#AND IT'S SO CLOSE TO ENDING AND I'M EMOTIONAL ABOUT IT

[dodgeballstuckonthegymceiling]

Huge thanks to hattiemagix for commissioning this!

Doey & motherly fem reader

★ When Doey first met the reader, he was immediately wary of her. Her kind nature was unfamiliar and he couldn't tell if it was an act or not, it made him suspicious. Even though he liked it when you were around he tried to keep his distance. Can you really blame him? He’s met a lot of people who’ve pretended to be nice, only for them to end up hurting him. 

★ Doey tested the reader's boundaries to see if her kindness was genuine. Slowly challenging her patience. "Let's see how long she can keep this up," he thought, observing her reactions closely. Shurely she would slip and show her true colors. 

★ Even though it was a tad annoying, you were still patient with him. You never raised your voice or showed anger, even when he was acting difficult. Whether it was explaining something for the hundredth time or dealing with his defensive attitude, you remained steadfast in your kindness. 

★ He started to realize that the reader genuinely cared for his well-being. Something he’s not at all used to. Doey never expected to meet someone, an ex-employee no less, who would try so hard to make him feel safe. He misses having someone to look after him, it's been so long, he almost forgot what it's like to be cared for. 

★ After that he quickly got used to you, your presence became a comfort. As the days in the factory slowly passed he grew even closer to you. Soon enough he started seeing you as an adoptive mother. But he decided to keep that to himself, for now at least, he wouldn't want to make you feel uncomfortable.  

★ If anything were to happen to you, he would be devastated. If you need to leave the Safe Haven, Doey becomes visibly anxious. He begins clinging to you, reluctant to let you go. He asks you to make a promise to stay safe and be careful. The thought of losing you fills him with dread."Promise me you'll be careful, okay? I need to know you'll come back safe” 

★ After defeating the Doctor and the Prototype you bring him, and many of the other toys, home with you. Because of course you had to bring Kissy, Poppy and those who called the Safe Haven home out of the factory where they were starving. 

★ Doey feels a mix of emotions—relief, uncertainty, and a bit of excitement—as he steps into the reader's home "This is... home?" he asks, looking at the various objects you have hung up and strewn about. “Of course” you declare, looking at him as he turns his head. Doey’s expression unreadable, “that is, If you want it to be.” you quickly add. 

★ And of course he stays with you! Where else would he go? He's so attached to you he couldn't imagine living anywhere else. By this point, it was clear as day that he needed you around. The way he beams when you compliment him or how he always lingers by you gave it away.

★ After spending the past 10 years in the abandoned shell of a factory, Doey is very eager to make up for lost time. He's really excited to try something new. You take the opportunity to teach him various domestic skills. His new favorite thing is baking with you!

★ He still has nightmares about the factory. When Doey wakes up from a nightmare he's immediately disoriented and filled with fear, the trauma of the factory still lingering in his mind. His breathing is heavy and a sense of panic is overwhelming him. His panicked cries always wake you up.  

★ You’re quick to comfort him, rushing to his side and hugging him close "It was just a bad dream. You're okay, and nothing can hurt you here." your gentle touch helped to ground him, "It's okay, Doey. I'm here. You're safe now." it's working, because now his cries have dissolved into a quieter whimper.

★ To help Doey calm down, the reader reaches for his favorite book, "The Adventures of Word Wizard." She knows how much the story means to him and starts reading aloud, her voice steady and comforting. As she continues, doey feels his eyelids grow heavy. 

★ Just before he falls asleep, Doey murmurs softly, "Goodnight, Mom." The reader smiles softly, her heart melting from Doey's words. For the rest of the night, he sleeps soundly, knowing he's safe and cared for.

[astr-venus]

｡⁠☆Pose For Me Baby｡⁠.ﾟ⁠+⁠ 

☆Tim Drake-Wayne x reader

☆Cw: yan vibes, consensual and nonconsensual picture taking, no pronouns used, implied stalking, implied black reader, fem reader

"Tim?"

You groan quietly, reaching for the space on the bed your boyfriend normally takes up. It's cold, and missing his lithe body. It makes you frown.

"I'm right here, go back to bed."

"No."

You figure he must be up doing some more late night working, so you don't even bother to open your eyes. You're much too tired to wait until your eyes adjust, or take in his large, glamorous bedroom. Instead you just pull over his pillow, burying your face in the lingering smell of his shampoo.

There's a click, and a gentle flash.

Finally, you peek open your eyes, if only to grumble at Tim for having his laptop brightness up so high.

You don't notice the way your nose scrunches in discontent, the way your fingers involuntarily curl in the sheets, the way strands of your hair have slipped out of your bonnet and in front of your face, but Tim does.

Another click, another flash.

You whine and shy away, slamming your eyes closed at the intruding light.

"Tim."

"Sorry babe."

Once more, your eyelashes flutter as you push yourself into wakefulness, the dark room beginning to clear up in your vision.

The same ornate wallpaper and old money furniture stare at you just as hard as you stare at it. Your brain is still sluggishly taking in your surroundings. All the things you see every time you spend the night in Tim's room look brand new for a few moments, like you're unable to recognize them, until cognizance finally reaches you again.

There stands your boyfriend, huddled over his tripod, pressing buttons on his camera. He's clad in fluffy pajama pants and warm socks, forgoing a shirt. His black hair is messy from bed head, cow licks flying here and there, defying gravity and framing his face like horns atop his head.

"What're you doing?"

"Nothing." Tim waves you off, continuing to look through his camera roll. "I'm taking some pictures is all. Just go back to sleep."

You only sigh, putting your face back into his pillow, and pulling the giant duvet up to your neck. Without Tim in bed holding you, the room's chill is unkindly brushing your shoulders. You shiver, and curl your legs into your stomach.

Click. Flash.

You groan again, not even bothering to open your eyes.

You don't see the way Tim's hand clenches around his camera, nor the way he almost drools over your sleep prone body. He's practically shaking behind the tripod, consumed with love, and lust, and need, and so many other emotions that he's never bothered to put a name to.

You lay none the wiser, bemoaning the cold bed. It makes Tim quite jealous, if he's honest. To him, you are an angel. Nothing short of heaven itself. He wishes he could contain himself the way you do.

You are satisfied with words and touches. You are not shy of saying how much you love him, or giving him hugs, innocent kisses, or sloppy make outs. But he feels like Icarus being burned by the sun if he even reaches out to hold your hand.

It's so much easier to pull out his camera and snap a few pictures. He doesn't have to touch you, or look directly at you, and at the end of it he gets to put you in his pocket and carry you wherever he goes, can take you out and look at you whenever he pleases. He can freeze whatever moment in time he wants, and come back to visit at his leisure.

Taking pictures of you, half asleep with a thin tank top on, almost makes Tim nostalgic. Under the nostalgia, he feels disgusted with himself.

After all, he's been snapping pictures of you since you first met, back when you had no clue about his vigilante life. Back then, he would take pictures from the rooftop beside your building, and then spend an hour talking himself into actually coming to your window to talk to you.

You of course, have no clue about the first part. He's planning on keeping it that way. Tim is self aware enough to know taking pictures of girls he likes via their bedroom windows is more than creepy as fuck, it's literally part of his job to beat up other creeps who do that. But when it's you? When it's him? He doesn't care about that at all. It's different, when it's you two.

He adjusts his tripod, and takes another picture.

Click... Flash.

"Tim, baby, please come back to bed."

It feels good to take pictures of you with your knowledge. It feels good to not have to hide anymore.

"Just a couple more, I promise."

Tim is unhinged !! Tim has no sense of boundaries !! Tim is a stalker !! The masses screamed. So I answered their call !!

Oh Tim who is a weird freak of a man, they could never make me hate you♡

Happy Valentine's day 🩷🩷 probs not the most romantic thing I couldn't posted but IDC... It's very romantic to me okay ???

｡⁠☆Requests open

[booksooks]

i havent even met sylus in game but some of yall seem to have him confused for your own oc because he would Not act Like That

typing using voice to text so I'm sorry if the formatting is weird, but from what my friend who has met sylus has told me: this man would not act the way some of you guys are insisting. like he would not be jealous to the point of being entirely unable to communicate. he would not try to kiss you as a way of making up, or as a way to stop you from being angry with him. that's just not something i see as feasibly anywhere near sylus as a character.

if you want to write a big daddy dom character who completely bulldozes over your feelings in lieu of 'fucking the jealousy out of you', then by all means go for it. but at that point, you are writing for an original character because that is wildly mischaracterizing someone who (again, according to my friend because i havent even come close to meeting sylus in the storyline) specifically makes room for you to be angry, to feel big emotions in a safe space and to be there for you.

the amount of fanfics i've seen that have sylus act in a way that is completely off base is insane. i'm aware that this is fanfiction, that people can write whatever they want and it's not harmful because at the end of the day: it's FAN FICTION and if you can't separate reality from fiction or whatever, you're not mature enough to be reading mature works or you simply don't have the media literacy skills to do so. but i've had a very long and emotionally draining week, and my temper is hanging on by a thread, and i'm allowed to be angry about a completely bullshit take on one of my favorite characters lmfao.

let me be clear, i'm not saying sylus cannot, will not, and has never been domineering, or protective, or that he doesn't have a fucking daddy kink or whatever. what i AM saying, is that the amount of fanfictions of sylus blowing the reader off or ghosting them or just simply not communicating and then expecting the reader to fall back into his arms after a kiss and a few well placed 'kitten's is astounding. even if he made the bad choice of being distant without explanation, he wouldn't expect the reader to instantly forgive him without an ELABORATE apology and an explanation. and honestly, i'm willing to put that bullshit of 'she forgives him because he's hot and he pulled her in close with his strong arms and hes so big daddy alpha dom' into the category of misogyny. because in what world does someone go from angry and hurt to forgiving and pliant just because he's a man and he kissed you. it is blatantly misogynistic to expect that.

i'm aware there is a lot of nuance within relationships, and that not everyone can be expected to be perfect at all times, HOWEVER this is fanfiction, and the authors i'm talking about have either explicitly stated that the reader and sylus have an established romantic relationship, or that they at the very least get along well and enjoy each other's company. so for sylus to then go ghost on the reader and expect them to instantly fall back into his arms at the end of the day then puts me in the position of 'simpering woman with no spine'. again, misogynistic.

at the end of the day, i'm aware this isn't an important issue and i'm aware that the misogyny in fanfiction doesn't necessarily have to transfer over to real life, especially because i do have critical thinking. but i have been ghosted before by an at-the-time boyfriend, and it sucked, so it's more of a personal issue from me.

i'm aware people can write whatever they want, and i have no obligation to read something i don't like. but that then eliminates what seems to be 50% of the fanfiction of sylus. i'm just saying please... consider writing literally anything else for sylus. for a man who has been made to love you specifically... y'all sure don't make him act like it.

if anyone wants me to elaborate or clarify some things, please send me an ask because the comments are not easy to navigate especially with multiple replies.

last but not least: i'm aware these are my personal feelings, and that i can write to make up for it should i so choose. but i hate having to scroll past 5 fics in a row with quite frankly stupid miscommunication issues from a man who is 28 and should damn well know better. thank you.

[hanaonesflower]

"Why don't you be my girl? My woman, for real." He says, so matter of factly.

"You've lost your damn mind, Nanami."

"Have I?" He tilts his head to the side, unleveling the windsor of the tie you're helping him with. You feel your throat constrict and your hands get clammy.

"Let me help you find it after I'm done." You joke, pulling any trick in the book to get him distracted and move on. His hands find purchase on your waist and make you jump out of your skin from the sudden contact.

"Why must you be like this?" Nanami tightens his grip, not to hurt you but to ensure you won't slip through his fingers, like how you always do.

"We've made it clear from the start, no strings attached... ever." You emphasized. Failing to mention the every so often twist of your heart watching him leave, seeing him interact with someone other than you, having to bare seeing his affection given to anyone else. It's been like that for a while, but what good would it be to tell him.

"But I like you, shouldn't that mean something? Who cares about the arrangement?"

"Then we should break it off, save us the trouble... there all done." You pat his chest while feeling your own tightens sending him away, his outfit is complete, dandy and smooth for a night out with the company. "God luck at the event," you look away, out the balcony and what lies beyond it–a beautiful ocean lined so blue as far as the eyes can see, the flickering glimmer on the surface dances with each crashing wave. You wish you could stay longer, but everything must come to an end. Before you can gather your things and bid him a permanent farewell, his clutch startle you.

"Come with me, please."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why don't you let me worry about that."

He takes the words right out of your mouth. You are no stranger to his reserved, stoic nature, his life is calculated, each move he makes has a purpose. From the outside, Nanami doesn't look like the type to conduct closed doors activities, but every man has his vice and abandons virtue to pursue them. He forgets to account for how much his heart would flutter every time you come around, neglects to put a lid on the emotions that rise up every time he hears you speak. Most of the time, Nanami Kento knows exactly what he'd do next, his schedule booked with intention but all logic shrivels when he's within eye line of you.

