#zo’s must reads

[pikahlua]

MHA Chapter 420 spoilers translations

This week’s initial tentative super rough/literal translations under the cut.

tagline 1 No.420　相澤くんから　堀越耕平 ナンバー420　あいざわくんから　ほりこしこうへい NANBAA 420  Aizawa-kun kara  Horikoshi Kouhei No. 420 From Aizawa-kun Kouhei Horikoshi

1 起きろ‼︎ おきろ‼︎ okiro!! "Wake up!!"

tagline 2 黒霧に飛ばされたマイクと相澤… くろぎりにとばされたマイクとあいざわ… Kurogiri ni tobasareta MAIKU to Aizawa... Mic and Aizawa, who were sent away by Kurogiri...

2 どこだよここは‼︎ doko da yo koko wa!! "Where is this place!!"

3 通信がきかねえ… つうしんがきかねえ… tsuushin ga kikanee... "We can't hear any transmissions..."

4 状況もわかんねえ…くそ‼︎ じょうきょうもわかんねえ…くそ‼︎ joukyou mo wakannee...kuso!! "And we don't know the situation...shit!!"

5 俺は おれは ore wa I am

6 死柄木弔を しがらきとむらを Shigaraki Tomura wo Tomura Shigaraki's

7 守る者 まもるもの mamoru mono protector.

8 調子良くブッ壊れやがって‼︎ ちょうしよくブッこわれやがって‼︎ choushi yoku BUkkoware yagatte!! "Things were going well and then you had to go and break!!"

9 動けよこのヤロウ うごけよこのヤロウ ugoke yo kono YAROU "Move, you bastard!"

tagline 3 コミックス40巻発売中‼︎今スグGETしよう‼︎マストバイ‼︎ コミックス40かんはつばいちゅう‼︎いまスグゲットしよう‼︎マストバイ‼︎ KOMIKKUSU 40kan hatsubai-chuu!! ima SUGU GETTO shiyou!! MASUTO BAI!! Volume 40 of the comics now on sale!! Let's get get it now!! Must buy!!

10 白雲じゃないなら思い出のまま消えてくれ しろくもじゃないならおもいでのままきえてくれ Shirokumo ja nai nara omoide no mama kietekure If you’re not Shirakumo, please remain a memory and disappear.

11 こんなものに命運を委ねるんじゃなかった！ こんなものにめいうんをゆだねるんじゃなかった！ konna mono ni meiun wo yudanerunja nakatta! "[We] shouldn't have entrusted our fate to something* like this!" (*Note: The word in Japanese here is ambiguous if it's meant to read as "something" or "someone.")

12 こんな屍体に縋るんじゃなかった‼︎ こんなしたいにすがるんじゃなかった‼︎ konna shitai ni sugarunja nakatta!! "[We] shouldn't have clung to a corpse like this one!!"

1 泣いてる ないてる naiteru "Crying..."

2 泣いてねーよ男の子だぞ俺あ!!! ないてねーよおとこのこだぞおれあ!!! naitenee yo otoko no ko da zo orea!!! "I'm not crying, I'm a boy!!!"

3 違う ちがう chigau "Not [you]."

4 黒霧が… こいつが… koitsu (kanji: Kurogiri) ga... "This guy (read as: Kurogiri) is..."

5 雨だ‼︎涙腺なんざねェよ！ あめだ‼︎るいせんなんざねェよ！ ame da!! ruisen nanza neE yo! "It's rain!! He's got no tear ducts!"

6 こいつは脳無だ！二度も死柄木をハメた相澤が邪魔だから排除した！ こいつはのうむだ！にどもしがらきをハメたおまえがじゃまだからはいじょした！ koitsu wa noumu da! nido mo Shigaraki wo HAMEta omae (kanji: Aizawa) ga jama da kara haijo shita! "This guy's a nomu! You set Shigaraki up twice, Aizawa, so he removed you because you were a hindrance!"

7 今考えるべきは いまかんがえるべきは ima kangaeru beki wa "What we should be thinking about now"

8 こいつを起動して俺らを戦線に戻させる事だ こいつをきどうしておれらをせんせんにもどさせることだ koitsu wo kidou shite orera wo sensen ni modosaseru koto da "is activating this guy and returning to the front lines."

9 そんでその後すぐ そんでそのあとすぐ son de sono ato sugu "Then immediately after that

10 もう動かねーようブッ壊す事だ もううごかねーようブッこわすことだ mou ugokanee you BUkkowasu koto da "let's break [it]* so [it] won't move anymore." (*Note: He means they should break Kurogiri.)

11 相澤 あいざわ Aizawa "Aizawa,"

12 こいつは黒い鹵獲品だ こいつはくろいろかくひんだ koitsu wa kuroi rokakuhin da Literal. "This guy is our black spoils." Contextual. "This guy is our stolen black chess piece." (Note: This is hard to make sound decent in English. Mic is saying that Kurogiri is like their plunder or spoilers or stolen treasure that is the color black, which is a pun on the "kuro" (which means black) in Kurogiri's name. This pun will continue on the next page. The best corollary I could think of in English to keep up that pun is a stolen piece won in a chess game that is the color black.)

13 タルタロスの"奇跡"は忘れた方がいいーんだよ…！ タルタロスの"きせき"はわすれたほうがいいーんだよ…！ TARUTAROSU no "kiseki" wa wasureta hou ga ii-inda yo...! "It's best that we forget about that miracle at Tartarus...!"

14 31だよ 31 da yo "We're 31." (Note: He means their ages.)

15 いつまでも雄英2年A組じゃねぇんだよ… いつまでもゆうえい2ねんエーぐみじゃねぇんだよ… itsu made mo yuuei 2nen EE-gumi ja neenda yo... "We haven't been Class 2-A students of UA for a long time..."

1 …でもこいつは ...demo koitsu wa "...But this guy"

2 雄英生のまま死んだ ゆうえいせいのまましんだ yuuei-sei no mama shinda "died as a UA student."

3 俺ガッ おれガッ ore GA I

4 守…違う……シガラキ… まも…ちがう……シガラキ… mamo...chigau......SHIGARAKI... protect...no......Shigaraki...

5 何故俺たちをねじ切らなかった？ なぜおれたちをねじきらなかった？ naze oretachi wo nejikiranakatta? "Why didn't he cut us off?" (Note: I think he's asking why didn't Kurogiri cut them in half like he planned to do to All Might at the USJ by "turning off the portal" while All Might was halfway through it.)

6 つき落とさなかった？ つきおとさなかった？ tsukiotosanakatta? "Weren't we pushed off?" (Note: He's asking why didn't Kurogiri kill them when they had been pushed off the edge of the little island on UA.)

7 …う ...u "...U"

8 誰…ドコ… だれ…ドコ… dare...DOKO... Who...where...

9 …シ…友ダ…チ… …シ…ともダ…チ… ...SHI...tomoDA...CHI... ...Shi-...frie...nd...

10 あの日俺たちはタルタロスで白の栓を引き抜いた… あのひおれたちはタルタロスでしろのせんをひきぬいた… ano hi oretachi wa TARUTAROSU de shiro no sen wo hikinuita... Literal. "That day, we pulled out the plug of white at Tartarus..." Contextual. "That day, we released a bit of a white stream inside him at Tartarus..." (Note: Like I said, this pun really does not work well in English lol. He's saying they unleashed a little stream of Shirakumo inside him that's trickling into the river that is Kurogiri. The use of the color white is a pun on the "Shira/Shiro" (which means white) in Shirakumo's name.)

11 そして混ざって壊れた…黒にどれだけ白をそそいでも真っ白にはならない そしてまざってこわれた…くろにどれだけしろをそそいでもまっしろにはならない soshite mazatte kowareta...kuro ni dore dake shiro wo sosoidemo masshiro ni wa naranai "Then it got mixed in, and he broke... No matter how much white you pour into black, it won't become pure white."

12 だが黒は逆で… だがくろはぎゃくで… daga kuro wa gyaku de... "But for black it's vice versa..."

13 だから再び動いた だからふたたびうごいた dakara futatabi ugoita "That's why he moved again."

14 …わかってるよ山田… …わかってるよやまだ… ...wakatteru yo Yamada... "...I get it, Yamada..."

15 俺たちはヒーロー科の教師だ おれたちはヒーローかのきょうしだ oretachi wa HIIROO-ka no kyoushi da "We are teachers in the hero department."

16 雄英生を卒業まで送り届ける ゆうえいせいをそつぎょうまでおくりとどける yuuei-sei wo sotsugyou made okuri todokeru "We will deliver UA students to [their] graduation."

1 そこに soko ni "To there,"

2 原点があるのなら げんてんがあるのなら genten ga aru no nara "so long as they have their origins." (Note: By origins, he means the word "origin" we've heard about a lot, especially in this arc, where one gains more strength by keeping their origin in their heart, etc.)

3 ャヤマ……ダ…… YA-YAMA......DA...... "Ya-Yama-......da......"

4 思い出が……… おもいでが……… omoide ga......... "The memories........."

1 消えてくれねえよ………！ きえてくれねえよ………！ kiete kurenee yo.........! "won't disappear.........!" (Note: This is Mic referring back to his previous line where he asked for Shirakumo to remain a memory and disappear that way. He's saying Shirakumo is being stubborn and sticking around, basically.)

2 塚内さん‼︎ つかうちさん‼︎ Tsukauchi-san!! "Mr. Tsukauchi!!"

3 イレイザー！無事だったのか‼︎今までどこに イレイザー！ぶじだったのか‼︎いままでどこに IREIZAA! buji datta no ka!! ima made doko ni "Eraser! Are you all right!! Where have you been until now?"

4 物間は動けますか？ ものまはうごけますか？ Monoma wa ugokemasu ka? "Can Monoma move?"

5 彼は頭を強く打って緊急搬送中だ かれはあたまをつよくうってきんきゅうはんそうちゅうだ kare wa atama wo tsuyoku utte kinkyuu hansou-chuu da "He hit his head hard and is currently in emergency transport."

6 では各地戦況と稼働可能人員 ではかくちせんきょうとかどうかのうじんいん de wa kakuchi senkyou to kadou kanou jin'in "Then, the various battlefields and any available personnel--"

7 その座標を教えて下さい そのざひょうをおしえてください sono zahyou wo oshiete kudasai "please tell me their coordinates."

8 座標…⁇ ざひょう…⁇ zahyou...? "Coordinates...?"

9 ーー…！じゃあ… --...! jaa... "--...! Then..."

10 ええ ee "Yes."

1 イレイザーヘッド！ドウシテココニ！ IREIZAA HEDDO! DOUSHITE KOKO NI! "Eraser Head! Why are you here!"

2 "黒霧"を使えるようになりました "くろぎり"をつかえるようになりました "Kurogiri" wo tsukaeru you ni narimashita "We can now use Kurogiri."

3 敷地外にマイクと待機しています しきちがいにマイクとたいきしています shikichi-gai ni MAIKU to taiki shite imasu "I'm on stand-by with Mic outside the premises."

4 避難警護にあたっているヒーロー防衛特化を残して集めて下さい ひなんけいごにあたっているヒーローぼうえいとっかをのこしてあつめてください hinan keigo ni atatte iru HIIROO bouei tokka wo nokoshite atsumete kudasai "Heroes guarding the evacuations, please set aside defense and gather."

5 黒霧ヲ⁉︎ くろぎりヲ⁉︎ Kurogiri WO!? "Kurogiri!?"

6 手綱ハ握レナイト… たづなハにぎレナイト… tadzuna WA nigiRENAI TO... "If you can't keep a hold on the reins..."

7 どれくらい保つかわかりません どれくらいもつかわかりません dore kurai motsu ka wakarimasen "I don't know how long he will last."

8 早急に！ そうきゅうに！ soukyuu ni! "Urgently!"

1 すぐ戦線に行けるのか…⁉︎ すぐせんせんにいけるのか…⁉︎ sugu sensen ni ikeru no ka...!? "We can go to the front lines right away...!?"

2 なら俺も…！行かせてくれ…！ ならおれも…！いかせてくれ…！ nara ore mo...! ikasetekure...! "If so, then me, too...! Let me go, please...!"

3 俺も…‼︎無名だけど… おれも…‼︎むめいだけど… ore mo...!! mumei dakedo... "Me, too...! I'm anonymous, but..." (Note: He may mean he has no name (i.e. hero name) instead of that he's anonymous, I don't know. I'm not familiar with Horikoshi's Barrage manga, which this character is supposedly from.)

4 ヒーローなんだ！ HIIROO nanda! "I'm a hero!"

5 一緒に戦わせてくれ！ いっしょにたたかわせてくれ！ issho ni tatakawasetekure! "Let me fight with you!"

6 正門前へ せいもんまえへ seimon mae e "[You were the one] in front of the main gate."

7 これ…‼︎ kore...!! "This...!!"

8 怪我したヒーローに…！渡せねえか…？ けがしたヒーローに…！わたせねえか…？ kega shita HIIROO ni...! watasenee ka...? "To an injured hero...! Could you pass this on to one...?"

9 ーーありがとう………！ --arigatou.........! "--Thank you.........!"

1 戦いは既にほぼ制圧完了している！ たたかいはすでにほぼせいあつかんりょうしている！ tatakai wa sude ni hobo seiatsu kanryou shite iru! "As for the battle, suppression [of the villains] has already almost been completed!"

2 今各地で継戦可能な者をあたっている！ いまかくちでけいせんかのうなものをあたっている！ ima kakuchi de keisen kanou na mono wo atatte iru! "Now we are looking for people in various places who can continue to fight!"

