#AFTER I finish the killer doesn't understand

[nereidprinc3ss]

you know the killer doesn't understand

in which spencer is so terrified he's going to hurt you after he gets out of prison that he can barely touch you. an argument ensues.

angst (+ comfort) warnings/tags: established relationship, fem!reader, mentions of violent intrusive thoughts (non-specific), arguing, yelling, use of the word rape, nightmares, happyish ending, mention of showering together, it's a bad time but it's also a good time for us woo i love angsty angst a/n: i miss posting for real so bad i dug up this draft which was mostly finished and polished it up. i think i really like this one and it was based on a request but i lost it:( i hope u guys enjoy this, pls lmk<3

Spencer is by no means happy with his sudden fear of touching you—it makes everything in his life significantly harder and less convenient and he hates that he’s constantly afraid he’s going to break you. He hates watching you hold back from attacking him with a hug when he enters a room like you used to, and he feels terrible every time you ball up on the opposite side of the couch as he reads, waiting for an invitation into his lap but too scared to ask for one (he’ll always hold out his arm for you, though—he’s not cruel.)

You’re adorable in the way you stand at the foot of the bed in your pajamas, arms behind your back like it’s not your bed too, but it makes him feel terrible. This isn’t at all what he wanted for you, and in all honestly he’s thought about ending the relationship because he knows he’s being an absolutely awful partner—but he just can’t bring himself to. Instead, he gestures for you to get into bed, and you curl up under the covers close to him but not against him, and he’ll play with your hair and read for a while because he can’t sleep very well. Eventually he’ll assume the position of sleep, but some sick part of him doesn’t know what to do with the sounds of the city and the fan instead of the sounds of a hundred men rolling and sniffing and shuffling around their echoey cells. He doesn’t understand warmth anymore, or softness, or nice pajamas or fluffy pillows. He’s starting to think he doesn’t understand you. And that’s the worst thought of all. 

So he essentially dozes for the first week, on and off, always exhausted in the mornings but what’s new. When he can’t sleep, he turns his head to watch you breathe—some beautiful, sweet creature dreaming in his bed, unwaveringly loyal to him even though he can hardly stand to touch you for fuck’s sake. You’re beautiful, and it makes him feel better to watch you, even if he can’t touch you. Not now that he knows what he is capable of doing to another person. What if he has some sort of PTSD—PTSS, thank you, Luke Alvez—induced dream and does something terrible to you in his sleep? It’s not like you’re tiny, but he’s stronger, he knows he is, and lately every time you get too close he remembers exactly what it feels like to exert the full force of that strength, and what it feels like when someone else unleashes their own onto him. 

They’re just intrusive thoughts, and in them he doesn’t hurt you intentionally, but he always feels a little bit sick now. He is so, so sick. A bull in a China shop. Spencer knows exactly how breakable humans are—it’s his job to know. If he left so much as one red mark on you by accident, he’s quite sure he’d drill down to a previously unknown rock bottom. And if he reaches that point, he doesn’t know if he’d ever deserve to come back. 

Every day it seems to become clearer that the only humane thing to do is break up with you. But for now he’ll watch you sleep—the delicate rising and falling of your chest, the way you curl in on yourself because you can’t curl into him. In sleep you look so peaceful and content. You never look that way awake, anymore. Not when he’s around, which is pretty much always. At least he can’t disappoint you while you’re asleep. 

Or so he’d like to think. 

Until one night, about a week and a half after he gets home; you whimper in your sleep. It’s so quiet he could’ve missed it, but he doesn’t, and then he watches your smooth brow furrow with worry and he knows you’re having a nightmare immediately. 

Spencer panics—before, he would have woken you up and held you and comforted you until you fell back asleep and it would have been so simple. Now he’s frozen, afraid to touch you but not sure if he can just lie there watching you so afraid and not do a thing about it. 

In the end, you choose for him—and it only takes a few moments. You’re close enough to him that it’s easy for you to close the few inches even in sleep, and maybe you’re slightly conscious but not enough to remember you’re not supposed to touch him. 

He stops breathing as you fold yourself against him, muttering worried nonsense—he catches his name, once—nestling against his chest, one searching arm gently draping over his waist. Every muscle in his body is rigid, and his thoughts—his mind goes… completely fucking blank. 

Suddenly, all he’s known, all he’s ever known, is the smell of your hair, the warmth of you seeping through layers of clothing, and the weight of your arm over him. Everything he ever was ceases to exist, and he’s just this, right now. The person you’d turned to unconsciously for comfort, so sure, so trusting that he would keep you safe. He can feel your breath for the first time in months. Slowly every tense muscle unspools. For the first time in a long time he doesn’t feel dangerous. He doesn’t feel like his entire body is spring loaded and ready to attack at the slightest provocation. Spencer allows himself to hold you, and part of it feels like betrayal because he knows how badly you need this from him while you’re awake but mostly he feels like he could cry. His thumb rubs circles into the middle of your back and your head tucks so perfectly under his chin while he studies the rumpled sheets where you’d been lying a moment ago. He almost feels like sticking his tongue out to gloat at your half of the mattress—haha, look who gets to hold her now—but instead he sighs, shakily, and squeezes his eyes shut. 

You don’t make another sound for hours. 

He’s reluctant to let you go when you begin to stir around six AM, but forcibly holding onto you is so far from what he wants to do that he manages. You roll back over to your own side of the bed, and he continues admiring you from afar until he falls asleep. It’s the best three hours of sleep he’s had in a very long time. 

Of course, you don’t remember it. When you wake up your sadness resumes, and so does the pretending like you’re not sad, but you’re a very good sport—and it helps that he’s feeling much better this morning than he has since he got back. 

“Good morning,” you whisper faintly, still blinking as you watch him longingly from your spot. 

Spencer pushes himself up onto an elbow, and you watch with big eyes as he leans over you, stroking your cheek with his free hand. 

“Good morning. You sleep okay?”

Your brow flickers, and he realizes it’s not a question he asks every morning, and you’re probably distracted by this overt display of affection, but you answer it obediently anyway. 

“I think so. I had weird dreams.”

He hums. 

“About what?”

It’s quiet for a moment as he takes in the exact spattering of microscopically fractured pigment over your irises. Your voice is small when you finally speak. 

“Do I have to tell you?”

That hurts. 

“No. But it might help.”

Coming from him? Ironic doesn’t even begin to cover it. 

You acknowledge him with a small hum of your own, studying him with soft, mistrustful eyes. 

He can’t help it anymore—Spencer leans down and gently kisses you, so tenderly, so chastely, it makes his own head spin. He hasn’t kissed you like that since you picked him up from Milburn. It’s long overdue. 

Which is why he’s not expecting you to start crying. He pulls back immediately, not far, just enough to assess your expression. 

“What’s this? What’s wrong, angel?” He frowns. Your lip quivers in a way that feels like a blow to the chest. 

“That’s not… you’re…”

“What? What is it?”

A fat tear finally traces a path down your cheek and when you speak your voice breaks in the most fragile, devastating way. 

“You’re not being fair.”

He has no neat question to summarize all the bafflement your accusation inspires in his lately cloudy head, but the wildly confused look on his face must be prompt enough.

“I’m trying really hard to respect your space and boundaries and not upset you but my feelings are hurt, Spencer, I don’t know how they couldn’t be. I feel like you don’t even like me anymore. I’m embarrassed around you because I feel like I care about you so much more than you care about me. And then you—and then you wake up one morning and you think it’s okay to act like you love me again but I can’t—I c—” you stop, obviously frustrated—now crying in earnest and lacking the words. “You can’t be mean to me. I know you’ve been through a lot and I’m sorry but you can’t treat me like that. I’m a person, too.”

His chest aches and he swallows down barbed wire.

“I’m not acting like I love you. I do love you. More than I’ve ever loved anyone or anything in my life. That’s not an act.”

It’s not an adequate response, but your words are still spinning in his head until he can’t keep up with them. He’s not used to this, anymore. The language you two had developed is so foreign now. 

Maybe he just doesn’t know how to talk to you. 

Resignation—a too-calm recognition softens the stormy look that has brewed on your face. As soon as it’s gone, and you’re looking at him placidly, he realizes he’s afraid. 

“Well, that’s not enough,” you whisper. 

Spencer feels like he’s been shot as you push the covers aside and slip out of bed. And he knows what that feels like. 

“Where are you going?” And then louder, when you don’t hear him because you’ve already left the room, “Where are you going?”

He follows you through the apartment as you march purposefully for the door, slipping shoes on and grabbing your keys and coat. 

You barely look over your shoulder as you leave, slamming the front door behind you. Things shake from the impact. A mini earthquake. 

Spencer is too stunned to follow you. 

It’s not until a few minutes later when he goes to call you that he realizes your phone is still sitting on your bedside table. He stares at it, tasting metal, because he has absolutely no way to reach you or guarantee your safety. There’s no way for you to call him, or anyone, if you get in trouble—and he fears that you’ll retaliate against him by doing something stupid and dangerous. 

He only just manages to stop himself from calling the police and asking them to start looking for you. Only just recognizes it to be an overreaction. 

Besides, he’s not feeling particularly fond of the criminal justice institution these days. If it came down to it, he’d trust himself and his team over the cops any day.

The team. They’re always a resource. If worst comes to worst, he thinks, robotically making coffee as he tries to talk himself down, and she doesn’t come home before dark, I’ll call all of her closest friends. If she doesn’t come home before the morning—the thought makes him feel sick—I’ll deploy every fucking resource at my disposal. 

Maybe that’s an overreaction, too, but he has to find a way to self-soothe somehow. Planning makes him feel better. Being prepared for the things you never see coming makes him feel better. It’s impossible, of course—but the illusion of control is stubborn and so seductive. 

Thankfully, it doesn’t come to that. 

At around 2 PM, he receives a couple of texts from Garcia that are a massive relief. 

Penelope: She’s at my apartment

Penelope: BE NICER TO YOUR GIRLFRIEND!!!!!!!

The series of emojis that follow (including an octopus?), he doesn’t even try to decipher. He simply drops his phone and sighs deeply into his hands, releasing an extreme amount of paranoid tension that had been tying him into knots. Lately, he’s had this sense that everything is fleeting—that the things he takes for granted are painfully, violently impermanent. It doesn’t take anyone with a degree to figure out why he’s been feeling that way, but it’s so all-consuming he’s not sure how to cope with it. Just a few days ago, he’d been wondering how to break up with you. Now he’s asking himself how the fuck he thought he’d be able to do that when he’s barely functioning after a few hours without you.

It’s a question he still hasn’t answered by the time the front door opens at 10 PM. It’s clear by the deer-in-headlights look on your face that you hadn’t been expecting him like this—leaning over the counter, half-empty mug by his hand, staring at nothing in particular and waiting for you to come home. Neither of you have changed clothing since this morning—not that you could—but you look apprehensive as you close it behind you, never facing away from him. The whole thing is like a teenager being caught sneaking back in by a weary parent. 

For a moment the silent confrontation stretches into the horizon, a non-specific point as neither of you seem inclined to be the first to talk. You just watch him watching you—leaning against the door rigidly as if you can’t get far enough away. But he’s too tired for this. Too worn out. 

“How’d you get home?”

You swallow. 

“Penelope.”

Spencer nods slowly, rolling his bottom lip between teeth and finally looking away. 

“You really should have brought your phone.”

You scoff, peeling yourself from the door. 

“Of course that’s what you’re worried about.”

It’s the same situation as this morning, but in reverse—him following after you down the hall as you storm toward the bedroom. 

“Wh—should I not have been? You scared me—” he says your name, barely catching the door before it can slam in his face. “I was worried about you.”

“Why?” you face him, laughing bewilderedly as if the situation were at all funny. A kind of manic energy crackles from the surface of your skin and in your eyes that renders him unable to think of a reply. “Because you thought I would get raped and murdered and then you’d be sad?”

“Yes!” Spencer yells, eyes widening as he fails to contain his frustration any longer. “That is fucking exactly why I was scared!”

You step forward, getting in his space. It jars him, momentarily—he wants to get away from you. Being angry and so close to you is terrifying. What if he lashes out? What if he hurts you? He’s seen crimes of passion. His blood is freezing in his veins. 

“Of course you didn’t give one single fuck that I left you. You didn’t think for one fucking second that I might be tired of this. That wasn’t what you were scared of at all.” For every inch you near, he backs away. Another scorned, bitter laugh from you that feels like poison coursing through his entire circulatory system. You notice everything, eyeing him up and down as he cowers from you. “What is this, Spencer? If you hate being near me that much, just fucking break up with me.”

You’re close enough that he can see the tears welling in your eyes, but he’d know they were there even if he couldn’t observe them. He would hear it in your voice. He would feel it. But he can’t do anything about it. Right now, he’s paralyzed. 

“If the only thing holding you back is wanting to spare my feelings, just fucking do it. This isn’t better. I don’t give a fuck if it’s hard for you. It’s hard for me, too, but I’m not just going to ignore it anymore.”

There’s no more room. The wall is at is back. 

“Honey, please back up,” Spencer breathes. Last time his back was to a wall, he’d been gagged and beaten. Don’t lash out. She never hurt you. It wasn’t her. 

“Don’t tell me what to do!” you shout, as tears begin to spill over your cheeks. “Either break up with me or stop telling me to go away!”