"Please don't make this harder than it has to be," you gulp, "I don't belong in your world." You're no better, your guard crumbles with him around, the taste of him, his scent, are your kryptonite.

Before you could manage to wring yourself out of this situation with some half wit statements, he pulls you in, closing the gap between the two of you with the way he knows best. This one feels different, the kiss is filled to the brim with longing, his hands cautious, timid as they find their ways to you. With some conviction you could have pulled away and bee line to the door, but your energy can be used better elsewhere. Right now, it feels right, exactly where you are.

"To hell with that."

[reneesghostinthelivingroom]

Caitlyn x Gn!zaunite!reader, where she is mid-arresting them and reader pretty much flirts their way out of being lpckes up? Smutty pls?

Secret Third Option

|| Caitlyn Kiramman x gender!neutral!zaunite!reader

|| Warnings; smut, reader is arrested, criminal reader, basically public sex, cliché, accidental kiss leads to more, flirting to get out of arrest, feeling denial, swearing, fingering, praises, keeping quiet, orgasm, finger sucking, hickey, dom Caitlyn/sub reader

|| Summary; when escaping arrest, reader flirts their way out of it and into something else.

Requests closed!

Started; January 19th

Finished; February 14th

Note; it's been a while since I wrote fics, quality might be down. Also, HAPPY VALENTINES DAYYYYY 💕💕

~~~

To say you were in trouble... would be a tiny bit of an understatement. Just a tiny bit. Had you been out running the law? Okay, maybe. There may have been a chance that you were. You'd dipped around the corner, hoping to lose whoever was chasing you. Only for you to run directly into another enforcer. Not just anyone, either. Caitlyn Kiramman.

You tried to backtrack, but her partner had caught up and gotten you from behind. Cuffing your wrists. Boy did you want to slap that smirk off Caitlyn's face.

"You're more quiet than I imagined," Caitlyn pointed out. Signalling for the other officer to leave you with her. He nodded and headed off while Caitlyn took hold of the cuffs. Forcing you to walk forwards, assumably towards the Upper City and your holding cell.

"What? Expecting witty comments, Princess?" Your remark came out more like a grunt, feeling the way she made the cuffs push into your back. Something about being this close to her made your cheeks flush.

"There it is," damn. You walked right into that one, didn't you?

You could do two things here. Either, accept what had happened. Lame. Fight your way out, a little more promising. Or... the secret third option. Flirt your way out; which is honestly more fun than the other two.

"Does this mean you like it rough, Kiramman?" You glanced back at her, referring to the feeling of how she dug the cuffs deeper into your back. It was uncomfortable in a way that could almost be described as enjoyable.

"Shut up and keep walking," Caitlyn responded. It was certainly going to be tough breaking through that professional barrier of hers. You were determined to do it, though. There was still time on your side before you reached your cell.

"Anyone ever tell you you're hot?" A smirk formed across your lips the moment your back hit the wall. Caitlyn had you pinned, cuffed hands above your head; your eyes going to her lips. She looked pissed, but at least she wasn't taking you to prison just yet. You were stalling.

The alley was dark, cold. Not a lot of people travelling through. It wasn't the nicest looking thing in the world, then again you were in Zaun. What were you to expect? The only nice part about it was the fact that you and Caitlyn were alone. So really, anything could happen here.

"What's your game?" She demanded, there was a fierce look in her eyes that sent shivers down your spine.

"No game. Just looking for a little fun before I get locked up, maybe convince you I'm not so bad while I'm at it." You told her, her eyes narrowed and for a brief moment... she looked to almost be considering it. Unless of course, that was merely your desire playing tricks on you. Surely she wouldn't... right?

"Yeah, right." Caitlyn's tone was laced with a deadly sarcasm, one that couldn't help but make you grin. You'd started to push yourself forwards but your foot got caught around hers and the next moment the two of you were tumbling.

Before you even realized it had happened, the fall had landed your lips to hers. Although, neither you nor Caitlyn fought it.

When the kiss ended, you stared into each others eyes for a long moment. The enforcer cleared her throat, cheeks flushed," that was... unexpected."

"You enjoyed it," you couldn't help but smirk, seeing behind the emotions she was trying to cover up.

"I- I did not-" Caitlyn's cheeks flushed, trying to show at least some authority after what had happened. Falling in love with a criminal would be insane, after all. Completely illegal, too. Wouldn't it? Although the longer she looked at you, the more pull towards you she felt. She was feeling things for you that she knew she shouldn't. It would only end with getting herself in trouble along with you.

"Really? Then why are you blushing?" Lifting your hand to her cheek, you gave the redness a flick with your finger. Caitlyn slapped your hand away.

"Anyone would be embarrassed after that," she really did try to cover up her feelings, it was cute watching her scramble together any excuse she could. You knew it had effected her, though. Caitlyn's heart was racing so fast that it was just barely audible.

"Bullshit," there was a grin on your face while you watched her eyes widen. Knowing that she was caught red handed.

Her mind was getting away from her, fantasizing about all the things the two of you could have been doing.

Fuck it.

It's not like your crime was that bad anyway.

"Damn it," Caitlyn muttered before her lips found their way back to yours. A soft moan coming from your throat. You couldn't believe this was happening, but damn you weren't about to complain.

Caitlyn soon had your front to the wall, her hand slipped around your waist and into your pants. Gently fingering at first, then she picked up the pace. The harder she went, the louder your moans got. God, she was sending shivers down your spine. Your whole body tensing under the intense amounts of pleasure flooding through you.

The enforcer leaned forwards into you, her chest up against your back and her lips against your ear. Whispering into it," you're doing so well, darling.. just keep your voice down a little more, wouldn't want to get us caught- would you?" She smirked when all she got from you was a whimper in response. Feeling how your knees buckled, you falling into her. Caitlyn wrapped her free arm around you, keeping you up and pressed into her.

The wetness collected around her fingers, acting almost as a lobe. Allowing her to easily move her fingers along you, Caitlyn's middle finger pressed just a little harder on that perfect spot. A loud gasp echoing off the alley wall from you.

"Shhh," Caitlyn murmured, her hand trailed along your body until it stopped at your mouth. Cupping it to help you keep quiet. You whimpered into her hand and she trailed kisses down your cheek, to your jawline, then neck.

It wasn't long before the enforcer had you completely crumbling. Cumming onto her fingers. She removed them from your pants, bringing them to your mouth. Caitlyn took her hand off and you opened your mouth, letting her push her fingers in so you could suck yourself off them.

"Perhaps you aren't as bad after all," the enforcer murmured, kissing your neck and leaving a hickey there.

[nikitallymessy]

what do you need to hear right now? general reading

pile 1 | pile 2 | pile 3

Hi! This is my first reading for the interwebz! Tell me what pile you picked as well!! I wanna know which one resonated with you guys

Remember that this is a general reading made for entertainment reasons so some parts may resonate while others may not.

By the way, I used the RWS tarot and the Herbiary oracle deck ^_^

PILE 1 :

two of wands, two of swords (reversed), and king of cups

For this pile, I'm seeing that you might go through a tough time, one where you'll think that you won't be able to persevere through - something that will make you feel unworthy. With the two of swords reversed, I think it's going to be a moment of important decision-making and stagnation. Honestly, I'm getting something about careers and maybe even college? You should be wise in your decisions, and make a pros and cons list. remember that not all decisions must be made by the brain (logic), the heart (emotion) must also take a role in decision-making ... there must be a balance between them.

tulsi - you are sacred

Remind yourself of your power, your strength, and your spirit. Remember that you are, well, sacred! Don’t be afraid to ask for help as well, asking for help doesn't mean you’re weak, it means you’re self-aware that you need help, and it takes courage to ask for help from others.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

PILE 2 :

death, the lovers (reversed), ace of wands

While shuffling for this, I felt immensely overwhelmed and ... messy? It felt as if I was confused with what I was going to do, I was actually thinking to stop the readings. This might be how you feel right now, confused, scared, and overwhelmed. I feel like you’ve lost someone very close to you, as the second card suggests, it could be a lover, but it could also be your love for yourself that you've lost. You shouldn't dwell on the past, although painful, it's time to let go of what has gone and move on to greener pastures. The ace of wands suggests that you should take care of yourself by expressing your emotions and feelings creatively. I'm seeing paintings, drawings, and creative writing. You can't hold everything in, let it out and let it out in a way that is helpful to you, in a way that will help you grow.

raspberry - create space

Remember to nurture yourself and remember that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. You will get past this.

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

PILE 3 :

king of wands (reversed), two of cups (reversed), temperance

If you feel drawn to pile two I think it may also be for you since this also covers separation, but this one is more on self-separation. Since this is a general reading, this imbalance could manifest in different aspects of life, like in career, relationships, or even within yourself. You feel so uneasy that you’re making rash decisions hoping one will stick. Moreover, I'm seeing online shopping with temperance and two of cups reversed, and I think you should … calm it down babes, and be frugal and wise about your spending habits. Be mindful of your purchases and ask yourself if you truly need it before buying.

burdock - tap your resources

All will be well, build yourself up and break your old habits that do more harm than good. Stability.

[11queensupreme11]

Hi! So, I actually don't know if I sent this ask cuz I wanted to send it at like 2 o'clock in the morning, and I also had the idea for the ask in what might have been a dream. Overall I am very confused, so if I did send this already or answered an ask similar to this then please ignore this 😅

So I was wondering what would happen if, in the cheating au, Percy does kill herself, but cu suddenly wakes up to when she first arrived, like in the isekai asks a while back. How insane would he be? Cuz I don't think he could just wait till the day he originally met her, and would just attack the greeks to get her back

oh i like this! back to the cú chulainn cheating au hehe (my fav au for him so far lol) and oooooooh another isekai to the past thing!!!!!!!

when cú chulainn wakes up back in his old room in his father's palace, he's gonna be confused. but then he gets the shock of his life when he sees what date it is; it wasn't just percy's "birthday" but also the year she was "born"

considering that they've been married for hundreds, maybe even thousands of years, he definitely knows about her arrival. she most likely told him what it was like, so he 100% knows to go straight to the bifrost to find her, knocks out the guards, and arrives just in time for her to fall out and catches her in his arms (awwww how romantic 💖)

this poor man is STRUGGLING not to get emotional. she's got bed hair, wearing the most ridiculous midgardian pajamas he's ever seen, and she looks lost af, but she looks absolutely BEAUTIFUL for him and he's in love all over again 🥺💖💖💖💖 he has to force himself not to be too forward; he has a chance to fix things again and he can't squander it by freaking her out.

so he plays along, acting just as clueless as her. he certainly has no idea how she got here, but he might as well take some responsibility and help the poor girl out! so he takes her back to the otherworld (the section of valhalla where the celtic pantheon resides). lugh is absolutely flabbergasted as to why his son's demanding they take in a mortal girl with an aura concerningly similar to poseidon, but he allows it thx to cú chulainn's insistence.

he tries to horde her in the palace LMAO 😭😭😭 just like the good ol days i guess. anyway, he becomes her friend and protector, the only person she can trust in this scary new universe. and he pretends to be helpful and try to find a way for her back home, when he's actually not. every day he comes with more grim news, "i'm sorry percy, no progress today", "i'm sorry, there was nothing new i could find", "i'm sorry, but things aren't looking so good..." he's trying to slowly ease her into the idea of giving on returning to that fucked up universe she calls "home", to break down every bit of hope she has left.

meanwhile, he tries to rizz her up LMAO 😭😭😭😭 but he actually knows what he's doing! this dude's a whore who slept with like... half of ireland, he is absolutely good at charming ladies. showing up shirtless and sweaty, getting in close to hear, touching her, rubbing her soothingly, etc. any girl would've swooned. the issue is that it's percy he's trying to rizz up 💀💀💀💀 percy who traveled through an entire labyrinth for days on end with a party of people who ALL liked her (anthonius, rachel, ethan) and didn't realize it 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

but it's okay cuz he knows how dense his silly (future) wife is, so he's not too irked. i know some ppl would think he'd be going insane rn, but nope! why would he fret? all the yans are out of the way, NOBODY knows of her existence aside from lugh and a few others, and he is the ONLY person she fully trusts. everything is going his way, he just needs to bide his time.

the most pressing matter is the issue of her soul. she's only got about a year before the first crack happens and she has to suffer agonizing pains 24/7, and then another year before she's obliterated for good. THAT'S his greatest worry, because he doesn't want percy to be in pain. his plan is to ascend into godhood and then ascend percy next to be his immortal wife and goddess in order to tackle the soul issue. forcing an ascension would make her hate him and he doesn't want that.

so he NEEDS her to fall in love with him fast so that the idea of eternity together wouldn't be so daunting to her. fortunately for him, getting her to fall would be easy when she's so isolated and he's the only other constant in her life 💖

also, you best believe he's never EVER going to cheat again. he's learned his lesson in the worst way possible, and he cannot ever put his beloved through that again.

[z0mb13-34ts-br41ns]

Valentine's Headcanons <3