3 残すところは国立多古場競技場ーーー… のこすところはこくりつたこばきょうぎじょうーーー… nokosu tokoro wa kokuritsu takoba kyougijou---... "The only remaining place is the Takoba National Stadium---..."

4 面制圧と長持久戦で犯罪史に名を残すダツゴク めんせいあつとちょうじきゅうせんではんざいしになをのこすダツゴク men seiatsu to chouji kyuusen de hansaishi ni na wo nokosu DATSUGOKU "The jailbreaker who leaves his name in the history of criminals when it comes to surface control and long endurance battles."

5 嬰兒樹ギャシュリー えいじじゅギャシュリー eiji-ju GYASHURII "Baby Tree Gashly." (Note: I am horrifyingly confident in this translation. Via some WILD search engine shenaningans, @bakuhatsufallinlove (yes I'm tagging you here to immortalize this ABSOLUTELY WILD RIDE) and I discovered that this villain's name is a combination of titles of the children's books The Baby Tree by Sophie Blackall, a book about where babies come from, and The Gashlycrumb Tinies: or, After the Outing by Edward Gorey, a gothic alphabet book in which all the named children die untimely, grisly deaths. Horikoshi, WHY? DID YOU BUY THESE BOOKS FOR YOUR NEPHEW OR SOMETHING?)

1 アッヒャアーーーー!!! AHHYAA----!!! "Ah-hyah----!!!"

2 助けに来たよおおお‼︎ たすけにきたよおおお‼︎ tasuke ni kita yoooo!! "We've come to heeelp!!"

3 そして soshite "And then..."

4 分断作戦 ぶんだんさくせん bundan sakusen "Division operation"

5 フェーズ３ FEEZU 3 "Phase 3."

1 奪われにきたか うばわれにきたか ubaware ni kita ka "Did you come to [have your quirks] stolen?"

2 先生…！ せんせい…！ sensei...! "Teacher...!"

3 動いたらだめだ うごいたらだめだ ugoitara dame da "Don't move."

4 ーー…腕 ーー…うで --...ude "--...Your arms,"

5 失ってどのくらいだ うしなってどのくらいだ ushinatte dono kurai da "how long ago did you lose them?

6 …わかりません…どのくらい…時間が経っていたか… …わかりません…どのくらい…じかんがたっていたか… ...wakarimasen...dono kurai...jikan ga tatte ita ka... "...I don't know...how much...time passed..."

7 心の中で… こころのなかで… kokoro no naka de... "[when we were] inside his heart..."

8 …AFOは完全に死柄木のモノになっていた… …オール・フォー・ワンはかんぜんにしがらきのモノになっていた… ...OORU FOO WAN wa kanzen ni Shigaraki no MONO ni natte ita... ...All For One had completely become Shigaraki's [property]... (Note: I think he means the AFO quirk is now 100% Shigaraki's.)

1 雄英でのAFOは 棺でのオール・フォー・ワンは hitsugi (kanji: yuuei) no OORU FOO WAN wa The AFO at the coffin (read as: UA)

2 抵抗する死柄木を押さえつけて統合したと嘯いてただけだった ていこうするしがらきをおさえつけてとうごうしたとうそぶいてただけだった teikou suru Shigaraki wo osaetsukete tougou shita to usobuiteta dake datta was only boasting that he had suppressed and integrated the resisting Shigaraki.

3 死柄木は違う… しがらきはちがう… Shigaraki wa chigau... It was different with Shigaraki...

4 AFOは…完全に取り込まれて消えていた… オール・フォー・ワンは…かんぜんにとりこまれてきえていた… OORU FOO WAN wa...kanzen ni torikomarete kiete ita... All For One...was completely absorbed and disappeared...

5 だから転弧の心をうった時に共に砕けている筈… だからてんこのこころをうったときにともにくだけているはず… dakara Tenko no kokoro wo utta toki ni tomo ni kudakete iru hazu... That's why when I hit Tenko's heart they should have both crumbled together.

6 なんなんだこいつは……！ nannanda koitsu wa......! What the heck is this guy......!

7 相澤せんせ…！ あいざわせんせ…！ Aizawa-sensei...! "Aizawa-sensei...!"

8 エリちゃ… ERI-cha... "Eri-cha-..."

9 先生たちは…私を危ないとこにぜったい連れてかないって せんせいたちは…わたしをあぶないとこにぜったいつれてかないって sensei-tachi wa...watashi wo abunai toko ni zettai tsuretekanai tte "The teachers...they said they absolutely won't take me to any place where it's dangerous."

10 わかってるの…だから… wakatteru no...dakara... "I understand... That's why..."

11 これ kore "This."

12 デクさんに持ってって デクさんにもってって DEKU-san ni mottette "Please take it to Mr. Deku."

1 角を折ったのか⁉︎なんて事…どうやって…！ つのをおったのか⁉︎なんてこと…どうやって…！ tsuno wo otta no ka!? nante koto...dou yatte...! "Did you break off your horn!? Such a thing...how did you...!"

2 お願いして おねがいして onegai shite "I asked"

3 協力してもらったの きょうりょくしてもらったの kyouryoku shite moratta no "for someone to help me do it."

4 ���クトプラズム！ EKUTOPURAZUMU! "Ectoplasm!"

5 スマナイダガ… SUMANAI DAGA... "I'm sorry, but..."

6 コノ子ハ君ノ合理性ト非合理性ヲ良ク学ンデイル コノこハきみノごうりせいトひごうりせいヲよクまなンデイル KONO ko WA kimi NO kourisei TO higou risei WO yoKU manaNDE IRU "this child is learning your rationality and irrationality well."

7 先生たちと力の使い方をお勉強したからわかるの せんせいたちとちからのつかいかたをおべんきょうしたからわかるの sensei-tachi to chikara no tsukaikata wo obenkyou shita kara wakaru no "Because I studied how to use my power with my teachers, I understand."

8 きっとこうしたって力は使える…！だってこれは私だもの きっとこうしたってちからはつかえる…！だってこれはわたしだもの kitto koushita tte chikara wa tsukaeru...! datte kore wa watashi da mono "I'm sure that you can use my power like this...! Because this is a [piece] of me."

9 だがそんな乱暴にしたら… だがそんならんぼうにしたら… daga sonna ranbou ni shitara... "But if you do something this reckless..."

10 "個性"自体に傷が "こせい"じたいにきずが "kosei" jitai ni kizu ga "your quirk itself will be damaged."

11 オールマイトさんの時もかっちゃんさんの時もこうしたかったけどできなかったの！ オールマイトさんのときもかっちゃんさんのときもこうしたかったけどできなかったの！ OORU MAITO-san no toki mo Kacchan-san no toki mo koushitakatta kedo dekinakatta no! "I wanted to do something like this for Mr. All Might and Mr. Kacchan, but I couldn't!"

12 私 わたし watashi "I"

13 お歌したいの おうたしたいの outa shitai no "want to sing."

14 先生 せんせい sensei "Teacher,"

15 私デクさんたちに楽しくしてもらったから わたしデクさんたちにたのしくしてもらったから watashi DEKU-san-tachi ni tanoshiku shitemoratta kara "because Mr. Deku and the others made it so I would have fun,"

16 今日終わったらデクさんたちに きょうおわったらデクさんたちに kyou owattara DEKU-san-tachi ni "after today is over, for Mr. Deku and the others--"

17 お歌するの おうたするの outa suru no "I will sing."

1 だから… dakara... So...

2 ちょっとしかなくっても chotto shika nakuttemo even if it's only a little bit [of me],

3 私も戦わせて！ わたしもたたかわせて！ watashi mo tatakawasete! please let me fight too!

4 エネルギーガ充分ニ溜マッテイナイ エネルギーガじゅうぶんニたマッテイナイ ENERUGII GA juubun NI taMATTE INAI "Not enough energy has been stored."

5 コノ場合ホボ意味ハナク コノばあいホボいみハナク KONO baai HOBO imi WA NAI "In this case, it has no almost meaning."

6 巻キ戻ルスピードモ時間モ極メテ僅カ まキもどルスピードモじかんモきわメテわずカ maKImodoRU SUPIIDO MO jikan MO kiwaMETE wazuka "The rewind speed and time are both extremely small."

7 せいぜい２〜３分ぶん程度だろう せいぜい２〜３ぷんぶんていどだろう seizei 2~3pun bun-teido darou At most, it will probably take about 2-3 minutes.

8 お歌 おうた outa "[Her] song."

9 聴くまで死ねないぞ きくまでしねないぞ kiku made shinenai zo "I won't die until I hear it."

1 皆もきっと…オイラと一緒だよな… み���なもきっと…オイラといっしょだよな… minna mo kitto...OIRA to issho da yo na... "I'm sure everyone...is with me on this..."

2 もう動けねーって思ってても…緑谷が頑張ってっとよォ もううごけねーっておもってても…みどりやががんばってっとよォ mou ugokenee tte omottetemo...Midoriya ga ganbatte tto yoO "Even though I thought I couldn't move anymore...I thought, 'Midoriya is trying his best!'"

3 体動いちまうんだよなァ‼︎ からだうごいちまうんだよなァ‼︎ karada ugoichimaunda yo naA!! "And my body went and moved!!"

tagline AFOの前に立ちはだかる…！ オール・フォー・ワンのまえにたちはだかる…！ OORU FOO WAN no mae ni tachihadakaru...! In front of All For One, standing in his way...!

#my hero academia leak translations #mha 420 #bnha 420 #my hero academia manga spoilers #final arc spoilers #baby tree gashly...you bastard #i will never know rest again #wait a minute is mineta foreshadowing kacchan's return on that last page or--

[writingwithcolor]

[Running Commentary] Zombies are Zombies: Cultural Relativism, Folklore, and Foreign Perspectives

She obviously started getting into media in Japan, and (from my research into Japanese media and culture), Japan’s movies about zombies are mostly comedic, since due to traditional funerary practices the idea of zombies bringing down society is ridiculous to a lot of Japanese people. 

Rina: OP, this you? https://www.tofugu.com/japan/japanese-zombies/

Marika: Counterpoint: Parasite Eve. Resident Evil. The Evil Within. 

Rina: Literally all the grody horror game franchises that people forget were developed and written by Japanese people because the characters have names like “Leon Kennedy” and “Sebastian Castellanos” 

~ ~ ~

Based on the reception we received the last time we did one of these, the Japanese moderator team returns with another running commentary. (They’re easier to answer this way) (Several of Marika’s answers may be troll answers)

Our question today pertains to foreign perspectives on folklore—that is, how people view folklore and stories that aren’t a part of their culture. CW: for anything you’d associate with zombies and a zombie apocalypse, really.

Keep reading for necromancy, horror games, debunking the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, Hong Kong jiangshi films, Japanese disaster prep videos, and Vietnamese idol pop...

Essentially, in my story there’s an organization who wants to end the world. They think this one woman in particular, a woman of mixed Vietnamese (irreligious, Kinh) and Japanese descent who spent her formative years in Japan, is the person to do it because she’s (for lack of a better term) a necromancer; powers are semi-normal in this world. She prefers not to use her powers overall, but when she does she mostly talks to ghosts and spirits that are giving people issues. She could technically reanimate a corpse but she wouldn’t because she feels that would be morally wrong, not to mention she couldn’t start a zombie apocalypse in the traditional sense (plague, virus, etc.) in the first place. 

(Marika (M): Your local public health officials would like to assure necromancers that reviving the dead will not provoke a zombie apocalypse. This is because necromancy is a reanimation technique, and not a pathogenic vector. Assuming that the technique does not release spores, airborne viruses, gasses, or other related physical matter that can affect neighboring corpses in a similar way, there should be no issue. However, necromancers should comply with local regulations w/r to permitting and only raise the dead with the approval of the local municipality and surviving family.)

M: I think it makes sense for most people of E. Asian descent, including Japanese and Vietnamese people, to find it culturally reprehensible to reanimate the dead. I imagine the religious background of your character matters as well. What religion(s) are her family members from? How do they each regard death and the treatment of human remains? Depending on where she grew up, I’m curious on how she got opportunities to practice outside specialized settings like morgues.

M: It’s true, space in Japan is at a premium, even for the dead. You note that most of Japan cremates, but, surely, it must have occurred to you that if there aren’t that many bodies in Japan to raise…she doesn’t exactly have much opportunity to practice with her powers, does she? I yield to our Vietnamese followers on funerary customs in Vietnam, but you may want to better flesh out your world-building logic on how necromancy operates in your story (And maybe distinguish between necromancy v. channeling v. summoning v. exorcisms). 

She obviously started getting into media in Japan, and (from my research into Japanese media and culture), Japan’s movies about zombies are mostly comedic, since due to traditional funerary practices the idea of zombies bringing down society is ridiculous to a lot of Japanese people. 

Rina (R): OP, this you? https://www.tofugu.com/japan/japanese-zombies/

M: Counterpoint: Parasite Eve. Resident Evil. The Evil Within. 

R: Literally all the grody horror game franchises that people forget were developed and written by Japanese people because the characters have names like “Leon Kennedy” and “Sebastian Castellanos” 

R: And yes, the Tofugu article uses Resident Evil and those games to support its theory, with the reason that they are set in the West. But that only suggests that Japanese people consider zombies a Western thing, not that Japanese people consider zombies nonthreatening if they were to exist. 

M: Same with vampires - series like Castlevania also use Western/ European settings and not “Vampires in Japan '' because vampires just aren't part of our folklore.