At that moment, as you break down and your words become muddled with sobs, you raise your fist. 

Spencer watches it approach his shoulder as if in slow-motion. 

On instinct, he catches your wrist.

There’s a lull as he waits for something to explode, for something to go terribly, deeply wrong—

But it doesn’t. 

He realizes his grip is gentle. He realizes you’d never actually hurt him like that. He realizes how little resistance he’d found when he stopped what was sure to be nothing more than a petulant, petty bump against his shoulder—a maneuver that wouldn’t have hurt in the slightest. It was nothing more than a desolate, childlike display of feelings bigger than you know what to do with. 

In the second that it takes him to realize all of this, to realize he is not endangering you in the slightest, nor you him, you’ve begun to truly sob. Standing just inches from him, head angled down as he holds your wrist carefully, you are the picture of a girl who has been running on empty for a very long time and has nothing left to give. Spencer twines his arms around you, tucking your head under his chin and slowly rubbing your back like he’d never forgotten how to hold you. It stuns you, and the tears pause for just a second—before you’re wrapping desperate, weakened arms around him and sobbing even harder, albeit silently, into his shirt. 

“I don’t want to break up,” he whispers, his own voice shaky with understated emotion. “I’m sorry. Please don’t say that. I don’t want that.”

“What’s wrong with you?” You cry, a desperate plead caught between sobs that wrack your body against his against the wall. And he knows it’s not an accusation. It’s not an insult. It’s a question borne of confusion and fear. It’s what a child might ask a sick dog while tears stream down feverish cheeks. And it’s completely appropriate, considering he never tells you anything anymore and he’s only just realizing how scary that must be. Spencer is back from prison but you may as well still be living alone for all that you know about him. He tangles a hand in your hair and holds you against his chest, breathing you like nitrous oxide. 

“I don’t know,” he whispers. The room beyond blurs as he stares at nothing, focused only on the tingly euphoria of feeling you under his hands clashing with the ever-present and crushing shame that he couldn't do it sooner. “I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want you—to be sorry.” Shuddering breaths and gasps still cleave your sentences in half, and Spencer listens so intently he thinks there might be harmonics hidden in the layers of your voice. He clings to every syllable like you’re wielding the word of god in a five-foot-something body. “I just miss you so m—much. I want you to—to love me.”

“I do,” he promises immediately, lips pressing to your ear. “I do love you. So much. So much.”

When you don’t respond, he’s not exactly surprised. He almost asks what he can do, what you need—but is quite sure that’s not the right move. Instead he doesn’t say a thing. Only holds you.

Later, you’ll pull back and he’ll swim in your teary gaze, and then kiss you. He’ll trace silent apologies into every inch of your skin under the torrent of the shower, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make you understand. But for now, for the first time in months, you’re holding each other, and that’s all either of you need.  

[sharkbitten-sailor]

Hyello!!! Ive been loving your works so far, and I saw you were open for requests so could I req for a 007n7 x reader who simply likes to follow him around, not caring about the past. They always make their presence known despite barely talking at all. Which mmmighhttt be a little funny and scary at times when the reader doesn't respond at times and just, stares and stands too still (big ol eyes)

Reader very much does point out things lile generators and items or anything they find odd like a sign the killer or survivor is lurking nearby.

(Ahahahha this is somewhat based on my experience of my first time trying to myth hunt, and it ended with me following this 007n7 cosplayer for about 2-3ish hours because I felt bad they were getting bullied for like... 20 minutes, but I had no idea hoe to comfort them, nor interact in general. But we both did help each other find some things we found interesting!!)

[forsaken] 007n7 x reader who's kind to him headcanons .ᐟ

a/n; oooh hi anon! thank you so much for requesting, it's really adorable <33 i hope i got your idea right (please ignore any misspell & grammar mistakes, i only read this once-)

- 007n7 was once cast out by the survivor group, isolated even among those fighting for the same cause. keyword: was. that all changed when you appeared. - when you approached him with genuine warmth, he assumed it was a mistake. perhaps you hadn't heard about him yet. - but even after the admins shared his past, your kindness never wavered. that was.. new and unsettling. - he watches you carefully, waiting for the moment your smile fades, for the inevitable disappointment. but it never comes. - over time, he starts to believe, just a little, that maybe - just maybe he’s not beyond redemption. - he doesn’t fully understand why you treat him like someone worth knowing, but he’s starting to believe it. - he enjoys your quiet company. he appreciates the way you just… follow him around, watching him curiously while he works on a generator like a cat watching someone open a can. - or maybe, it's simply because you never judge him. not for the past, not for the present. - during rounds, you stick close to 7n7 like a shadow. the only times you're not by his side are when you aren’t chosen for that round or when you're off scavenging supplies, like boxy colas. - whenever you find something useful, he's always the first to get it. even an entire medkit. - of course, certain survivors tend to side-eye you both for that (*cough* elliot *cough*). - he genuinely appreciates your kindness, but he also reminds you that taking care of yourself should come first & depending on the situation. remember that time you handed him a medkit while sitting at a measly 20% hp? yeah, you scared him half to death. - your sharp eyesight makes you great at spotting generators for 7n7. but instead of fixing them yourself, you simply stay next to him, likely guarding him from the killer. - connecting wires isn’t your strong suit? no worries. you've helped 7n7 plenty, and it’s only fair that he returns the favor. - he’s a patient man, so he’ll take the time to teach you how to connect them. - after those grueling rounds, if 7n7 wasn’t chosen, he’ll immediately check on you, gathering supplies to patch you up like a worried father. - expect some head pats. they’re his way of saying, “you did well enough.” - if the bond between you two grows strong enough, he'll show his appreciation in his own way. - need to rant or vent? then congrats! you’ve found the perfect listener. he absorbs every word you say with deep intention, even taking mental notes. - the next time you bring it up, you'll realize he remembers everything. - you have a habit of playfully messing with his clones, like a cat batting at a new toy. 7n7 finds this oddly endearing and amusing. - it soothes him, melting away his stress. a quiet reminder that even in this hell, some things are still worth smiling about.

a/n; finally finished! sry 4 the delay, i got distracted slacking off mid-writing to play blocktales🥲 hope you still like it </3

[lynnie-s3all]

any forsaken killers and maybe chance with a reader thats like ignored perchance

Alright. I'm not gonna do Jason for obvious reasons. I kinda disliked him. So...

I'll try my best to make the most of the headcanons since I'm very much a lazy person to do all the requests. Like... i got eyebags on me.

Forsaken killers x reader who gets ignored most of the time.

Despite c00lkid trying to almost killing everyone in the whole team, he stumbled towards you who got left out most of the time, even your teammate's wouldn't want to work with you, especially with fixing the generators, and also never gives you a bloxy cola to outrun him.

Well... he accidentally does the walkspeed override so he can kill you instantly, but you dodged right away and he slammed himself right on the wall.

You were scared to even talk with him, even though he's just a small child who doesn't want any harm at you. He slowly approach you and asked why you weren't with the others.

"oh, sorry for that! I'm just wandering why aren't you with the others to play? Are you sad because they don't wanna play with you?"

you just stood there. And then you replied back to him.

"They don't really give me any attention towards me..."

He thought about an idea to try and help you, and he did. So he gave you one of his sword.

"Take revenge, you can join me play tag, I'll spare you this time."

Oh...

You grabbed his sword on his hand and and took your hand to go and swing at them to attack

Well your teammates... weren't happy when they looked at you trying to kill one of them.

He helped you through the whole run so... you just killed all of them.

A revenge. Yeah.

John Doe... Well it's not really special until he decided to do corrupt energy to trap everyone is seperate ways.

Uh..

He's... almost about to attack you by the way and you kinda just there at the corner terrified.

I know he doesn't have any remose on trying to kill a lot of the survivors and he just felt really bad when you're panicking so much because he trapped you in basically

Since he has the corruption on his own body, he couldn't get near you or you'll get hurt by it.

Well... Not so lucky enough that the whole part of your body gets even more corrupted and took control over you.

There's nothing you could do right...?

Thinking about it though... He thought about why you were just not helping the others. Well you, being helpless. You really couldn't do anything.

"It's okay. We'll teach them how it feels like to feel betrayed after leaving you like this. MAKE THEM PAY!!!"

Same thing. I'm not going to finish how you two killed all of the survivors.

Well king of hatred himself. He knows what betrayal means to him. And he will seek revenge to the one who caused him like this.

He saw you first and purposely attack you until almost getting very low on health.

Well, did he witness someone shooting and stunning him? Nope. They ignored him. And when he did analyze you, it made him felt... remose? guilty? But he was supposed to be filled with hatred, not sympathy.

Well, you took it up the notch and just tell him to kill you.

the truth is, he doesn't want you to die. Thinking about you being his allies to join him to take over and kill everyone, it would be perfect for him.

And so, he tries to say something.

"I don't think they really understand how much they made you to suffer like this. My apologies for hurting you. But I should handle it myself. I'm not going to kill you anyway. I know how it feels to be that way."

𝙲𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎.

[skeletonh0e]

Can ignore if this is too dark but uh

Nightmare finding out his S/O had an extremely abusive ex? Again fine if you aren't down with that

Oof, time for some angst and some fluff. But more importantly some protective Nightmare content

Obvious tw for talk of domestic abuse & some ptsd, reader and the ex in this situation are both kept gender neutral. Also I guess tw for some minor manipulation (reminder Nightmare isn't the healthiest partner either)

Nightmare finds out about your last relationship

The thing about dating dear ole' Mare is that it's hard to hide most things from him

His whole thing is he can sense emotions, negative or otherwise

So even if he doesn't know, he knows something is up, you're very jumpy and there's this sense of fear around you whenever he so much as raises his voice

He's patient as he can be with it, a part of him naturally assuming these feelings are simply because he is....himself, that despite what you say a part of you is truly disgusted and terrified of him

A part of him almost doesn't blame you even if that sentiment still hurts coming from his partner of all people, most rightfully should be

When he does learn the truth though?

.....interesting

He's calm as you explain your former relationship and the things your ex did to you, like alarmingly so. You'd expect some form of anger, but no....he's calm.

Once you finish, he gently but lovingly pulls you into a tight embrace. Giving you all the reassurance you need

Dare I say, he's the perfect boyfriend in this situation. He'll let you cry, he'll soothe you, he's there to care for you and promising you'll never go through that again

It definitely becomes a night all about spoiling you

The moment you fall asleep though is when things take a turn

He gives his underlings a very important mission, your ex is retrieved that Night and then brought to his castle right to Nightmare

The things he does to that poor sucker

By the time he was done they were begging for death and even then he still didn't grant it just yet

No matter what happened though, there was no way your ex was getting out alive or if they did it might as well be a fate worst than death

Depending on the nature of your relationship and how well you'd take the news, he might relay what happened. Not going into every gorey detail but in a very "oh your last lover? I took care of them" :)

If you raise a fuss he'll downplay the issue or try to assure you that it was for the best, don't you trust him after all?

Regardless there is definitely a shift in how he treats you afterwards, not an extreme change bit but a change for sure

Gentler in his approach, more careful and somehow despite Nightmare already being known for a partner that's quite controlling more protective

Killer made the mistake of simply grabbing your shoulder a bit too roughly then Nightmare smacked him so hard he flew across the room

Nightmare is many things but he's a patient guy, so he'll be understanding as he can about most trauma and due to his unique skillset can usher away any bad dreams (won't guarantee the return of good dreams but still HE'S the only Nightmare you'll ever have to worry about)

If there's one thing you should never have a doubt about is that you're loved and more important that you're safe

And woe to the person that attempts to challenge that

[fanaticsnail]

Snail important question;

Of any line-up of characters of your choice-

Who do you think is attracted to competency,

Who is attracted to stupidity,

Who can go either way,

And who is attracted to both at the same time (imagine;

Reader: sorry I'm late I had to fight off two different ships

Them: is that how you got that bruise on your face?

Reader: oh... Actually, I wasn't looking and pulled a push door off its' hinges into my face

Them, kicking off their pants: god you're so fucking stupid, sit on my face

)

Also, I feel like there are different versions of competency and stupidity. Street smarts vs social obliviousness. Book smarts vs functionally illiterate. Strategic/battle smarts vs what-do-you-mean-flashing-the-enemy-isn't-a-valid-distraction?

(Zoro is completely math smart and dumb in every other way)

I could imagine Luffy would be attracted to hyper specific competency. If you're really into a specific thing and good at it and it's your dream he would absolutely love it even if it sounds like you're speaking gibberish to him. He wouldn't even think of it as weird - I mean, no more weird than any other dream he doesn't personally understand - he's certainly not the type to judge based on societal norms. You could talk his ear off about the reproductive habits of different animals and he wouldn't get why everyone else doesn't like to hear it when they're eating but hey more food for him.

Snail. Your asks always know how to get the better of me. Have a series of little drabbles, dear.

Competency, Stupidity, Duality

Masterlist here

Word Count: 410+, 510+, 580+

Synopsis: They can't help what attracted them to you. No matter what you did, they simply couldn't get enough of you. Their emotions finally catch up with them, and they confess their adoration for you.

Themes: variety x gn!reader, feelings, injury, mentions of battles, finally giving in, all different 'reader' inserts, confessions of love, kid x reader, zoro x reader, killer x reader, angst, fluff, sweetness.