yippee more call of duty headcanons, this time a valentines special! I forgot to write anything so I'm writing this last minute in my after school club </3 This one is specifically romantic coded, but could be a very close platonic relationship I guess.

Enjoy :D

Price - he's very traditional about Valentine's Day. A bouquet of flowers, your favorite, a box of chocolate, a nice dinner date, and millions of compliments. Any gift, no matter how small, means the world to him. You can see the way he lights up when you hand it to him, and insists you didn't have to.

Soap - some sort of fun date, he wants it to be unique. An escape room, or go karting, or an improvement show idk, just not something you'd do everyday. He gets you some treats as well, of course!

Gaz - sweet little lover boy over here <3 full royal treatment, you are not going to lay a finger on anything remotely stressful. He showers you in compliments, gets you flowers, gifts, candy, a teddy bear, the works.

Ghost - he has a hard time showing his emotions, so he ends up putting it off until the last minute. He tries, of course, but he would rather you just tell him what you want to do. In the end, he decides to just say yes to everything you suggest, hoping you'll understand that's his way of showing he cares.

Makarov - he doesn't celebrate, not fully. He's far too busy and doesn't really care for giving meaningless gifts. What's the point on spending money on all that? He does, however, enjoy receiving gifts he's always been a taker. At most, you can get a few things out of him, with enough begging and convincing.

Graves - he goes above and beyond with Valentine's. One of those person sized teddy bears, more flowers than you could ever need, everything. He takes you shopping, and makes a home cooked meal. He also likes to show you off, evey person he gets the chance to tell, he's on and on about how you're his valentine, and how he's yours.

König - he hasn't celebrated Valentine's Day for most of his life, so he's very pathetic. He tries his best, but shopping for flowers scares him since there's so many and be doesn't know what any of them are. In the end, he gives you a little box of chocolates and a handwritten card, and hopes that its good enough. He doesn't know how to receive compliments so it's a lot of awkward nodding and thanking and apologising.

-

Sorry this came out so late. I'm so tired, and I have no motivation to write. I hope these are good enough, because I'm going to bed now.

Happy Valentine's day

[softgh0stbites]

₊˚｡⋆❆⋆｡˚₊ Time's Embrace

Rating: NSFW smut, angst, emotional angst, frotting + dry humping + fingering + explicit in detail

Pairing: Vincent Valentine x Reader

Word count: 8.7k

Summary: After the tragic end of your friend Aerith, you wonder what time will allow for you. So when you end up in Icicle village with an opportunity to cherish your beloved, you take it, even though it's a fleeting memory.

Notes: I wish I could keep going, but I think I'll burn myself out if I do. Vincent might be a little ooc or progressive in this one with his comfort, but i felt like it was okie given the extreme circumstance. This one is a long read and a little too all over the place for my own tastes— I did do some proof reading and editing, but the longer it got the more I started to not care if any of my sentences were repetitive so I'm sorry if it's sloppy ♡ enjoy~

⋆꙳•❅*°⋆❆.ೃ࿔*:･*❆ ₊⋆⋆꙳•❅*°⋆❆.ೃ࿔*:･*❆ ₊⋆

Time has never been a virtue to anyone, it liked to remind people about that in the most malicious ways. You always thought you had moments, hours, days, years to say all that you wanted— to cherish the people you love.

But when you watched a man descend from the sky and skewer your friend like she was nothing but flesh to be discarded, time ceased to exist. Everything unraveled in slow motion, mockingly, as if you had any power to stop it; As if you could reach out and pull her away. If you had been better, if you weren't weak, if you had a single skill to display— that soft laughter that everyone loved, those gentle eyes, teasing smiles, maybe that hand that always helped you up would still be here.

You knew it wasn't just you who felt this way, more than anyone Cloud was facing the brunt of the cruelty, his shoulders weighed with it. He was the one after all who was standing the closest, weapon raised to strike her himself. That had been terrifying.

You were there. You smelled the copper of her blood, the schlick of the sword being removed from her insides. You watched her eyes flutter openly for a moment, wordless, no smiles, light faded before they closed and never opened again. You could see the copious amounts of scarlet— a color you once harbored with love puddle beneath her, spreading out in a web.

You could hear Tifa's wracking sobs, felt the tears on your shoulder as you tried to console her with your arms while you fell apart too. You remembered the way she looked so serene, as if she was sleeping— wondering...will she wake up?

Your hands trembled when you finally reached Aerith, her skin so pale already, she looked cold. You wanted to cover her up, pretend she was just sick, but your hands and knees were covered in her essence. The red of her ending up on your shirt. You cradled her head softly, lips brushing the top of her head before scrambling away. Her skin was ice cole, no life at all.

You couldn't watch Tifa break apart, the way she cradled the cetra's face so gently, rubbing her cheek as if trying to bring a rosiness back to them.

Cloud took her into the water after that and she sank below slowly, everything about her becoming shadowed by the green water. She would be consumed, left to become bones beneath it.

You remember running from that scene, wrenching yourself from Tifa in a gasp, not wanting to see her drift to the murky depths. You didn't want to let go of her smiling face, her teasing nature, those times you connected over feeling so useless sometimes or so ordinary.

You ran and ran and ran until your lungs hurt and your throat felt raw. On shaken legs you made it back to the temporary camp, the others were there, having stood back to let you find Aerith while watching over your supplies since you were being tailed. The devastation on your face was evident, the blood on your shirt and pants, your panicked expression.

It only took one audible cry to leave your lips and he was there.

Vincent had stepped out from the tent, eyes zeroing in on you with blood, but for some reason you found yourself pushing forward, running until you collided with him. You almost knocked yourself down if he didn't grip you tightly by your arms, he was busy checking over you, gauntlet carefully aside as his other hand lifted your shirt hurriedly to check for wounds until you cried louder,

"It's not mine, it's not—" You gripped your head and almost sank to your knees, you felt his arms embrace you then. You couldn't see the others but you could feel their stare, you could hear the anguish.

"She's gone...." You hands would tighten around Vincent's cloak, your head spinning until you felt like you'd pass out.

Vincent would carefully pick you up and take you inside the tent, like a wounded soldier he would sit you down, kneeling in front of you. He handled you with so much gentleness as you stared wide off into space, you didn't want to think. You felt him around you, slowly gathering some of your stuff, packing up your supplies for you.

No one wanted to stay here.

You left as soon as everything was packed, but you couldn't change out of your soaked clothes so you sat in a corner, legs tucked up under you, head leaning into the wall. You don't remember how long you sat like that, dejected, feeling more sorry for yourself than you could ever imagine possible. Even though Vincent tried to be there for you, you shut him out, didn't make any want for him to be near you.

It took you a an entire day to reach Icicle village, a quaint little place with twinkling lights and blankets of snow. Normally you'd be excited for a new destination, but no one was cheerful— how could they be? You remember everyone shuffling out one by one, it was must more quiet except the idle chatter.

Cloud was no longer really hearing anyone, he was lost in his own head and seemingly Tifa was the only stability you had, but you could see her hands trembling when no one was looking. Barett and Cid were the first to speak up for everyone, their banter sometimes causing everyone to smile even if it felt a little hopeless.

It was like you were running on autopilot, you were numb, unwanting for anything. That was until you settled at an Inn, everyone was exhausted, tired, emotional. Surprisingly there was a few rooms with double beds and a quaint little loft room that would be taken by Nanaki since he insisted he wouldn't need much room to sleep. That meant that Cid and Barret could share a room, Cloud and Vincent, you and Tifa; Although you could tell it was going to be hard to pry the two of them apart with how longingly they held onto each other with their glances. You sensed a snap in their distance, like they hovered closer than before.

You felt Vincent's stare as you glanced away from the two, he spoke up insisting he'd room with you. It was the first time he'd been so forward, requesting anything really. Usually he would go with whatever the group wanted, but your hand tangled in the edge of his cloak told him you needed time. You didn't want to separate and he wasn't going to deny you after you had shut down on him all day.

"Is that what you want? Did you think to ask Tifa?" Barrett settled his gaze on you, flickering between the four of you.

Tifa brought her hand up and smiled meekly, "I-I don't really mind its not a big deal to me—"

"Argh, if she wants the walking funeral in her room, let her be. I'm too exhausted for this, we all are, let's just get some sleep and we'll come back to the drawing board tomorrow." Cid cut her off with a curt exaggeration, pinching his brow and digging in his pockets for a cigarette.

"If we're done," he paused to look at everyone, "I'm going to relax the best way I can, up and at'm." He snapped his lighter shut after lighting the cigarette which caused the front desk lady to glare.

You nodded towards Tifa in thanks which she just smiled through, even though her eyes shimmered with unease. Cloud hadn't moved from his seat on one of the benches, one hand carding through his spiky blonde locks.

When the deciding was done you felt Vincent take your hand as he had done all day, and pull you towards the room. He dropped your things down for you, clearly struggling a bit with how to comfort you, how to be there for you.

Pain was something he knew well himself, but he often swallowed it. He didn't want you to do that, to go through it alone until you closed in on yourself. He had figured you out pretty well over the months, he knew when you curled up on yourself you were thinking the worst thought. But this expression— this blank slate with dried tears and blood on your clothes, it pained.

With a sigh he stepped towards you who were sat in a chair. He leaned over you one hand coming up to caress your hair as he spoke softly.

"Do you want out of those clothes?"

You looked up, the warmth of the sun in his eyes that melted you a little, gave you a small purpose to nod. You didn't want to have this blood on you anymore, you had tried picking off the dried pieces on your arms but it did was fruitless.

He hummed in response gathering a bundle of your clothes from your bag, opening the washroom to reveal an old style wooden tub with copper faucets. With a squeak you could hear the knobs turn and water filling in.

Your hands trembled as you tried to peel off the shirt, but the blood was still there and it made you want to be sick. You grimmanced, but Vincent was there again, his gauntlet set aside and his glove off on his human hand. He didn't think twice about helping you, slipping it off as quickly as possible. His gaze didn't trace any part of you, only focusing on your face, stroking your hair and pulling you towards him when your eyes welled with tears again.

"I'm sorry," you would cry into his chest arms snaking around his waist, "I'm so sorry, I can't pull— I can't pull it together." You would choke out.

You would feel his hand stroke the back of your head, his arm wrapping you tighter, as if holding together all your broken pieces.

"You cry because it hurts," He whispered into your hair, his other hand rubbing circled on your back, "You never have to apologize for that."

Your tears were hot, feeling validated in your situation, you rubbed a hand down your face and pulled back a little. Vincent let you go with ease, brushing your hair from your face, his mouth was hidden by his cowl but you could see by his eyes that he was genuinely worried for you.

"Don't leave," you said, "Don't leave tonight,"

"Of course,"

And that's how you'd find yourself bare naked with him. Nothing sexual permiated the air, just a couple of broken people trying to comfort each other in silence. You were sitting in the hot water, your skin tingling as you scrubbed the soap into your skin harshly.

Vincent was there to pull your hand away, tilt his head at you and begin to wash you himself. He would always murmur, "May I?" Before washing something considered intimate. He worked dutifully but softly on your skin, gazing long and hard at the red spots from where you disturbed it. He would pour water gently over your head, helping to sud your hair, his fingers a little clumsy but you appreciated him for trying.

You would grimace when his hands would hoist your foot from the water, bending at your knees which were scraped to oblivion from tripping and sinking to them. He made sure to carefully wash away the dirt, blowing on the cuts as if someone had once done that for him before.

He had unbundled the cloak so it hung on his shoulders, revealing his face to you. He was nothing short of an angel, your gentle angel with talons who touched you like petals of a flower. He would take the time to massage your calf a little, you would gasp at the pain shooting up your limbs.

"It hurts here?" His fingers lessened their pressure instantly, looking down at you, hunkering into the hot water.

"Mm," You would nod as his jaw ticked, you couldn't tell if he was thinking about you or the events of today. He would make sure to scrub your feet as well, normally you'd find it ticklish, but you were just tired.

After washing you up he would help you out of the bath, offering a towel. He would escape into the other room, letting you dry up and put on your clothes. By the time you finished he was taking off his boots and cloak, slipping out of his vest so he was only in his long sleeve shirt and pants. Your fingers inched to be touching him, taking comfort in this gentle beast before you.

Vincent sat on the bed, his back resting on the head board and motioned with his fingers. You padded over, slipping between the sheets and letting your legs straddle his hips. You tucked your face in your favorite spot, the connection of his neck and shoulder, rubbing your nose in his shirt and inhaling deeply. A warm smell, something so grounding. It was a mix of his ages leather clothes, something earthy like mahogany, and the faint smoke of gunpowder. No matter how many showers you believe he took, he always smelled the same.

"Better?" He probed, his hands trailing up and down your sides slowly.

It was completely dark in the room save for the lantern on the side. This place had electricity, but the lantern was softer, its amber light more cozy. You pondered if he thought of that too when lighting it.

"Mhm." You hummed in acknowledgement, nuzzling closer. At one point in time you would've been elated to be held so close, it was scarce that you got moments like these with him. You could only enjoy it as it was, hoping that the images in your mind would settle for the night.

