I pulled out my phone to text Llewellyn but stopped.
What should I even say?! The clip would be online within minutes, probably.
Penguin climbed onto my shoulder, chittering anxiously.
"I know," I sighed. "I need to tell him."
I tapped on texts, then on 'Llewellyn'.
Ugh. I bumped my forehead with my phone a few times.
Ryo: …
Llewellyn: ?
Ryo: Just… avoid reporters? And the internet. As you always do. Keep doing that. But more.
Llewellyn: I wasn't planning on joining a livestream. Will you tell me what this is about or should I find out myself?
Ryo: Give me a few minutes. I don't know how bad it is yet.
That was true.
Or—well. It was, for about five seconds longer.
Then a text from Niamh popped up on my screen. It had a link.
[NewsNowBen]: Just had an INSANE encounter with the mysterious man seen with Llewellyn. When I asked about public accountability, he mocked concerned citizens and suggested online activism was useless. Then he ASSAULTED me with Water Magic! Thread below 🧵
Attached a video: "Llewellyn's Partner ATTACKS Public Concerns About Knot Crisis!"
Fucking hell.
It had been, what—seven minutes?
Niamh was still typing. I shut my eyes and waited to be fired via text.
Niamh: That. Was. AMAZING.
"…"
Wait— What?
Ryo: I blasted a reporter in the face?
Niamh: BRILLIANT
Was she drunk?!!
Ryo: You do realize we're going to be moderating this for the rest of our lives???
Niamh: Yep. I already told Altan to cancel his plans. He said 'worth it'.
Oh, damn it. Altan.
Ryo: Tell him I said sorry.
Niamh: Just did. He said 'never apologize for art'.
Niamh: …He also just added that you owe him a director's cut.
She sent a screenshot of his replies.
How were they so calm?!! I'd just accidentally assaulted someone! On camera!
Not to mention drowning us in work for the foreseeable future!
I went back to the video. It had 30,000 views already.
Thirty thousand views.
Internet bloodbath in 3, 2, 1…
The comments were pouring in.
-
[user384]: Is this real?????? this can't be real
[emergencybanner]: we don't even know who this guy is and he's already power-tripping on camera????
[gutfolded]: The cruelty in his voice. The absolute contempt.
[notapragmatist]: he really said "I'm not a good person" like a Bond villain then committed battery on camera
[mossgossip]: i don't even like hoverhasset but he was right 😭😭😭
[knotplot]: The fact that he immediately resorted to VIOLENCE says everything
[spitebride]: that reporter wasn't even being hostile. he just asked a QUESTION. and got fucking waterboarded
[perfectpies]: i was THERE. you have no idea. he threatened a whole crowd, not just the reporter. people were scared
-
"..."
I'd splashed two assholes with a camera! There wasn't even anyone else!
What should I expect next? "He threatened the city"? "He wanted to wipe out humanity"?
-
[eyecontactenjoyer]: oh wow, he's too jaded for petitions. so edgy.
[scrollingintohandcuffs]: this man radiates "i'm too tired and smart to care" energy. congrats. we get it. You're miserable. Some of us still want to help
[tearsofreform]: this is exactly why people stop trying. you put yourself out there, you care, and this is what you get
[knotkinetic]: Knot activism isn't a punchline. Survivors aren't a setup for your detached protagonist moment.
[crackedhourglass]: you know what gets me? he never even answered the question. just full-on sneered and attacked
[sadreptile]: he wasn't even provoked. he went looking for a fight. That's who Llewellyn trusts
[fluffybones]: the casual contempt in his voice?? like people haven't lost FAMILY to this
[stitchwitchery]: he LITERALLY admitted that llewellyn could prevent knots but chooses not to!!! did no one else hear that???
-
If I could have it my way, Llewellyn wouldn't be fighting anything—he'd be as far away as possible from anything trying to kill him.
Still. That wasn't even remotely close to what I said.
-
[quirkhell]: You can tell everything you need to know about Llewellyn by who he lets stand beside him.
[hissingdrawer]: so much for 'he's just introverted'. no. he picked someone who hates us
[brokenpens]: there's edgy and then there's "I'm not a good person" with eye contact
[buttonpressing]: This was not a misstep. This was a mask drop.
[knotknotwhosdead]: he chose someone who mocks grief and then attacks a reporter. not a coincidence
[safespacesandra]: I'm literally shaking. We've been trying to hold him accountable with love and THIS is what we get?
[frostedscorn]: no wonder Llewellyn likes him. Silent rage and public contempt? They're a perfect match
[hopeforcivilians]: If this is how his inner circle thinks, how does he talk when the cameras are off???
[reuprising]: when people tell you who they are, believe them. he said he's not a good person. I believe him.
[velvetgrapes]: I hope they know what they did to people tonight. I hope they understand the damage
[paradewrong]: I can't believe I ever said Llewellyn was doing his best. I feel stupid
[truthspeaker]: The mask slipped. We see you now.