Notes: I wasn't expecting to write this today, but I've been thinking about the big boys lately and I needed to give them some love. Something about trios lately.

Tag List: @sordidmusings @nerium-lil @feral-artistry @since-im-already-here @writingmysanity @indydonuts @gingernut1314 @i-am-vita @carrotsunshine @mfreedomstuff @daydreamer-in-training

Competency: Eustass Kid

When Eustass Kid noticed how quick and sharp you were to react in life or death circumstances, he was immediately smitten with you. Being a Straw-Hat, your ambitions and dreams were fostered by your playful captain as you sailed aboard the Thousand Sunny. Your ability to interact flawlessly by balancing the combined efforts of the three crews had him intrigued by your charisma. 

Fighting by your side was something he didn’t expect to affect him so much. The way you researched the strengths and weaknesses of all three crews sailing and fighting together was admirable. Asserting yourself by asking Law to push and pull you closer to the fight with the Ope-Ope no Mi ability, while fighting side-by-side with Massacre Soldier Killer in close quarters, had him left wordless.

After the battle finishes, he watched as you hastily aided your crew of their injuries while disregarding your own; putting others first while adding pressure to your hand-gash, hovering it over your head to slow the bleeding. He couldn’t get enough of you. 

He needed you to know how he felt about you, but being in the presence of Luffy and Law always seemed to bring out the more juvenile side of attitude. His simple attraction and infatuation with you had to be revealed to you in due time, but he couldn’t risk sounding like an idiot in front of you. He would have to simply wait until you were alone and unoccupied before he made his move to take care of you after taking care of others. 

Slowly approaching you as you sat down against the tangerine grove aboard the Thousand Sunny, his shadow shrouded your form and prompted you to gaze up into his scarred, sheepish face. Your smile caused his heart to beat harder and his head to swirl with a variety of "what-ifs". Gulping back his insecurities, he knelt down in front of you.

“Let me take care of that for you,” he offered with a soft smirk, “You’ve done so much for others, and I think your hand needs some seeing to.” 

“If you say so, Captain Kid,” you shrug, offering your injured hand delicately to him and listening to his every instruction as he treats you, “I wasn’t aware you had any medical training.” He straps your hand in a bandage, placing down the final ties before holding your injured hand in his.

“I don’t,” he shrugged with a smile atop his painted lips, “But I’ve lost an arm before, and I don’t want to see that happen to you.” 

“You’re-...” he stuttered over his words, gazing at your hand before softly drifting his tired eyes up, “...-You amaze me. Truly, amaze me.” You place your other hand on his, never once removing your eyes from his face as he offers you such kindness. 

“Thank you, sir,” you nod to him with a soft smile, “You amaze me, too.”

Stupidity: Roronoa Zoro

“Why would you do that?” Zoro roared at you, hovering his body over yours and caging your face-down body within a shield of his own. The gashes on your back were deep, your body weeping out the red essence and staining your clothes with it.

“C-Couldn’t risk yours,” you stuttered out with a soft smile, “H’was gonna g-get yours. Didn’t want you to wear the shame.” His eyes widened, filling with a steam of glossy tears that threatened to spill over the moment you stuttered out your confession. “That’s what you said, wasn’t it? Mark on the back is a swordsman’s greatest shame?” 

Drip. 

Drip.

Drip.

One after one, soft tears spilt down his cheeks and mixed with the fluids pooling at your back. He leaned down towards you, the heat of battle dying down with the swift, flaming kick of the blonde cook and giggling chuckles of your captain, Luffy. 

“You’re a fucking idiot,” he sniffed his sobs back as he leaned down to cage you, “Can’t you see? None of that fucking matters without you here.” He softly, tenderly moved you from your position on the floor to not disturb your wounds. He sat you up, cradling you against his broad chest and openly sobbed for you. 

“When you get better,” he growled into your shoulder, “I will repay you for this. I will pay my debt to you.” His sobs got more desperate, not halting in the slightest when Trafalgar D Water-Law approached the two of you in your embrace. 

“Let me get ‘em to the infirmary,” Law offered, gesturing for Bepo to ready the aid kit, “I’ll treat the wounds there-.” 

“-I won’t leave them,” Zoro barked over your shoulder, your soft smile tugging at your cheeks in your hazy daze. “Let me go with you, Traffy. I won’t say a damn word to distract you, on my honor.” Law nods, raising his hand and spreading his fingers and offers the two words to switch positions within the infirmary: “Room, Shambles.” 

As you drifted in and out of consciousness, you laughed each time Zoro chastised you for your stupidity. Echos of: “There were so many other things you could’ve done instead,” and “You stumbled into that blade like a moron and took that hit for me, idiot.” You giggled through the pain, barely feeling it as Law worked to stitch you together again. 

Upon regaining consciousness, you looked to your moss-haired crewmate and offered out your hand to his bicep. His head was bowed, arms crossed over his chest, and was assumed to be napping by your bedside. Feeling your touch, he was roused from his sleep and immediately leaned forward to bring his face beside yours. 

“You’re a fucking moron,” he huffed, smiling in a melancholy grin. You laughed at his insult, squeezing his muscle before retracting your hand. As you nearly drew it away to your side, he caught your hand and brought your palm up to his lips. 

“My fucking moron,” he confirmed, placing a soft kiss to your palm before using it to cup his face. “I love you.”

Duality: Massacre Soldier Killer

Staring up into your face while remaining silent, resting his masked face on the heel of his palm, he listened to your recount of a very specific childhood injury that left you with an interesting scar on your thigh. Killer’s eyes never left your face, his cheeks beginning to glow warm and vibrant beneath the shroud of his mask.

“So, let me get this straight,” Captain Eustass Kid held his hand in front of his face and gave it a gentle wave to halt your words, “That sick-looking scar wasn’t from any time you served with Luffy, but because you set off a fucking harpoon and speared yourself in the leg with it?” 

Killer felt himself swoon at the melody your laugh thrust into the atmosphere. He was ever thankful his blue and white mask disguised how much he was smiling beneath the shroud. 

“Yep,” you popped the ‘P’ afterwards, nodding in confirmation as you sat beside Usopp and drew your tankard up to your lips, “But I learnt from it, and it hasn’t happened since.” Killer sighed, his voice almost coming out in a soft moan to reveal his growing infatuation for you. Kid barked out a harsh gaggle of laughter, clapping you on the shoulder with his right hand and gestured for you to reveal it to them.

“Let me see it again, go on,” he chuckled, removing his hand and sitting back on his seat, “Use Killer’s thigh as a prop so we can see it properly. You don’t mind do you, big guy?” Killer absentmindedly and slowly shook his head, tapping his thigh twice with his hand for you to reveal your injury to the captain of the Victoria Punk, himself and your crewmate beside you. 

“Alright,” you shrugged, standing beside Usopp and Killer and gently placed your foot atop Killer’s thigh and began hiking up your shorts to your hip, “Feast your eyes, Captain.” Sure enough, an interesting looking scar was revealed on your inner thigh, clear as day and sure as the sea is salty. 

“Oh, fucking hells!” Kid gave you a hearty laugh, “You seeing this, big guy?” Kid turned his attention to his first mate, his smile only growing as he noticed the angle of Killer’s mask never left your face. Surprise was immediately thrust into Kid’s eyes, noticing the unwavering resolve in Killer’s posture. 

You turned your attention down to the silent and broody first-mate, your face puzzled and eyes searching his mask for any further thought or action. He slowly drew his hands up to clasp around your ankle and calf, holding it firmly as he leaned forward. 

“You’re perfect,” he offered in a breathy whisper, stroking your leg and gazing lovingly into your face, “Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise.” 

Your face flushed with a warmth at his words, eyes widening and looking down at his large hands as they held you so tenderly and delicately within his grasp. Smiling, you leaned forwards and placed your hand over his scarred left forearm with mischief in your eyes, asking him a simple question with a suggestive tone. 

“Like what you see then, big guy?” At your question, Usopp nearly choked on his drink. You had never been this bold before, and this came as a shock to your crew’s skilled sniper. He covered his choking with a soft cough, turning away with a downturned smile and stifling his growing laugh. 

“So much,” Killer confirmed, gently caressing your calf and looking up at you through half-hooded blonde lashes beneath his mask, “So, so much.”

[lexxiie]

Can I request something like falling asleep on the four apostles (Nathaniel, Kageo, Aliepde, Thaddeus) + Raphael???

Thanks again! Really love all of your headcanons 💕

FALLING ASLEEP ON THEM

Hello anon! I must admit that while I like Kageo as a character, i don't have a crush on him like I have for the rest, which makes it hard to write for him. As for Raphael... ANON, HE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A FACE YET!!!! So here's the deal. I'll wait till the reveal cause I just know I'll like him, and then I'll update all my killer peter posts to include him.

Fandom: killer peter

Featuring: Nathaniel, Thaddeus, Alipede.

Nathaniel

He met you a couple of weeks ago, and felt completely mesmerized when he saw you, he just had to ask you out.

He first invited you to have dinner with him, and the date went pretty good. You mentioned that there was this movie that you really liked and he said he’d never seen it, so after a couple of dates, he decided that it would be a good idea to invite you to watch it at his apartment. You said yes.

He made popcorn and door dashed Chinese food. The date was going smoothly, and the movie was so good that he initially didn’t even realize that you had fallen asleep on his lap.

Oh.

He had never seen you like this before. If he already thought you were beautiful awake, this might just be the most wonderful view he’s ever seen.

The doctor couldn’t help but caress your face as he watched you, now having forgotten about the movie. Nathaniel felt moved that you trusted him enough to fall asleep with him. He spent the rest of the night wondering if you would still like him this much once you got to know all of him, the good and the bad. Soon after, he fell asleep as well. You both woke up till the next morning, still together.

Alipede

He doesn’t get along with work mates. He doesn’t like them, he avoids to have any sort of contact with them.

So why in the world is he allowing this?

You were both on a mission, and the heavens know he hates team work, Raphael knows this, too. He doesn’t need anyone, in fact, other people get in his way when it comes to work… or anything, really. Which is why he can't understand why you were assigned alongside him.

Just like always, he was right. Nothing can work out when he’s with someone else. The plan was to retrieve a document from a building without being seen, but it started raining. John decided to not risk it and wait till the rain was over so that he could regain his senses fully. You both hid in an alleyway nearby to wait.

Not even an hour had gone by and you were already asleep. You unconsciously laid your head against his shoulder and he wanted to push you so, so bad but for some reason, instead of doing so, he accommodated his body so that you wouldn’t be in such an awkward position.

Now here he was, caressing your hair, realizing how stupid this all is and wishing he could’ve come here alone... but you smell so nice, and your hair is so soft, and your skin is so warm and your breathing-

And it stopped raining. But for reasons he doesn’t understand, he waits a little more to wake you up.

Thaddeus

He liked you. He really did. But whenever he was around you he felt the need to act "normal." Thaddeus just assumed you didn't feel the same way, and he didn't want to make you uncomfortable.

His plan was to never make a move and keep acting cool until his feelings dissipated. Yeah, it was a good plan. It was a great plan.

"Would you like to have lunch with me?" He asked you, immediately mentally reprimanding himself for ruining the plan. He fucked up, didn't he? You seemed quite taken aback. The killer attempted to make it less weird, "you know, cus it's getting late and we haven't eaten and all, but I can go on my own if you aren't hung-"

"I'd like to go." Great.

You both found a food stall nearby and walked through the little town you were sent to while you finished your food. At some point, you decided to sit on a bench to watch the sunset, and before Thaddeus realized, your head was resting on his shoulder. Suddenly, the mesmerizing view of the sun disappearing into the sea was nothing compared to you. And nothing could compare to the feeling of your body against his, so calm, trusting him enough to fall asleep on him. He didn't want this to be the last time. Fuck the plan.

