students themselves, but others tend to not feel relatable to someone who does very well in academics

so luca is extremely approachable, easy going and friendly

not the smartest but its the quality of the company that counts right?

professors know who he is because of his popularity and although most of them are okay with luca, some do appreciate him bringing the mood up when classes are tense

the younger lecturers are most likely best friends with him lmao

as aforementioned, man is a jock and is just naturally energetic

OF COURSE HE WOULD JOIN THE SPORTS CLUB

he religiously participates bcs he gets to see his buddies and would always join in on whatever challenges were set onto him. he's not afraid to lose

i also think he would be interested in joining the student council and he did make it! which brought him to meet with vox ^^

luca brings a ton of ideas for student activities and is always happy to help out with whatever he can. with his popularity, it's easy to rope students into whatever event they had going on too

because he has a mafia to run, he rly doesn't make time to do a part time job

definitely a physical (kinesthetic) and interpersonal learner. man can't just sit down to read something and he most certainly will go crazy if he's not loudly memorizing his flash cards without someone else there

so how does he meet you?

the student council asked him to go to the art club to find someone who could handle illustrations for an event they were holding, so luca pitched in and saw you busily working on something in the club room

you didn't really know anyone from the student council so you pretty much had to cling onto luca the entire time when you met up with the student council (esp when this guy from the performing arts department kept hitting on you. vox was it?)

in the end, when the event finished, luca got used to hanging out with you. then he confessed when he realized he was crushing on you :3

he asks you to come by to the sports club all the time so he could introduce you to his friends and when you're alone, you and him would sometimes work out together

you guys go out on a lot of study dates

...which turns to playing around and not really getting anything done :")

luca always teases you to draw him "like of your french girls" but he was caught by surprise when you actually do ask him to model nude for an assignment

he was more embarrassed than he thought he would be

but he liked knowing he could help you out!

he would sometimes cry when you give him a drawing you did of him just because you wanted to. he's framing them all in his room

as a graduation gift, you actually gave him a super elaborate artwork in a pretty big medium too. and well, it's safe to say luca shamelessly shed some tears at the ceremony, showing off your work to everyone there

as his gift to you, he took you on vacation to somewhere you've always wanted to go to.

to luca, you definitely made his time in college so much more fun

Ike Eveland 🖋💙

pretty obvious he took up literature

but let me tell ya, i think he will take literature for his first four years and after he got the degree for that, he's going to change his major to music because again pretty obvious reasons

he would take literature first so he has the writing skills needed later in music making

or, ike could take the option of a double degree since i see him as the type of person who rly likes to bury himself in work especially if it's the things he really is passionate about

but for the sake of his social needs and sanity, let's say our man ike did not take a double degree

ike eveland is obviously the star student of his class, perhaps even top 5 of his entire year

he's also pretty humble about his achievements so he's not the snobby kid who flaunts their good grades

everyone absolutely respects and admires him for it, even going out of their way to ask for tutoring sessions with him

paid tutoring sessions, mind you

he'll take some, but not so much his schedules are full much to the student body's dismay

his professors love him so much as well, using his work as examples no matter how many times ike insists there's no need to do that

is ike the type to join the student council?

ehhhh not rly i don't think?

there was a time where he did consider the choice, seeing how he has potential and all the people around him supported him to join

but i think he wouldn't take up on the opportunity, mostly worried he won't be able to have any time for himself

like i said, ike is super passionate about writing and music so he's going to take all his time really immersing in that world

even outside college hours, he'll do personal projects and all that

so yeah, no to the student council and tutoring sessions if ike wasn't looking for the extra money

i do think he'll take a part time job tho! that's where he gets most of his money

librarian ike anyone? well it's obvious he'd work there.

he's an aural (audio), verbal (linguistic) and intrapersonal (solitary) learner

ike likes to record his professor's lectures and listen to them when he goes back home or while he's practicing his music. even for his literature studies, he usually sings out the things he needs to remember or listen to some music while studying to help him get in the mood

DEFINITELY THAT SUPER COOL DARK ACADEMIA STUDENT ALWAYS FOUND IN THE LIBRARY, HEADPHONES ON WITH A SIDE OF HIS FAVORITE DRINK AHHHHH

also bcs he does frequent the library, he meets this rly weird grey haired guy from criminology who goes there to "study" but ends up falling asleep.