[leftinqueue]: we went from "Llewellyn's mysterious" to "he picked a snide war criminal as his partner"
-
"…"
Looked like it was war crimes now. Give it a day and I'd be accused of toppling governments. A week and I'd apparently started all the Knots myself.
…Oh no, there she was. Does she never sleep?!
I clicked on her profile.
-
[RightSideofHistory]: This is EXACTLY what I've been saying. They don't care about us. They mock our pain while playing hero. The violence, the dismissal, the utter contempt for accountability—it's all there. Thank you for exposing this.
-
Well, she wasn't wrong about contempt. I had plenty right now.
-
[RightSideofHistory]: 'Maybe if they post enough—or collect enough signatures—the Knot will just stop on its own. You know, to show solidarity.' Let that sink in. This is what they think of us. Of our grief. Of our demands for transparency. We're a joke to them.
[RightSideofHistory]: I was willing to believe he was just another exploited civilian. I was. But if you watch that clip and still think he's the victim here, I don't know what to tell you.
[RightSideofHistory]: He mocked the people who've been organizing. He insulted survivors. But tell me again how we're the unreasonable ones.
[RightSideofHistory]: If this is who Llewellyn trusts, then everything I've ever said about him stands. All of it. This is the person he chose. Contemptuous. Violent.
[RightSideofHistory]: They think this will pass. It won't. We won't let it. #EndTheKnotsNow
-
The hashtag was picked up immediately.
-
[tremendousfish]: If they can mock us, we can demand answers. #EndTheKnotsNow
[voicesunited]: They want us silent while people die. Not anymore. #EndTheKnotsNow
[justiceknox]: Solidarity isn't a joke. Our pain isn't entertainment. #EndTheKnotsNow
-
…Fuck. Not this again.
Her follower count was skyrocketing, the reblogs multiplying.
I checked our work platform.
Every single Llewellyn-related forum was on fire. The mod queue had thousands of items. New threads were popping up faster than anyone could track:
"LLEWELLYN'S PARTNER REVEALS TRUE COLORS"
"They're LAUGHING at us while we DIE"
"PROOF They Could Stop Knots But Won't"
"Time to DEMAND Real Answers #EndTheKnotsNow"
-
[dailypaperghost]: This is the guy Llewellyn lets speak for him? Wow.
[empathalchemist]: you can be disillusioned without being an asshole. he chose to aim his fury at the wrong people
[knotyourbaby]: Love how Llewellyn's PR strategy is 'my boyfriend hates you all'.
[archivegut]: right!!! Llewellyn saw the internet and went "let's pour acid on it!" Incredible
The video hit 500,000 views.
[griefispolitical]: The world is burning and people still think empathy is cringe. No wonder we're here.
[starmapfailure]: there's no way to explain the feeling of watching someone with power LAUGH at you for caring. like. sorry for trying. sorry for believing we mattered
[ravenin3D]: i cannot describe how deeply this hurt. the thing about systemic silence is you never know who's on your side. then they open their mouth and you find out they were never on your side at all
[handheldstorm]: i spent YEARS defending Llewellyn. saying "he's grieving", "he's not ready to speak". but THIS? this is the person he trusts? this is who he stands beside? I was so wrong
[cinnamonrage]: So tired of being told I'm naive for believing the world can get better. If you think that's pointless, fine. Just stop spitting on the people who are still trying.
[rootwine]: we were asking for help. we were pleading for transparency. and their answer was "maybe if you post enough." god.
-
This was a fucking nightmare.
Niamh was messaging again.
Niamh: I know you're still reading. Ignore RSoH. Read these instead. They're funnier.
Huh? There was nothing funny about any of this!!!
Still, I opened the link.
It was the same video, but on a different platform.
-
[bigbuh]: he really just blasted a reporter with WATER MAGIC lmaoooooo
[scrapemercy]: new guy shows up out of nowhere, bleeds out in public, almost dies, and then THIS! I feel insane
[thirteenthtoast]: i didn't know who he was five minutes ago and now i'd die for him
[weirddogtime]: new guy lasted like 3 minutes before threatening the press
[cyberratzzz]: you can see the exact moment he snaps. amazing
[exhaustionjoyride]: the sarcasm? the complete lack of diplomacy? the splash damage?? we need more of that
[guyincatshirt]: he said "fuck your feelings" and hydro-pumped a journalist 💀💀💀
[truthseeker99]: Finally someone said what we're all thinking
[cheeseisadeity]: diplomacy is dead, this man drowned it in a drainpipe
[gravitysad]: i'm in tears. "maybe if they post enough"??? bro you're on camera
[wheatpastemiracle]: why was that the most cathartic thing i've seen all week
[breadmilkjustice]: he's so real for that. so deeply, spiritually exhausted. I could cry
[elbowprophet]: tell me why this video healed me. tell me why i feel seen.