MASTERLIST

[a-hazbin-reader]

Alastor X Reader Headcanons

✅️Romantic ❌️Platonic

TW: Implied Abuse, Murder, Implied Gore, Period Typical Treatment of Women, Implied Sewerslide

Description: Alastor X Singer!Crime Family!reader who has known him in life and death and what their complicated relationship might be like, as canon compliant as I can bring myself to be

You grew up in crime family with an emotionally unavailable mother and violent dismissive father

Sure you were well fed, well dressed,well protected(despite the socially acceptable beatings from your parents) and educated but you were in a prison all of your own

You were your family's precious songbird with a voice like no other and a cage of steel around you, you often had small shows in clubs, bars, wherever your father could make it happen

Your father loved showing you off to his associates, friends, anybody who would listen really, in those moments you were his little girl who could do no wrong

Behind closed doors however

Because of your father's bragging all of his gross old friends took an unnecessary interest in you as well

Also did you know you're engaged to some brute who's nearly twice your age?? Some radio show producer who's had 3 wives before you and more women on his arm than you can count

But it's fine, you're fine

Is what you tell yourself until one day your fiance takes you to a radio station so you can sing there and you hear a familiar voice in one of the radio booths

Nofuckingwayisthatwhoyouthinkitisohfuckitshimitshim

You couldn't resist listening to one of your favorite radio hosts live but you also didn't want to interrupt so you stood and watched from afar as Alastor worked his magic

He was more handsome and magnetic in person, it was so unfair, you were completely entranced by him

Don't worry he noticed you too, amused by your gooey awestruck gaze

You could've stayed and listened to the whole show if your fiance hadn't suddenly yanked you away by your arm, reminding you that you were also here to work

You have a small wave and mouthed "big fan" as you were pulled away, ecstatic as Alastor gave a slick smile back

Now it was his turn to be intrigued, finishing up his show and exiting his booth to go and find where his delicious looking little fan went

Only to find himself happily surprised by your singing, deciding to sit and stay on his break, listening in appreciation for your voice

After that you two simply clicked, drawn to each other even if you both didn't understand it

You sneaking off every chance you could to talk and spend time with him and Alastor perking up anytime his door opened

It escalates from there, Alastor secretly sending you flowers/letters/anything you even glance at, you reciprocating by leaving little gifts/letters on his desk. The two of you having discreet rendezvous at night

It wasn't romantic at all and you two weren't in love, just really good friends

Who sometimes had moments of intimacy like snuggling, touching foreheads after a long embrace, a dozen almost kisses, a few kiss kisses

And when you inevitably found out that he's a cannibalistic serial killer he was worried he would have to hurt you, worried that you would be disgusted in him. That you wouldn't want to see him again

Imagine Alastor's surprise when you just sigh and start helping him clean his mess, almost nonchalant with the gore until you explain that your family has a violent history

Okay so maybe it's love maybe it's not, you two don't put a label on it or even discuss it really, you just enjoy the moment

Alastor hates your fiance, he hates that he doesn't treasure you, that he openly cheats on you, that he's rough with you, that he thinks he owns you

Safe to say that your fiance and Alastor hate each other but that's just fine because you hate your fiance too

Things were blissful between you two and you were even discussing running away together, your family and fiance starting to catch on to the relationship

You and Alastor began to finalize plans, picking a day to meet up and start your new lives

Except Alastor dissappears suddenly and doesn't return any of your letters, doesn't show up for his radio show and you can't find him

And one day you're caught by your father and fiance,checking Alastor's radio booth again, the two of them taunting you by telling you Alastor took a bribe and ditched you

You're forced to marry your fiance less than a month later, only making it a little longer before you take your own life, drowning in heartbreak and rage at the betrayal

You're not surprised when you find yourself in hell but damn it still feels like a punch to a gut

You know Alastor is there too, you know who this rising radio demon is but you don't want anything to do with him, you're still so angry

And he's angry at you too, thinking you moved on from him so easily, hurt that you never even looked for him(He's 100% creating scenarios in his head and hurting himself)

So it takes quite awhile before you two even cross paths, let alone hash things out, like a years and years sort of thing

Expect a lot of run ins that end in snarky comments and unnecessary romantic/sexual tension

It's not until one particularly explosive argument that you two realize that you've been getting the truth mixed up

But once it's settled then it's like nothing ever changed, except that you two have way more time together and you don't have to sneak around anymore

It's an open secret that you two are together even though neither of you have confirmed it or even put a label on it

You just always happen to be on his arm, canoodling at every chance and backing each other up in fights(verbal or physical). Every successful fight is rewarded with eskimo kisses

But you two are definitely practically husband and wife, a power couple even

But then one day he dissappears again

WHY

Maybe you two had a fight before he dissappears and he storms off for a walk. Maybe not

And then seven years go by and you fear that somehow you've lost him again, but for good this time

So you spend that time quietly mourning him and struggling to move on

You don't even find out he's back again until you hear him back in his radio tower, fighting with Vox

🙄😏 that man...

You're not even mad that he hasn't come to see you yet, simply relieved that he's alive and back

Okay you're a little mad, a little hurt

You're calm when you find out he's staying at some new hotel instead of coming back home, coming back to you

Okay you're not exactly calm, your friends would say you're simply hysterical behind closed doors

So you're livid when you find out he's staying with Lucifer's daughter and her friends because it's so obviously just a power grab for him

Fine

You definitely don't go over and cause a scene but you definitely do corner him at some point and let him have it

He's so fucking happy to see you that he's not even paying attention to what you're yelling about or why you're crying. He just pulls you in for a long hug, shutting you up with a rough kiss.

No you're not cupping each other's cheeks, foreheads pressed together as he apologizes over and over again for leaving you again

He won't do it again, not if he can help it

You find out that he's managed to dig himself a hole with a bad deal but that's about all you can figure out and he can't exactly tell you

But you manage to find it in yourself to forgive him(it's hard to stay mad at him), accepting that his time and attention have to be somewhere else for now

Then there's another extermination and one of your friends tell you to check the tv(something you probably don't normally do)

The moment you see Alastor facing off against Adam you're off, fighting and racing to get to him, to help him but he's gone by the time you get there. Lucifer and his daughter fighting him

But you know he's not dead this time, he wouldn't leave you again, not a third time

He promised

So you find him panicking in his busted radio tower and hold him until he calms down, promising that you two will find a way out of his deal

Maybe just hold his head to your chest and stroke his hair a little longer?

You were both reluctant to break apart, Alastor genuinely seeming remorseful as he nuzzles your forehead, telling you that he will visit you soon, that he's sorry for everything

Still he smiles 🙃

When he leaves to go back to the hotel you find yourself more tempted than ever to follow him, your heart aching to be near him again already

Maybe you should check in or at least offer to work there, they don't have an entertainer yet, do they?

Alastor when you show up:

"Darling, what are you doing here?"

I HAD TO GET THIS OUT OF MY SYSTEM OKAY!?

Bonus! Charlie when she finds out about Alastor's boo:

[torturedtypewritersdept]

as someone who gets the worst cramps during my period i would love to read about reader getting them in the middle of the night and she wakes dr rafe up because it just hurts too much that she begs him for a pain killer injection even though she hates getting them after getting so many over the last few months and after he gives her one he helps her fall asleep again by massaging her stomach:((

blue eyes + bruises - blurb - period troubles

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✯ pairing:

doctor!rafe cameron x fem!reader

✯ summary:

a tragic car accident looks like it'll be the end for you, but dr. cameron is here to make sure that doesn't happen.

✯ warnings:

mature themes, mentions of anxiety, nostalgia, and fear, car accident, death of a spouse (not rafe or y/n), major surgery, injuries, hurt/comfort, angst, fluff, etc.

✯ a/n:

hey, love thank you so much for this request as someone who has stage 4 endometriosis this is something that i experience constantly. my thoughts are with you, love and you enjoy this!

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It’s the middle of the night and rafe is at the hospital; he was on call this weekend and unfortunately had to go in after a fifteen year old boy suffered a severe femur fracture in a football game. You knew the boy needed rafe's surgical skills almost as much you needed his cuddles. The apartment is currently eerily quiet, you'd shut off the tv hours ago, hoping the silence would lull you to sleep but it's just quiet, the kind of quiet that only adds to the ache in your abdomen. You've been hurting for hours, but it’s become unbearable now. You're no stranger to unbearable pain after the year you'd had last year, meeting rafe in the hospital was the only upside. Suddenly, a wave of cramps hit so hard that you can barely breathe through them, each one worse than the last. You begin to think that the word cramps isn't accurate enough to describe how it really feels; like your insides are being shredded with a knife. You’re tangled in blankets, tossing and turning, hoping beyond hope that rafe will miraculously come home soon, though you know it isn't likely.

In what feels like hours later but is probably only a few minutes, you hear the click of the door and sigh a breath of relief as you glance at the clock beside the bed. 2:47 AM. He must've finished up early, you thought. The pain is so intense now that you can’t help the quiet whimper that escapes your lips. Rafe hears it as he places his keys in the bowl beside the door, suddenly on edge as he remembers hearing those exact same noises when you were writhing in pain all those months ago in the hospital. He heads for the bedroom, urgently. He blinks a few times, the confusion slowly lifting as he sees your contorted face.

“baby, hey, you okay?” His voice is groggy but soft, reaching out to touch your forehead gently.

“I—I can’t,” you choke out, your voice strained as you curl in on yourself. “It’s too much. I need help, Rafe. Please.”

You see the worry flash across his face as he bends down onto his knee beside the bed. He knows the pain you’re talking about. He’s seen you go through it time and time again. But you know that look too—the one where he knows exactly what this means. You hate getting injections. You’ve had too many over the past few months, your body becoming all too familiar with the needle. But this time… this time, you can’t do it without help.

He leans over, his hand gently brushing your cheek. “I’ll be right back, okay? Just hold on baby.”

You nod, clutching the sheets, waiting as he disappears into the bathroom. It feels like an eternity, but when he returns, the needle is already filled. He kneels beside you again, his eyes full of both concern and understanding.

“I know you hate these,” he says quietly, his thumb brushing over your hand, “but this will help, i promise, angel.”

You close your eyes, bracing yourself as the needle stings, the familiar feeling of it sinking in. You wince, but it’s only for a second. Almost immediately, a wave of relief starts to wash over you, the pain starting to ebb away, though it’s still there in the background, dulled. Rafe gently helps you lay back down, adjusting the blankets around you.

“Just breathe, sweetheart. It’s gonna pass,” he murmurs as his hands move to your stomach. His fingers press in lightly, massaging circles across your abdomen with practiced care. You sigh, the tenderness of his touch easing some of the lingering discomfort. Your body relaxes into the warmth of his hands, the pain retreating with each gentle movement. Before long, you feel yourself drifting, the exhaustion of the night and the relief from the injection lulling you into a peaceful sleep. Rafe stays beside you the whole time, watching over you, ensuring you’re okay. His touch never wavers as he keeps massaging your stomach, guiding you into a deep, restful slumber. The world outside the covers fades away, leaving only the sound of his steady breathing and the quiet comfort of being his in its wake.

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taglist:

as always, if you'd like to be added to or removed from the taglist, please shoot me an ask or comment on this post so i can keep track <3

@maybankslover @inthelibrarybtw @luvrcndy @silkylovey @yagirlwrites @obxbabygirl @rafeecameronsbitch @klutzy-kay24 @roseczbalt @akobx @allsmilesreally7 @wtfdudesblog @urdreamgirl12 @hockeybabe87 @sereneera @annaconscience @pogueprincesa @bibissparkles @obxbigsis @jjmaybankmylovee @kulekehe

[melloollem]

Family Conflicts|| Bruce Wayne × Batmom Fem!reader × (Platonic)Jason Todd

Summary: Bruce mulls over the guilt he feels after a fight with Jason, you're the one who advises him and tries to sort things out.

Warnings: Comfort (with anguish), Platonic relationship with Jason, Family conflicts.

(DC masterlist)

You were drying your hair after getting out of the shower, and walked into the room you shared. Bruce was sitting on the right side of the bed staring at the large pane of glass that overlooked the house's garden, too immersed in his own thoughts to recognize your presence.

You were aware that the recent argument was still plaguing his mind. You let the silence linger in the room for a while longer while you put on your clothes, waiting for him to take the initiative to talk to you. When you had finished, you leaned against one of the walls of the room, watching Bruce's back. The nights in Gotham were brutal, and the scars on his back couldn't deny it.

After a few minutes, a click escapes your mouth as you realize that he would choose to ignore your presence "Aren't you going to say anything?" Your voice broke through the man's numb state, but the silence remained, drawing a weary sigh from you. You wished the constant conflicts and obligations didn't consume Bruce's mind as much as they do, but you knew that was too much to ask of him, a man entirely dedicated to everything he did.

"Everything will be fine, he just needs some time." Bruce's guilt was consuming him, Jason was no longer the unstoppable killer whose goal was to kill Batman, but the relationship between the family was still complicated, everything was still too sensitive, like an inflamed wound.

"He doesn't hate you, he just needs some time," you repeated the assurance, trying to get into your husband's mind. "He was clear about how he felt," Bruce said to you for the first time that night, still motionless.

"So that's all I had to say to get you to say something" Your sarcasm lacked any real anger at Bruce's behavior, already used to dealing with the complicated man he was. "He'll never forgive me" That wasn't half of what he wanted to say, but it was all he had the courage to admit. Bruce was never the kind of person to speak his mind openly, you had to read him, understand him beyond his words and you were very good at doing that.

"You don't believe that. He's disappointed, but you can fix it." You knew that it would be much harder for Bruce and Jason to work things out, much harder than it was for you and Jason, not because Jason blamed you less for what happened, but because he and Bruce were too similar for their own good, Jason would never say what he felt out loud and neither would Bruce and they always hurt each other because between half-words Jason saw the worst in Bruce and Bruce saw a lot of his faults in Jason.

"What about you? Are you disappointed in me?" The blue-eyed man knew that he had acted improperly, despite Jason's behavior, Bruce knew that this was not the ideal occasion. You took too long to convince your son to return to the mansion and when he finally did, Bruce used the moment to reprimand him.

"I'm not sure, I just..." you bit your lips apprehensively "I wish you hadn't done that" you too were trying to make things right. It was distressing to see Bruce taking all the blame on himself and taking away the responsibility you had with Jason. "I need you to trust me, Bruce. We're in this together." There was no point in fighting with the man, he knew where he had gone wrong in this situation.