Time ticked by, your body was tired but your mind was still strung up. You wondered if this was even comfortable for him considering he didn't even move or shift beneath you. He was good at being still, like a statue, if you didnt know any better youd assume he was made of marble.

Another flash of her body floating in the water washed into your mind. You were here, safe, comfortable, and she was in the deep and dark waters of a forgotten city. You let out another sigh of contempt, your fingers tangling in your hair. You didn't deserve to be comfortable right now.

In the silence he spoke again, while untangling your fingers from your hair gently, not wanting you to hurt yourself subconsciously.

"It's not your fault," He would raise your chin with his pointer finger to look at him, his face more expressive without that damn cowl.

How was he so good at reading your thoughts aloud?

You would chew your lip,

"I just couldnt— it was so fast..."

"No one could," He declared, something flashing in his eyes, undechipherable.

He was right, you knew it. There was no point in placing the blame on anyone when it would take away from the real villain of the story entirely. It was his fault, that cat eyed bastard who popped up all over the place. Your teeth worried your lip still, now a little bit in anger, you hated Sephiroth. You hated that he was taking so much from everyone constantly.

He was also tragic in his own way, a hero fallen to ruin, a puppet for Shinra. Like every soldier, every employee.

As you shook out the thoughts, looking back into the crimson that was surveying you, you realized how dream like he was. He was such a kind heart, so gentle with you, always giving you his time and working on himself. He wasn't the most steady, but he was there when you needed him. Sure, he pulled away often and got lost in his self deprecation. Often deluding himself into thinking he wasn't meant to have anything good.

But that made you try harder, because you wanted his whole being to feel like he belonged in the waking world. As cliche as it was, you wanted him to stay because you didn't know what he would do after this mission was over and if everyone lived it, would he just disappear like smoke?

You weakly grabbed at his hair, the strands hanging over his shoulders, his eyes already falling to a close with a sigh as you combed through it. You liked him like this, without his cloak, without his gloves. He was vulnerable with you, a part of you gluttonous for that.

You don't know what enticed the words to fall from your tongue, but in the heat of the moment you spoke anyway.

"I want to forget all of it," your eyes still watering, your fingers clenching in his long locks of hair. Pulling his face towards you; wanting the smell of his sweet breath, "Make me forget, please, that's what I want"

You could feel the hesitation in the air, thick, spiraling between you both as he gauged your emotions. He looked torn between wanting to give you the world and wanting to chastise you, to tell you it wasn't okay.

You whimpered, a mantra of his name falling from your lips with begging,"Please, Vincent, please...." Your mouth inched closer, he didn't pull you away, but held firmly.

Vincent's chest heaved beneath you, shifting you on his lap the more you got closer to his face. His eyes were darting everywhere, from your lips, to your cheeks, your eyes. He seemed a little lost for how to reject you— or to welcome it?

You kissed him softly, your bottom lip catching his upper. The tears on your cheeks mingled in the middle ofthe connection. Your hands gripped his hair harder, tugging at him, wanting him to reciprocate. He didn't so much as part his mouth with a sigh and you wanted to dive in. Every part of him intoxicated you, made you so dizzy you couldn't think of anything but his touch.

He whispered your name, slowly hiking you up further on his lap, hands sliding under the back of your shirt, under your thighs, fingers slaying out as he did so. He relinquished control to you for a blissful moment. A swell of gentle victory arose in your heart, your lips eagerly chasing his that seemed to at least brush back with renewed vigor. You felt your kiss deepen slowly. Your body wanted his mouth to be faster, hungrier, to make your heart resound in your ears. To drown out the cries of the day.

Your back arched into his touch as he slipped his hands back onto your lower back, your chest pressing with his which caused a purr to rumble from him.

Your hands continued to thread in his hair, the silken strands flowing like sharp ribbons through those fingers; Knowing he liked it, you tugged, you often took control of your kisses this way. You would be allowed more access to his mouth, maneuvering his face this way and that to your discretion. You could swallow each breathy sigh and gasp alike, greedily taking all he was offering you. Your body began to tingle, his hands slowing their circles on your back, gripping your hips as you tried to grind down into him. He groaned as you barely misses your mark,

"Behave," He grumbled, his lips pressing into a straight line at your intentions.

"Make me," You countered, wondering if it was okay to test his patience at the moment.

You nibbled on his lip, an act of protesting his grip halting your movement. You felt it only become more firm, keeping your hips from colliding with his. You didn't want to settle or behave, you were sure of this of wanting him all to yourself in this cramped bed.

Although before you could think to beg again to plead your case, he was plunging his tongue inside of your mouth, exploring at his own leisure now. It was like a thin string had snapped, his nails digging into your back a little. Thought it was just for a moment, right as you moaned, before he slid his mouth away.

When you broke for air he trailed kisses over your cheek, down the column of your throat, teeth grazing over your pulse point with a warning. The kisses were too tender, too soft, you wanted more open mouthed kisses on your skin. More of his tongue lavishing your neck instead of your mouth. You wanted him to be feverent and hungry. Everything was going according to your idea, you thought, until he unweaved, grabbing one of your arms gently as you panted. You were clearly a little frustrated.

"It may be best that we wait—" He started, his eyes smoldering, glints of amber and yellow in the dark, lips wet from your tongue and tears. He could see your cheeks almost bulging, sulking.

"Why?" You probed, those intense eyes of your settling on his straightforward.

"Because you're grieving, I don't wish to—"

"So you don't want me like that?" Your voice trembled, your shoulders slumping in defeat. You let go of his hair, hands folding into your lap, the tears welling up again to drip down your face. You were being a bit eccentric, your belly was heated and you were sulking for him putting out the embers. For dowsing you back in the cold of reality.

Vincent let out a whine almost animalistic in nature, pressing his forehead to yours, "You know this is untrue,"

You did. You knew you were being stubborn. Throwing a tantrum most likely, you were acting as a greedy child. But it did little to sway your eyes from keeping their gaze locked on your lap where you hands lay, fingers twisting.

"Look at me, please,"

You shut your eyes tighter. Your name left his lips again, calling for your attention.

You opened them, slowly lifting them under your lashes to find his intensly boring into you with flecks of yellow. It wasn't often you saw the yellow, beastly eyes lurking beneath, but sometimes they made an appearance. You felt a little shy like you had an audience between you two. You saw his yearning, but you also saw how worried he was for you. He was entirely cautious for good reason, he didn't want to break you, bend you, tarnish you in any way.

"There you are," he offered one of his rare crooked smiles, lips curling at the ends in that way you love.

"Your tears are very enchanting, but I dislike seeing you cry," he whispered, leaning forward to press his lips under your eyes, a warm wet sensation following as he licked the traces of your tears away.

Maybe it should've repulsed you, but it was a little comforting. Crying had left your eyes sore, the skin below was dry and the soft sweep of his tongue and a bit of cool breath made all the difference. It was also somewhat bold of him, almost uncharacteristically bold.

It made you ache.

"You make it hard not to protest when you do that," you mumbled, already feeling the mood lighten a little from his shennigans. He was trying to comfort you in his own way.

He chuckled, a sound that didn't reach his eyes as he brushed a thumb along your jaw, "I want when we...", he cleared his throat, suddenly seeming a little bashful.

"Fuck?" You offered, announciating it a bit too sharply which he seemed to wince at.

"Mmh," He pushed on your waist until you were laying with your head against his chest, able to hear the rhythm of his heart.

"When we join," he continued while stroking your hair, you felt all the fight leaving you, "I want it to be because you desire to remember, nothing more and nothing less,"

You sniffle, feeling really silly for your earlier antics but still dealing with that deeply rooted sadness. You wondered if this is what Vincent carried all the time. If it felt so hollow, how did he have the strength to burden himself alone?

You're certain there was something that happened to him so twisted that he wouldn't let you touch him in certain places, wouldn't let you see him without clothes. It was the way his eyes darkened when you asked if it was because it had been a long time since he'd been with someone in general.

To you it didn't matter if he was the virgin Saint Mary or if his body count was in the one hundreds, you just wanted him to feel as comfortable as he made you feel.

Unfortunately he refused reciprocation, sometimes allowing you to make him feel good over his clothes with your hands or hips, but nothing beyond this. You knew he didn't climax once with you this way. You were often interrupted, not really allowed to embellish your desires as you please. You also only ever had cramped places to yourselves where it was hard to touch.

There had been nights during watch together that you lounged in his lap, his fingers gliding under your waistband when you were worked up. He painted these occasions as "Helping you relax".

His fingers would make you fall apart under the stars once more, but it was always hushed, too quick to sink into the desire. You wanted more time—more of him.

As the silence droned on, you became aware of your spiraling thoughts once again, trying to think of anything but what happened in the past day. You wanted to sleep it off, wake up and discover it was all a dream.

"Vincent?"

"Mhm?"

"Do these wounds heal?" You pushed closer to him as if it were possible, he was drawing the covers up around your shoulders. The blanket made your nose itchy, but your body was so exhausted you wouldn't bother lifting you fingers to relieve it.

You could feel the heave of his sigh, "With time,"

A lie, dripping bittersweet, but one that would give you hope.

———- a week passes ———-

You hadn't grown used to waking up to Vincent in a long time. What with Aerith dying, the group finally admitting they needed some rest— you were in a period of welcomed warmth. Cloud busied himself in sidework with Barret, Tifa helped the pub downstairs to help pay for your extended stay at the Inn. You helped out as well, scrubbing tables down, serving food, and sometimes it felt like a part of your old life in Midgar had resurfaced. Though, your memory was a bit hazy with certain details. You couldn't remember what brought you to the city in the first place, just that you ended up there and had to survive.

The sound of the wind howling outside brought you out of your memories. You forgot how still it was when Vincent slept next to you, the steady fall of his chest, his hair sprawled across the pillows. His legs were often longer than the mattress so he often slept with them curled up, looped with yours when you would insist to take more room. You liked waking up before he did because you got to see a side of him no one ever did.

Even when he awoke suddenly in the middle of the night, sweat pouring off of him— he would retreat from you. Like clockwork he would put his walls back up for awhile after, assuring you that you did not need to know what lingered in the crevice of his mind. He would then spend the rest of the night cleaning his weaponry, oiling his gauntlet, or reading— Anything to prevent himself from landing back in the bed with you.

So, you liked when he rested dreamlessly— though that was few and far between.

Your fingers fluttered over his sharp cheekbones, reaching the corner of his eyelids. The first tell of Vincent waking up would be the working of his jaw, his tongue moving around in his mouth, lips parted to breathe in a deep mouthful of air. Often he would keep his eyes closed, just letting you hold his face. But today he opened those carmine eyes just for you, sleep heavy.

His eyes always looked more bleary in the morning, languid and lazy as he took in your face as well. He would usually bring a hand up to graze knuckles over your jaw, his other arm around you pulling you in a bit more. He often made you lay back down, his voice so throaty it made your heart stutter.

"A bit more,"

But you had other plans, you would lean up on your elbow propping your head up. You would study his features still, finger smoothing out the furrow of his brow.

"Has anyone ever told you how hot your morning voice is?" you teased, your finger outlining his jaw, going down to his collarbone and back up. You were basking in the afterglow of a good dreamless sleep.

You were greedy for his affection. You had been going to sleep early almost every night after working with Tifa so often you had time to embrace and then you were drooling on your pillow.

His eyes opened once more at that as you began to shift above him, straddling his hips. You had insisted on borrowing a shirt of his yesterday, using everything to your advantage for your villianous idea to make him lose self control. His hands rested on the top of your thighs, fingers playing with the edge of the shirt, a lingering expression of sleep on his face. His blinks were really slow, eyes wandering over you as if considering letting you have what you wanted. His will was too damn strong though, ignoring your curious glances at his shirt and pants.

You leaned down, brushing your lips to the shell of his ear, "Do vampires get hard in the morning?" You nibbled his ear lobe.

Vincent let out a sound of self contempt, his fingers gripping you more roughly as you sat down harshly right over his bulge. He wasn't rock hard but you could feel him twitching and tensing beneath you already.

He gripped your face between two fingers with a long ardent sigh, a smug look as your face heated up from his bodies reaction. He squished your cheeks together, making your lips jut out. You were losing your bravado as you could almost feel the length of it.

He was big.

He knew it too.

"On second thought, breakfast?" You squeaked out, your lips still pinched between his fingers.

"Mm, but I thought you were offering a delectable buffet?" Vincent pondered, voice thick, his hand drawing your face near.

"After all, vampires are quite insatiable." He drawled, "Silly girl."

You forced your eyes away, glancing out at the snowfall from the window.