now, what happens after he meets you? :3

i headcanon yall met during his tutoring sessions bet

while he would usually not let students ask for his time for a session, ike would make an exception for you

he'd push away all the other slots so whenever he does have a tutoring session, it's mostly with you

after building up the courage to finally ask you out, tutoring sessions became less and less with the other students

ike prioritizes his study dates with you

ALSO

since he is in the art field, it's very very clear you've become his muse throughout college (both literature and music)

whenever he gets a project to create something, he'll find a way to have it tie to you

especially for his final project

write a story?

you're the main character

compose an entire song?

you're the theme

no shortage of times where he reads out a poem/story or serenade his own songs to you during late night studying

you become his number one proofreader and critic for everything he creates since he trusts you a lot with it. ike would heavily appreciate it if you could give him honest feedback

if it's boring tell him! if it's too cringey, tell him!

ike can take the criticism since he wants to be a good producer one day <3

on the day he finishes his studies and he's called to give a speech for being valedictorian, this is the highlight line you'll forever remember:

"y/n will always be the reason why i'm here today and all the tomorrows. why i've achieved so many things and create stories and songs for everyone to enjoy. thank you so much, y/n, for staying by my side and i hope you continue to stay."

Shu Yamino 🔮✨

unfortunately modern day colleges don't have sorcery or black magic as majors :D

soooo shu would probably opt for computer sciences!

nerd shu poggers

would only take a bachelor's degree for this tho, but he's happy with where he is ^^

shu would much much like it if he stayed on the sidelines minding his own business, meaning he just doesn't wanna be popular. but it's kinda hard staying under the low with how skilled he is in his classes

honestly students just look up to him with how chill he is with his college life

sometimes they would even ask shu to be their partner in most projects since he's super reliable and good at what he does

he's known to be rly patient when teaching someone too so-

but don't get me wrong, shu will fucking now if someone is only taking advantage of his kindness and smarts

you don't wanna rly know what he can do to ruin your college career o.0

AnYwAY

the professors know who shu is and definitely appreciate him for helping out the students whenever possible, although his grades aren't always top of the class, his character and attitude makes up for it

shu would definitely like to join clubs outside his academics, say like the performing arts club

look i know but i can't stop thinking about shu joining the theatre club, just hanging out with a whole bunch of different kids. he likes making friends! plus he likes working backstage more

plays need a reliable technician like him after all

or if not performing arts, most likely an anime club if it was available lmao

unlike ike, he's not one to rly delve into his college life all the way back home. so once he's out of class, he's focusing on his non academic skills

besides clubs, there's a big chance shu works part time, preferably jobs that let him work at night since he has a rly bad sleep schedule.

the atmosphere is quiet too so he can take advantage and use it to study if it wasn't busy

a 24 hour store of some kind should be alright for shu, it doesn't have to be related to his major either

he's more of a interpersonal and visual learner i think

he likes studying with someone there with him like a study buddy since it makes it less boring. visual because he likes to doodle things so i have a feeling he illustrates something he finds hard to remember

also, of course studies only at night time if possible

because of his interpersonal type of learning, this was how you met him

you two were both looking for study buddies then through your friends, you guys met and agreed to study together

originally it was only for that one test you were super nervous of, but as you aced that one because of shu's help (his assignment flawless because he had you to it check over)

yeah you guys enjoyed each other's company and decided to go on more "study sessions" together

i think the way shu would confess to you would be that trend where you would make a program and you just click a ton of buttons saying how much he likes you

and then at the end there's a message box that asks you:

be mine?

with the choices being yes or yes 😭

you go to your next study session, now named study date!

for his final project, you were obligated to stay over at his place until he submitted it. he claims that his brain works more efficiently when you're there with him, plus he'll have a second pair of eyes that hasn't been glued to the same codes over and over again

when shu announced the results, he treated you to some sushi and an all you can eat barbeque for helping him graduate pretty much

with a full stomach, you and him are cuddling for the rest of the night until you felt like getting up

Masterlist!