You moved across the room to stand in front of Bruce, you held his chin to make him look at you, guilt staining his blue eyes. He didn't want to ruin the progress you were making with your son, but it seemed that was all he had done since Jason's return. He knew the boy blamed you both equally, but when he made himself willing to move on, you managed to warm Jason's heart faster than Bruce could ever have wished. While Bruce mulled over the guilt of Jason's death, you sought the boy's forgiveness.

"I'm sorry" Bruce didn't know exactly what he was apologizing for, there were many of his actions that needed forgiveness, but you accepted it openly, knowing the sincerity of the words. "Everything will be fine" Bruce leaned his head on your stomach as he heard your words, that statement was all he could ever want from you. "I love you" he breathed as he closed his eyes, his words sounded like an oath, an intimate pact between you and an affirmation of the trust he had in your words "We can sort things out with Jason, okay? Both of us".

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

I was putting off posting this because I really like the story and I was afraid of how it would play out, but the fact is that I was afraid people wouldn't understand it. I don't think Bruce is a bad father, but he's certainly a complicated person. I know that's a bad summary and a bad name. Thank you to anyone who read this story. This is a repost.

[thistlerock]

Was thinking about Fabian and Riz a lot. I love them they make me sick. Thought I'd share cause I'm not finishing any fics ever lmao.

Side note; in the beautiful kingdom of my mind both of these guys are aromantic (though Fabian is super romance positive) and these interactions are (queer)platonic to me. But hey read it however you want.

I want half asleep Fabian at a sleepover with The Ball, listening to him rant about his newest case, or schoolwork, or whatever he's working himself up about this time. But it's like three am and Riz is so visibly exhausted (and Fabian wants to sleep too! Usually he has a strict schedule, smh) because he's slept a combined five hours in the last three days he goes "You're gonna do great/figure it out, I believe in you. Now shut the fuck up and go to sleep." And it's like. Not even a conscious thing he just instinctively gives The Ball a bardic. Riz feels it. Pauses. Blinks. Smiles. "That's not gonna last until tomorrow." In the SOFTEST voice do you understand. "Then I'll just give you a new one when you need it." And he says it in this tone that makes Riz feel like throwing up (positive) because it sound as if it were obvious — and it is. There's something deeply comforting about the absolute confidence that half-asleep Fabian has in the fact that yeah, tomorrow and the day after that and for however long it takes they will still be friends. And close. And Fabian will still believe in him.

And then Riz lets himself be dragged into bed (they share because if you both have sleep related trauma and the worst abandonment issues ever then you have to cuddle with the homies for comfort.)

I want Fabian and Riz very very non sexually sharing a shower. Maybe they just got back from an adventuring assignment, and Riz is caked in dirt and maybe a little bit of dried blood, and Fabian uses the opportunity for what it is. "Can I do your hair again? I'll wash it." "Sure." (I think it's curly and he doesn't really. Treat it like you're supposed to. Fabian is the only reason it's kinda gotten better. Riz doesn't care that much but he like, indulges him. Cause for some reason Fabian seems to think it's a big deal.) (and it IS. Hair care IS a big deal to Fabian. Separate post I'm insane about him.) And next thing Riz knows he's sitting in his best friend's fancy bathroom and there's expensive smelling product in his hair and he's naked but Fabian isn't being weird about it, he's just scrubbing dirt off of his back because he totally lied when he said it's just about the hair. The Ball doesn't super take care of himself so Fabian jumps at any opportunity to get in there. And it's. Nice. Acts of service are a whole thing. I think for Fabian that's the love language that feels the most foreign, I think it's been so hard for him to unlearn selfishness and bluster even partially, I think he tries. I think he does this thing for his best friend because he loves him, and he expects nothing in return — not even praise. Not even praise even though that's the one thing he's always angling for. And they're both so quiet. And the water is warm.

I want Fabian waking up after a party with the worst hangover. Skull splitting open I want to die type hangover. I want him to wonder, idly, if his mother is going to come and drag him out to train anyway. It'd be dreadful, and yet he desperately wishes she would, because that'd mean she's invested in his training and would have to make an active effort to spend time with him rather than the other way around. I want him to be a little disappointed because he knows it won't happen. I want his heart to ache. But then "Oh, are you awake?" and his best friend is sitting at the end of his bed. Watching him with concern, lowering his voice because he figures Fabian is sensitive right now, having closed the curtains and stuff for the same reason, already offering him water and pain killers. All that. Just because.

"Why are you still here, The Ball?" "Why wouldn't I be? I promised to stay." Because last night Fabian, after being dragged to bed by a concerned Riz and halfway through a mental breakdown (because hey. Turns out he shouldn't have smoked whatever Durden was offering after already being so fucking drunk his body is not having a good time) begged his friend not to leave. So he didn't. In fact Riz stayed with him in bed for hours, holding him because he seemed like he'd need it, but he got antsy some time in the morning and had to get up. And he's sorry for that! But he didn't leave. "Not leaving" is kind of a vague promise he wasn't sure of the exact ramifications but like he stayed in the room until he had to piss- woah Fabian why do you look like you're about to cry did I say something wrong.

Like that. I want that. I want them to love each other so much. Something about non-sexual physical intimacy always gets me. Okay. Oh to have the kind of love that's familiar and comfortable and doesn't come with any expectations. Oh to have a friendship that doesn't have to be "more" because it's already everything. Who decided romance is "more" anyway. Throwing up. I am so ill about them.

[felassan]

Shinobi602 comments on ResetEra:

"If Anthem was a runaway success, you'd be seeing a very different BioWare right now who'd be all in on the live service model. They're running uphill because they've got goodwill they need to earn back after the fact, but its failure (plus Fallen Order's success) is what allowed them to pivot right back to what they're good at: single player character driven RPGs. Silver lining but still." [source]

User: "I don't think its unreasonable to have hoped that a Dragon Age game would have similar gameplay to previous Dragon Age games." Shinobi: "Veilguard does have similar gameplay though, just not the exact same gameplay." [source]

"Open world doesn't automatically mean better. Inquisition's open world zones were basically Bioware's response to Skyrim and anticipating that's what players wanted. The big zones were cool but they were also bloated and full of uninteresting quests. Andromeda also took Mass Effect to huge open world zones and they had the same result. It was ass and the game benefited nothing from it. It's better for Bioware to stick to what they do best which is tighter, more structured play spaces." [source]

"they'll do what they think they're good at. Inquisition was highly rated, but the big open areas were also flawed. If they felt that's not what they'll excel at, that's fine. There ARE larger open areas in Veilguard though. If that's your very strict definition on what will make the game good apparently." [source]

"If you're sole definition of a Dragon Age game is that you can take direct control of companions and a tac-cam, it's understandable. But I think it's completely false that this is somehow unrecognizable as a Dragon Age game. There are tons of different aspects that define the series outside of that." [source]

"It's been evolving and changing for over a decade." [source]

"They did say there are some "killer cameos" they're keeping secret. My mind's going to several different possibilities..." [source]

User: "Yeah, they need to wrap up this story in this game. I'm already a little annoyed that we are getting another "the veil is torn and demons are wrecking havoc" story. They cannot stretch that to a third game." Shinobi: "It's a lot more than that. It's not a repeat of Inquisition or anything." [source]

"This might genuinely be the most in depth CC in a mainstream RPG that I've seen." [source]

"Yeah this is more like Inquisition, though you could still change out companion helmets in that one." [source]

"They did confirm tavern songs are back so that's good news, and The Swan (Minrathous tavern) has a bunch." [source]

"Yeah there's a good amount of veterans working on Veilguard. Though I always find that to be such a weird qualifier, and it seemingly always comes up with Bioware in particular. As if there aren't tons of talented non-Bioware devs from across the industry who could join the team and still write and design a great game. Like nah, it can't be a good game unless it's got people who've been there for 20 years! 😄" [source]

"There are also rune items you can equip that provide different effects and act as their own abilities basically, plus ultimate attacks for each class specialization (so 9 total), plus finisher moves and things like elemental combo detonations for extra damage." [source]

"there are definitely 'open areas' you can explore around in. It's not more linear than ME2." [source]

User: "Is my reading of "mission-based" it being like ME2/3 correct?" Shinobi: "Yeah, in that regard, it's more structured like Mass Effect, which I think is to its benefit. DAI just suffered way too much from open world bloat. I think the tighter, handcrafted structure works a lot better." [source]

User: "How big are the areas? Like the first game where you open the map and pick a location?" Shinobi: "Don't know exactly. But that's what I was told. There are several open ended areas that are explorable in the story. Plus a hub area." [source]

"I think if fans have been yearning for a quality Bioware game like they were used to before, this is that. Tight design, great character models, environments, animations have gone next level, combat fluidity, etc...it's all here. I compare it to the jump from ME1->ME2. [re: the jump in quality/fidelity/presentation.] This isn't a spoiler, as Game Informer said, it's a full on action RPG, and you can still pause and issue commands. But this is not DAO. Preferences put aside, Bioware's moved on from that ages ago. This isn't BG3 at all. But they've put a huge emphasis on making combat feel good to play. As in engaging the player, more real-time, more Mass Effect. It's a meaty, single player RPG with lots of systems going on inside. Also, like they said, this is the prologue, the beginning of the game. Keep that in mind if you don't see everyone's powers unlocked or intense pause and play. If you keep all that in mind, I think you'll really like this." [source]

"But it's a big jump for Bioware. [re: animations]" [source]

"[rogues are] flashy, jump around a lot, etc." [source]

"Party members can definitely get knocked out in battle" [source]

"It's important to note that what was shown was completely level 1 combat, and likely on easy mode for demo purposes. There is way more to it in more advanced battles. When it opens up with way more abilities, unique momentum attacks, ultimates, and other...things they haven't shared yet, on higher difficulties, it will look and feel way different." [source]

"It'll be rated M. It's got its share of nudity lol." [source]

User: "should we expect a comparable level of dialogue role playing as we had in Inquisition? I don't mind the changes to combat but there seemed to be more auto dialogue here than I remember from Inquisition or Tresspasser." Shinobi: "Yeah. That was just the intro. They just like to keep the pace going for a big start to the game." [source]

"This isn't accurate at all though, and it keeps getting perpetuated. Yes, there's been departures like Casey Hudson, Aaryn Flynn, Mike Laidlaw, etc, but I could easily list dozens of people at Bioware right now that have been there for 10-20+ years, some even longer. Do they just...not count for some reason? The entire core team building Mass Effect right now were OG leads on ME1-3, been there for over 20 years. And even outside of that, like, does this really matter? Do you know one of the game's premier VFX/lighting designers worked for ILM? Or one of the cinematic leads is an alum from Blizzard? Or one of the creature animators was a senior creature animator on Horizon Forbidden West? Talent is talent. And if we look at the industry through that lens too, sure, tons of studios are just "X, Y, Z studio in name", in many ways. There's no studio in the industry that holds on to their entire team for 30-40 years." [source]

"They do have that data. And I think even this thread would be shocked at how tiny of a % of players took direct control of other companions. Or went into tac-cam. Not just Inquisition but the whole series." [source]

[windcarvedlyre]

I've been following @druidposting's DR2 playthrough on discord and we just had a really good discussion about DR's Closing Arguments. Specifically the way the murderer is depicted as grey and featureless, which until now I found a bit annoying.

In Danganronpa it's repeatedly the case that we don't have the full picture until the talking actually stops- which always goes beyond the end of the trial. We generally vote first and come to understand what the murderer's actual motive was, sometimes filling in important pieces of the timeline in the process, afterwards.

But none of that matters for the killing game because characters' emotions aren't directly relevant to who was the 'blackened'- the only thing that matters to Monokuma- so it comes out afterwards and does nothing to change their execution. It doesn't matter how sympathetic they are (basically everyone) or whether other people share responsibility for the situation (eg. Hanamura, Pekoyama, Momota) or whether they intended to murder at all (Nanami). They objectively pulled the trigger and nothing else matters. Nothing about them as a person matters.

The Closing Argument mechanic might illustrate that problem- literally. They're a dramatic, conclusive summary of the entire case... constructed before the vote even happens, before we know if we're actually right, and they're missing something really important:

The actual perpetrator.

We quite literally don't even begin to see the real person behind the crime, any real exploration of their mental state, anything besides the cold, hard facts of the murder that are necessary to convict them, until the comic finishes and the protagonist makes their final accusation- replacing the grey figure with their real appearance in a shot that's often intensely emotional.

And these comics lack crucial parts of the case's timeline and sometimes important parts of the very scenes they depict that we only find out about afterwards. And those are what we know; characters may die with some pieces of the truth and prevent us from ever learning them. These aren't objective depictions of the murder, they're the protagonist's subjective attempt to connect the facts they have. A join-the-dots portrait of someone with missing dots and no colour.

Even characters' expressions may not match how they truly feel, with the grey placeholder potentially looking way more confident and sinister than they were in reality. Pasting Falter's commentary here since they put it well.

For obvious reasons this could especially be a problem for characters that die before the trial- the ones we never get a post-vote testimony from. DR1 chapter 4 really highlighted that in the way Asahina's huge misinterpretation of Oogami's feelings took up a lot of the post-trial discussion, only for Monokuma to reveal Oogami's real suicide note and recontextualise everything.

It might really be a problem for how Komaeda's depicted in DR2 chapter 5. While he isn't greyed out, we get panel after panel where he's either level-headed or maniacally evil, and even the depictions of his self-torture and death don't humanise him:

But we know that his real feelings were more complicated than that. We have his actual corpse to compare the last page to.