(M: Also, realistically, these series deal with individuals who quickly perish after their bodies are used as hosts for the pathogen in question, rather than the pathogen reanimating a corpse. Although the victims are initially alive, they soon succumb to the pathogen/ parasite and their organic matter then becomes an infectious vector for the disease. It should be noted, infecting ordinary, living humans with viruses to grant them elevated powers, is not only a major violation of consent and defies all recommendations made by the Belmont Report (in addition to a number of articles in the Hague Convention w/r to the use of WMDs) and is unlikely to be approved by any reputable university’s IRB committee. This is why the Umbrella Corporation are naughty, naughty little children, and honestly, someone should have assassinated Wesker for the grant money.)

R: wwww

From what I know Vietnam didn’t have a zombie movie until 2022. 

R: Do you mean a domestically produced zombie movie? Because Vietnamese people have most certainly had access to zombie movies for a long time. The Hong Kong film Mr. Vampire (1985) was a gigantic hit in Southeast Asia; you can find a gazillion copies of this movie online with Viet subs, with people commenting on how nostalgic this movie is or how they loved it as a kid. 

M: “Didn’t have a [domestic] zombie movie” is not necessarily the same thing as “Would not have made one if the opportunity had arisen.” None of us here are personifications of the Vietnamese film industry, I think it’s safe to say we couldn’t know. Correlation is not causation. It’s important to do your research thoroughly, and not use minor facts to craft a narrative based on your own assumptions.

(R: …Also, I did find a 2017 music video for “Game Over” by the Vietnamese idol Thanh Duy which features… a zombie apocalypse.)

(R: The MV has a very campy horror aesthetic and zombie backup dancers (which I love, everyone please watch this lol). But the scenes at the beginning and end where people are biting their fingers watching a threatening news report clearly establish that the zombies are considered a threat.)

So at one point, she laughs about the idea and remarks how ridiculous it is to think zombies could end the world. What I’m struggling with are other ways to show her attitude on the issue because I’d assume most non-Japanese readers wouldn’t get why she thinks like that. Are there any other ways to show why she thinks this way, especially ones that might resonate more with a Japanese reader?

R: The problem is this does not resonate in the first place. Your line of thinking is too Sapir-Whorf-adjacent. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, otherwise known as linguistic relativity theory, claims that language shapes cognition—that you can’t conceive of something if you can’t express it in your language. This is a very weak theory that you can easily bring evidence against: think of the last time you felt an emotion you had a hard time putting into words; just because you didn’t have the language for it doesn’t mean that you didn’t feel it, nor does it mean that you won’t be able to understand or recognize it if you feel it again. Similarly, it’s not a sound assumption to say that if some kind of subject matter does not exist in a culture, then people of that culture couldn't possibly conceive of it. This excerpt from linguist Laura Bailey sums it up quite well. 

M: Just because ghosts may be more culturally relevant doesn’t mean that zombies (or vampires, or whatever) are nonexistent in a Japanese or Vietnamese person’s imagination when it comes to horror and disaster.

R: Really,  if anything, Japanese people are much more attuned to how easily a society’s infrastructure can be destroyed by a disruptive force without adequate preparation. Japan is natural disaster central. A Japanese person would know better than anyone that if you aren’t prepared for a zombie epidemic—yeah it’s gonna be bad. 

M: Earthquakes, tsunami, typhoon, floods: Japan has robust disaster infrastructure out of necessity. 防災 or bousai, meaning disaster preparedness is a common part of daily life, including drills at workplaces, schools, and community organizations. Local government and community agencies are always looking for ways to make disaster and pandemic preparedness relevant to the public.

M: Might “zombie apocalypse prep as a proxy for disaster prep” be humorous in an ironic, self-deprecating way? Sure, but it’s not like Japanese people are innately different from non-Japanese people. Rather, by being a relatively well-off country practiced at disaster preparation with more experience than most parts of the world with many different types of disasters (and the accompanying infrastructure), it likely would seem more odd to most Japanese people within Japan to not handle a zombie apocalypse rather like might one handle a combination of a WMD/ chemical disaster+pandemic+civil unrest (all of which at least some part of Japan has experienced). Enjoy this very long, slightly dry video on COVID-19 safety procedures and preparedness using the framing device of surviving a zombie apocalypse.

M: Living in Los Angeles, I’ve often experienced similar tactics. We do a fair amount of advance and rehearsed disaster prep here as well. In elementary school, the first and last days of class were always for packing and unpacking home-made disaster packs, and “zombie apocalypse” simulations have been around since I was in middle school for all kinds of drills, including active shooter drills, like the one shown in this LAT article. The line between “prepper” and “well prepared” really comes down to degree of anxiety and zeal. So, it wouldn’t be just Japanese people who might not be able to resonate with your scene. The same could be said for anyone who lives somewhere with a robust disaster prevention culture.

M: A zombie apocalypse is not “real” in the sense of being a tangible threat that the majority of the world lives in fear of waking up to (At least, for the mental health of most people, I hope so). Rather, zombie apocalypse narratives are compelling to people because of the feelings of vague, existential dread they provoke: of isolation, paranoia, dwindling resources, and a definite end to everything familiar. I encourage you to stop thinking of the way Japanese people and non-Japanese people think about vague, existential dread as incomprehensible to each other. What would you think about zombies if they actually had a chance of existing in your world? That’s probably how most Japanese people would feel about them, too.

#Youtube #asks #japanese #vietnamese #cultural differences #cultural relativism #linguistic relativity #zombies #sci fi #science fiction #necromancy #death #funerary customs #funeral #ghosts #vampires #folklore #natural disasters #disaster preparedness #rina says stan thanh duy #writeblr

[suzukiblu]

Ko-fi thank-you sentences for Flamyangelwings; Kara gets to Earth on time and the Kents get a two-for-one special on free kids.

Ma and Pa store the wreckages of both of their ships in a building that Kara thinks is a barn and cover them with thick, heavy fabric. She takes the crystals out of the ships first, obviously. The ships are little more than scrap now, but they’ll need the crystals one day. 

Not yet, but . . . one day. 

She and Kal both wear alien clothes and eat alien food and she does her alien work, and he plays with his alien toys, and Ma and Pa . . . Ma and Pa fuss, Kara can’t help feeling. 

Sometimes other aliens visit, or they go into Smoll-Veel for supplies or to eat at the restaurants or visit places Kara doesn’t always understand the purpose of. There’s a park, and a shop for textiles, and a . . . library, she thinks? Ma and Pa don’t exchange money for the things they take from it, anyway; just scan a card, and then bring them back later. Kara thinks they’re some sort of . . . paper records, from what she’s gathered–sheets upon sheets of paper, all bound together on one side. Some of them are slimmer and have pictures, and Ma and Pa like to take turns reading those to Kal. Some of them are thicker and don’t have pictures, or at least not many, and those they either read in silence or read to each other or even Kara.

She doesn’t understand them, obviously, but . . . it’s . . . nice, she thinks. 

She actually thinks they might be stories, not just records. Especially the ones with pictures in them. 

So it’s very nice, that Ma and Pa are sharing those with them. Very . . . very kind. 

In the settlement, Ma and Pa introduce Kara and Kal by slightly different names, and everyone calls them Mar-Tha and Jona-Than, not Ma and Pa. Kara thinks maybe this planet has private names on top of their public ones, though she’s not actually certain. 

They call her “Ka-Lair” and call Kal “Ka-Lum” to the other aliens, though they pronounce them a little oddly–“Claire” and “Callum”, more like. Or that’s as close as Kara can get, anyway. Sometimes they say “Ka-Lair Zo-El Kent” and “Ka-Lum El-Ot Kent”–Kara’s not sure why Kal gets the Laborer title attached to his name too, but supposes it must be because children on this planet are associated with their guardian’s guild until they’re old enough to choose their own–though again, the pronunciation is a little odd. More like . . . “Claire Zoelle Kent” and “Callum Elliot Kent”, she thinks. 

Most of the other aliens in Smoll-Veel are kind, but none of them are as kind as Ma and Pa. Ma and Pa are . . . they’re so kind. Ma teaches Kara how to make her “pye”, and Pa teaches her how to play a catching game with a small white ball and a peculiar webbed glove and sometimes a stick to hit the ball with, and they both teach her how to work on their little farm and help her take care of Kal. They’ve even gotten him his own little bed, with tall fenced-in sides so he can’t roll or climb out of it, and set it up in a bedroom for him and her to stay in together, with a closet full of clothes for them both and a box of toys for Kal and a shelf of thin paper records with pretty pictures inside of them that they read to him from every night after “supper”. 

She thinks Ma is female and Pa is male, now, and is mostly certain that they’re either mated or married or whatever this planet does, not related or just friends. Definitely not just coworkers, either way. They still call Kal’s toy dog “Krippo” instead of “Krypto”, but given Kara’s problems getting her own tongue around their language’s words, she’s not going to hold it against them. Kal understands what they mean when they say it, so that’s all that matters.

She feels vulnerable and uncomfortable whenever they’re off the farm, and sometimes even on it, but . . . but Ma and Pa are so kind, and it’s hard to feel uncomfortable with them.

Vulnerable, maybe, but not quite in the same way as she does out in Smoll-Veel.

#flamyangelwings #wip: kara gets to earth on time

[copias-sewer-rat]

COPIA'S SEWER RAT RECOMMENDATIONS PT.1

This has been a long time comming! I wanted to take the time to create a long post not only with fic recommendations but also other stuff. The Ghost community is so talented that I needed time to gather all of the amazing projects and ideas that flutter around.

(This even took longer than anticipated because just when it was almost ready some of the authors in this list posted some freaking MASTERPIECES and I needed to add them as well, obviously.)

I plan to do a post like this from time to time with new discoveries, so please if you don't follow/know these creators, please check them out. Furthermore, if there is someone you think I have missed or that you would like for me to check out, please, let me know. I am always eager to know more amazing creators.

(please be aware that some of the fics and artists I will be talking about write some very nasty, yet amazing, stories/art so please always check their tags and tws before diving in).

next part | my masterpost

📝WRITING

Let's start with one of the backbones of this amazing community: @da-rulah and her gorgeous and deliciously nasty fics. Please go read Rituale Septem and Confessional if you haven't already. Her hcs and drabbles are also so so good, you should read everything she has written, you won't be dissapointed.

Now, the wonderful, amazing writer that is @her-satanic-wiles. I have become her personal and most ardent supporter this October (if you could not tell by how much I have reblogged and liked her stuff smh). Her Kinktober challenge this year has been an absolute delight so I leave you with her mastrerlist so you can check her out on your own.

Now, my beloved, the amazing writer that is @writingjourney with my favourite fic to date I Knew Nothing but Shadows. I honestly get such joy when she posts, it is pure perfection. She puts such detail in her writing that it always makes me so incredibly happy to read her stuff. I also leave you with her masterlist, please check her out! UPDATE: SHE JUST POSTED THE MOST PERFECT VAMPIRE SECONDO FIC, you must read it: Friday Nights at the Vinothek.

The great @bupia is next!!!! I honestly adore everything they write. My personal favs are Barista Preferita, Love Letter, Bloodlust, their kinktober series and their new work is Serendipity. I am always in awe with how they write honestly. I want to be y/n so much with their fics (lol, cringe). Please read everything of theirs!

How can I not mention the absolute, amazingly talented, cowboy lover that is @ramblingoak ??? Her whole universe of cowboys (I love cowboys like yeehaw all day you know?) is honestly one of my favs, AND THE WAY SHE WRITES, let me tell you, the DETAILS, the EMOTIONAL backstories, THE ROMANCE, THE DRAMA?! Please go read The Cardinal's Bride and the other stories of the same au if you haven't done so already. You are missing out on one of the best AUs this fandom has to offer. UPDATE: A NEW FIC?! SKATING COPIA?! TIGHT SUITS?! Need I say anything else? Go read her new series: Copia on ICE!

Then, @molly-ghuleh !! I just started reading her stuff and now I cannot stop?! Camellia is SO GOOD you must read it!! It deserves much more attention!!! THE DETAILS?? The love at first sight trope leaving me in shambles???!!! I am seriously invested and I cannot recommend her more! GO! NOW!

Next, my lovely ghestie @discountdemonwarehouse/@eyeslikelilith who is so funny and so so nasty😈💜! Please go follow her here and on Ao3 for her amazing fics (I love her WWDITSxGhost fic What We Do In The Ministry the most hehehehe iykyk)

@leezlelatch and her amazing drabbles bring me so much joy, please go check her out and read everthing she posts, it is wonderful and insanely entertaining. (I cannot choose only one recommendation help, read everything!!!)

What can I say about @earthry other that she is amazing and I that I am obsessed with her drabbles and asks? I have read Watermelon Kisses so many times that you could lock me up.

Go check @zombie-rott out in general! Her stories are very comforting and nice!!! AND THE WAY SHE WRITES??? I love love love it. I highly recomend reading Pawprints, it is adorable, you should ckeck it out.

Please go read @bethbruttenholm's Seduce Me... I fell in love with this fic, so so good, and her writing is *chef's kiss*.

@anamelessfool in general is a master, like, her Omega3 fics are so nice *wink*, extra kudos for Reciprocity muhahahaha (it is delicious)

AAAAAA @gravehags and her curator!reader x copia series??? I AM ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED? THE HALLOWEEN CHAPTER? I WAS GRINNING LIKE A MADWOMAN ALL THE TIME. She also writes a lot about the Ghouls and Ghoulettes and it is SO SO NICE!