#author chan’s delivery service 🧺#luxiem #luxiem x reader #nijisanji en #vox akuma #mysta rias #luca kaneshiro #ike eveland #shu yamino #vox akuma x reader #mysta rias x reader #luca kaneshiro x reader #ike eveland x reader #shu yamino x reader #akurylic #mystart #drawluca #ikenography #yaminoart

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tobiasdrake · 2 months

Text

We're on a mission to FIX THIS. With forty minutes to spare so this will not go smoothly.

Yuki. It's gotta be Yuki. Yuki's the one who ate Haruhi. Yuki's morally ambiguous enough to eat Haruhi. It would make sense for her mission if she ate Haruhi. She has the intelligence to pull off this weirdass alter-history-retroactively-but-in-a-way-that-doesn't-change-the-past-somehow scheme.

It has to be her.

That is definitely Yuki's silhouette.

I still have so many questions about what the hell Yuki did and why.

She's tired. She ate Haruhi because she's tired. Yeah. Okay. 15,000 time loops will do that to a person. I can believe that.

I still sympathize with her intentions moreso than the actual plan to put things back to normal. I know we're gonna. But. Like.

From a story writing and drama building perspective, the original world is better. But from a person-who-lives-in-this-world perspective, there's basically no reason to choose the original world.

The movie tries to sell us on it nonetheless, of course.

But to be honest, this feels tremendously unearned. It's the obligatory climactic conclusion to this one movie, but it's a lot like the forced kiss back in the world-cramping.

Kyon doesn't undergo character development over the course of the story; He just sometimes is a different character for the sake of the climax. If he was actually written as someone who enjoys all of Haruhi's bullshit and wants to live in her world then this would make sense.

Maybe it works better in the light novels, since I understand those are written from Kyon's perspective so we probably get a lot more of his innermost thoughts and feelings. But here in the anime, it's a lot like Future Mikuru's "No really I actually super enjoy being molested all the time HONEST!" bit. It feels like retroactive revisionism.

This was obviously where the story was going to end, and we knew this was going to be where the story ended, and they leaned on that to get out of actually writing an organic journey that would lead to this ending. It happens because it's what was always going to happen, and not because the character has ever been written like this. It's relying on familiarity with Manic Pixie Dream Girl genre conventions in place of writing a dynamic character.

It's also supremely self-centered to decide that we should have city-destroying horrors and Yuki should be miserable purely on the basis that Kyon was having fun, but that part is completely earned. It fits perfectly in with the same warped protagonist-centric morality that gave us Haruhi in the first place.

I can't buy Kyon abruptly deciding that actually he was enjoying all of this for the entire show and only pretended to be miserable all this time. But I can absolutely buy that the fate of this universe turns entirely on one person's selfish interests, made with zero regard for anybody else's safety or emotional wellbeing.

Oh holy shit THAT'S what "She's been born anew" meant!

Newfound Sentimentality Yuki wanted Ryoko back!? I love that. Obviously she wasn't intending for Ryoko to stab Kyon but the idea that she binged Ryoko back to life but forgot how fucked up Ryoko is? I get that.

Meanwhile Future Mikuru's hanging out offscreen watching this happen.

Useless as ever, Mikuru. Thanks. Could literally end this in a moment by picking up the Tetanus Shot off the ground and sniping Yuki with it while Ryoko's distracted. But sure. Deer in the headlights works too, I guess.

I don't know why they wrote Mikuru if they're never going to let her do anything.

Two Mikurus and nobody's trying to shoot Yuki with the Thing That Makes This Stop Happening.

It is right there.

Come on.

Really.

We don't even see the end of the conflict? A brand new character, implied-to-be-Future-Kyon, shows up and fixes everything offscreen? I feel robbed.

#the melancholy of haruhi suzumiya #the disappearance of haruhi suzumiya #drake watches haruhi suzumiya

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olderthannetfic · 1 year

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One of the worst cases I’ve personally encountered of “if you don’t like X ship you’re [insert-here]phobic” is believe it or not in the damn Monster High fandom.