He died afraid.

If we approach the comic as Hinata's mental image of him instead of reality, he died without anyone truly understanding him. He was alarming, very hard to relate to, actively fought against people doing so, ensured even the killer didn't watch him die, and the survivors couldn't begin to understand his motive until a chapter later. The Closing Argument reflects that.

Early in DR1 Togami calls out the rest of his class for judging others by their own standards. However, he, too, is doing this, maybe more so than many other characters; his inability to view other people through anything but the cold, brutal logic of the killing game bites him in the ass in chapter 4. In DR2 chapter 2 voting without a good understanding of Pekoyama's motive or Kuzuryuu's involvement nearly got everyone killed. Komaeda's a walking embodiment of the problems with flattening people into caricatures and not empathising with them, suffered from people doing that back to him, and his case- the Closing Argument for which turned everyone else into grey placeholders- was impossible to solve with objective facts. It was only survivable because the survivors cooperated and one person tried to analyse things the way he would.

The games have always been a critique of the justice system and Japanese society and push us to care about others as individuals, not reduce them to- and judge their right to exist by- something they've done or their net impact on society. There are always consequences when someone neglects to do that, and the above might be yet another way the games explore that theme.

[mikimakiboo]

A second chance

Part 2

Hi hello here I come with some mpreg for you to eat (and Errormare also)

Original post with the context but basically it's Nightmare being pregnant and Dream not having a clue about it until he does

Can I even call it mpreg if I headcanon Nightmare as nonbinary ? Shouldn't I call it skelepreg instead ? But then again he does use he/him pronouns... hmmmm....

Aaaalso Nightmare and Error's baby was created by me ! His name is Moroz !

TW: male pregnancy, Dream being stupid for drama reasons, vomit, swearing

And I finished writing and proof reading this at 3:30am because fuck my sleep schedule (there might be mistakes left)

Dream was staring at his brother who had been waiting for him, having entered this AU specifically to get his attention and make him come, but he didn't look like he wanted to fight. Dream didn't want to fight either. Not after everything that happened, not after how stupid he had been.

The raids in AUs were starting to get less frequent, the Stars noticed, and while they could have rejoiced about it, they couldn't help but think that this might have only been the calm before the storm, so when they felt Nightmare and his gang in a pacifist AU, they rushed to it. They didn't lose any time, the gang was here for a reason and they didn't want to wait and see what was said reason.

The fights didn't seem to change, Ink would take on Cross and Dust, and Blue would take on Horror and Killer, leaving Dream with his brother, as usual, to try and talk first before engaging in a real duel.

Nightmare seemed tensed, his tentacles were on a defensive stance more than an offensive one, but that didn't stop Dream from being careful, his arrow ready to shoot. He knew his brother's tactics, he knew that if needed he wouldn't hesitate to appear weak so that the positivity guardian would lower his guard, and then he would strike.

- You and your gang should leave, you know you are not welcome here.

Dream warned, earning a chuckle from his brother.

- Then please tell me where we are we-ourgh-

Nightmare abruptly stopped mid sentence, almost slamming a hand on his mouth, as he scooted closer to the nearest tree to keep balance as he bent over to throw up. Dream didn't expect that. This... wasn't like any trick Nightmare had pulled by the past, it looked very much honest and he could feel his brother's discomfort from where he was standing a few meters away.

- Are... you okay... ?

Dream asked, unsure of what to do as he lowered his bow. Nightmare raised a hand.

- Do not get closer.

He warned, spitting on the ground, before standing straight again and regaining his previous place.

- Okay I'm fine we can start again.

Dream stared at him for a moment, frowning. His brother just threw up in front of him. He had never threw up before.

- I'm not fighting you if you're sick.

He refused, to which Nightmare frowned.

- Fuck you mean you're not fighting me ?

Dream withdrew his arrow, making it dissapear.

- I mean I am not fighting you. You're sick, I'm not fighting someone who's sick.

- I'm not sick !

Nightmare protested, swallowing his saliva, the bad taste still in his mouth. Dream arched a brow, clearly not believing him.

- You just threw up, like, right in front of me.

Nightmare huffed, as if it was a false accusation.

- And since when do you even care ? You've never asked me if I was fine before shooting me !

- Because you have never been sick before !

Dream answered, defending himself.

- Oh I've been sick plenty of times I just didn't think to tell you because you obviously wouldn't have cared.

Dream frowned, did his brother think he was stupid ? That he would believe him ?

- Are you talking about your attempts at making me lower my guard by appearing weaker than you are ? Because that doesn't work on me.

Nightmare stared at him, seeming confused, not quite understanding what his brother was referencing to.

- What the fuck are you on about, I've never done that.

- Oh so you're gaslighting me now ?

Dream couldn't believe it, he knew his brother could set the bar low sometimes if it advantaged him, but this low ? He really didn't expect it, and it kinda took him aback.

- Bitch you're the one gaslighting me ! Telling me I did things I didn't do !

- I am not the one- !

- Boss ! Cross opened a portal, hurry before Ink's up again !

Killer interrupted Dream, catching his brother's attention. Ink had been knocked out by one of Dust's blasters and Blue rushed to his side, leaving enough time for Cross to open a portal to the castle and let the others throught. Nightmare turned his attention to his henchman and after a quick glance towards his brother, he left, which confirmed to Dream that he was sick, because Nightmare had never left a fight without lending at least one hit at him. He knew he should have felt relieved to see his brother leave so fast, but he really hoped he would get better soon..

Nightmare had already walked a few meters when he snapped Dream out of his thoughts.

- You're coming or what ?

Dream jumped, looking at his brother, he didn't notice he had started walking.

- Uh, y-yeah, sorry, got distracted...

He apologized, catching up to him to follow his lead, glancing at his round belly. He still couldn't fully believe it.

It had been quite a few weeks after the "fight" when Dream saw his brother again. He had felt the presence of the group in a peaceful AU but didn't feel any negativity peak, so before alerting the whole team he decided to check himself, not wanting to bother his friends if it was a false alert or a simple decoy. They seemed to be walking throught the trees, on a trail path, talking and laughing. What kind of plan was that ? What were they trying to achieve ? Were they looking to lure people near them by seeming friendly ? Dream didn't trust that. He discretely got closer when they stopped, Dust having found something on the ground that seemed to interest him enough to crounch down.

As Dream got closer, he noticed his brother's aura had changed, he couldn't quite tell why or how, but he seemed different, his tentacles weren't summoned, and when he turned around...

- Oh damn you've got fat !

Dream slapped his hands on his mouth, the whole group froze and turned to look at him, Nightmare frowned.

- I beg your pardon ?

Nightmare asked, rightfully offended. Dream didn't mean to say that. He didn't mean to talk at all but he had been so surprised ! Nightmare had gained weight since the last time they met, and it wasn't the first time they wouldn't see each other for weeks, but he had never gained weight like that. Killer took a knife from his pocket, and Cross summoned his blades, but Nightmare raised a hand before they could attack.

- Frist gaslighting and now fatshaming ? You've sunken lower than I would've expected you to, Dream. Nightmare hissed.

- I didn't mean it like that ! Dream defended himself. I mean, are you okay ? That seems like a lot of weight, are you sick ? Have you been taking care of yourself, eating healthy, exercising ?

Dust got up to join the others by Nightmare's side. Dream's twin looked at him like he could kill him with his gaze only, and the guardian felt chills running up his spine.

- I don't need any of your fucking "I'm better than you" lifestyle advice !

Dream took a step back when Nightmare got closer, but Horror had put a hand on his shoulder to prevent the negativity guardian from going too far from their protective circle, which Dream at first didn't get the need as Nightmare was strong enough to defend himself, but if he really was sick, he most likely was weaker too.

- I'm not trying to give you lifestyle advice, I'm concerned about your health.

- You're concerned about my health ? Really ? Tell me why you're here then.

- Wha-

- Tell me why you're here. Nightmare interrupted him, crossing his arms.

Dream thought for a moment, staring at Nightmare and the others as his twin waited for the answer. What point was Nightmare trying to make by asking him why he came here ?

- I.. came to make sure everything was alright..

- In the universe.

- Sorry ? Dream frowned.

- In the universe. Nightmare repeated. You came to make sure everything was alright, in the universe. Last time we saw each other I threw up and, sure, you didn't fight me this time, but you still accused me of lying about all the other times I've been sick and you still fought me, and today you are here, unaware if I'm doing better or not by the way, because you wanted to make sure your precious universe was doing fine, and first thing you say when you see me ? "Damn you got fat", not even a "how are you doing ?", just that I got fat. You don't care about my health. You've never cared about it.

Dream was speechless for a while, he didn't know how to answer that. He did care about his brother, he was genuinely worried about him, but Nightmare wasn't wrong when he said he came here for the universe, he did come here to make sure they weren't hurting anyone, not to ask if Nightmare was doing better, which Dream hoped he did but given his sudden extra weight he doubted it. Would it seem dishonest to ask now ? To ask only after Nightmare pointed it out ? It certainly would, but not asking would only confirm what Nightmare stated: that Dream didn't really care about his health.

- We're going home. Nightmare said as he turned.

Cross looked at his boss before nodding, using his blade to tear the AU's code and create a portal.

- How am I supposed to know when you're attacking an AU and when you're not ?

Dream asked before Nightmare could cross the portal, stopping him dead, and Dream could tell by his aura getting colder that he didn't take it well. Dream didn't mean it to be rude, he just didn't want to make another mistake. Nightmare turned, Horror and Cross were ready to stop him again and Killer seemed ready to jump at the golden guardian's throat, Dust's expression was hidden by the shadow of his hood but Dream was sure he was mad too.

- Oh I don't know, maybe when the fucking balance tips towards negativity ? Nightmare answered sarcastically. Which, mind you, didn't happen today because we weren't causing any trouble, and in fact, we specifically stayed away from the town to take a nice walk in the forest, unless we are forbidden to do that too ?

Dream frowned, he didn't like where this conversation was going, where Nightmare was orienting it.

- You want me to wait until you hurt people to intervene ? I'm not risking it and you know that.

Nightmare didn't seem to take this answer well either.

- Do you really think the only reason for us to go out is to bring chaos ? That our life revolves so much around hurting people that we cannot go out for anything else and you have to chase us the moment we put a foot in an universe ? And that's why you're here, isn't it ? Because you believe that sooner or later we'll attack ?

- Well excuse me but every time you go out with your subordinates we have to fight you to make you leave, if you weren't here for troubles we wouldn't have to fi-

- How did you call us ? Cross interrupted him, confused.

Dream frowned, not expecting to be corrected on that point, and not seeing how it was a problem.

- His subordinates ? Dream repeated.

- You're making it sound like they're slaves.

Nightmare accused him, sounding almost disgusted by the thought of it.

- Isn't that.. close ?

- We're not his- ! Killer tried to counter, but Nightmare stopped him.

- Killer. He looked at Dream, frowning. They are not my slaves or subordinates or whatever pejorative name you want to call them, they are my friends and we are a tea-

- They're your friends ? Dream cut him, the surprise he felt showing in his voice.

- Yes they are. Nightmare hissed.

Dream looked at him in chock. He never thought of that alternative. Why did he never think of that ? Why did he never think his brother was capable of making friends ? He never saw him having friends, even when they were children, but they weren't children anymore. But Nightmare got worse, he got corrupted, if he didn't have friends then, why would he now ?

- I... didn't know you had friends... he admitted.

- Well I do. Because guess what ? I don't spend my life torturing people like everyone think I do.

Dream frowned at that. He wanted to believe it, of course, he wanted to believe his brother still had some good in him, but with the amount of corruption he had, the amount of negativity he needed to feed himself, what guaranteed him that this wasn't a lie to make him feel bad ? What guaranteed him that Nightmare wasn't playing with his feelings to feed on them too ?

- That's... isn't that what you live for... ? More negativity... ?

He could tell Nightmare got mad by the way his gaze changed.

- No I don't. I don't spend my life hoarding negativity like some kind of dragon, I have other occupations you know, we all have.

- You don't just.. plan for future attacks.. ?

- No the fuck I don't ! Nightmare yelled, Horror put his hand back on his shoulder. I don't spend my free time planning stuff or plotting against you, my life doesn't revolve around you ! I do stuff, I go out, I read, I spend time with my friends, I go on dates, because yes I have a boyfriend, I play games, watch movies, I just live ! I live like a normal fucking person !

Dream took a step back, cautious, when Nightmare started to yell it usually never ended good. How was Dream supposed to know all that ? He had never seen his brother being anything but angry, bored or annoyed ! How could he have guessed ? It wasn't like anyone could attest it, no one had ever seen Nightmare show kindness to anything.

- Well I didn't know ! It's not something I could have guessed !

- Guess what ?! That I have a life ?! Nightmare barked.

- That you have feelings ! Dream yelled back.

Nightmare froze. Dream didn't add anything. It came out before he could refrain it. He didn't mean it like that, he knew his brother had feelings, of course he had, only objects didn't have feelings, what he didn't know was that he could feel positive emotions. Everytime they met, he only felt negativity, he thought the corruption was refraining him from feeling positivity, he thought he was cursed in a way, that he just couldn't feel fully. How could he have guessed it wasn't true when Nightmare never let him see it ?