"All bark but no bite," you muttered, your blush deepening. You doubt he would take it farther than teasing, even though you'd had alone time recently he hadn't shown that much low restraint. You even tried sleeping with your shirt rocked up around your thighs, sleep shorts forgotten— he looked of course, but never slid his hands any further than the tops of your legs.

In a whirl you found yourself flipped over in your moment of distraction. His forearms caging your head, his legs astride your thigh. Was that his teeth at your jugular? You felt your heart pick up speed when his hot breath ghosted over your throat.He didn't bite down, just lets the prick of his canines indent your flesh ever so lightly— a dangerous little reminder. When he felt you gulp, your throat moving beneath him he removed his mouth, satisfied it seemed with your reaction. Vincent settled his weight onto you carefully so as not to crush you, the spaces between your bodies nonexistent now, his belts pressing into your hips. He was so long compared to you that most times it was a bit awkward, the size difference really made you swoon though.

Your hands gripped his narrow waist, teasing your fingers on the hem on his shirt. Normally this is where he would stop, but he seemed a little delighted to play your game. His eager hands grabbed yours away from his waist, collecting them in one hand and pinning them above your head against the smooth wood of the headboard.

"V-vincent wait—"

He looked up from your throat, sitting up slightly to hover his face over you directly, moving his leg so it parted your thighs. He was waiting as you requested, idly tracing your side with his other hand still covered by his glove. He never touched you with it unless you asked nicely, but you often had to spend a long time getting him to take it off.

You weren't in a patient mood.

He cocked his head, playing the fool, "I'm waiting,"

"I hope that good ol' self restraint is doing you wonders." You bit back a grin, he truly was the best for making you feel giddy. These playful banters were scarce.

This side of him you wanted to keep forever before you had to exit this room for the day When you left it would be back to grunts, sighs and the occasional twitch of his eyes. His thigh shifted abruptly, touching your center and shooting sparks down your spine.

He let out a low chuckle, the sleep in his voice making it deeper as he purred, "No undergarments today as well? You're bold,"

"I'm very thorough in my tactics," You let out breathily, wiggling subtly to get that same friction.

"Oh?" He brought his lips to yours softly, giving you more access to his leg as you shamlessly started to grind against it, "Indulge" a gentle kiss, with a hint of his tongue running over your bottom lip, "Me?"

"Seduction," You whispered, biting his bottom lip, "Foreplay.....Orgasm..."

He waited with baited breath as you moaned, the friction was heavenly, not the same as his hands or his mouth, but the leather on his leg was smooth.

"Mm," He encouraged you wordlessly, letting you grind on him as you pleased. His hand continued to graze over your ribs with his fingertips, pushing the shirt up even more.

"Dont tease," you pleaded

"Says the temptress with tactics," He sighed lazily against your mouth, deepening your kisses, your tongue slipped inside his eager mouth, dancing for dominance. His was winning with all the places he could touch you while your hands were still pinned, making you moan for him, letting you slip.

"I want it," You whined, devastated, hungry. "Want you s'bad," Your voice slurred, drunk on his touch.

He pulled away, almost untangling himself in an attempt to let the flames simmer.

"N-No we don't have to....all the way..." You explained, your eyes wide, begging, "I don't mind not....you know.."

He seemed to relax at that, shifting and letting your hands fall to his shoulders, free. You flexed your fingers, the ache between your legs growing, you werent sure exactly what you wanted to do here but he was staring at you expectantly.

"I wanted to touch you," You admitted, "Maybe....each other..." You face was creeping with heat, you lips became the perfect place for your teeth to tug and bite.

Vincent looked lost in thought, his shoulders tensing forward, "I won't remove my clothes," He said slowly, waiting for you to reject the idea. Reject him. Reject his vulnerability.

You nodded, cupping his cheek, brushing a thumb across it, "That's fine with me, we can go at your pace, always." You affirmed with a kiss to his mouth, pulling him back down to you which he surrenders.

You made sure to give him an out though since you felt a bit irrational, "But if you don't want to, don't force yourself...promise?"

He wordlessly grips your hand with his bare one, sliding your fingers together like he did in the fountain. The gesture was a 1,000 words, a promise without needing clarification.

His hand releases yours to explore, to tease around your stomach. There's no fabric beneath your waist but he still takes his time sliding his hand further down, fingers splayed as if in muscle memory. He was drinking in your heated expressions as his hand finally descends your mound. His middle and pointer seeking out your folds.

Before you can lose courage you also begin to fiddle with the zipper on his leather pants, your fingers tremble.

"Inside or outside the underwear?" You asked with a teasing lilt of your hand palming him through the pants. You noticed his body's reaction immediately. His back tensed, arms quivering.

"Start outside," He bit out, he didn't know if he could hold it If you just reached in and grabbed him in one go.

You just nodded, feeling his head descend to your neck, breaths already heavy. He slid his hand lower taking his time to run both fingers down each side of your folds. You whimpered, hips rolling into those digits. You could feel how sticky and slick you were from having rubbed on his leg, the evidence spread all over your inner thighs.

While he coaxed you with his hands, you pulled the waist of his pants down just slightly, it was resting lower on his hips, your hand able to brush over his underwear now. Oh he was definitely hard, absolutely leaking. Your finger that grazed his clothed cock was damp, the thought warming you up even further.

You heard the low groan come from the back of his throat, face burrowing into your shoulder— Almost pained, like he was straining himself.

"It's okay. I've got you," You coo'd.

His fingers were carefully exploring you still, finding your clit and giving it a gentle pinch. It caused you to gasp, pleasure shooting through your body. Your other hand would rest on his slender waist, rubbing soothingly as you prepared him for more firmer grips. You didn't want to make a move too fast, disrupt whatever pleasure he was feeling just because you loved watching him fall apart.

But you almost couldn't help yourself, maneuvering him in his underwear so it was easier to trail your fingers over his long shaft. You mouth suddenly felt too dry, your tongue thick. What would he taste like?

A feral sound escaped him, he reigned himself in with a harsh inhale, "Be patient, not too hard," He guided your hand to rest at the base of his covered cock. He was groaning in the hollow of your throat, his hips freezing at the simple touch. You licked your lips, heart pounding, fingers flexing over him in a slow rhythm.

He didn't give you time to quip back at him, fingers rubbing you thoroughly now, gliding into the center of your slick heat and growling at how much of a mess was between your legs already.

You cried out, biting into his shoulder, you couldn't afford to be too loud afterall. Your hips rolled with his technique, wanting those fingers to go lower, to dip inside. He knew it well enough, slowing his pace to a torturous stroke. You were a bowstring pulled taught, arching into him regardless of the simple touch.

He hummed in amusement, toying with your clit and running those digits back up and down your center, index and middle finger running lightly over your entrance. He could feel you trying to take the tips of his fingers inside, the pulsing of the hole widening to accommodate. To say it turned him on was an understandment, he could probably peak from fingering you alone.

You whined, pushing closer with your hand on his hips. Your nails were digging into his waist, little marks would be left over. It wouldn't hurt what so ever if you dragged your nails deeper, though he wished you would. You would push against his fingers, moaning when you would successfully cause him to rub your core more intensly, finger tips sinking inside to stroke the warmth.

"Needy little thing," He rasped, raised himself up to your ear, licking and sucking just behind it. In response to this teasing your hand engulfed his clothed shaft, squeezing firmly while stroking faster. His fingers took their time slipping inside of you teasingly, going back up to your clit to rub the mess around.

A broken moan escaped him, his arms shaking as he kept himself upright, eyes fluttering close. You grabbed the tips of his hair, his fingers had stilled their torture so you could tug, pulling him to face you and capturing his lips. He drank greedily from your tongue, almost panting. Just a touch like this and he was spiraling too fast.

You bite down harshly, wanting to make these as yours for the time being. When you pulled apart all that was left was a string of saliva connecting your parted lips. The indent of your teeth prominent, little beads of blood forming there. You should feel bad, you think, maybe a little embarrassed by such a carnal desire to mark him in a place so vivid. He seemed to like it enough, those glowing eyes roaming over you in his shirt, tongue darting out to clean the drops of red from his mouth.

"Slowly," He chastised you with a gasp as you continued to grasp him so firmly, his hand going back to your wrist to slow you down, "I cant think..."

You smiled, kissing his cheeks tenderly. You could see that he was battling the pleasure, his brow furrowing, he always wanted to pleasure you first. It was endearing, but you wanted to make him come.

"I have an idea, let me up." You commanded with another tug to his hair. He complied immediately, letting you rise but having to remove his fingers from you as well. You grimmaced at the disappearance, but pushed him back to the end of the bed with the flat of your palm to his chest, climbing across his lap.

"Like this," You demonstrated with a swivel of your hips, your bare core touching his briefs. His belts dug into your legs but the sting was welcome. It sent electric up your spine as you settled fully into the weight. His hips arched into you, his eyes lidded as you rocked forward. He was biting his lip already, eyes rolling practically as you slid yourself over him with practiced glides.

Oh

Vincent was so hot, you could feel how wound up he was, the throbbing very apparent even in this state. You could feel the length against your clit, making you fall forward a little. Your one hand balanced yourself with his chest, the other cupping his cheek which he nuzzled in it. His teeth scrap over your palm as he nibbled gently. You chased the sensation of those sparks over and over. He looked so vulnerable, so open, overwhelmed. His chest was heaving beneath your hand as you continued, his hands settling on your hips to help you along or to slow you down— you couldn't analyze properly.

You were already panting too, feeling the wetness trailing down your legs as you shivered. It felt so good like this, you wanted so badly for that aching emptiness to be filled but you didn't want to push your luck in asking. The barrier of clothing between you was so wet you swear you could almost feel him bare anyway.

You couldn't help the tears that welled in your eyes, not wanting to scare Vincent you tried to hold them in. The pleasure was so much, his gentle but firm grasp on you was so rooting. How had you never had this before? It was electrifying.

"Do you want to stop?" He was asking you so tenderly, as if letting you know you could and he wouldn't blame you for it.

You answered with a feral kiss, rutting faster. You wanted him to crumble, wanted to see when he experienced bliss.

"Vincent...hah...mm—" was the only thing you could manage— hoping, praying the repsonse would be read into it well enough.

He whispered back, thrusting up as well with small pulses of his hips, "Make yourself the priority, I can hold." His voice was measured, each word lingered with a soft sigh each time you connected below.

Your heat soared, looking down into his eyes, fingers clenching in his shirt.

"Please, don't hold, let go...please..." You begged, not caring if you sounded needy. Just the thought of making him come was making your release climb. So you leaned up and away to add more pressure to his cock. You wouldn't accept anything less for him, you wouldn't let him deny himself.

You were babbling, a blush creeping over your cheeks as you looked down on him, "I want to see it...when you come for me," You leaned bafk down to kiss him again.

Those perfect lips colored slightly darker red than your own were too irresistible. You loved kissing him, every kiss was sweet. Was it always this addictive before though? You couldn't remember a time where you yearned for lips against yours so heavily. You could devour them day and night.

Vincent's hands came up to tangle in your hair, holding you there like you were his oxygen. Gripping you in place, ravishing your lips in equal measure as you gave yourself over to every desire you had.

You could feel his hips stuttering, losing rhythm with you.

"You're so good to me, Vincent, so sweet," You praised into his mouth as he hissed, his body seizing after that like it was too much. The mess between you two was splattering against his abdomen, an obscene sloppy sound coming from your grinding hips.

"I cant hold, please," He ground out the words, his jaw clenched as he reached for one of your breasts, hand cupping it. "You first,"

He leaned up on one of his elbows, moving the shirt so it was at your neckline and took the flesh inside of his mouth. He pulled it taut with his teeth, knowing you liked him to be a little rough with this area.

You were losing as quickly as you started this game of tug and war. You keened, slick dripping all over him as you picked up the pace with fervor. He was busy with the nipple in his mouth, teeth clamping down again with a harsh suck.

You cried out as it hit you suddenly, you could equate it to seeing static when you got dizzy. All your sensitivty went straight to the hunger between your legs, growing as you came. Your hips were not longer able to handle being upright, almost slumping forward into him. He growled and pushed you down harder, hands adjusting you to where he needed you— rubbing against you to chase his own release which wasn't far behind. You fell into his arms deeper, his mouth next to your ear.

You could hear every groan, every whimper as he chased pleasure with your soaking core. You were still trembling, the prices of white hot pleasure lingering as he overstimulated you. You cried into his shoulder, lips pressing hot kisses there.

"Just like that," You mouthed into his collar, "Feels so good,"

With a final trail of kisses to his mouth he tensed, hips rocking once, twice, three times in a quick succession of snaps. He called out your name so sweetly even with that raspy voice, dripping with desperation as he came.

Your breaths mingled as you soaked in his pleasure. The hot material underneath you grew even warmer, sticking to your skin.

He was shaking harder than you had, eyes rolling up, he looked so blissed out. It was like all the weight of his troubles disappeared for that moment, his body becoming soft and pilant as you stroked his abdomen over his shirt. Your voice cooing gently as his torso kept spasming along with the muscles in his legs.