One of the most popular ships is Draculaura X Clawdeen. In the movies and webisodes, Clawdeen vocally has very little interest in boys and dating, so it was a popular headcanon for years that she was a lesbian. A couple years ago the creator of Monster High, Garrett Sanders, did a QnA session on Instagram and one of the questions was whether or not Clawdeen was a lesbian. Garrett said straight out that Clawdeen was not written to be a lesbian, they just wanted a character on the main cast who wasn’t boy-crazy, but that he was fully in support of headcanoning her as gay. And that’s all fine, people kept making their ship content, they kept supporting their headcanon, life went on.

A while later - I’m not sure when exactly because I don’t follow him on Insta - Garrett went back on what he’d said before (maybe not went back, he didn’t contradict the old statement) and decided that Clawdeen was lesbian, and like— that’s perfectly fine for him to do. They’re his characters, he made them. The problem is, this is years after he stopped working for Mattel. People can absolutely look to him as an authority on Monster High if they want because again, these are his characters and his world for the most part, he started it! But he has no legal rights over the property anymore. Anything he says is no more officially canon than anything I say about it, but unfortunately a very vocal part of the fandom either don’t realise that or don’t care, and by God, they are some of the most entitled people I’ve ever seen. Every other post on the MH official page will have comments like “lesbian Clawdeen when” “give Clawdeen a girlfriend”, demanding something that was never canon and was never intended to be canon. I don’t like Clawdeen X Draculaura personally, I like the characters, but I’m not into the ship. If it weren’t for those kinds of people, I would be neutral about it, but because of them I have a knee-jerk reaction whenever I see Clawdeen X Drac because a lot of people have this attitude of, like, “Well, who ELSE would you ship Clawdeen with? 🤨” You should’ve seen them lose their shit at the prospect of Clawdeen liking Deuce Gorgon in the gen 3 reboot.

What bugs me about this all the more is that there are characters who were ACTUALLY meant to be queer that Mattel shut down. Kieran Valentine, an energy vampire who romances girls and then breaks their hearts, was originally supposed to have an arc where he realised he was chasing fake love because he was ashamed of being gay, and he would eventually come to accept himself, with his coming-out being written in the diary that came with his doll. Mattel said “no” because it was “putting an LGBT person in a negative light” — even though he was created and his story written by, you guessed it, Garrett Sanders, the only out gay person on the team at the time. Neighthan Rot was confirmed again by Garrett to have been intended as queer, and Finnegan Wake was supposed to be “not straight”, but the powers that be wouldn’t let them do it. The fandom does acknowledge this, but I feel its so heavily overshadowed by this entitlement that people have towards their fave getting the sexuality they want, forgetting or wilfully ignoring that it was never promised to them in the first place unlike the characters that actually got snubbed. Gen 3 is already shaping up to be more diverse in regards to queer stuff, with Frankie being non-binary, Deuce having two mothers, and I’m sure more to come, but nope, some people just want to keep whining that Clawdeen isn’t the sexuality they think she should be. Frustrates me to no end.

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thousand-winters · 1 year

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Hello. Now that you have finished chain of thorns, could we know what you liked and didn't like? A rant?

Oh, it's a dangerous thing to ask me to rant, dear anon 👀 But yes, absolutely!

Let's keep it organized.

The positives/what I liked:

The platonic dynamics: Specifically the Carstairs siblings and Grace and Christopher, but special mention to Jesse and James. I was pleasantly surprised by them having multiple scenes being sweet and supportive and caring to each other. I know there have always been platonic relationships in CC's books but I feel like sometimes it feels more like they tell you they care than them actually acting as if they care about each other, so I was delighted by how it was done this time.

Matthew's alcoholism: I was concerned when the first few chapters were released and Matt seemed perfectly fine while apparently stopping drinking altogether, because... yeah, that's not how it works. I thought it was nice how it was handled, the withdrawal and him falling again during the Christmas party and the acknowledgment that even when his body recovered, he would have to be mindful from then on because it's not that easy.

James and the bracelet: This one too was a complicated matter and I know not everyone liked how much he avoided telling anyone about it, but I think it was realistic. With this kind of... heavy experiences, it's normal to want to close off as to not receive "pity".