He regretted saying that almost instantly, he saw the change in Nightmare's gaze, he felt the shift in his aura, he caught a glimpse of the tears forming in his eyesocket when Horror gently ushered him into the portal and he didn't resist. Killer jumped forward, Dust caught him by the arm.

- Let me at him ! I'm gonna fucking kill him !

Dust's gaze locked on Dream, cold.

- He doesn't even deserve our time. Let's go home, Night needs us. He added loud enough for Dream to hear the nickname, then pulled Killer throught the portal.

Dream watched it close behind them. He really screwed everything up, didn't he ? He didn't mean to sound like that, he didn't mean to make it seem like he didn't consider Nightmare like a person, like he was just some sort of beast, but how could he have guessed differently when that was all that he even saw ? All that he knew ? All that he heard ? Everyone was telling him the same things: Nightmare was bad, Nightmare didn't feel happiness, only sadism, Nightmare couldn't feel positivity, Nightmare used his henchmen like pawns. Dream heard that everywhere, and he never got to see the contrary. Was he at fault for believing the multiverse ?

Maybe he was. Maybe he should have investigated himself, looked for proof instead of believing words, but he was so young when he got out of stone. So young, so scared and so lost, what could he have done then ? His universe was no more, his own brother was the reason of it, and everyone agreed to tell him he was a bad person capable of no good. How could Dream not believe that when he had witnessed it himself ? There wasn't any reason for Dream not to believe them.

And yet here he was, standing on an empty trail path, shame burning his chest, wondering for the first time if everyone lied to him from the beginning just to make sure he was on their side. Did the villagers lie too ? Had he been lied to from the very beginning ? How many lies did he blindly believe ? Was he really that naive ? Was he really that fucking stupid that even now as an adult he couldn't think for himself and check if all of it was true ? He didn't want it to be true... he didn't want his brother to be but a negativity seeking monster, he didn't want that to be the reality, he had never wanted it, but he had always foolishly believed it.

Such a stupid child. Stupid child and now stupid adult. Couldn't even think for himself, always waiting to be held by the hand and guided into a fake reality.

Dream got pulled out of his thoughts again when he heard the sound of a bell ringing: Nightmare had entered a building, one that he knew very well for having spent time inside before: Ccino's cat cafe. It was way past closing time.

- Isn't Ccino closed at that time ? Dream asked, still entering after his brother.

- I've got a special permission, it helps when I'm not welcome anywhere else.

Dream looked down, his feeling of shame returning, knowing he contributed to that.

- I'm coming ! Ccino's voice called from the kitchen.

As the owner of the coffee shop arrived, a few cats followed him, some going to Nightmare to purr against his legs.

Ccino stopped when seeing his two clients, not used to having both the twins at the same time in his shop, but still smiled, looking at Nightmare especially.

- How's it going ? You didn't tell me you were expecting twins ? Ccino asked, guiding them to their table.

Nightmare chuckled. Dream never heard him chuckle. Never happily at least.

- Oh I'm not, he's alone in there, just taking up space.

- Well you know what they say: big belly small baby.

Nightmare arched a brow, smiling.

- Do they say that ?

- Well I do, Ccino snickered back.

Dream listened to their joyous conversation without intervening, the two obviously seemed to be good friends, enough for Nightmare to tell Ccino about his pregnancy, Dream didn't want to interfere with that. He felt his soul clench a little in his chest thought, he knew he had no right to feel sad about that but part of him was pained that his brother didn't tell him. He learnt he was pregnant by pure chance.

Dream was at the grocery store, he hadn't seen Nightmare in three months, and guilt hadn't stopped eating him since then. He wanted to apologize more than anything, but he didn't know how. He didn't know what to say that would make Nightmare at least agree to listen to him, he didn't need to forgive him, Dream couldn't forgive himself either, but he just wanted him to listen, to know he is sorry. But Dream didn't know what to say, where to start, if he should start by what happened in Dreamtale, or what happened after, what happened on that trail path or in that fight... he had so much to apologize for, he didn't know where to start. He should apologize to his gang, no, his friends, they were his friends, too.

He sighed, putting the can he was holding back on the shelf before moving to another aisle. He didn't know what he was looking for, he just came in the store to clear his mind, think about something else. Nature always reminded him too much of Dreamtale, he didn't need that right now.

He heard something fall on the ground next to him, and someone muttering a swear, looking at the fallen object he saw it was box of plastic spoons for babies, so he naturally bent down to pick it up, not wanting a possibly pregnant person to make unnecessary efforts when he could give them a hand.

- I've got it- he froze when he stood up, box in hand.

Nightmare was in front of him, frozen too, a hand on his full of baby stuff cart. Dream stared at him, he didn't expect to see him here, and especially not in the baby aisle. He suddenly had a thought when seeing him like that, and his gaze slowly deviated itself from his brother's gaze, going down until Dream saw what he thought was extra weight, but now very much looked like a pregnant belly.

Nightmare reflexively put his arm around his belly when noticing that Dream was looking at it, taking a step back as if afraid he would attack him inside the store.

Dream looked up, frowning, he wasn't going to attack him, but he could understand why Nightmare would think the contrary, and he didn't want to make him more nervous by staring at his belly for too long. He had told him he was fat. He had told him he was fat and looked sick when all this time he was just pregnant. He had told him such atrocities. He felt so much worse, but he was also relieved because it meant that his brother's health was good, that he wasn't sick, he was even expecting a child, he was truly happy for him ! He really was, but would Nightmare believe him if he told him ?

Nightmare's gaze kept going from Dream to the spoons, and that was when the guardian noticed he was still holding them. He slowly handed them back to his brother, watching him take them in a hurry to shove them in the cart and start leaving right away, not wanting to stay here any longer.

- Nightmare, wait ! Dream called before he could even think about it.

Nightmare stopped, not turning around, but Dream knew he was listening, waiting for what he had to say, giving him a chance of maybe not fucking it up this time... Dream wasn't sure what to say, apart from the truth...

- Congratulations.. I'm happy for you, I really am... I'm sorry for everything...

Nightmare didn't answer, waiting another few seconds before leaving the aisle and leaving Dream alone when he didn't add anything else. Was it a good sign ? Dream wasn't sure, he hoped it was, but he would also understand if Nightmare never wanted to talk to to him ever again, at least he knew he was sorry...

That must have been a good sign, or else his brother wouldn't have been waiting for him a few days later, leading him to this cat cafe.

- As usual ? Ccino asked Nightmare.

- Make it two, he answered.

- Alright, make yourself at home.

Dream watched as Ccino went back to the kitchen, leaving the twins alone. He was sitting in front of Nightmare, a cat was purring against his brother's laps as he was softly petting him. For how many years had Dream wished he could sit this peacefully with his brother ? For how many years had he been lied to, hearing that it would never be possible as his brother was too far gone in his corruption ? For how many years had he believed these lies ?

- Go on, Nightmare talked, say what you must.

Dream looked at him, playing with his thumbs under the table, nervous, he knew Nightmare could feel it too.

- You... you said "he"... does that mean you're having a boy.. ?

Dream asked, he didn't want to assume the baby's gender, he didn't want to assume anything anymore, he wanted to know for sure and the best way to know the truth about his brother was to ask his brother in person.

- I am. His name is Moroz, Error came up with the idea. Nightmare confirmed.

- Is... Error the dad... ?

Nightmare nodded.

- We worked on his aphephobia, he's doing way better. Guarding negativity also means knowing how phobias work and how to deal with them, not just terrorizing people.

Dream looked down, nodding. He didn't try to defend himself, why would he ? Nightmare was right.

- Here you go, have a good time. Ccino said as he came back.

They thanked him when he put their orders on the table before leaving them alone again. Dream looked at it: there was a mug of hot chocolate and a plate with a homemade piece of brownie and a vanilla ice cream ball on it. It looked delicious.

The two started eating in silence. The first to break it was Nightmare.

- I never hated you you know, I was mad at you because you never tried to understand me, from when we were kids to now, I felt like you never really cared about me... you never tried to ask me about my point of view, how I experienced things, you would just believe whatever your friends would say and leave me behind...

Dream looked up from his mug. Was that how Nightmare had felt all these years ? Left behind ? Not listened to ? How did Dream never notice this ?

- I did care about you, I always did and I still do, I'm so sorry I didn't make you feel that way... I really wasn't a good brother to you, but you were everything to me, you still are, and I don't know how to show it, I never knew...

He apologized, looking at his brownie, not feeling brave enough to meet his brother's gaze.

- You could start by not believing what everyone tells you to... people like saying bad things about me, very few of them are true...

- I know... at least I want to know... I want to know you, the real you, not the one people made up for me... I want to know my brother, I want to know my twin...

He slowly looked up. Nightmare had a soft gaze.

- I'm not asking for forgiveness, I know what I did all those years was more than horrible, but if you allow me, I would like to try and do better for you... I want to do better, to be better, I want to be a good brother... I want to listen to you and not the others, not anymore...

- I don't forgive you...

It stung. But Dream knew he couldn't force him to forgive him, and it was okay, he didn't deserve forgiveness, he knew what he did, he knew the damage couldn't be repaired with just some words, but he was ready to do so much more than words.

- But... I want to give you another chance... I want to know my brother too, I want my son to know his uncle... Nightmare added.

Dream nodded, a relieved smile appearing on his lips. His brother accepted to give him a second chance, to let him meet his son, it was more than he could have wished for.

- I'll do my best, I promise.

- I know.

Nightmare smiled, for the first time in years, he smiled at his brother, a real smile. Dream was sure he cried at that moment. He spent the rest of the evening on a cloud of happiness, enjoying a calm moment with his brother, forgetting the world around them, he would have wished it never came to an end, but Nightmare had to go home, he didn't want to worry the others, and the pregnancy was tiring, he had to rest. Dream didn't try to stop him, smiling as he watched him cross the glitchy portal, knowing a home was waiting for him. He truly was happy for him.

Dream didn't see his brother much after that, he was approaching the end of his pregnancy, he could understand that he wanted to stay home, even if it did worry him, so when Cross came to him to tell him Nightmare wanted to see him, he didn't hesitate before following him.

He had never seen Nightmare's house, well, castle it that case, he must admit that his brother might have been a tad dramatic, but the interior was warm and cozy, welcoming, a lot of work had been put into it. It was so far from what everyone kept saying, from the cold and dark manor people would describe.

Dream was waiting in a little saloon, sitting on a couch, he didn't dare touch anything, afraid to break something important. A door opened, and Dream turned, Nightmare was looking at him from the doorstep. Dream got up but didn't come closer, waiting for his brother to either come by himself or tell him to come.

- You can sit back down, I'm coming in a minute, just wanted to see if you were here. Nightmare informed him.

- Of course I'm here... Dream replied, sitting down again.

Nightmare looked at him for a bit longer before leaving the room again. He didn't come back too long after, this time holding a little ball of covers in his arms, he sat next to Dream on the couch.

- I want you to meet someone... Nightmare said, looking at the cover in his arms.

Dream almost gasped when Nightmare moved one of the covers, revealing a little face looking at him with still sleepy eyes. A black-boned baby, with cyan markings on his cheeks and fingers, and big light blue eyelights. His brother's baby, his nephew. Dream got a little closer, not to much, but still enough to see him better. He felt tears forming in his eyesockets, and he knew he was smiling.

- He's adorable...

- I know... Nightmare replied, smiling lovingly at his son.

Moroz shifted, slowly looking up at Dream as Nightmare caressed his round cheek.

- He's your uncle, honey...

Dream felt his soul getting warmer when Nightmare introduced him, it was surely ridiculous, but hearing him introduce him as his child's uncle ? The simple fact he introduced him to his child ? Dream hardly could have felt happier.

He didn't start good as a brother, but Dream swore on his life he would change, he swore he would do better, and he would be the best uncle to his nephew. No one in the whole multiverse could ever convince him this sweet child was the fruit of two heartless monsters, no one could ever lead him like he was lead before. He made it a promise, he would never believe lies again.

[silvermoon424]

Katy, I ended up watching a video that talked about the rise and fall of Oshi no Ko, which I remember you loving a while back and at the end of it I was like

I am so sorry this happened to a series you loved.

BESTIE I THINK WE SAW THE SAME VIDEO!! It's a really good, thorough recap of the series and why and how it drove off a fucking cliff, lol.

But yeah, the series was already on a steady decline for, like, a year and a half before it finally ended. But it was very much salvageable until Akasaka pulled "the father of the twins created a serial killer cult and Aqua had to do a murder-suicide with him to protect Ruby's career for some reason" out of his ass.

A lot of people (myself included) have pointed out that it feels like Akasaka originally planned the ending as "Aqua and Hikaru die together in the ocean as part of Aqua's revenge plot" and remained totally married to the idea even after Oshi no Ko grew into something else.

In the ACTUAL story, Aqua learns to let go of vengeance and decides to prioritize living for his friends and family (and because, well, life itself is worth sticking around for). His "revenge" on his father is non-violent; he first destroys Hikaru's reputation, then as the coup de grace reveals that Ai (whom he's been obsessed with and hung up over for YEARS) truly did love and care about him all along; he just didn't understand her. This seems to have a profound impact on Hikaru, to the point where he says he'll turn himself in for his crimes.