You felt him tugging you down, naturally wanting to feel the press of your chest, the undeniable race of your heartbeats that gave him a sense of calm. He couldnt get close enough, burrowing his face in your neck with a cry. You could feel those hot tears streak over your skin. He was downright crumbling.

"Hah— fuck— nnnh." He was still shivering, you could feel the hot dampness of his come sticking to his underwear. You didn't move, not wanting to push him over too far. It seemed like he was overwhelmed with the pleasure of it all, looking a little lost so you just let him hold you close through the throws of it.

"You did so well, just let it happen, its okay," You reassured, kissing his head, taking one of his hands from your waist and lacing your fingers together.

"Hmmm," He hummed, closing his eyes and trying to steady his breaths as you began to coax his hips to move slowly from their stillness, drawing him back down to you in a relaxing way. Letting him ride out the high as he needed too even if it stoked the embers inside you once more. You knew he probably wouldn't be able to handle another right now.

"That's it," You murmured, gently brushing his hair from his face. You waited there, the silence stretching. Nothing but the sound of Vincent's idle gasps, throaty moans. When his hips finally stopped shivering you made sure not to press down on him again, keeping your weight on one of his legs instead.

He was still squeezing his eyes shut so you stroked a thumb over his cheek encouraging him to open. When he did you smiled so brightly, a happiness surging within you, you had finally had an experience together. You were elated.

"Are you okay?" You mused.

"Are you?"

You both asked each other, your lips twitching with the humor of it all. You leaned further onto his chest.

"Never better," You could feel, however, the quickly cooling release on your thighs. It was technically a mixture of your own and his. You didn't mind though, you didn't want anything to pull you apart right now.

You could see his mind spiraling, a look of shame in his eyes that wouldn't disappear. You quickly covered his mouth with your hand as if knowing he was going to ruin it with something incredibly ridiculous about himself.

He reached up to peel the fingers from his mouth but you insisted.

"Don't think about anything, you were perfect, all of it.." Your lopsided smile coming into play, "I came just from seeing your expression..." You admitted, shyly. You let him remove your hand finally, his eyes searching yours for any traces of regret.

Vincent let his fingers brush your hair stuck to your face away, "You'll be the death of me," the corner of his lip twitched but you could see the relief in his eyes. He kissed your palm, a gesture of affection that made your toes curl.

With a groan he started to sit up and you held on tightly, your bodies were slick with sweat and to your embarrassment a lot of your fluids.He looked at his drenched lap with something of pride, your cheeks growing darker. You could easily see the staining white from you all over his black clothing.

"Let's clean you up," He suggested instead, leading you off the bed with a hand but pausing to gain his balance. His legs were a little jelly like, his other arm reaching out to lean on the bed post. That made him feel just as shy as you, with the way his ears went scarlet. You giggled behind a hand, standing up beside him and tugging him towards the bath.

"We'll practice," You promised, eyes alight as he watched you remove the shirt from your body, "You'll get used to it, I'll make sure of it," His gaze was locked on the center of your thighs, the dripping arousal, his eyes glowing.

"Mm, careful."

And then you were whisked into the bath where you were awarded another taste of his fingers and teasing. You wondered how it could get better than that.

But time was still ticking regardless of your little bubble of happiness. You would have to step out of it soon, but in the moment you relished him.

[urautismdiagnosis]

Dashi Design (and her lore for my au)

DASHIIIIIII she has my life eeee

Dashi is my go getter queen, also the headshot of her is her correct hair texture its just that the total body art is a bit older but yeh :>

Dashi lore for my au under the cut

ONTO THE LORE FOR DASHI IN MY AU 🎉🎉🎉

First of all, let's take a little look at her interests- surfing, photography, going out to cave dive for those photos-

And she does all of this stuff, that alot of people might only do as hobbies, to the max!

Whenever she has any interest she always goes as high as she possibly can-

Her family is kinda rich, like "we have rich person hobbies and have expensive vacations every year 💅" kind of rich. Hence why she was able to get so much support for all her interests at a young age, whether it be surfing or photography competitions and so on.

Anyways she's also got an older brother, (I've named him Dan btw) and he's the eldest

See the thing about him and dashi is that they used to be super close as kids yk? He was the oldest sibgling and big brother and both he and dashi were both similar in alot of ways! They were both super competitive and determined to reach their goals, he also was the one who got her into surfing and taught her a ton of stuff!

They were close kinda like how dashi and koshi are...

The thing is though a big part of his identity was being the golden child and amazing big brother and perfect high achiever son, so when dashi started getting older and developing her like.. whole seperate interests and identity that her brother...

Well they started clashing alot, because well she couldn't play the "little sister" that he could teach so everyone could admire how amazing he was, instead she was having her own achievements that he couldn't have any credit in.

He was the kind of older brother who... well choose to be kinda patronizing to make themselves more masculine and popular... and at a certain point it went from "aw big brother helping teach his lil sister!" To " ur actually talking down on me and I hate that, and whenever i try to bring it up you act like I'm a 5 year old when I'm not. Also I dont need ur bad advice on this, I know what I'm doing and ur just acting like a pro in something u don't know anything about"

Alot of his identity and self worth comes from bragging about *his* achievements

The undermining of her own achievements didn't even just come from him either, alot of her passions and skills were just seen as hobbies for fun and not real jobs. Its why she ended up as primarily a computer specialist, she worked as a meteorologist actually! She would use those advanced machines and systems to track and decipher weather, and even was a co-pilot for the weather researchers... but her parents just kinda saw it as her just "being a weather girl"

Her parents are genuinely very kind and caring, nuturing her interests and always trying to be there for her emotional needs but, but they're very out of touch. The type of people to just... not understand why saying a certain phrase *actually is kinda specist* or *why photography actually matters to helping climate change* or *hey actually you can't just try to feed wild animals food even if they act cute cuz it'll hurt them and no it actually IS really bad for a variety of reasons and-*

That sorta thing...

They do genuinely love and try to support her tho, they just... wanted her to get a real job so she could have a good life :/ they're genuie ly nice folks who love to help people out tho

Regardless though,dashi still wanted to fulfill her passions and dreams and needs,and then she learned about the octonauts

at the time thr octonauts were a VERY experimental and risky organization, but she did research and genuinely believed and wanted to be part of what could possibly be a revolutionary organization for rescue, research, exploration, and conservation-

So she applied in secret.

The thing is though, Dan had found out. Their relationship at the time was strained at best but they were still siblings. But then he snitched.

her parents. Freaked. Out

To say they were concerned about their daughter going out to just- possibly- "die in the middle of the ocean!" Or "be stuck and trapped with strangers in the middle of the ocean!" Or "struggle to ever settle down because you're in the middle of the ocean!" Or "get stranded on an island in the middle of the ocean!" Or "get eaten by a whale and cry because u weren't ever able to get back with ur ex u sarcastically said ud get back with because we kept talking about how amazing he was and how we thought ud get married and how sad that made us and then you'd die in a whale in the middle of the ocean!" Or whatever 🙄

Like girl did get swallowed by a whale but it was chill yall need to calm down 💅 like so what if siphonphores tried to eat her once or if the octopods crashed or nearly crashed several times? Like she handled it yall need to have some faith in ur daughter smh

Anyways needless to say they made the process SO HARD esp since Dan STOLE HER LAPTOP WITH HER FILES because he was "woRriEd foR hIs baby SiStEr trYiNg tO ruuN AwAy🥺🥺🥺" She is a grown woman btw and a highly renowned professional in her career.

anyways she managed to join thr octonauts anyways and her parents did chill at least half a year later once they realized she wasn't gonna die in the ocean and that she was fine not "settling down" for a while, they still DONT understand it but like they were just worried their daughter was going crazy and running away (THANKS FOR ADDING A BUNCH OF DRAMATIC LIES TO CHANGE THE STORY DAN)

Anyways she and Dan don't talk anymore, if u ask either of them about it "they just drifted apart", koshi doesn't really know what all the drama that happened was tbh :/ she just remembered them fighting over a laptop and figures they never really got along 😐👍

Anyways dashi makes it a point to never make koshi feel the way dan made her feel

Also dan ended up becoming a lawyer for businesses if u were interested :/

Dashis parents sound pretty bad here and they def aren't perfect, but they're usually just uninformed and they genuinely do have a "we should help everyone in our community ^v^ " mindset and taught dashi alot about self confidence and etc

If u made it this far then congrats!

Btw she didn't start out as a scientist when she joined the octonauts,its actually something that she added to her skillsets and shellington supported her thru it

I'll have to make a dashington post soon lol and also tall about her relationships with the rest of the octonauts crew

She and peso were the last two octonauts to join

[re-termination]

✿ From Myself, To You

Cosmo + Toon handler! Reader

Note: Valentine's day post that ended up being platonic cuz I suck at romance!!! If you don't like cheesecake you can imagine the dessert Cosmo makes as something else that you like!

Tags: platonic dynamics, Sam and Sprout banter

In the main lobby of gardenview, in the late hours of nighttime, a lone toon could be found sitting under the tree seemingly pondering about something.

With Valentine's day being tomorrow, Cosmo really wanted to show his appreciation to his favorite toon handler. You treated him with so much respect and were patient enough when he kept messing up in the kitchen so naturally he would hold you close and dear to his heart. You even held him when things got a bit too hectic for his liking.

As for what to do to show his appreciation? Hmm, maybe a cheesecake would be perfect for you! Cosmo was now determined at the thought of making you smile, so he immediately got up from his spot under the tree and dashed to the dining area.

Making his way to the dining area's kitchen, he was so caught up in his imagination that he didn't realize his best friend was calling out to him. “Cosmo! What are you up to at this time?” Coming to a screeching halt, Cosmo could only slowly turn his head at the voice of his friend.

“Ah- nothing nothing! Just making sure you turned off the oven yk? Ehehe…” The swiss roll could only feel his face growing hotter by the second. Why was he getting so worked up over getting caught baking a cheesecake for his favorite person?

“Cosmo, we haven't used the oven all day today.” Sprout could only scratch his head and chuckle, trying to figure out Cosmo's actual intentions for coming to the kitchen so late at night. Brimming with curiosity, Sprout decided to simply lean against the nearest wall waiting for Cosmo to pull himself together.

“Not leaving till you spill the beans bud” said the strawberry toon amusingly.

Patting his rose colored cheeks, Cosmo only sighed realizing there was no way around hiding anything from his best friend. It wasn't all that much of a secret, it's just Sprout for sure was going to tease him relentlessly for days to come now. With an exasperated sigh, Cosmo finally decided to face his friend properly.

“Wellll, yk how Valentine's day is tomorrow right? I was thinking of bake-”

“You were thinking of baking something for the toon handler that you always cling to, right? That makes sense. Kinda expected you would wanna bake something for them. You always have this certain look in your eyes when you're with them, after all.”

Cosmo's jaw dropped. His friend had him figured out and even pointed out his behavior regarding you. If the swiss rolls cheeks weren't red before, they most definitely were now. “You knew??? Why ask then!?”

Sprout could only try to hold his laughter, failing horribly, as Cosmo's face went through a multitude of emotions. Cosmo's reactions when teased never failed to make him laugh.

Finally calming down and deciding he teased his poor friend enough, Sprout started nudging Cosmo towards the kitchen area. “Well bud times ticking, let's get you started on baking!”

-

“Alright! Now that you have your apron on, what were you thinking of making them?”

“Wait, you're not going to help out, Sprout?”

“Nah, this is something special from you to them. No way am I getting in the way of that!” Sprout said matter of factly as he patted his friends head. “But, if you do need help, I'll be here as an extra set of hands.”

“Oh Ok! Anyway uhm, I was thinking of baking them a cheesecake…” Cosmo trailed off as he wondered if this was really what he should bake for you. Would you like it? Do you hate cheesecake? What if he fails and it doesn't taste good?

Sprout only deadpanned as he recognized that face on his friend. A face full of doubt. “Bud, I'm sure they'll love anything you make them. Stop overthinking it!”

Cosmo snapped out of his small stupor and chuckled in an apologetic way. “Ah you're right! You're right!” The swiss roll with newfound confidence, immediately went to gather the ingredients and utensils needed to get started baking, occasionally asking Sprout for help if he couldn't reach something that was way too high for him.

“Oh by the way! I think I'll use strawberries as decoration for the cheesecake so could you please go fetch those from the fridge?” Sprouts eye twitched as he heard Cosmo say that in a mischievous tone. Knowing he had no say over that decision he went to grab the strawberries… as well as grabbing raspberries in case his friend changed his mind!

-

With a yawn, you made your way to your post and got ready to round up your assigned toons to give them a run down on what the day would look like. Making your way to the lobby, you spotted Sam looking more irritated than usual. You decided to check up on your coworker and see if you could be of any help.

“Morning Sam! Something the matter? You're looking quite rough for this time of day.” While Sam wasn’t mean to coworkers, their resting face and sudden outbursts when Sprout stressed them out did unsettle you a bit.