@the-curator1 In The Darkness of your Dreams ??? AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE oh my Satan, I LOVE LOVE IT!!!

🎨ART

This list is going to be long and I don't want to sound like a broken record or make this post eternal (because I could talk about all of them for ages if you let me) so I will make only a big recommendation for the following artists:

@vogelfreyh

@piaart

@vanmec

@comfysanda

@nocterish/@nocturnal-birb

@sirlsplayland

@risunsky

@blanchebees

@mardyart

@meowsaidmissy

@forgelokid

@novaiisk

@nekronyancer

@delulluart

@yollur

@quaildoodle

@oranpo

@doodleshrimps

@kabukiaku

@thew0man

@blackbird5154

Please, check all of them. They deserve all the recognition they can get. I adore how much love and effort they put in their art, WIPS or whaterver they decide to make. Every single one of them inspires me so much, I cannot explain with words how proud I feel to be able to look at their creations and share a community or even an interest with such talented creators.

👻OTHERS

This is the one that needs more creators. I need to find projects, creators that do other things such as theorising, gifs, big projects, whatever. Please, give me your suggestions and I will check them out and add them in following entries.

For now, I leave you with a couple of amazing people that deserve all the praise:

@stressghoul I honestly follow her EVERYWHERE. I love her tiktoks so much, she is so funny. The Brittany Brosky of the Ghost community you could say.

@slavghoul If you need any questions solved about our dear Satanic papas, go follow Slav. I have never seen a more dedicated person with such an amazing brain, it is honestly so inpiring to see what they have to say every single time. By the way, also check their videos on all the little isolated parts from Ghost songs, does not fail on lifting my feet from the ground as if possessed, every-single-time. You can check all the videos here.

@kabukiaku again??? YES! WHY?! BECAUSE I ADORE HER PAPA PLUSHIES I THINK THEY ARE THE CUTTEST!!!!

Lastly, I wanted to mention a YouTube creator that is making orchestral versions of Ghost songs. I found an orchrestral version of DATHOML on Tiktok and I had to find the whole song. Please check them out because they are doing more and it is amazing. Jamie Turton.

#gonst #the band ghost #ghost #the band ghost bc #ghost bc band #recommendation post #sewer rat recommends #amazing creators #papa emeritus iv #cardinal copia #ghost bc #ghost band #papa emeritus iii #papa terzo #papa secondo

[deecotan]

I’ve been playing around with omegaverse ZS lovechild concept for a while and now here she is! Her name is Minori, she was born sometime during the Strawhats’ voyage so she was practically raised in the Sunny. She exists in an omegaverse canon-divergent AU where the plotline is basically the same as canon, diverging post-Wano and post-Strawhat Jinbe (similar to Film Red situation). 

Ramblings below: 

I created her with the idea of a lovechild who is different from Aoi, the first ZS lovechild that I created. Aoi is an exuberant, happy-go-lucky person, with a tomboyish appearance and a more “unkempt” look that she imprinted from Zoro. Minori is reserved and quiet, if not somewhat shy, with a more feminine, neater appearance and overall looks that is inspired by Sanji, and by extension, Reiju and Sora. Minori is also set in the canon universe and raised on a pirate ship, in contrast to Aoi who is set in a modern AU One Piece and grew up in a family home. 

I originally planned her to use rapier as her main weapon at first, but then I thought it would be a little weird for Zoro’s kid to choose a different type of sword, so I decided to scrap it. The name and the general color palette of the sword remains the same, though.

Additionally, her name was originally supposed to be “Marisol” since it can mean “sea and sun” in Spanish and also because I want to try giving her a more European-sounding name. I decided to scrap it since it won’t fit with the rest of the Strawhats’ naming custom; most of the Strawhats have easy-sounding names that are easy to pronounce both in English and Japanese (Luffy/Ru-fi, Na-mi, Zo-ro, etc), and most of them only consist of 2-3 syllables. Marisol is 4 syllables long when pronounced in Japanese (Marisoru), so I decided to change it to a simpler name.

My Japanese VA headcanon for Minori is Yui Ishikawa. She has the type of voice that gives off “elegant and sophisticated lady who can kill you” energy especially when voicing Mikasa from Attack on Titan and 2B from Nier:Automata. 

She spends most of her childhood in Thousand Sunny, and then her early teen years to the rest of her life in Sanji’s floating restaurant in All Blue together with her parents, Zeff, and the rest of the Baratie crew. She would then travel to other islands by herself from time to time, sometimes saving people and getting into fights on the way, and send letters back to her parents that tell of her adventures.

Personality-wise, Minori is a calm, collected person. She tends to keep her emotions at bay and rarely overreacts to anything, and likes to solve problems in an analytical way. Deep down, Minori is also a kind and considerate person, and is especially very compassionate towards those who are in need. She has a strong sense of justice, and believes in the notion that the strong must protect the weak. She is also a bit socially awkward, having trouble befriending people normally as they would usually get scared of her first. 

Minori is very inquisitive as a child, often questioning many things and finding solace in reading books. Because of this, she looks up a lot to Robin, whom she thinks is very intelligent and “all-knowing”.  

Because she grows up in Sunny, aside from Zoro and Sanji themselves, she is practically raised by everyone in the crew and so has imprinted some of them as well. She appreciates Robin’s morbid humor, has a slightly extensive knowledge in first aid from Chopper, can differentiate between a good and a bad lie thanks to Usopp, and comes to love music from Brook. 

People would often call her the “Miracle Child” due to the exceptional circumstances during which she was born. She is a child born into a pirate crew, with that pirate crew being the Strawhat Pirates and her parents being two of their strongest members nonetheless, and she is born when Sanji is being held hostage. (I’ll delve into that soon. Later. One day.) 

As a result of spending most of her childhood on a pirate ship, Minori has a much more hardened outlook in life, having learned how to fight and defend herself against enemies. She can be downright vicious when circumstances warrant it, especially when dealing with cruel and powerful enemies. 

She trains swordsmanship under Zoro, and as she grows stronger and more skillful in it, she begins to develop her own fighting style utilizing her enhanced speed, agility, and dexterity, of which she inherits from Sanji. 

Her sword’s tsuba (hand guard) is circular-shaped and has a wave pattern that looks something like this: 

Her epithet “Sword Princess” comes from her exceptional swordsmanship, her fighting style that’s been described as being “elegant”, and her overall wardrobe aesthetic that heavily resembles a princess. 

She is noted to have exceptional beauty, and many people have praised her for it. Sanji has been notable for furiously beating people up if he catches them ogling or talking to her inappropriately. 

Her name written in kanji would be 美緑, consisting of 美 which means “beauty, beautiful” and 緑 which means “green, greenery (the colors of trees and grasses)”. I think it’s an amusingly fitting name for Zoro and Sanji’s child. 

Since she technically exists in an A/B/O universe, she does have a secondary gender as well, which is Beta.

#zosan #omegaverse #omegaverse zosan #roronoa zoro #sanji #minori

[duxbelisarius]

The Dragon has Three Heads or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Believe That Young Griff is the Real Real

Before going any further, I want to warn anyone reading this analysis that it will contain spoilers for A Dance With Dragons, so proceed at your own risk.

This essay came about from an 'epiphany' I had while reading ADWD on break at work, specifically chapter Daenerys VII. In this chapter, Quentyn Martell and his companions present themselves to Daenerys and offer her a marriage alliance with Dorne. This being the day of her wedding to Hizdahr zo Loraq, Dany refuses and makes note mentally of Quaithe's earlier warning about not trusting "the Sun's Son." The identification seems simple enough, with House Martell's sigil featuring the sun and Quentyn being the son of Doran Martell, Prince of Dorne, but there are serious problems with this conclusion.

The issue with labeling Quentyn Martell the Sun's Son stems from how Dany reaches this conclusion; for starters, this is the original quote given by Quaithe in Daenerys II:

"No. Hear me, Daenerys Targaryen. The glass candles are burning. Soon comes the pale mare, and after her the others. Kraken and dark flame, lion and griffin, the sun's son and the mummer's dragon. Trust none of them. Remember the Undying. Beware the perfumed seneschal."

And this is how Dany identifies Quentyn as the Sun's Son in Daenerys VII and VIII:

Something tickled at her memory. "Ser Barristan, what are the arms of House Martell?"

"A sun in splendor, transfixed by a spear."

The sun's son. A shiver went through her. "Shadows and whispers." What else had Quaithe said? The pale mare and the sun's son. There was a lion in it too, and a dragon. Or am I the dragon? "Beware the perfumed seneschal." That she remembered. "Dreams and prophecies. Why must they always be in riddles? I hate this. Oh, leave me, ser. Tomorrow is my wedding day."

...

The pale mare. Daenerys sighed. Quaithe warned me of the pale mare's coming. She told me of the Dornish prince as well, the sun's son. She told me much and more, but all in riddles.

George has talked about the fickle nature of prophecy in the books and publicly, citing the Duke of Somerset's death at the Battle of St. Albans in Shakespeare's Henry VI as an example of why the literal or easiest interpretations are not always the most reliable. While Dany's conclusion that Quentyn is the 'Sun's Son' seems straightforward, she bases it solely on Barristan's description of the Martell arms. Her reasoning is mainly to justify marrying Hizdahr by dismissing the Martell offer, as Dany herself barely remembers Quaithe's warning and bemoans her 'riddles'.

Assuming that the 'Pale Mare' refers to the 'bloody flux' that the Astapori refugees bring to Meereen, and that the Kraken, dark flame, lion, griffon and mummer's dragon refer to Victarion Greyjoy, Moqorro, Tyrion, Connington and Young Griff respectively, the sequence of Quaithe's warning makes no sense with Quentyn as the 'Sun's Son.' At the end of ADWD, Tyrion is outside the walls of Meereen while Victarion and Moqorro are en route with the Iron Fleet, and Connington and Young Griff are in Westeros. If Dany's return to Meereen from the Dothraki Sea is followed by her journeying westwards, then this sequence makes sense. Victarion will likely destroy the Slaver's fleets and is seeking Dany's hand in marriage, while Moqorro is with him for the purpose of acknowledging her as Azor Ahai and encouraging her to free the slaves of Volantis. Given Tyrion's association with Varys, Illyrio, Jorah and now 'Brown Ben Plumm,' and his family's role in Robert's rebellion, it makes sense that he would not immediately seek out Daenerys on her return to Meereen. Connington and Young Griff await her in Westeros, but Quentyn as the 'Sun's Son' precedes all of them, breaking Quaithe's otherwise sensible sequence. If Quentyn were the 'Sun's Son' he could just as easily have been paired with the Kraken, since both are sent by the heads of their houses to offer her an alliance, while Tyrion and Moqorro travel together on the Selaesori Qhoran (the 'Perfumed Seneschal') and Connington and Griff are in league with Varys.

The far greater issue with Dany's interpretation is that we have access to Quentyn's POV, and there is nothing to suggest that he seeks to betray Daenerys. His purpose was to approach Dany with a marriage alliance, to assist her in reclaiming her crown; his party was even sent by Tatters to scope out the situation in Meereen for a possible double-crossing of the Yunkai'i, specifically to aid Dany. The only thing close to untoward that he does is attempt to claim one of her Dragons, and this was a desperation move driven by his insecurities and his fear of returning to his father empty handed, which would mean that his fallen companions died for nothing:

"What name do you think they will give me, should I return to Dorne without Daenerys?" Prince Quentyn asked. "Quentyn the Cautious? Quentyn the Craven? Quentyn the Quail?" (The Discarded Knight, ADWD)

Volantis, Quentyn thought. Then Lys, then home. Back the way I came, empty-handed. Three brave men dead, for what?

...

His father would speak no word of rebuke, Quentyn knew, but the disappointment would be there in his eyes. His sister would be scornful, the Sand Snakes would mock him with smiles sharp as swords, and Lord Yronwood, his second father, who had sent his own son along to keep him safe … (The Spurned Suitor, ADWD)

Disqualifying Quentyn as the Sun's Son leaves us with only three options, of which only one really works. Trystane is the only other son of House Martell aside from Quentyn via Prince Doran, and given his limited roll in the story thus far I think it's safe to cross him off the list. Doran could theoretically work as the 'Sun's son,' as his mother was Princess of Dorne before him; given that Quaithe describes the figures as going to Dany, Doran's limited mobility and poor health would disqualify him. This leaves us with only one 'son of a sun,' that being 'Young Griff,' aka Aegon VI Targaryen, the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell, Princess of Dorne.

This association of Aegon with the Martells via his mother fits with the copious amounts of imagery linking him to the Rhoynar and to 'Egg' aka Aegon V of "Dunk and Egg" fame, specifically that character's travels in Dorne. Tyrion finds him living on a pole boat in the Rhoyne River, home of the ancient Rhoynar culture that Dorne descends from. The Shy Maid is operated by Yandry and Ysilla, so-called 'orphans of the Greenblood' which are another allusion to Dunk and Egg's travels on the Greenblood River in Dorne:

A poleboat had taken them down the Greenblood to the Planky Town, where they took passage for Oldtown on the galleas White Lady.

...

When they’d been poling down the Greenblood, the orphan girls had made a game of rubbing Egg’s shaven head for luck. (The Sworn Sword)

In Tyrion IV of ADWD, a massive horned turtle appears in the river by the Shy Maid, an obvious reference to the Rhoynish 'Old Man of the River,':

It was another turtle, a horned turtle of enormous size, its dark green shell mottled with brown and overgrown with water moss and crusty black river molluscs. It raised its head and bellowed, a deep-throated thrumming roar louder than any warhorn that Tyrion had ever heard. “We are blessed,” Ysilla was crying loudly, as tears streamed down her face. “We are blessed, we are blessed.”