[unregisteredshade]: man said ✨wet✨ and left. iconic.
[flimsyknife]: let's be real. this was one of the best media drops of the year. he was raging and right
-
Meanwhile, in my private messages.
Niamh: I'm watching the video on a loop. I'm waiting for the gifs. I'll make them myself if no one else does. And audio clips—I need you as my ringtone. Also! I'm buying you a cake.
Why was she so excited about this!!!
Ryo: I don't want a cake!
Niamh: Okay I'm eating the cake, but it's going to have your face on it.
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Ryo: We're all going to die! Starting with me!
Niamh: We were already dying. Now we're dying in style! And surrounded by Blastoise memes.
I dragged a hand over my face.
Penguin's little beak suddenly clamped down on my earlobe.
Ouch.
I must have been ignoring him for too long without realizing. I picked him up off my shoulder and settled him in my lap.
Niamh: Anyway, I don't know where you sit with this, but personally, I'm really enjoying the shippers.
No, what?!
She sent another link.
…Did I even want to know?!
I clicked on it.
-
[shipboon]: you're telling me this unknown guy is hot, morally concerning, bleeds dramatically, and casually destroys equipment when provoked????? he's perfect
[loworbitshipping]: "not a good person" is how all the best ships start
[shelvedlust]: enemies to lovers?? no. public menace x weary god-tier hero who's too tired to stop him
[softsignal]: my villain era fave. morally grey love interest who uses water magic on the press for his beloved. I'm salivating
[memoryleakage]:
people: "he's not a good person"
me, rocking back and forth: "no. he's his person"
[pixelthirst]: the way he just went unhinged on camera?? you know Llewellyn is watching that footage like 👀
[hearthazard]: "not a good person" sir you're a menace and a walking hatefuck and I thank you for your service
[swordsandteeth]: I don't need them to kiss. I need him to pin Llewellyn to a wall and snarl "mine"
[midnightrotations]: the way he lost it on camera??? yeah he's railing Llewellyn against some dungeon building in my head rn
[dungeonpastry]: no thoughts just him crowding Llewellyn against a stone pillar with both wrists pinned and that look in his eyes
-
What!!!! I was doing what!!!!
…I don't think my face had ever been so hot.
-
[tapedeckdreams]: y'all are sleeping on how protective this was. he just dragged the hate off Llewellyn and tanked it all himself
[cachekissed]: "I'm not a good person" = I will protect you in ways that make the internet scream
[malachitewine]: someone please write the one where Llewellyn shuts him up mid-rant by kissing him quiet and then pushes him down onto a bed
[llewrandolo]: not me watching him drench a reporter on camera and immediately picturing Llewellyn soaked through and glaring at him
[hyperjuniper]: i need the fic where mystery guy soaks Llewellyn in training and then they "have to" wrestle it out on the floor
[bonechime]: the way he spat "the online masses"??? Llewellyn's about to shut him up with teeth on his throat don't @ me
[veinmirror]: you're joking but you cannot convince me Llewellyn doesn't want to drag him back home and ruin him for being this feral in public
[altarbreaker]: we all saw that video. now imagine Llewellyn pinning him to the mattress, quiet voice in his ear: "done?"
[blueviolet]: picture him. pinned down, Llewellyn's weight holding him there, Llewellyn's breath against his neck until he gives in
[smokestem]: you can't convince me they don't end up bruised, bitten, and still going
[ironrelic]: llewellyn covering his mouth with a kiss as they're at it and then murmuring, "want more?" in his ear
-
My phone rang.
Llewellyn.
"…"
…Absolutely cursed timing. Let me die.
I wasn't even sure I could speak properly.
"Don't say anything," I said, face still on fire, answering the call. "I know I fucked up."
Llewellyn sighed. "Just stay offline."
"I'm supposed to start my shift in—"
"Don't even think about it. Emma will handle it."
Oh, for fuck's sake. He really needed to stop interfering with my job.
Unfortunately, he was the client.
Speaking of which—
"You should probably say something publicly and distance yourself from me in like… the next three hours at most."
A pause.
"Did you hit your head too, while you were at it?"
I exhaled. "You're really bad at PR."
Llewellyn seemed amused. "So are you."
There was another pause, then Llewellyn said—
"...Do you want to come over?"
"…"
No. Yes. What!!!
I really, really shouldn't have opened that link.
He should be angry at me, not—
"I know you're not going to log off if you're there by yourself," Llewellyn added.
I mean, he wasn't wrong.
But.
I was there only a few hours ago? This morning? In bed? When I almost—
And then in the kitchen!
I stared at Penguin, who'd wandered off again when I got distracted. When he noticed me looking, he ran toward me again and plopped himself down in my lap, looking up expectantly to be petted.
Ah, I'd really been neglecting him.
"Come over," Llewellyn repeated. "I have something to discuss with you anyway. Tiernan sent the rest of the results."