Grace: Everything about her behavior was also nicely handled, I felt. This is something I always bring up when it comes to talking about why she did bad things even without Tatiana around, and it's because that kind of influence doesn't go away just because the person is not physically there. She lived under an abusive parent for like half of her life, so of course even her mindset and way to see the world reflects that, even to her own detriment. That was nice to see, that it wasn't brushed off as "she's out, so she's perfectly fine now".

Thomastair: Perhaps slightly biased since they were my favorites since the beginning, but their scenes were sweet, heartfelt, and sometimes so funny. They were so fun together, it was a joy to get to their parts when reading. Who else is doing it like them in this trilogy?

Lucie and the power of death: I quite liked how her power was a bit more versatile in this book than in past ones. I think some of my favorite "action" scenes were the ones she was in. I'm particularly fond of the moment with the ghost pentagram to keep Lilith in... "Rise. I do not command, only ask. Rise."

Now comes the more complicated stuff...

The negatives/what I didn't like:

The love triangle: Was it really necessary to make Matthew and Cordelia a thing for like five minutes just for the drama? It had already been established that Matthew's love for her wasn't actual love, and Cordelia didn't have feelings for him, so it was just annoying, honestly. CC could still have played with the idea of Matthew yearning for her as the sort of salvation they were presenting it as, without them becoming actually involved.

The disappearing conflicts: I mentioned this in another post, but they set up a series of conflicts in Chain of Iron that they didn't follow through with. Suddenly everyone was chill with each other and some of the logistics, for example, what it would mean for the queer characters to come out publicly in the era they are in, Lucie's consequences for technically performing necromancy, Matthew confessing his "sin" to his parents, just.... poofed out of existence. I understand why, as the ending was changed, but it just felt badly handled like this, and it makes the characters seem like idiots for even worrying about those things being issues in the first place.

Christopher's death: The goal here was to not make the book as tragic as it was originally intended, but something bad still had to happen, right? I also mentioned this in another post, but Christopher's death feels more like "well, someone from the main cast has to die", and less like a logical step in the narrative. In my opinion, it doesn't work, because it wasn't chosen from a narrative standpoint, so it ended up being mostly unimpressive in its own context. Main character deaths should be meaningful, not just shock value.

Lack of action: Don't get me wrong, I know we're all here for the characters and their relationships with each other, but this is still a Shadowhunters book, presumably about... you know, hunting demons? This was a problem throughout the whole trilogy though, it feels at times way too domestic or most of the conflict is relationship based, with action taking a second plane. The thing is, this is the final book of a trilogy, you would assume it would have some epic fights, right? But it doesn't, and the fights it does have never quite feel high stakes, so in that respect it's a bit... boring.

Important scenes skimmed over: The aforementioned scene with Lucie and her necromancy, aka, Jesse's trial on Idris? Charles coming out in front of the Clave to accuse the Inquisitor? Gabriel and Cecily mourning their son? Nope, we're just kinda told about all of these things and meant to just take them as they are. Ah, but we did have time for the love triangle, didn't we?

Pacing: Kinda ties to the lack of action, but it felt like we were going very slowly at the beginning and then at the end we have to go through fights and conflicts really fast, no time for anything to be properly felt because we are just moving on. At least that's what I personally felt.

The dissonance between the original plan vs the final result: Not only were we told certain things would happen that didn't (like the whole thing with the Carstairs owing the Herondales), but I felt like some of the things that were promised and did happen were... odd. Like they were originally meant to happen in a certain way, but since the ending was changed, now it just feels lazy. Esme Hardcastle? Vaguely funny, but CC, cut your losses, you changed your mind, we know the family tree was before that, it's fine. Belial owing Jem a favor? I admit I haven't read that side story, but owing him a favor just for delivering a message? I'm not sure it was meant to happen that way, but I could be wrong. It just felt poorly planned to me.

I think these are the main things, anything else might be me being extremely nitpicky, which I admit to be.

I do like TLH and TSC as a whole, but I don't look at it with eyes of love, so I can be quite harsh on it. Take my opinions with a grain of salt and don't let them take away your enjoyment of this book from you, since they're just that: my opinions.

#apologies for the long post but I was lowkey encouraged in that ask asgfjhsdg #you must know me not shutting up is a threat and a promise #ask #chain of thorns spoilers #cot spoilers #chain of thorns

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