Duck was hooting, and Young Griff too. Haldon came out on deck to learn the cause of the commotion . . . but too late. The giant turtle had vanished below the water once again. “What was the cause of all that noise?” the Halfmaester asked.

“A turtle,” said Tyrion. “A turtle bigger than this boat.”

“It was him,” cried Yandry. “The Old Man of the River.”

And why not? Tyrion grinned. Gods and wonders always appear, to attend the birth of kings.

When Tyrion and Haldon visit the Painted Turtle inn to find information about Daenerys' whereabouts, we have an interesting description of the inn from Tyrion:

The ridged shell of some immense turtle hung above its door, painted in garish colors. Inside a hundred dim red candles burned like distant stars. (Tyrion VI, ADWD)

We once more have Rhoynish symbolism in the turtle, while the 'garish colors' are reminiscent of Young Griff's hair, which is dyed blue in the Tyroshi fashion. Tyrion's description of inside the 'Painted Turtle' is one of dim red candles burning like stars, which can be seen as an oblique reference to the red rubies on Rhaegar's black breastplate, thereby associating the red of Targaryen heraldry with the cultural symbols of the Rhoynar.

The 'Dunk and Egg' imagery goes further, with both Egg and Aegon wearing distinctive straw sun hats, and being accompanied by their Hedge Knights from the Stormlands, both of whom have titles derived from their own simplistic personalities (Duncan the Tall, Rolly Duckfield). Moreover, Egg's journeying to Dorne ends up giving him refuge from the Spring Sickness that ravages Westeros, while Aegon's time in Essos serves as a refuge from Robert's spies and the chaos of the War of the Five Kings. While these similarities might be viewed as a doomed attempt by Varys to recreate Egg through Aegon, I think the purpose of these parallels is to establish both princes as following similar trajectories: both are sons of a Targaryen prince (Maekar, Rhaegar) and a Dornish noblewoman (Dyana Dayne, Elia Martell); become King of the Seven Kingdoms through unexpected circumstances: and if George plans to end ADOS with a mini-Dance of the Dragons, I would expect Aegon VI to meet a fiery end like Egg did.

If Young Griff is actually Aegon VI Targaryen as well as the 'Sun's Son,' this leaves the 'mummer's dragon' without any clear identity. Part of this is due to the conviction that Dany's identification of the cloth dragon from the undying visions with a 'mummer's dragon' or puppet dragon must be correct. In truth, there are countless cases from ADWD alone that show us that a mummer's object is not necessarily a puppet, but more broadly means something which is not as it appears:

I know one stands before me now, weeping mummer's tears. The realization made her sad. (Daenerys III, ADWD)

"Not here," warned Gerris, with a mummer's empty smile. "We'll speak of this tonight, when we make camp." (The Windblown, ADWD)

"My lord, I bear you no ill will. The rancor I showed you in the Merman's Court was a mummer's farce put on to please our friends of Frey."

...

I drink with Jared, jape with Symond, promise Rhaegar the hand of my own beloved granddaughter … but never think that means I have forgotten. The north remembers, Lord Davos. The north remembers, and the mummer's farce is almost done. My son is home." (Davos IV, ADWD)

His reign as prince of Winterfell had been a brief one. He had played his part in the mummer's show, giving the feigned Arya to be wed, and now he was of no further use to Roose Bolton. (The Turncloak, ADWD)

Fat Wyman Manderly, Whoresbane Umber, the men of House Hornwood and House Tallhart, the Lockes and Flints and Ryswells, all of them were northmen, sworn to House Stark for generations beyond count. It was the girl who held them here, Lord Eddard's blood, but the girl was just a mummer's ploy, a lamb in a direwolf's skin. So why not send the northmen forth to battle Stannis before the farce unraveled? (A Ghost in Winterfell, ADWD)

Mummer's tears and smiles are obviously false emotions, being affectations put on to hide what someone truly feels. Wyman Manderly is engaged in a mummer's farce wherein he pretends to be loyal to King Tommen and Roose Bolton, but in truth is scheming to restore the Starks to Winterfell and assist Stannis against the Boltons. Roose Bolton, Petyr Baelish and the Crown have in turn engaged in their own mummer's farce by sending Jeyne Poole north to wed Ramsay Snow in the guise of Arya Stark, "a lamb in direwolf's skin." If the 'mummer's dragon' is in fact a dragon that has been made to appear as something else, then Jon Snow more than fits this bill. By birth he should be a Targaryen, having been fathered by Rhaegar Targaryen upon Lyanna Stark; instead, his fortuitous Stark features inherited from his mother, and Ned's claiming Jon as his bastard and raising him amongst his children at Winterfell, has allowed Jon to hide in plain sight from those who would kill him for being Rhaegar's son.

The significance of Dany, Jon and Aegon being the three heads of the dragon is due to their mirroring a less conspicuous triad in George's World: elemental magic and it's connections to the Long Night. We are aware of three forms of elemental magic in the story, being pyromancy, cryomancy and hydromancy. Pyromancy is the most obvious, being the control and use of fire as we see with followers of Rhllor, and also tied to dragons. Cryomancy or ice magic appears in the powers of the Others and in the Wall separating the Seven Kingdoms from the lands beyond. Finally we have hydromancy or water magic, which was used by the Rhoynar against the Valyrian Freedhold and by Nymeria's Rhoynar settlers to support their communities within the deserts of Dorne. Company of the Cat has an excellent video discussing these three 'schools' of magic, but to summarize what she's said: Blue, Red and Green are the colours commonly associated with Ice, Fire and Water/the Sea in ASOIAF; in addition to being featured on the arms of ancient houses such as Massey and Strong, these elements are in turn associated with three magical items in the books. The first, The Horn of Joramun, can raise and lower The Wall (Ice); Dragonbinder, a horn that was likely used alongside similar horns to control the volcanoes of the fourteen flames in Valyria (Fire); and the 'Kraken summoning horn' which is most likely the Hammer of the Waters, since the Hammer raised the seas to swamp the 'Arm of Dorne,' which would have filled the seas fill with corpses of the dead and 'summoned' krakens, which would have fed on the bodies of the drowned.

The Valyrian, Northern and Rhoynish heritage of Dany, Jon and Aegon ties them to these three forms of magic respectively, and by extension to the Long Night. We are given three accounts of the Long Night between ASOIAF and TWOIAF, which I dub the 'western,' 'far eastern' and 'near eastern' versions. The 'western' account concerns the First Men, the Night's Watch, the Last Hero and the Others; the 'far eastern' account covers the 'Jade Compendium' and the Yi Tish account of the Blood Betrayal; and the 'near eastern' or Rhoynar account in which the children of Mother Rhoyne sang a song to return light to the world. Aegon is tied to the Rhoynish account through his mother's heritage, with references to the Rhoynish account in the 'Old Man of the River' appearing in ADWD and Dany's vision of Rhaegar talking about Aegon's 'Song' (that of Ice and Fire):

The Rhoynar tell of a darkness that made the Rhoyne of Essos dwindle and disappear, her waters frozen as far south as the joining of the Selhoru, until a hero convinced the many children of Mother Rhoyne, such as the Crab King and the Old man of the River, to put aside their bickering and join in a secret song that brought back the day. (TWOIAF: Ancient History: The Long Night)

...

“Will you make a song for him?” the woman asked.

“He has a song,” the man replied. “He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire.” (Daenerys IV, ACOK)

Jon's connection to the Northern account is obvious given his Stark lineage and service in the Night's Watch, as well as his dreams in ADWD:

Burning shafts hissed upward, trailing tongues of fire. Scarecrow brothers tumbled down, black cloaks ablaze. "Snow," an eagle cried, as foemen scuttled up the ice like spiders. Jon was armored in black ice, but his blade burned red in his fist. As the dead men reached the top of the Wall he sent them down to die again. He slew a greybeard and a beardless boy, a giant, a gaunt man with filed teeth, a girl with thick red hair. Too late he recognized Ygritte. She was gone as quick as she'd appeared.

The world dissolved into a red mist. Jon stabbed and slashed and cut. He hacked down Donal Noye and gutted Deaf Dick Follard. Qhorin Halfhand stumbled to his knees, trying in vain to staunch the flow of blood from his neck. "I am the Lord of Winterfell," Jon screamed. It was Robb before him now, his hair wet with melting snow. Longclaw took his head off. Then a gnarled hand seized Jon roughly by the shoulder. He whirled … (Jon XII, ADWD)

Finally, Dany is directly referred to as Azor Ahai in the books while her visions from Daenerys IX of AGOT connect her bloodline to the Great Empire of the Dawn. The eye colours of the figures she sees match the titles of four of the eight emperors of the GEOTD, Opal, Jade, Tourmaline and Amethyst, with the Bloodstone Emperor killing his sister the Amethyst Empress and causing the Long Night. Azor Ahai and the Bloodstone Emperor are themselves connected, and I recommend David Lightbringer's Nightbringer series and "Azor Ahai the Bad Guy" video for a concise explanation. It's worth noting that David is well within the Faegon Blackfyre camp, but I think his theories here more than fit my own conclusions also.

Aegon being one of the three heads also fits in with the symbolic relationship between water, fire and ice and the green, red and blue colour scheme. As Company of the Cat points out in her video about the magic horns (timestamp 26:52), green is a secondary colour made from a 'cool' and a 'warm' colour, placing it in the middle of the spectrum while red and blue are polar opposites. Similarly, fire can melt ice back into water and water in turn quenches fire, situating Aegon at a middle ground between Jon's ice and Dany's fire. Whereas Jon's only aspect of himself that ties him to House Targaryen is his father and otherwise he is firmly associated with his mother's house, Dany is tied symbolically to her Targaryen identity in the books, being a product of Targaryen incest, the first to hatch dragons in over a century, and her ties to fire through her 'rebirth' on Mirri's pyre under the Red Comet. While Aegon's physical appearance and his father tie him clearly to House Targaryen like Dany, the support of his mother's family alongside his Rhoynar lineage and symbolism place him in a similar situation to Jon, besides their being half-brothers. This also calls to mind the three accounts of the Long Night: if Jon is the Last Hero leading the Night's Watch and Dany is Azor Ahai driving out the darkness with her 'lightbringer' (ie her dragons), Aegon is the unnamed hero who rallied the children of Mother Rhoyne to sing a secret song which brought back the day. To quote alexis_something_rose's essay about Young Griff, "I can wager who will be bickering and who will tell them to set their differences aside and join together in a secret song that will bring back the day."

Whether or not all three or some combination of them will play a decisive role in defeating the Others, or if that will be Bran's part to play, I believe strongly that Dany, Jon and Aegon will be the 'three heads of the dragon.' If 'Young Griff' is truly Sun's Son, Aegon son of Rhaegar, his joining with Dany and Jon represents a unification of the three Dawn Age narratives of the Long Night and it's eventual end. Uniting the icey North, the dragon lord's fire and the songs of Mother Rhoyne would make the endgame a true 'Song of Ice and Fire.'

#aegon vi targaryen #young griff #faegon #jon snow #daenerys targaryen #elia martell #quentyn martell #lyanna stark #rhaegar targaryen #asoiaf #asoiaf spoilers #asoiaf speculation #dorne #rhoynar #azor ahai #george rr martin #house martell

[beanghostprincess]

What are you most controversial/unpopular OP opinions??? Sorry if it was answered before

You want me to get canceled so bad-- If I speak-- But idk, I guess I'll say the controversial opinions I can say publicly without a bunch of people coming at me!

Zo$an is a bit... Overrated? And by overrated I mean extremely/annoyingly overrated. I like the ship and its canon dynamic but I think at least 80% of the fandom portrays them in a very mischaracterized way. Not to say that... The ship is literally everywhere and the shippers always look for every little thing to prove they're canon, even if the "proof" has literally nothing to do with them. It's not that I don't enjoy the ship (although I must admit I prefer other dynamics a lot more) I just can't stand shippers that go to extremes. It's funny because I think Zo$an's dynamic is way more interesting and romantic in canon than it will ever be in the fandom. It's a bit sad, ngl. I liked them a lot at first but it got so tiring and now I am pretty exhausted from seeing it everywhere. The people force it to be more than it is when the canon is already pretty fucking great.

Adding to the Zo$san thing. I think that relationship would only work if Luffy is there somehow but it wouldn't last a day without him in the relationship. Unless there's like, a ton of character development most of these people don't make them go through.

One Piece Film Z is my worst enemy. It's such a boring movie. The only good thing is the soundtrack and maybe the suits but God watching that was torture.

Boa hate is uhhhh weird. I mean, I get why the joke about her being in love with Luffy might be annoying, but I think most of you need to learn to understand that Oda's sense of humor is sometimes a bit too exaggerated (and not funny) and it has basically nothing to do with the actual canon dynamics between characters. Boa likes Luffy because he's one of the first men who has ever treated her right, so of course she confuses that feeling with love. And of course, yeah, it isn't canon. Whatever. Just read between the lines, maybe? And also, stop using words like "pedo" to describe her because using that term so lightly about 1) a fictional character and 2) somebody who's clearly not a pedo is fucked up. Lmao. Do you even know what that word means???

Once again complaining about Pudding hate and saying that it's stupid. I won't overanalyze because I always do it with her, but the only reason people hate her is for misogynistic reasons and because they're babying Sanji. Evil male characters are okay and hot and very traumatized but the second it's a woman she's the most evilest person ever! Because God forbid they make mistakes! Suddenly their character development isn't valid because they hurt their babygirl!