Fortunately for you, Sam seemed to brighten up a bit at hearing your voice. “Ah hello there, didn’t notice you there. And yes, something is the matter. I couldn’t find Sprout in his room even though he’s SUPPOSED to stay there till I can escort him to where he needs to be.”

Anddd, just like that, Sam is back to looking irritated. It’s rather comical, really the dynamic between Sam and Sprout. You couldn’t help but giggle sometimes when you saw them bicker for the most childish things. Sprout was always dragging Cosmo into some sort of mischief in the kitchen, which only led to Sam getting stressed. You wouldn’t be surprised if Sam started growing grey hairs anytime sooner because of the toon's mischief.

“Well have you looked in the diner area yet? That seems like the most probable place Sprout could be if he isn’t in his room. I could come with you to search more if he’s not there.”

Sam’s eyes sparkled as they grabbed both of your hands. “Yes please! The more help, the better! When I get my hands on that strawberry, I swear I'll strangle him.”

“Ok maybe don't go that far!” You know Sam didn't mean it, but it's still funny to think of.

You and Sam started making your way to the dining area in hopes of finding Sprout, but you wondered where Cosmo could be. Cosmo was always up and early waiting on your arrival to gardenview, so it was surprising not to see him waiting. Quite the adorable toon and not to mention your favorite outta the whole bunch.

Sam seems to be thinking about Cosmos whereabouts too with how they call out to you. “By the way, it's odd that Cosmo isn't with you. Every time I see you, he's not that far behind, it seems. Wish Sprout was as still and quiet as Cosmo. Maybe then I wouldn't be as stressed hoping this place doesn't burn down from his antics.”

At that, you smiled. The dynamic between you and Cosmo was wayyy different than what Sam and Sprout have going on. While you and Cosmo could be napping somewhere peacefully, Sam could be trying to prevent Sprout from causing the building to go up in flames from an accidental baking failure.

Arriving at the dining area, it seemed pretty quiet, but you smelled something good in the air. Glancing at Sam, you two nodded and headed to the kitchen area. Lo and behold, the search for the strawberry toon was over, oh and Cosmo is with him! The two toons were sleeping soundly… with the kitchen being a mess.

“Sprout Seedly!”

“What!”

Oh boy, Sam decided yelling Sprouts full name to wake him up was a good idea. While those two started their daily banter, you spotted Cosmo slowly stirring awake and felt bad. The commotion obviously waking him up.

“Care to explain yourself, Seedly? What is the meaning of this mess!?” Sam demanded answers.

Cosmo, on the other hand, now on high alert realizing the situation, got up from his spot and ran to approach Sam.

“Sprout didn't do anything! It was my idea! I just wanted to bake a dessert for uhm- well- I'm sorry for the mess!!!”

The swiss roll wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and crawl into it. Well, at least he was able to clear his friend's name from any trouble, hopefully. What he didn't like was that you were here, in the kitchen. You weren't supposed to be here and see the mess. Better yet, you weren't supposed to know why there was even a mess in the first place. His plan was to wait for you at the lobby to surprise you with the cheesecake, but he overslept.

Stepping up from behind Cosmo, Sprout approached his handler with newfound vigor and a smug smile. “Cats out the bag. As you can see, dear handler of mine, I played no major role in this mess. Therefore, I think I deserve to be spared from being punished.” Sprout boasted proudly.

Sam's eyebrow twitched while you only stood there dumbfounded. Wasting no time, Sam glared at Sprout, and the strawberry knew that was his sign to walk out with them. Sprout held his hands up and flashed Cosmo a smile before following Sam out the kitchen, leaving you and the poor toon alone.

“Sooo wanna properly explain yourself? No pressure!” You didn't want to stress the toon out more than he already is, so you decided to take an easy approach. You also decided that crouching down to his level would probably be a good move, which proved to be right as Cosmo approached you slowly to hug you.

The toon clung onto you and buried his face into your chest for comfort. Out of habit, you started to pat his head so he could relax more.

“There there, I'm not mad about the mess- well, maybe Sam is, but I'm just curious! Promise!”

Face still buried against your chest, you could hardly make out what Cosmo was saying. “It's for you. I baked a cheesecake to surprise you today since it's Valentine's Day. I made it to show you my appreciation for you…”

This tugged at your heartstrings. Your favorite toon? Made you a cheesecake? For Valentine's day! How cute! With this, you squeezed Cosmo in a tight embrace.

The toon in question, now patting on your arms to let him go. As much as he loves the affection that he's receiving he can hardly breathe with how hard you're squeezing him.

“Aww aren't you just the sweetest! Y'know, if you wanted to ask me to be your valentine you could've asked earlier” You were semi-joking about the second part but the whole action was so sweet of him you just had to tease him. Cosmo, not aware you were joking, blushed intensely. You? His favorite toon handler? Be his valentine!? The thought has his mind spinning.

Getting up to observe the mess the kitchen was, you smiled. “Hey Cosmo, why don't we enjoy the cheesecake you made and clean later? I'd love to share what you made for me!”

Cosmo, now beaming with joy at the aspect of sharing a dessert with you, immediately agreed. He quickly ran to the fridge to grab the now ready to eat dessert and followed you to a table in the dining room. While he could always spend time with you any day he wanted, today was special. Any day with you was special but he felt like he got closer to you more than before just with this day.

---

“Get to cleaning Seedly, the job isn't going to get done itself y’know.”

“...I should get you fired.”

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

Weekend Ramblings

Thame·Po Episode 10

Yeah, I'm late but my brain was not working properly on friday, so, now works. Congrats on the sex! I love this friend group so much. This episode was a lot. First of all Baifern needs to go touch grass. I did appreciate that the show went there, all things considering, but she made me mad. And not that I needed more proof, but Po is a better person than me. Also I hate Pemika and this whole thing around idols and dating. It's insane, but obviously eventually the company will come around, cause glass houses and all that. The PepperGam noble idiocy thing was a bit whatever, although still heartbreaking, but I'm hoping this means that our mains won't follow in their footsteps. This show is as close to perfection as I have seen from gmmtv in a while, so let's not ruin it. The best part was definitely seeing the group supporting each other. The hand holding at the press conference had me all emotional. I'm giving up on screaming at Thame. I guess since they were technically already caught, he's not bothered. Not that he acted like he ever was. Thame and Po continue to be them. I just love how even through all this, they keep checking in on each other.

GelBoys Episode 2

Never has a show made me feel so ancient. Also this show is a massive reminder of how much I absolutely hated all that love drama in high school. I had zero patience for it. Obsessively rereading messages, overanalysing every word to find some hidden meaning, wondering, Does he actually like me? Honestly, I’m exhausted just thinking about it. And on top of that, I’m beyond grateful that I didn’t have to deal with any of it in the era of smartphones, social media, selfies, apps, and so on. So much angst. I guess playlists are the new mixtapes. It's certainly easier. I continue to really like the atmosphere, it feels very grounded. And although I like Fou4Mod, I adore Baabin, so I'm not a huge fan of the way Fou4Mod is using him to make Chian jealous. Like since he's his bestie, he could've at least been honest. I'm sure he'd be on board. And I know he's gotta learn this for himself but, Fou4Mod, sweetie, this is a terrible idea. You are going to be crying a lot on that train in the future. But, I mean, who hasn't done that before?

Perfect 10 Liners Episode 17

I got YothaGun and PondSand. What a joy! I really could watch Perth do anything but seeing him being the biggest love sick puppy is a special treat. Faifa seems to have a bit of a savior complex, which we kinda knew but it's pretty obvious now. I love characters that hide their pain behind a smile, and he's so kind on top of that, so of course I love him. I also liked that he noticed Wine's overall mood and checked in with him about boundaries. I'm hoping Wine can break some of his walls and perhaps teach him the word 'NO.' I'm thinking maybe we won't get a side couple this time because we have enough couples to check in with, in between FaifaWine stuff, but we'll see.

The Boy Next World Episode 7

First of all, it was great to see Thorn/Tong again, I keep forgetting this is part of the TharnType Universe. As I said last week, BossNouel can bring it in those scenes, but I still feel like I'm watching RainPhayu. Now Cir, you had to see this coming, no? I mean you only had like a million chances to come clean. I feel bad for Phu, but I gotta say, last week I thought he might have an inkling about this, but maybe not?Now…for that ending and the preview. So not multiple universes, but something else is going on. He's dissociating. I'm intrigued and worried if they will land this part of the story. It seems we'll be getting our beloved amnesia trope and I'm so excited about it. Honestly I was thinking maybe he doesn't really have amnesia and he's faking, but wouldn't that be a bit much, all things considered? I mean, they’re going to end up together, so I’d really love to not completely despise Cir by then. The second half of the episode was strange though, pace wise. It felt a bit disconnected, and rushed. Part of it might be intentional, given Phu's state of mind, but it still felt weird to me. The sides are kinda cute, although I must admit, Wim gets on my nerves a bit. That dude must end each day with a tension headache. Like seriously, he's so tense it makes me stressed. And also, why is he so annoyed by Jin?, cause like he listed a bunch of stuff but honestly I don't see it. Wim needs to forget about Cir for 5 seconds and focus on something else. This animosity feels a bit forced.

Sangmin Dinneaw Episode 8 [Finale]

I honestly don’t even know where to start. I’ve come to expect a certain level of whiplash from this show, but this was on an entirely different level. We went from child abuse and murder plot straight into that cucumber scene. I can’t even begin to imagine the thought process behind it. This was a roller-coaster, and not in a good way. That said, at least we finally got a storyline where a guy gets revenge on his abusive parents, so that wasn’t terrible. But the fact that the hotel dude didn't get run over is unfortunate. Now that it’s over, I genuinely don’t know what to say. The main couple was cute enough, and the sides were decent, but overall, this whole thing was a mess. Honestly, the ending was the only part that felt even remotely normal. And still I'm not sure about the amnesia. But who cares? Most of this makes no sense and I'm not gonna waste any more time trying to figure it out.

[kittenscookie]

Ooh I'm a bit new to the Modern Epic PJO AU, how does Luke, Camp Jupiter, and Jason start out? Does Luke just meet Jason, realize the marks on his arm is branding and not a tattoo, and just finds Camp Jupiter out of sheer rage alone?

Okay, I apologize because this is gonna be long.

Because of the whole "died while by possessed by an evil time titan" thing Luke was out cold for about a week after getting back to camp. During that week Annabeth demanded that Jason hide his spqr as best he could and not say shit about Camp Juniper. Because both she and Percy knew that when Luke found out about that shit he was going to be enraged. Annabeth was trying to figure out how to break it to him in a way that wouldn't lead to the second most diabolical crash out she'd ever bore witness to, Thaila's being the first. She was going to tell him—she was—but...

Her brother was back—her big brother had been dead for months and now he was back and she just...Logically she knew the sooner he learned about it the less likely he was to go ape shit, but emotionally? Emotionally she didn't want to upset him, emotionally she wanted to make up for the time they'd lost due to him being fucking dead, wanted to make his recovery as smooth as possible—didn't want to put any more stress on his mental state. This was a situation where her emotions were beating out her logic, specifically because he'd been dead, they'd spread his damn ashes.

In the end she'd put it off too long, because there was no way Luke and Jason weren't getting close.

Luke was the general, war veteran, oldest demigod of his generation, survived a quest given by his father, hero of fucking prophecy. There was no way Jason wouldn't look up to him—respect him as a senior. But above that he'd been Thalia's best friend for years, her closet confidant. Luke was one of the last ties to his sister (oh shit there'd be some complicated feelings there 😬) and Jason was Luke's last tie to his old friend. So them getting close was a given, Luke is basically Jason's dad in this au.

It was pure coincidence that Luke's eyes lingered on the mark—that he noticed that it wasn't ink staining his skin. He'd had Jason's arm in death grip before the teen could even blink. Jason is strong yes—but he's still a teenager, Luke is a grown ass man. He couldn't have gotten his arm out of his hand if he tried.

"Jason"

"Yes?"

"This is branding"

"..."

Someone branded him—someone branded his kid like fucking cattle.

"What do these lines mean?"

"It's my years of service—"

"Years of service? You're fucking sixteen, who did this to you?"

And Jason wouldn't know how to react to this because he'd have never seen Luke that angry before. That enraged over something so normal to him.

"Jason Grace...Who did this to you?"

Soldier mode is activated because Luke isn't speaking in that calm laid back tone he has with teenage campers, not the kind soft one he reserves for children and family(Jason is family now), his voice is cold pragmatic—he is giving him an order. It doesn't take long for Jason to start talking. Luke is at Camp Juniper by the next day, and had he not been a decent man he'd be there for a slaughter but all he wants is to see the gods forsaken place burn.

[nowhateverthisnostopasking]

So, while this next idea would be ideally used in the DC Animated Movie Universe, it could work in a new continuity (though, damn do I wish otherwise. lol); nevertheless, it doesn't rely so much on established DCAMU canon as my earlier hoped for projects.

*The Idea*

I think the Titans would have a Christmas break, whenever there wasn't a major threat to address, anyway. I believe Bruce Wayne would invite Damian's new teammates to Wayne Manor, if they had nowhere else to go, plus he understood it was healthy for his son's emotional development and well-being. I think this was a basis for quite a few fanfics, so even though I thought of it before seeing them, I give credit to those who beat me to the punch and with actually comprehensive detail. aha