BUT PSYCH!!!! It turns out that he's actually an evil serial killer who is working with a member of Ai's old idol group who was obsessed with her, and they're going to keep trying to kill Ruby so she can't surpass Ai as the Most Perfect Idol Ever. So Aqua CLEARLY has no other choice than to commit suicide while also murdering his father to save... Ruby's career? He explicitly kills Hikaru AND himself to make it look like HE was murdered bc he doesn't want Ruby to be known as the sister of a murderer, which would ruin her career.

And then Ruby becomes Ai 2.0, lies and all. And earlier on the series made sure to emphasize that being an idol is a very ephemeral career with a hard expiration date, so Ruby will have like... a decade at most of being an idol before the industry finishes chewing her up. I'm totally sure she would rather have that than her brother!!!!

I can literally go on for a novella-length time about how utterly dogshit this ending is, lmao. If it were framed as a tragedy that would be one thing, but there's this really uncomfortable tone throughout that paints Aqua killing himself for his sister's career as beautiful and noble and I'm just like 👁️👄👁️

Ai Hoshino is still best girl tho 🩷

[stephexmachina]

hi zeph it’s daisy arrow-ettes :) what would you say is required reading for azdick. asking for a friend

HI DAISY!!!!!! no need to announce yourself i would know our beloved daisymayys anywhere 🩷

this is Such a good question & i am SO HONOURED you asked me (on behalf of your friend, of course 😊) plus if anyone else has seen azdick posts floating around & is thinking "so who's this blonde bitch, anyway?" this guide is also for you!!

i tend to assume that people know a decent amount about dick already, even if just by proximity, so i'll be focusing on jpv here. if you're totally unfamiliar with jpv, you'll want to start with sword of azrael 1992, one of my favouriteeeee mini series of all time. it establishes his origin, personality, & acquaintance with batman in four short issues, plus it's packed full of charm to boot!!

sword of azrael is then followed by the iconic knightfall saga. would i recommend it? ABSOLUTELY. it is, however, super long, & i know lots of people might not be up to that. so if you don't have the time or means to read the entirety of the knightfall saga & you just want to get an idea of jean-paul & dick's dynamic throughout that arc, i'd say the essential azdick reading is: batman #500, shadow of the bat #29, detective comics #676, batman #510, shadow of the bat #30, & detective comics #677.

these should give you an overview of how nightwing feels about azrael/jean-paul + their dramatic confrontation in knightsend. once you've finished the knightfall saga or the condensed azdick reading above, you can jump into azrael 1995, of which #13 is jpv & dick focused. gotham knights #14 similarly spotlights both characters, while gotham knights #30 marks the start of their next falling out, which continues in azrael #91 & #93.

after this, the next jpv & dick conflict doesn't occur for another twenty years or so, in detective comics #1087. & that sums up my personal azdick required reading!!

reading these issues will give you a solid sense of their dynamic, but to understand why they react the way they do i would absolutely recommend reading knightfall through knightsend + no man's land if you get a chance!! the major preboot arcs may seem daunting for their sheer length, but they're well-collected in pretty straightforward volumes, and the stories themselves are genuinely killer.

azrael + azrael: agent of the bat are must-reads for jpv's characterisation – he has the gentlest, most awkwardly endearing personality, & he grapples with some really powerful questions of identity & belonging throughout. if you want a general idea of what you'd be getting into, i'm dropping an assortment of beloved jpv/azrael moments from my screenshots folder below to hopefully entice you to pick up azrael 95:

if you want to take the plunge & read EVERYTHING jpv (& you do, right? of course you do) i've also devised a handy spreadsheet guide to reading his knightfall era appearances!! the chronological list of jpv appearances i referenced is sourced from the dcuguide, i simply colour-coded each issue according to the trade paperback it's collected in for easier reading – e.g. all knightfall vol 1 appearances are in dark pink, all knightsend appearances are in red, etc etc. any uncollected issues are left grey – they aren't included in the TPBs so you'll have to seek them out individually if you want to read them.

plus, if you make a copy of the spreadsheet to keep on your personal drive, you can either tick off each issue individually as you read it, or you can tick them off in batches as you finish each TPB. whatever works for you!! the link to the spreadsheet is here, so go forth & get jpvheaded <333

[stereopticons]

On This Day in Schitt's Creek: June 27

2019

Can I Get a Hallelujah? [david/patrick, M, 2,855] by @rideswraptors

Patrick's thoughts about his burgeoning relationship with David before they stay at Stevie's.

David-Proof [david/patrick, G, 1,205] by Westgate

Patrick keeps a David-proof budget that David doesn't know about. Until he does.

Door Closed [david/patrick, E, 3,132] by @wildxwired

It’s all Patrick’s fault. Mostly Patrick’s fault. About 70/30 Patrick’s fault. A year of having to plan the majority of their physical activity has not been easy, and now that, ironically, Patrick’s got his own place his hormones seem to have regressed to that of a teenager.

I Can't Fight This Feeling Any Longer [david/patrick, NR, 7,710] by deathbysandblk

Sebastien is back in town and Patrick decides to go have a chat with him. Meanwhile, David and Stevie are on a best friend fun adventure night and meet someone interesting!

me and all my friends (we can shake until the bitter end) [david & stevie, G, 2,259] by @thestarsarewinning

“What and why are we drinking?” “Um, I don't know, and today, some snippy teen told me that my life was a mess, so-“ “And I am now a single person.” ** Twyla’s drink making ability has not improved. This does not surprise Stevie. (or, the David, Twyla and Stevie friendship Dan Levy denied us)

nobody gets left behind. [david/patrick, T, 17,502] by @focksii

“Well, it’s a really interesting, mildly depressing story,” David tries to explain. “I, uh. Seem to have-. Left. At least one or two singular cells in New York, with the girl I was seeing just before we lost everything. When we came here, I tried to call her. She was the only person I called, actually. And she never answered the phone to tell me she was-.” He isn’t totally sure what’s most appropriate way to end that sentence. “Pregnant with your baby?” Patrick finishes, with absolutely no judgement in his voice. “Yeah,” David says, voice strained. “That.” OR A little boy with the Rose Family Eyebrows shows up at the motel.

The Debate [david/patrick, G, 453] by KJthePunkAssBookJockey

Patrick just wants to watch the first Democratic Presidential debate for 2020. David's not interested.

2020

A Matter of Perspective [david/patrick, T, 16,499] by @agoodpersonrose

"I told David that he had to be careful with them; they are very literal, and they don’t ask permission like other witches do.” “Witches--” Patrick trails off, frowning to himself. “Yeah, didn’t you know?” “Oh my God, David thought they were Mennonites.” Or, after the Roses leave Schitt's Creek, David and Alexis grow apart due to miscommunication. Three women offer their services to help the Rose siblings grow to understand each other, although their methods are unconventional to say the least. One day later, he wakes up in his sister's body, miles away from home.

All the Time You Need [david/patrick, G, 1,419] by @maxbegone

When Patrick was nine years old, his father and his grandfather taught him how to fish at this very spot; a muddy bed on the edge of a beautiful lake some forty minutes north of his grandfather’s house. -- Written for the prompt: a sad kiss.

as you wish [david/patrick, E, 42,065] by @sparklesmagiclightlove

“Remember the night of your mom’s movie premiere? We had sex while I was high on the—” “Magical wish-granting pain-killers.”“Right, and I know we were joking, but we— we talked about you putting a baby in me—”AKA the AU no one asked for where David and Patrick accidentally make a baby.

D’amour ou d’amitié [david/patrick, G, 276] by Lilibel

Je ne sais pas où je suis quelque part dans sa vieSi je compte aujourd'hui plus qu'une autre pour luiIl est si près de moi pourtant je ne sais pasComment l'aimerLui seul peut décider qu'on se parle d'amourOu d'amitié- Céline Dion « D’amour ou d’amitié »

Gift Giving [david/patrick, E, 4,002] by @streetlampsunset

David tells Patrick he loves him, but the things David gives him mean so much more. Patrick gives David a gift and it’s not nothing. Five things David gives Patrick and one gift Patrick gives David. Can be read as a oneshot.

if it was mine, I wouldn't've put it in my mouth [ronnie/reader, E, 3,571] by @whetherwoman

When Ronnie has you meet her at the cafe, it always puts you a little on edge. Which is, of course, the point.

Maison Valentino [david & alexis, G, 2,552] by bigficenergy

A surprise visit from Alexis gets David thinking more deeply about the fluidity of his wardrobe and identity.

Shake and shiver just to feel you breathe [david/patrick, E, 4,704] by @kiwiana-writes

They agreed, during one of their many discussions on the topic, that they won’t get anywhere near edgeplay unless David asks for what he wants specifically. David had shrugged off this requirement, saying he was happy to just roll with it in the moment, but Patrick had fixed him with the look he gets sometimes when David’s describing something from his past Patrick finds profoundly upsetting and reiterated that if David didn’t ask for it, it wasn’t going to happen. So David takes a deep breath, and he asks for what he wants.

Something Really Stupid [david/patrick, M, 13,000] by @agoodpersonrose

David meets Patrick for the first time the very same day his ex, Sebastien Raine is in town to photograph Moira.

Sunday Kind of Love [david/patrick, T, 4,183] by @simplymarleycat

It's a soft summer Sunday for the boys with a little surprise at the end.

The Color of My Life [david/patrick, NR, 27,366] by A_Pirates_Love_For_Me

.1% of the population is lucky enough to be born without being able to see color. It means that they have a soulmate out there for them to find, a person who will make their lives burst with color. There's only two problems: 1. Patrick doesn't believe in soulmates 2. David doesn't let anyone know that he's colorblind

2021

_Rosegold_ [david/patrick, T, 20,680] by ohhelloyou

Patrick Brewer is too nervous to talk to the new girl at school (Rachel), so he gets her AIM screen name (_Rosegold_) from a friend. He starts messaging her on AIM and finds himself practically glued to his keyboard, addicted to the teasing, flirtatious banter they've established. The only problem is that _Rosegold_ is not Rachel's screen name. It's David's. Or, an AOL Instant Messenger, high school AU riddled with popular songs from 2002.

All the Glory [david/patrick, M, 3,635] by @lisamc-21

David is thriving professionally and goes on vacation to NYC with Stevie. They decide to check out the Museum of Sex, where David encounters a cute tourist in mid-range denim.

Among Ash-Heaps and Millionaires [david/patrick, M, 55,138] by fairmanor

"There were people there that made me feel like I had never seen another human before. They made me feel like I had never lived. I had seen alcohol, but never crystalline fountains of sun and bubbles that slosh through your very veins and heart, cresting like a halo through my better judgement, a single glass more expensive than my Yale tuition. I had seen girls, but never these wandering, opal beauties that came and went like moths, fluttering and twinkling with an arresting confidence that made me believe every word they said. I had seen men, but never…never David Rose." A Great Gatsby AU.

Can You Marry Me? (For Financial Aid) [david/patrick, G, 4,844] by Reese_Taylor27

The fake dating/real feelings college au no one asked for.Based on that text exchange between two friends in college wanting a better FAFSA Application.

Jury Duty [david/patrick, E, 13,257] by @beaiola

“Session finished hours ago, you should have gone home already." David Rose hasn't been able to stop thinking about the defence attorney in the trial in which he's serving on the jury. He returns after hours to see if he can't break this stalemate. - After Moira mentioned the possibility of staging Chicago on the closing night of Cabaret, David can't stop thinking about Patrick-the-lawyer in a three-piece suit. They decide to spend a little time exploring the idea.

London, Love and All It Entails [david/patrick, E, 30,630] by @londonspirit

David and Patrick love each other.This is the story of how they met, fell in love, lost each other (for a little while), found each other again and navigated their lives throughout the years.(Just read, it's worth it, I promise. I'm also terrible at summaries so there's that.)

Of Schlegels and Bennets and Dashwoods and more [david & alexis, G, 1,810] by @missewoodhouse

Apparently I'm turning this into a series now. More Literary Musings - this time on David and Alexis.Through the lens of sibling relationships in some of my favorite Brit Lit. Alternating POVs

Where Words Fail [david/patrick G, 2,275] by @mostlyinthemorning

Clint and Marcy are caught off guard after watching a video of Open Mic Night on YouTube.

2022

Art [david/patrick, T, 1,924] by @treluna4

It was a glorious morning. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and Patrick Brewer was once again stuck behind the front desk at Rose Apothecary with a massive hard-on. If only there was a way to make it go away. If only there was something so completely ridiculous, something so totally unappealing, that it could make Patrick stop thinking about his sexy business partner so he could finish setting up the store before their grand opening.

2023

800 Dollar Pants [david & stevie, G, 110] by @gingerann

What you write on your skin shows up on your soulmate's skin. David is having problems. Patrick is less than sympathetic.

2024

Fuschia [david/patrick, M, 200] by @ramonaflow

This is my first attempt at a double drabble

Stats:

No fanworks for 2017 or 2018 2019: 7 fics/35,116 words 2020: 11 fics/119,637 words 2021: 8 fics/132,269 words 2022: 1 fic/1,924 words 2023: 1 fic/110 words 2024: 1 fic/200 words Total: 29 fics/289,256 words