Now that we're talking about my dearest Pudding. Not tagging anybody of course, but I saw this post with so many interactions of people agreeing about Sanji considering violence as a sign of love which??? Doesn't make sense at all?? OP said it was because he couldn't tell the difference between love/abuse because of his family, but that's just... Not accurate. That could only happen if they had manipulated him into thinking abuse is a type of love, but he had healthy love growing up. Even when he was with the Vinsmokes (Sora and Reiju, I love you). And yet OP said Sanji considered Pudding's behavior flirting (wrong) and that's why he let her attack him (nope) and that it was proof of Zo$an. And okay, it's not a hugely popular theory, but a lot of people agreed with it and it bothered me a lot because it's both out of character and also using Pudding (complex female character) once again to try and prove the canon of a ship (that doesn't have anything to do with WCI either???). It just bothers me. People can perceive the story however they want but... Y'know.

OPLA isn't that good. Or good at all? I only like it because I like the cast and it's funny seeing my blorbos irl. But the script is simple and dull and just stupid most of the time. The characters are either simplified, mischaracterized, or forgotten. And tbh most of the shots are very awful and could be a lot better. The directing is also nonexistent. It's 6/10 and 3 of those points are because both the Zolu and the cast.

Apparently this is a very common theory about Nami's origins, but, uh, I don't think we need to know? What else do you need to know about her? People say she's a lost princess or something like that as if we didn't have a lost princess already (Sanji ily). Repeating the same plot would be boring and underwhelming, but also? It'd be extremely useless for the plot and it'd go against everything about Nami's story and the way Luffy reacts to it.

Luffy isn't canon aroace. In fact, the reasoning people use for him being "coded" is the same Oda uses for Zoro too and Zoro is almost never portrayed as the "idiot who doesn't know what sex is" the way Luffy often is. If you're calling Luffy canon aroace for what Oda said about him being focused on adventures, the same goes for Zoro being focused on his dream. They could be coded arospec but there's nothing confirmed and the constant discourse about it is stupid. Attacking others because of their ships just because you don't agree with them and saying it's wrong using our identity to do it is very fucked up. Especially since most of the time people complaining aren't even aroace. The only reason people do it (attacking others saying they can't ship Luffy and that it's "weird" and "wrong") is that they infantilize Luffy/Don't want him getting in between their ships (<- aroace person writing this) (also, it's very ableist since people agree on Luffy also being neurodivergent coded and treating him like a kid bc of that but this isn't about that now).

Somehow this is very common. Some fucking how. I can't believe I have to say this. I'm tired of people blaming Usopp for what happened in Water 7. Or in general hating Usopp. Actually, he's one of the best-written characters in the whole show and he's so underappreciated it's so frustrating.

Sanji's perv jokes are annoying af and we all know that, but people who hate the character and consider him a red flag for that are missing the point completely. The point being "Oda exaggerates jokes to an annoying extent and most of the time they don't even reflect the character". I understand they can make you uncomfortable (same here tbh) but reducing Sanji to only those jokes is a waste of his character. You need to take jokes less seriously.

If I see one of these "red flag OP boys" TikToks adding Law/Ace/Zoro/Sanji next to fucking Doffy I will riot. Also, stop adding Crocodile there. He's a mafioso, there's NO way he won't be a sweetheart to his lover.

Baron Omatsuri's artstyle and animation is amazing and it fits the plot and aesthetic of the movie perfectly and people saying it's ugly will forever bother me.

"Usopp is suddenly hot after timeskip!" He has always been hot what the fuck are you talking about.

People reduce Nami to her "mean"/"sarcastic" personality a lot when she's quite literally one of the most kind-hearted characters of all. That being said, morally speaking she's probably one of the worst. I could explain how that works but I don't want to do it now, the point is-- Let the girl be sweet instead of making her mean all the time. And also, let her be mean and selfish without making it her entire personality. There's something called "balance".

Film Red was kind of bad. Like, the songs are amazing (thanks, Ado) but the ending is awful and the plot is very meh. I'm only here for Uta and Shanks but the rest of the characters are just useless. I do appreciate Sanji's hair in the movie, though.

#i am aware that most of these aren't that unpopular and i think i've just been on tiktok too much #some of my opinions should stay hidden from the world i don't want to make people angry lmao #anyway here it is hope you like my hot takes hidden in between mild takes #one piece

[witchthewriter]

𝑴𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒓𝒆   𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

Paid story for @yourwinchesterbros. Word Count: 2k Warnings: swears, reader is currently kidnapped, violence, mentions of blood, guns, cigarettes etc

ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ

(I know this may be a small thing, but reader is always titled ‘Zo’ rather than ‘the girl.’ It’s a small detail that I included because the Sons have a lot of respect for Zo. She’s not some random girl, she’s their Zo.) 

 The air was crisp, and when the Scotsman spoke, it was as if fire was rising from the pit of his stomach, turning to smoke as he spoke.

“You sure about that lad?” Chibs said and almost like a call to war, the Sons whipped out their weapons and pointed them at the opposing men.

  “Fuck,” one of the men grunted. You smiled, not being able to help it.  

The crickets weren’t chirping any longer. Their breath held just like the men behind you.

 These idiots had gotten in way over their heads. It’s what happens when a boy gets too big for his boots. Thinks he’s a gangster. Maybe the instigator grew up rich, maybe he idolised these types of men, or maybe this was retaliation. Whatever the reason, the Sons couldn’t give a fuck.

  Plus, the one you attacked needed to be seen by a professional. And that definitely wasn’t in the agreement.

“Now, we want Zo, and you can have ye money,” Chibs continued on.

   With the guns aimed at their heads, the four men didn’t seem as confident as they were mere seconds ago. Knowing that made you smile even more. You were once scared, but now … well now you were flooded with delight.

                                                          - ✦ -

Jax couldn’t keep his eyes from you. Even from afar, he was searching for any major wounds, and he nearly lurched forward when he saw the blood. The sight of you sprawled on the dirt ground, cuts and scratches covering your exposed body parts. Part of him crumbled inside. Must have been whatever was left of his heart.

   “I said no injuries,” Jax’s eyes were ablaze.

“Oh – well, that happened before the call…and the majority of the blood isn’t hers.” The ‘leader’ said in an obvious fake-confident tone. He had rushed saying the last part. They knew just how fucked they were.

    “What-“ Jax was going to press for more information, but he saw the ghost of a devilish smile on your face.

    He smirked, already figuring it out. That’s my girl, he thought.

You caught his eye and winked.

 Like fuck you couldn’t handle this life. He didn’t know you, or your backstory. Nor the horror you had endured. This? This was nothing. That other night? You realised that it hadn’t had affected you as badly as you thought. You could function, hell, right now you felt on top of the world.

 But that was …

Fuck.

 It was because of Jax.

He instilled so much confidence in you. Like you came alight whenever he was near. Not like twin flames, but like you were the air that flamed his fire. But you could also quell it. He could warm you, but … also burn you. He had burned you. And this was why you were in this mess.

 Maybe he hadn’t realised just how much his words meant to you? He definitely didn’t know how long you had yearned for him. So his dismissal felt like the end of the world.

It was like he could read your face, the thoughts so clearly askew on your dirt-covered features.

  He really meant something to you.

Jax felt a sharp pang in his chest, and he felt like… crying.

 You deserved so much better. And he didn’t feel good enough. That he couldn’t provide anything that would satisfy you. Not completely.

                                                             - ✦ -

  “Okay, okay,” your almost-lover lowered his weapon, motioning for his guys to do the same. They did so, albeit slowly.

 “Up,” he whispered, that cologne had excited you only hours before, and now it disgusted every part of your body.

 Grabbing you underneath the armpit, he roughly got you to your feet. You stumbled and he gripped you harder. That’s when you swung the rock sharply at his face.

“Fuck YOU!” You screamed. The anger boiling over. Like a pot on a stove unattended, the lid rattled and water sizzled.

      “AH! FUCK!” He shrieked, dropping his gun entirely, and covering his dripping face.

Then shots rang out, loud and echoing.

  But the man was still screaming, and you didn’t stop your attack. Bullets be damned, you were going to get your revenge no matter what. He wasn’t going to walk away from this unscathed.

You hadn’t waited for hours for nothing. You weren’t a damsel in distress. You were a viper lying in wait.

  Your arm was brought up then down, up then down, over and over. Smashing the man’s face in.

“FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!” You screamed it over and over. Until his face was … no more.

   “Zo, zo, Zoe!” Familiar hands were on you now. A familiar smell, warmth, voice.

It halted you. Someone had turned down the heat on the stove, until it was completely off. The water had stopped boiling, all that was left was a lidded pot with warm water.

You sagged in his arms.

 “It’s okay,” Jax said, taking the bloodied rock from your hands. At some point you had started crying, the tears trailing clean lines down your dirtied face.

You let him pick you up and walk you to the other Sons. Turning your head, you realised that the sound of bullets were your men killing your captures.  

And that meant … you were safe.

                                                               - ✦ -

The ride back was a blur.

 Tig had wrapped a blanket around your shoulders, because as soon as you got in the car, you started shaking. Shock, the cold – whatever it was, they were worried.  

  “I-I’m fine,” you mumbled, but clutched at the scratchy blanket and hugged it closer around your body.

  “Any longer out there and the cold would’ve killed her,” Juice said to Happy, whose nose flared in response.

The ride was silent, no one asked you any questions. You had changed the course of action with your decision to bludgeon someone to death.

 No one batted an eye at it. The man deserved it. And a few prospects would be out there in a few hours to clean up the mess. She’s gonna be fine, Jax thought. His eyes were full of concern.

 When they got back to the clubhouse, they all jumped out and helped you inside.

Like a watch dog, Happy didn’t leave your side. Chibs had started you a hot shower, a mug of tea and some buttered toast. (The only food the clubhouse has - Chucky hadn’t been grocery shopping yet).

Who knew bikers could be such mother hens?

                                                           - ✦ -

     Chibs had run the shower in Jax’s room.

   You halted in the doorway, and the blonde-haired beauty motioned for you to come in. You didn’t notice the mess, your head too fuzzy to think clearly. It wasn’t as messy as Jax’s bedroom at home. Chucky made sure to keep the rooms at the clubhouse at least somewhat presentable.

  You didn’t see the near empty bottles that were scattered on the bathroom bench. Cologne, aftershave, simple things. He didn’t stay here often. The boys had a home, and that’s where Jax stayed.

 The bathroom was steamy by the time you entered, and you sighed in relief at the warmth. The ensuite wasn’t small, but it wasn’t big either. A toilet, sink and shower with a window that so high up and small that no one could enter or exit nor see in.

  Jax held your face in his hands but your eyes were glazed over and he knew you couldn’t do this yourself.

     “I’m gonna help you okay? You tell me if you don’t want me to-“

You murmured a yes and that’s all he needed.

    Undressing you, he tried not to look at your … private bits… and helped you into the shower. It was the perfect temperature; Chibs had made sure of it.

Letting the water soak your hair, he got the wash cloth and cleaned all the dirt and grime from your face, hands, and body. Jax was being so gentle, so soft.

      His rings glinted on the bathroom countertop.

Using his own shampoo, he massaged it into your hair and made sure it didn’t get in your eyes. He made sure to wipe your hands. Dirt and blood covered them. By the time he was done, they looked normal.

     You were silent as he cleaned, not caring how he saw you.

There was a part of you that was shocked at what you did. You had beaten a man. Was it you that killed him or a bullet? Maybe he was shot so you would never know. Once again the Sons looked out for you.

  “I’m sorry this happened to you,” Jax’s voice was barely above a whisper. His hands worked as he spoke, rinsing you once again. You were washed a few times. You must have been covered in grime…or maybe he liked this. You liked this. You couldn’t deny it. The words weren’t coming out, but you knew what was going on.

 Jax kept speaking. Pulling you out of whatever hole your mind was creating.

“You don’t deserve this Zo. This is what I meant. Why I left,” he turned off the faucet and wrapped the fresh towel around you. Surprisingly, it was clean.

  “I handled it,” you mumbled, standing on the mat. Water dripped down your face, down your back, your neck.

Jax was shocked to hear you speak, as he returned with the mug and toast. He led you into the bedroom. Where clothes were laid out for you. A big black SOA shirt, boxers, and a jumper.

 Jax placed the food and drink on the dresser and turned as you changed. Giving you some privacy.

“You did.” His words hit hard. So hard. They were validating.

    “I did.”

When you were dressed, you sat on the bed and exhaustion hit you.

 Jax moved the food closer to you, and you took a bite, a sip and that’s all you wanted. You moved up the bed and Jax helped so you could wriggle underneath.

 You remembered your boys then, just as you got cosy.

“My dogs-“

   “I’ll get one of the guys to check on ‘em. You just rest.”

You nodded your head in thanks.

He still had his big boots on, no white sneakers in sight. You thought maybe he would get a shower too, but he just laid on his back beside you. Unspeaking.

     “Jax-“

“Just rest.”

                                                              - ✦ -

The morning light filtered through the curtains. But you didn’t stir. You slept, and no one was to wake you – Jax’s orders.

 Even as the hours ticked by, he let you rest.

   It wasn’t until 2pm that you woke. You started awake, unsure of where you were. But calmed instantly once you realised it was just the clubhouse. In Jax’s room… in Jax’s bed.

Your cheeks flushed when you realised that he had seen you naked. Flushed even more once you realised he had been so gentle.