Raven would go, as she has no other home, and Beast Boy would tag along for fun, to be the little brother who - while a valued friend - would sometimes fail to read the room, so would interrupt what should be more intimate social outings. That lovable rascal. haha. And he'd mess up Alfred's kitchen trying to cook something vegetarian even though he can't prepare food himself yet; might be a fun character moment to have Damian prepare the food for everyone, to be one of those surprise skills that still make sense. Maybe add other Titans, but I don't know, just those three at minimum.

The primary threat would be Scarecrow, since he would be one of the most dangerous Gotham supervillains for them, especially Raven because her emotion-based powers would be violently disrupted by his fear toxin, and more simply his psychiatric expertise; similarly, her empath power would become agony as Scarecrow spreads fear throughout thousands of people, with all that fear crushing her. Hence, why Damian would be vital for her as he is someone who can control his terror better than most, so he could talk her down to focus only on his bravery, rather than on everyone else's fear.

On a tangent, I think Crane would have employed Killer Croc as muscle, who would serve as Beast Boy's rival in the story. Maybe even build a bit of a bond as worthy enemies through mutual understanding about being outcasts due to a condition they can't change.

I feel like a good element for the climax would be a reversal of Damian helping Raven, when Scarecrow's fear toxin actually works on Damian, so Raven can help him keep his sanity with fortitude she had thanks to the support he gave her earlier. What would Damian fear? It could be knowledge about being planned as just a weapon, but I doubt that would bother him yet. Fear of failure? I think his confidence was unflappable at this point. I believe the fear would likely be losing Raven, thus her being there would challenge and help him overcome that fear.

*Closing*

Not sure how the entire plot would pan out, but I'm an ideas person, the structure is done better by others. Still, it feels like it has potential as a baseline. Simply wanted to put this out ASAP while I thought of it.

Anyway, I'm a sucker for a half-decent pun, so the film would be called something like "The Knightmare Before Christmas." It'd be a nice bookend for the teammates to watch the name's inspiration at the start and end in one of the Wayne screening rooms. Might be a legal issue, but I've seen cross-company cooperation before for more than this.

Damian: I'm not afraid of anything.

Raven: I didn't see it as much as felt it, and I've been trying to shake it off ever since.

Scarecrow: Fear reveals the truth.

[dellamortethelesser]

The Wigmaker Job

Notes and Thoughts - Part 5

pt1 | pt2 | pt3 | pt4 | pt5 | pt6 | pt7

DISCLAIMER: These posts I'm doing are my own analyses and are done with the intentional eye to examine the relationship between Lucanis and Illario. I try to source all my assertions from what the text is giving me. This is not Lucanis critical nor should it be taken as such.

"bad timing, mia cara" ← why did he say that. i mean i get the whole bad timing thing but why the pet name. oh Illario…. anyways. i did pick up in the middle of the scene because we have a lot of ground to cover. Lucanis is the one who takes note of the really bad state poor Effe is in

She doesn't know her own age, severely underweight, her hair has been ripped out—bad just bad. Lucanis is the one who tells her to go on her way, seething with rage all the while.

Illario protests, saying that she's seen their faces and thus the contract is compromised. Lucanis bets of her bluffing for them, and she asks if he's a Crow. Lucanis admits this… Illario chides him for doing so. They let Effe go on her way.

"Never known you to have a soft heart," Illario murmured. Lucanis's right cheek muscle twitched. "She won't talk." "This isn't Antiva. We're not heroes here." "We're not heroes anywere, cousin."

Before I jump into the next bit, I want to talk about this! I worry that people falsely attribute the 'we're not heroes anywhere' quote to Illario, but it is LUCANIS who says that! Illario is the one who seems to imply that they may already have a sort of patriotic reputation in Antiva—a reputation that is the one Teia builds on in Veilguard!

Lucanis is the one who points out that the work they do isn't heroic. It's mercenary and fueled by coin. I still think it's interesting that he's the one who says that because he's still at odds with what an assassin should be concerned about. Illario says that he hasn't known Lucanis to have a soft heart—he let a witness walk free.

Illario rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. The Venatori already have your name. If they learn your face—" "I'll grow a beard," Lucanis smirked. "They'll never see me coming." Illario's frustration deflated. He grinned reluctantly. "That cavalier attitude's going to get you killed." "It's served me well so far."

I'll grow a beard… the infamous Veilguard beard reference <3 really charming to me that they did pick it up from the book lol

I had thoroughly underlined the 'grinned reluctantly' part of this passage. I don't think Illario's frustration is genuinely fading, more so he's putting it aside to focus on the job and the situation. The fact he points out that Lucanis's cavalierness is going to get him killed…

I think it's a link to the conversation at the end of the short story. Lucanis does not care about the right things—he cares about people, and slaves, and justice, but those aren't things an assassin needs to care about. He needs to care about the risk and where he stands with the Crows, and he needs to start CARING about how Caterina is pitting them against each other. But Lucanis ignores all of that.

Anyways. We move to the next scene, where Lucanis and Illario are on their way into the room with the slaves.

Lucanis went first, showing Illario where to place his feet.

Remember that line for later. We're going to come back to it with The Wake analysis.

The slaves are in fucking horrid condition. I'm not going to be recounting it here because it's a bit graphic but you can read along in your own books <3

Lucanis stumbled back, his mouth dry. Something inside snapped. 'Death's too good for this bastard'. Illario touched his arm. Only then did Lucanis realize how quickly he was breathing. He closed his eyes. 'Remember your training', he told himself, and suddenly, he could hear the tapping of his grandmother's cane, the hard elegance of her voice. 'There is no place for emotion in killing. It's sloppy. File it down. Make it useful.'

Pausing here so we can pick apart at this passage for a second. We start with Lucanis reeling back in anger at the horror of what he is seeing. He's incensed on behalf of the people that Ambrose is harming. What surprises me here is how vastly different his reaction is to Illario's.

Illario, ostensibly, seems level and unfazed, or at least he is masking it better than Lucanis. To the point where Illario puts a hand on him to bring him back to center! I also love the insight that we get into Caterina here… she tells the boys there's no place for emotion in killing.

But also to file it down and make it useful? I don't think she's saying they need to be emotionless but rather that they need to control their emotions, stay aware of themselves. We don't have the insight into Illario but I don't think that Lucanis is NOT doing that. I'd argue everything he does from this point on is emotionally led.

That doesn't mean I think every decision he makes in this story is a good one—morally, yes, but pragmatically? No. I'm getting ahead of myself, though, there's the next part of this passage I want to peek at.

'Make it useful', he repeated to himself. With slow, controlled breaths, Lucanis flushed the rage pumping through his veins until he could think clearly. Ambrose would die—that was certain—but he couldn't walk away from these people.

My above points stand.

"What are you doing?" Illario whispered. "Breaking their shackles." Illario stared. "That's not the job." "Fuck the job."

Notes I scribbled around this specific part of the passage incoming:

'Once again, Lucanis is pushing past the terms of the contract without consulting Illario.' 'Is Illario following or being dragged?' and 'He's risking the contract to do this, but he's the favorite. Does Illario even have room to say no?'

"That's not the job" & "Fuck the job" respectively are almost the thesis of the story in and of itself—Illario wants a plan, a solid follow-through, whereas Lucanis is taking twists and turns until it's not about killing on a contract but freeing slaves and killing for vengeance. It's really an interesting dynamic from this point out because it widens a gulf between them.

Red lyrium note later in this passage which really does not come up in Veilguard like it did in previous installments of the game.

Sensing thinness in the Veil again—really would have liked to have gotten more details in Veilguard about Lucanis's abilities but Spite took precedence. Which is… fine, but it means we do see a disparity between this book and the game release.

Lucanis grabs Illario's wrist and hits the pressure point at the base of it to get Illario to drop his dagger. Insane move—I see why Lucanis was doing this (he had a different plan to handle the kill, re: the Fade orb in the room) but I would be so pissed if I was Illario lmfao. He let Ambrose get away! Their contract!

Illario wrenches his arm free. "Have you lost your mind? We had him!" "He doesn't deserve a quick death."

Objectively shouldn't matter what he 'deserves'. They're assassins and they are paid to kill. Illario knows this, Lucanis has been set up and shown to be more emotional and sympathetic to the point of interference.

"Did you forget the mess you left upstairs? What do you think will happen when Ambrose finds his bodyguards slaughtered?" "Hopefully he panics. I want him scared." "He'll flee," Illario asserted. "And this contract will be forfeit. Your life will be forfeit."

Two things I want to note here: One, that Lucanis is confident he can still kill Ambrose even with the situation shifting the way it has, and two—Illario's concern for Lucanis. If Crows fail a contract, as has been stated and confirmed consistently, they are eliminated as operatives for the House of Crows.

Interesting that the focus is on Lucanis's life—was anyone else aware that Illario was also on this contract? Or because it is Lucanis who accepted it, it is only his life on the line, regardless of assistance from other Crows? Fascinating to consider.

"Don't worry, cousin. He'll die. But in the right way."

Literally should not be Lucanis's place to determine this. They had a shot and they didn't take it—he wants the perfect vengeance, Illario wants the job done.

Illario threw his hands up. "Death is death! There's still time to chase Ambrose down. But we need to leave. Now. Magic isn't my forte, but even I know red lyrium is bad news. It infects people's minds. Lucanis!" Illario pressed. "We can't help these people." "No, but we can give them vengeance."

Once again I wish red lyrium was as important in Veilguard as it used to be <3 I know they explained it to us in the lore reveals we got but also that shit fucked people up so bad for so long and we saw… none of that lol. I would've even been down to see an Illario corrupted by red lyrium more than venatori in his villain arc who said that

I love that Illario talks with his hands btw go off pookie

I've made previous points about the vengeance talk with Lucanis and I'll say it again: he is a fucking assassin. He is getting lost in the inhumanity of the situation. They are not paid to care, to get vengeance, to do all of these extra steps that he wants to take. Illario, in this moment, is the only one focused on the job.

"What are you doing?" Illario called out. Lucanis took the dagger from his mouth and positioned it over the artifact. "You'll see." Illario groaned. "I really wish people would stop saying that."

By "people", he means Lucanis.

and end scene.

Quotes are either paraphrased or taken directly from The Wigmaker Job, written by Courtney Woods.

[baked-potatoes-rule]

"If I were Jackie Taylor's ghost, I'd come back to life, only to die all over again" and why Jackie will always play a core role in Shauna's life.

My arms are not abnormally long and I love reaching for things that are less likely to happen but hey...have some faith in me..and these arms of mine.

We know Jackie's ghost is making a comeback this season and I'm anticipating a conversation between her and adult Shauna. I don't think they left many things unsaid...but I think they might confirm jackieshauna for us.

In relation to Shauna looking for people to give her the love she so much needs, the love Jackie took away from her when she died.

Jackie must have been the only person in Shauna's life with whom she bonded with. She found in her, what she couldn't in her parents.

When her father left, Jackie was there. She was there when Shauna got abandoned by one of her parents. And she was there when Shauna's mom was most likely unable to give her proper nurturing and love. How couldn't Shauna not get so intertwined with her? She had been the only one who didn't abandon her. She was her rock, the hand that held hers, the person to provide what her parents couldn't. No wonder Shauna didn't know where one of them ended and the other one began.

But Jackie wasn't perfect. She had her flaws. And she would sometimes end up having Shauna trailing behind her like a puppy, because of her assertive personality.

So Shauna ends up resenting Jackie for bossing her around, for always telling her what to do and YET she still needs her approval, acceptance, love. It's parent/child dynamic all over again. She wants to be her own person, she's ready even, but Jackie is always there, guiding her steps, telling her how to go about everything. But, she's also too afraid to step up and do her thing. She's afraid of disappointing Jackie, of making her think she no longer needs her-

She's afraid of finding out who she is, beyond Jackie.

Because, who really is Shauna?

We still don't know. She doesn't know.

She's all over the place,she's grieving,she's emotional, she's in pain, she is angry. She needs someone to help her create a steady sense of self again. She needs Jackie, but Jackie is not here.

But Melissa is. Melissa is showing up. She's a bit different,not as bossy,she isn't afraid to make a move, embrace Shauna as she is- all raging and out for blood,broken.

She might get to bring her vulnerable side out again. And Shauna needs that. She needs to know she can lean on someone, someone who's going to accept her while she is searching for herself. Someone who will let her be as she is,whoever that ends up being. A freak?An angry girl that lost her best friend and baby? A soul burdened with endless guilt? A child abandoned by her family, abandoned by Jackie...Jackie whom, she herself pushed away because she was suffocating her.

No one got as close to Shauna as Jackie ever did. Not Jeff,not Adam, not her parents. No one. Yes,her friends were there. Yes, Taissa-bless her heart- stood right by her side when she needed someone and couldn't confide in Jackie. But...No one was there the way she needed them to be. Fully. Hers and hers only. She had to share Jackie with Jeff. She had to share her father with the reason he left them for, she had to share her mother with her grief over her husband leaving them. She was always on the side. Always.

And Shauna is tired. She's exhausted. And now Melissa is showing up. She is showing up and I really hope Shauna finds a way to let her be there for her and doesn't get scared and push her away.