Finding that your clothes were nowhere to be found (Chucky had put them in the wash), you tried to find … suitable … clothing. And trudged into the common room.

Everyone was there.

 Even Gemma, Wendy and the boys. You blushed so much you could feel it in your legs.

“Afternoon,” someone called and you just nodded. You felt so lost, until you saw that familiar head of blonde hair. The anxiety eased.

  “Hey, how you feelin’?” Jax had changed since last night. But he’d never left the clubhouse. Not wanting to leave you.

     “Ugh, I feel…rested,” you replied, eyeing Wendy as she eyed you.

“That’s good,” his hand gently held your cheek and you sucked in a breath.

    You looked up into his face and he stared straight back. Then his other hand went to your other cheek and swore the world stopped.

It was only you and Jax. You could feel it. Just the two of you.

    And then his lips pressed against yours. Soft and gentle, exactly as he was last night.

There was a round of cheers, whistles and cat calls. But you couldn’t hear them, because no one but you and the Prince of Charming existed.

#memories of desire #witch the writer's stories #paid stories #commissions #jax teller #jax teller x reader #jax teller x zo #jax x zo #memories of desire fanfic #sons of anarchy #soa #soa fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #witch the writer's paid stories #chibs telford #tig trager #happy lowman #juice ortiz #bikers #sons of anarchy fanfic #sons of anarchy x reader #sons of anarchy x zo #jax #jax teller fanfiction #witchthewriter #witch the writer #paid story #paid fanfic #story commission

[rebeccathornewrites]

Planting the Seeds - Aloy/Seyka Fanfiction

Seyka, as it turned out, was extremely competent at life-threatening tasks… and only mediocre at everything else.

“I’m planting,” Seyka said, lifting her chin just so.

“We call it gardening.” Exasperation and amusement warred in Zo’s tone. She rested a hand on her pregnant belly as she eased to the ground beside Seyka.

The path to Varl’s gravesite was littered with holes: some with poorly packed soil and tiny sprouts, some with whole saplings crammed into spaces far too small. The summer wind, absolutely frigid at this altitude, whipped up the mountainside.

Even the saplings were shivering.

Aloy covered her mouth to hide her laughter. “Gardening, huh? When you said you were ‘too busy’ to come hunting with me, I expected—”

“Combat practice? Rock climbing?” Seyka’s eyes gleamed. “Listen, those were fine when my tribe’s survival was at stake, but I’m on vacation now. You’ve got to learn to relax, sunwing.”

She’d started calling Aloy that a few weeks ago: sunwing. “Because your hair is red like the sun. Also, because of how you face-planted when we first met.” Then she laughed and laughed as Aloy’s cheeks turned as splotchy red as her hair.

Now Seyka pulled it out to poke fun at Aloy—but the nickname still made Aloy’s stomach flip.

A bit like flying, actually.

Aloy’s face flushed. Zo smirked, which made it so much worse. Shit. The group knew Seyka was… special… to Aloy, but none of them had asked for details. On the one hand, it was nice that she was offered privacy. On the other hand, it left Aloy wondering how much they’d surmised—and what was fabricated to satisfy their curiosity.

“I can relax,” Aloy spluttered. “I put candles in my room—”

“Oh right. You do have a room. I forgot, because I’ve only ever seen you drifting asleep on your mounts between distress calls.”

A challenge.

Aloy crossed her arms. “Oh, oh. You’re one to talk. Filling every waking minute with combat practice with Kotollo and Erend.”

“That was six times.”

“In six days.”

Seyka’s smirk turned devilish. “Well. You could invite me into your room, with its spectacular candle-filled ambiance. We could always test your bed. Learn to relax together.”

Zo continued tending the sprouts, as if they weren’t having this conversation beside her. But she was listening aptly, if her knowing smile was any indication.

Aloy, meanwhile, felt like she was in the middle of the desert. Heat slid up her spine, warmed her veins until she might die of embarrassment. “Really? Just going straight to that, huh?”

“You started it, sunwing.” And with a wink, Seyka redirected her attention to the sapling. “The point is, relaxing is important. You must have hobbies other than saving the world, right?”

Aloy stared, jaw unhinged.

Because she didn’t.

Not really.

Seyka clapped her hands together, giving the pine sapling at her knees one final pat—like one might a friendly dog. “There we go. Perfect.” The sapling was perched at a precarious angle, jutting out over the abyss. The next strong wind might blow it over—and Aloy opened her mouth to say that.

But Zo stepped in smoothly, felt the roots, and the soil, and smiled. “It will have to fight to survive… but with a nurturing hand, it will prove it’s stronger than all the others.” She gestured at the other saplings and sprouts, none of which had the same fight ahead of them.

“Oh. I’ll be so fucking nurturing.” Seyka said aggressively.

Aloy scrubbed her face. “I’ll leave you to it, then.”

(Read it here on Ao3!)

#horizon burning shores #seyka #aloy #aloy x seyka #seyloy #horizon forbidden west #horizon zero dawn #horizon dlc #sapphic #fanfiction #horizon fanfiction #vignette

[bengiyo]

Hidden Agenda Ep 4 Stray Thoughts

Last week, Joke and Zo went on practice dates for Nita before Joke totally botched a not-date with Nita. Zo is recognizing that he might be developing feelings for Joke after a pinky touch moment. Joke is having his own panic that me maybe overstepped.

Ah yes, sleeping on his shoulder.

I'm still undecided about the soft fuzziness of the image for this show.

So curious about what a confession is supposed to look like with these two.

Suddenly Jeng. I was wondering where he went and when he'd pop back up.

Very much okay with side couples already being together. GMMTV should keep playing with this.

I'm very much into this awkward tension with Pok and Zo right now.

I'm gonna have to check out RTP's blog after this to see her read on Pok and Jeng's shirts.

Now this is what I'm talking about! Zo is in his head and making Pok's decision not to tell him about Jeng about him and not about Pok. Now it's bleeding over into Zo feeling unlikeable.

Oooh, and now we're back to the themes about limiting the perspectives we allow to influence our sense of worth.

Should I take a shot every time they say "step by step" in this show?

Oh man this missing wallet feels like it's about more than just a picture. Feels like there's some sort of angst Pok has been managing on his own that's starting to bubble over.

Zo is such a romantic. It must be very hard for him to so rarely receive reciprocity.

Ope. Another sunflower reference. Take a shot.

I agree that there is nuance between understanding how someone feels and being comfortable with it.

I actually like that Pok is going through exactly what Joke said: he and Jeng are sorting out their relationship as they struggle with the internalization of external factors.

I was wondering what a guitar would come out.

I do like these two speaking earnestly about how they perceive each other. It's very gentle.

Okay, I genuinely enjoyed the entire build up to and execution of this kiss. I'm even looking forward to Zo retreating next week! I think I'm in!

I am finally planted on this show. I'm a sucker for two people showing genuine regard for one another.

#hidden agenda meta #hidden agenda #thai bl #bl series #Ben watches

[discar]

HZD Terraforming Base-001 Text Communications Network

Chapter 3 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

Zo: GAIA, I had a question about the data we've been studying.

ADMIN [GAIA]: Of course. How may I help?

Zo: Where did it all come from? You told me that you don't have access to APOLLO or any other Old World archives. This seems like far more data than what Aloy could have found on a few scattered devices.

Zo: I scanned some devices around the base and only found a few lines in each.

ADMIN [GAIA]: Before the Faro Plague, even the most commonly available devices could store libraries worth of text and hundreds of hours of high-resolution video. While most people rarely filled their devices to capacity, they would often be filled with many incidental articles and video clips related to their favorite topics. Time and inevitable data corruption rendered many of those files difficult or impossible to read; however, the last file the device accessed has minimal corruption and is most intact. With time, your Focus can restore many corrupted files, and I can accelerate this process. The restored files are then placed in an archive.

Erend: I WAS WONDERING HOW ALOY FOUND SO MUCH OF THIS CONCRETE BEACH PARTY STUFF.

ADMIN [GAIA]: Yes, she found several devices with many hours of their music. The redundancy is also why I was able to ensure the final archive versions were of such high quality.

Erend: NO COMPLAINTS HERE!

Varl: Many complaints here.

Zo: I suppose that explains why so much of the data is entertainment and history, rather than more directly useful information, such as farming.

Erend: I FOUND STUFF ON HOW THOSE FARO MACHINES WERE BUILT. I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT, THESE WERE THE THINGS THAT WERE ENDING THE WORLD, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF TECHNICAL SPECS IN THERE. HARDER TO READ THAN THE CRAZIEST TINKER'S BLUEPRINT. AND I'VE SEEN SOME CRAZY TINKERS.

Erend: WHAT, DID ALOY JUST FIND SOME TINKER'S JOURNAL SOMEWHERE AND DOWNLOAD ALL HIS DATA?

ADMIN [GAIA]: That is not impossible. However, I do not believe I have properly impressed upon you how easy it was to access information. Once the threat of the Faro Plague became clear, all information on their design, weaknesses, and specifications was available for public perusal, and anyone could choose to download such information from the global data net at a moment's thought. Many of the devices Aloy scanned had gigabytes of data on the Faro Plague.

Erend: GIGA WHAT?

Zo: It's a measure of information. It should have been in one of the first files GAIA gave you, the terminology file.

Erend: UH, I SKIMMED THAT.

Zo: Sigh.

Varl: Did you just typed sigh?

Zo: It's difficult to convey tone and expression in a text.

Varl: I think the Old Ones must have had some way, considering how much they texted. I'll loom into it.

Erend: SO WHAT'S A GIGABYTE? LIKE, HOW MUCH DATA IS IT?

Aloy: A byte is eight bits, or the amount of data required to encode a single character of text. It's basically the smallest measurable amount of data.

Varl: Aloy? You were listening? Or reading?

Aloy: I have a minute. I can text while I ride.

Zo: That doesn't seem safe.

Erend: OKAY, OKAY, BYTE IS ONE LETTER, GOT IT. SO WHAT'S A GIGABYTE?

Aloy: Ten to the ninth power bytes.

Varl: What?

Zo: I don't understand either.

Erend: OH, MATH. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN IT WOULD BE MATH.

Erend: SO IT'S A STUPIDLY BIG NUMBER. BUT, I MEAN... HOW MANY BOOKS IS THAT?

Aloy: One gigabyte of pure text is probably more books than you could read in a lifetime.

Erend: SO, WHAT, THREE?

Aloy: I'm glad I took time out of my busy day to explain this to you.

Erend: I AIM TO PLEASE!

Chapter 3 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

#aloy #zo #varl #erend vanguardsman #horizon #horizon zero dawn #horizon forbidden west #HZDBaseChat

[foibles-fables]

talanah: the case of the omitted hfw companion

soooo @meg-noel-art and I have finally connected the dots we haven't connected shit re: Talanah's conspicuously short and choppy quest line, along with her overall unsatisfying departure from the game (in lieu of joining the base team). We now hold with 99.9999% confidence that Talanah was fully intended to be included a member of the base, either with a different ending to her quest line, or a different quest line altogether.

As we all know, the early (earliest!!!) promo--the GG Instagram splash posted in tandem with the 2020 HFW Announcement trailer--featured her in exclusivity as a returning character. While this official promo art has since been retconned, it still appears on the inside of the steelbook case with the special preorder additions, as well as on a bunch of GG's official ad material (the Twitch stream header, for example). Her comic was also being released at the same time as all of these dealings, culminating in one final confirmatory line: Talanah's story will continue in Horizon Forbidden West.

Now. I won't get into how I do or do not view any of the returning characters' stories as...real or satisfying continuations in HFW. But it's pretty objective to say that Talanah's was decidedly Not. Without even diving once again into the characterization issues (of which there are plentymorethanseveral), both of her quests give us nothing more than a recap of the comic. Seriously, every dialogue wheel we get with her and with Amadis provides a summary of what happened in The Sunhawk. Nothing new learned, no growth made. Story Not Continued, Same Story Rehashed. It's conspicuously not what we were promised, and not what (IMO) GG knew the fans wanted. I think that's pretty clear, regardless of your view on anything related to her character.

So, what the hell happened? Why was this the product were were given?

Easy: it wasn't at all the product that was intended in early baseline development.

There's a pretty glaring complication re: Talanah's integration into HFW--Freya Parker (her hilarious and lovely VA, seriously go check her out) began shooting Jurassic World: Dominion in February/March 2020. And uhhh we all know what was going on right around then, lmao. So not only does this become a scheduling issue, but a quarantine issue as well. Actor travel during projects was likely a huge ordeal, and Freya's actual studio time was probably vastly limited. Combine these challenges with an already-bloated cast load, and...it becomes pretty obvious which character needed to have their role diminished by degrees. Freya can't get to the studio and dedicate much time--we don't get a Carja base member.

One can pick up hints of this around the base. How almost every character (even new bloods Zo and Kotallo) bring her up at length in the "Companions" speech option, even if they're never mocapped in the same room. The item left at the base, when no other non-members get that treatment. How every single thing about her quest's epilogue and beyond reads like a huge "sorry sorry sorry we're sorry" from the devs ("until next time," "I wish she could have stayed," etc.). It's a consolation for what they had intended--fuller tribal representation, balance among the new and old cast members, a true continuation of Talanah's story.

So what does this mean? Well, yeah, it means that I'm still disappointed and that it's still okay to be disappointed. But having a more rational explanation beyond "this was probably the plan the whole time :))))) she's really not THAT important after all just accept your dinner :)))) oh look the writers forgot about her :))))) i ordered you a new clown nose :)))))" makes me feel a whole lot more optimistic for her potentially having a bigger comeback role in HZ3. We must stay focused, brothers. Shoutout Freya Parker.

#honks my big stupid red nose as loudly as I can #i am seated in front of a whiteboard chewing on my hands #horizon forbidden west #talanah khane padish #rolling in the deep.mp3 #mildly hfw critical???? #nobody touch me im unstable

[zephfair]

Fic Stats Tag Game

Rules: Give us the links to your fics with the most hits, second most kudos, third most comments, fourth most bookmarks, fifth most words, and your fic with the least amount of words.

Ah, thank you so much for tagging me @kelliealtogether because this was fascinating! I'm really shocked by how some of my stuff ranked. Thanks for making me look at the data in new ways!😘

Most Hits: Fix Me Up Good – 12,087 – When things start to go wrong in Stiles' apartment at the old Hale house, he finds out the maintenance guy is kind of hot but doesn't seem to appreciate Stiles' unique sense of humor. (omg this was just a stupid pwp I posted to prove a point to myself in the other main fandom I was in.🫣 I was going to take it down but it “took off” for me. It’s not my finest work or even my finest pwp, but it’s Teen Wolf so who cares.🤭😳)

Second Most Kudos: Will You Accept This Rose? – 796?! – When Blue is chosen as the reluctant Bachelorette, the show needs to quickly add a few contestants, just to fill out the first night's ceremony. Her new friends on the production staff are asked to help, but Ronan soon finds out he and Blue share similar taste in men. (my crack-filled baby did so well, omg, I can’t believe it! 🌹 I still re-read the scenes I loved writing the most because they make me smile.)

Third Most Comments: Bleach AU Collection – 55 – A compilation of all the Bleach fics I'm writing for the 30-Day AU Challenge on Tumblr. They're mostly fluff and humor with a dose of smut here and there between Grimmjow and Ichigo. (Ironic, really, because no one read or commented on my Bleach stuff while I was writing and posting it, so I just gave up writing for Bleach (and stopped fanfic writing for 3 years) because I’m obviously a horrible writer and/or really terrible at characterizations. So yeah. Weird that it’s gotten this many comments over the years. 🤷)

Fourth Most Bookmarks: Familiarity Breeds Contempt (and Affection) – 181 – In a world of magic, Ichigo cannot become a full mage without successfully summoning his familiar. But when it does appear, it's nothing like the lovable animal familiars everyone else bonds with. (Another Bleach fic that got almost zero interaction when I posted it.)

Fifth Most Words: Treasure in Clay Vessels – 22,003 – Pope Sixtus is so concerned with taking over Florence that he sends two spies to infiltrate the Medici family, but the new war engineer will only choose to get close to one of them. Girolamo must forget he is a Riario to play his role, but temptations threaten to steal him away for good. (Da Vinci’s Demons was the best tiny fandom ever and gave writers/creators such lovely interactions. This was one of my baby works, a real labor of love, and I’m still proud of it.😊)

Least Amount of Words: Clothes Make the Man – 2,182 – Zo's T-shirt was supposed to be a gag Christmas gift, but if he's lucky, it might predict the future. (Da Vinci’s Demons. Ha, even in a teeny, tiny fandom, I still wrote a lot of crack and weird pairings.😜)

I'm going to tag @iammistressofmyfate and @mychemicalrachel if you lovelies want to do it! No pressure!

#thank you so much #this was very interesting #eye-opening actually #my fic

[phenakistoskope]

i promise to read a more involved history of manipur once i have some time, but as i understand it in preliminary terms, one maharaja budhachandra was the sole signatory in manipur's inclusion within the indian nation state. therefore, i must conclude that the conflict in manipur, staged between the meitei and kuki-zo stems, at least in part, from the indian state's refusal to allow manipuris self determination. additionally, i think the indian government continues colonial traditions of governing frontier territories, and actively benefits from the BJP's growing power in manipur, and the violence it unleashes upon christians in the state.

#phenakistoskope.txt

[ver33stappen]

Max verstappen x fem! reader - angst, major fluff

Word count - 1.3k

TW! Self harm talk, panic attacks, mental health

CW! Smut ish

if you’re struggling, you can always dm me, please get help, you are not alone and do not read this if you feel as thought you’re being triggered. I used to go through this and the idea of a character helping me through it calmed me down so i hope that does the same for you.

TW UNDER THE CUT

Max and I closed the gap between our mouths, tongues battling for dominance as he grabbed my wrists and pinned them and myself down on the bed, I moaned as he lifted up my shirt and took off his. His tongue went down from my neck to my chest, then he unclasped my bra and started swirling his tongue around my nipples, smirking as he played with them.

“Such a pretty girl, taking it so well” he grinned looking up at me. I was gasping for more, trying to speak but unable to, he left his spit all down me creating hickeys. 

“M-max” I let out softly, “you’re doing so well schat” he comforted me peppering kisses on my waistline, teasing me, my panties getting wetter by the second. 

“Max do something please!” he himself couldn’t wait, rock-hard erection facing my way, he gave in with the teasing. 

Max and I met at my older brother daniels house a year ago, we started dating around 3 months ago but I always felt like it was the wrong time as he was my first and I really wanted it to go slow. 

He used both of his hands and spread my legs apart, taking off my jeans. He was about to take off my underwear when he suddenly stopped. I looked down, confused and then that’s when it hit me.

I hadn’t even thought about it until now. I am so stupid, I quickly got up and grasped onto my jeans which were on the floor. Hot tears were running down my face, he looked at me with a face of guilt. 

“y/n... You know I saw it right” he mentioned looking down at my thighs to see the recent cuts, I felt my throat close up as I just stared at him. 

“I’m sorry” I muttered with all I could. 

“y/n, please don’t cry we are going to get through this together, please just come here.” he held his arms out and embraced me, letting me cry into his shoulder silently. It was nice, nice to have someone who cared about me, someone who loved me.

“Let me run you a bath, I am going to the store, I will be back soon,” The dutch said as I looked up, smudged mascara leaking down my face. I nodded, I was so lucky. 

time skip 5 min

Max had put on the bath at the hottest temperature which he knows I love, he had folded my pyjamas next to my bed leaving them there for me to soon come back after my bath. He put on a candle and kissed my forehead.

“ik ben zo terug schat” (I will be back soon sweetheart) 

I hopped in the bath. A million thoughts flooded my mind as he left. How could I let him find out, he probably left for good, he saw how ugly I was underneath my clothes. I probably need to go on a diet. For fucks sake he's an f1 driver, I don’t even know how I’m with him. I started breathing at an unnormal pace when I heard someone barge in. I couldn’t breathe, I looked at max and then curled up putting my head into my hands. 

“Schat you’re okay” max held my hand and sat on the bathroom floor comforting me. He’s too good for me. God must have really been enjoying life the day we ended up together. I took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. His ocean blue eyes. They were like a sea, I could get lost in them, and they always made me feel safe as if I were home. I love him, oh my god, I love him. 

We hadn’t said it to each other yet, I just realised, I was deeply in love with the man sitting here right next to me, watching a naked me in the bathtub trying to not have a panic attack. Only someone who loves you would do that.

“Come here, get up” Max gestured. He held my hands out and lifted me out, tilting my head up with his fingers. He grabbed a warm towel off the rack and dried me off. I put on my pyjamas and walked out of the bathroom to find a candle-lit room, aircon blasting on full, tv on ready to put on the grinch and a bunch of my favourite chocolates along with a cake mix. 

“If you’re feeling up to it we can bake a cake and I was thinking maybe we could watch a movie or show of your choice. I also got you a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream and red and green Christmas-themed sprinkles even though it’s September just how you like it.” he pointed to the mug on the table.

I was speechless, I don’t think anyone had done something like this for me before. I jumped on him pushing him on to the bed grinning. “You’re perfect”

I jumped under the covers, grabbing the 10 massive blocks of chocolate he got me as I offered him one and he declined.

I tilted my head and then realised due to his job he had a daily calorie limit. 

“Fuck the diet max, it doesn’t even matter,” I said, suddenly he tried to protest opening his mouth and so I shoved a piece of chocolate straight into his mouth. He looked enraged as if he wanted to spit it out but then he started smiling going in for more.

I put on an old Christmas movie that was based on german folklore it was called Krampus and I watched it every Christmas.

“Do you wanna talk about it? The scars?” max asked 

“I don’t really like to talk about it but I just feel like I can never stop, I always tell myself it will just be one more time, I just always doubt myself and I don't know why”

“I used to struggle with it y/n, I know this amazing therapist and promise me that you will allow me to get you help.” he held up his pinky finger

“I promise” I smiled

2 HOUR TIME SKIP

The movie ended and it was 3 am, I looked up, and max was playing with my hair. “Why do you like me?” I asked, the nighttime adrenaline making me say things.

“Are you kidding y/n?” Max scoffed, I felt afraid, did he not like that I’d asked? There was an awkward silence for a minute.

“I love the way you belt out your heart to songs, I love your smile, I love the way you dance whenever Taylor swift comes on and you sing songs about heartbreak right in front of me, I love how you always cheat when we play monopoly and say because you’re the bak manager you can rob the bank, I love how much you care when animals die in movies, I love how you play with my hair when we fall asleep, I love how you always think of other, I love how you dress, I love you cookies, I love your music taste, I love when you play supermax in the car on full volume, I love how you hate my dad, I love you speak your mind, I love how you read fanfiction about me infront of me, I love how you listen to the issues i have, I love when you get in my f1 car and talk about how you will beat me, I love how you think that if we have a family you want the child to be like me, I love… you.” Max let out.

Tears welled up in my eyes, “I love you too”

He kissed me softly and hugged me. 

I love Max Verstappen.

#max verstappen #maxverstappen x reader #f1 #formula 1 #foryou #may be triggering #smut #lime #lemon

[dregstrash]

i think i like you (maybe more than i should)

a/n: “I Think I Like You” by the Band CAMINO has literally been on repeat for a while, and I just had to write a short and sweet fluff filled Zoyalai fic for it.

AO3

Summary: Zoya has a realization

Zoya felt her heart start to sink to the bottom of her stomach.

It was like a rock that sliced through the calm of an unbothered lake.

The growing realization of something that should have never parted through the clouds of her own oblivion was now shining a light on the complete obvious.

And at the center of it all had everything to do with the man who was so casually sitting in her living room. Zoya had never been the kind of person who let other people into her personal space, but there he was.

After three years of being his friend, it was like Zoya had just looked up and found threads of him woven tightly into the fabric of her life.

His coffee in her pantry– for the days he couldn’t be bothered to travel all the way back to his own home.

The candles he got for her birthday– because he found out that she liked to take baths, and he insisted that the best baths were by candlelight.

The books he bought her when she started to miss her aunt and her niece– the pages filled with his thoughts or observations.

His favorite movies on her TV.

The random texts throughout her day when he was bored in class.

He had become a fixture in any of Zoya’s stories.

A habitual name that crossed her lips anytime Genya asked how she was doing.

A pervasive presence that started to hang around the corners of her dreams.

She started to wish that she had never seen him in her life. She almost wished that he had remained the stranger on campus. The anonymous stranger that would have used his handsomeness to try to get her number and then melt back to the crowd of rejections when she inevitably told him no.

And part of her hated him for not being what she expected.

He was supposed to be self-centered, narcissistic, and arrogant. Which he was. Sometimes.

What Zoya wasn’t expecting was for him to also be sharp, considerate, dependable, and one of the only people in her life who saw her edges and bitterness and didn’t feel the need to try and soften her.

Nikolai was the last person Zoya wanted to let past her guard. But he had done it.

Slowly.

Accidentally.

And as she looked at him now. His hair lacked its usual gelled style. His faded t-shirt wrinkled and worn. His feet hanging off the side of the armrest of her couch. That sinking realization had made its way down into her stomach and gave her a lurch that felt like the floor had disappeared from under her.

“If I don’t die from trying to remember every fact of global politics in Eastern Europe, do you think we could get food from that Chinese place Genya recommended?” His voice sliced through her thoughts, and Zoya coughed to hide her surprise.

“Y-yeah,” She managed. Her voice sounded strange in her ears. Her chest felt oddly tight. Her heart seemed to have lodged in her throat.

He must have heard how odd she sounded because he looked up from his textbook and caught her eyes.

His were hazel in this light. A warm golden color. Open. Curious. And looking right at her.

She had never really noticed that they could be beautiful. Not to say that she had never thought Nikolai was conventionally attractive. But it had always felt like an objective fact. Something not worth mentioning. Like she’d never mention how the sky was blue or that ice cream was the best dessert.

Noticing him now was odd at best. It’s not like she–

No. No. Zoya felt panic start to creep into her blood. This can’t be happening. He’s just a friend. I can’t possibly lik–

“Zo? Are you alright?”

“Yeah.” She said a little more firmly. Zoya tried to force a casual tone. “Yeah, we can get Chinese. But you still owe me from last time we went out. So you’re buying.”

“Whatever you say, Nazyalensky.” He laughed and went back to reading. Except his smile was still lingering on his face.

Nikolai had always been a smiler. It was one of the things that Zoya found to be annoyingly endearing.

But this wasn’t just a smile to be polite or to charm or to make him seem friendlier. This was a smile that was comfortable and familiar.

A smile that Zoya was surprised to find herself mirroring.

And it was then, and only then, that she thought: Shit.

#zoyalai #zoya nazyalensky #nikolai lantsov #zoya x nikolai #king of scars #kos #grishaverse #college au #fluff #short and sweet #i have literally been obsessed with this song for forever