#BUT he doesn't have to have actually done it. he just has to THINK he is guilty

[fairyhaos]

how seventeen act with their acts-of-service s/o

requested by 🦆 anon! kinda veered into me talking ab svt's love languages in some places lol (some1 remind me to write that hc at some point...) masterlist

seungcheol

might sometimes fight u on this but don't take it personally ok?? he's just so used to taking care of other people that having someone do things for him instead is so… weird. it definitely takes some getting used to, but he certainly doesn't hate it. it's quite sweet. returns the favour by showering you with as many gifts as he possibly can

jeonghan

you know that this is literally his dream come true, right? you know you're his soulmate now, right? absolutely adores getting doted on like this so you can BET he's beyond pleased that your love language is literally taking care of him. don't think it's just one sided, however. jeonghan is a mix of all the love languages, so you can bet he's doing countless other things for you too

joshua

watching his face morph from confusion to surprised realisation when he notices you've done something for him never fails to make your day. for joshua, it's still surprising every time (he's just 24/7 touched by ur love) and he knows how much you love doing things for him, and so he just lets you do what you love. it's also so devastatingly sweet, and knowing you pay attention to him this much makes his heart melt

junhui

loves it, mainly because every time u do something for him, it gives him the excuse to smother you with kisses. his love language is touch, okay, but sometimes he knows he can get overwhelming… but if he's giving you a kiss as a thank-you for doing something for him, then there's no way that can be overwhelming yk!! still kisses you all the time, tho. the acts of service thing is just an excuse. 

hoshi

he's a youngest child, so obviously he loves it. getting doted on like this is the best thing in the world for him, but also he loves seeing you light up with joy every time you do something that you think will make him happy. you look so gorgeous when you're happy like this, so you can bet he's bounding over to pepper your faces with kisses and shower you with compliments because oh, he's just soo lucky to be loved by you

wonwoo

has admitted to you during pillow talk more than one time that he loves when you take care of him like this. it makes him feel so—noticed, like he's something precious, something worth paying attention to, and it touches his heart to be loved in that way. always repays the favour through his actions and his words wherever he can, telling you sincerely how much he loves you and is so grateful that you love him

woozi

pretends to hate it but actually really likes it. he doesn't like it all the time, but there is something nice about how sometimes, he'll have this overwhelming list of things he has to do and then he finds that—oh. you've done some of those things for him, without him even breathing a word of it to anyone. it makes him feel seen, incredibly touched that you cared enough to notice and take some off the load off his shoulders. 

minghao

whenever you try to engage in acts of service for minghao, it kind of fails bc it turns into both of you doing stuff together. it's what happens when your love language of acts of service meets minghao's love language of quality time. everything becomes a duo activity. but honestly, you don't mind, because you love anything that has to do with minghao

mingyu

mingyu is so acts of service coded that this can go one of two ways. 1) he adores u doing things for him. you knowing what he needs done without him even saying? peak love fr. or 2) he's adamantly against it bc hey, he's meant to be taking care of you, wdym you did all the laundry for him this week???? either way tho, mingyu probably ends up sweeping you in his arms and kissing u soft and sweet 2 show how much he loves u too

dokyeom

melts into the floor every time you do something for him omg. this man canonically loves being called a princess so this kind of princess treatment is perfect for him!!! gets all touched and giggly when you carry out tasks for him, blushes when you feed him food and is just all in all a complete mess of adoration for u. it's one of the many reasons you love doting on him so much. 

seungkwan

both of you are acts of service people and it's honestly so funny. you tidy the living room bc you know he's been wanting it done, and he'll cook dinner bc he knows how tired you are. that's all well and good, but then it becomes you doing a deep clean of the house because you know that seungkwan knows that you wanted that done because he wanted it done and you're doing it now to help seungkwan help you to help him... which is a bit weird, but that's just how things work with you two

vernon

you do things for him, and in return, he does things for you. probably at the same time as you do things for him, too, in a kind of quiet, co-existing way. you'll dust his vinyls as he waters your plants, or you'll massage his shoulders as he's cleaning your jewellery. he likes existing in the same space as you and doing things for you at the same time as you do things for him. it's calming. 

chan

beyond grateful every. single. time. whenever he finds you've made him lunch or done the shopping or even done something very small, he's falling over himself in gratitude bc oh lord you're so SWEET and he's gonna cry. sings your praises to everyone he knows bc you're the best person in EXISTENCE and he's so lucky to be with you. tells you he loves you at every opportunity because it's true, and he'll never get tired of saying it

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[yes-no-maybe-soo]

Was replaying the devastating masterpiece that is Beyond Cloudfall and this hit me like a freight train again

MC taught Sylus that a forehead kiss is a gesture of human love. He doesn't seem to grasp the meaning of it, which MC notes — "He doesn't understand it. He will never understand it".

But then, in his last moments, as he lays dying, this is Sylus' final act...

He does understand. And he is declaring his love for her in the most meaningful and powerful way he can think of.

He went from being pretty condescending about human love

to embracing it... fuck. It's so beautiful and so painful and aaaaaahh 💔

I am not quite done just yet... because there is another layer and meaning to the forehead kiss...

This exchange happens if you pick the "I want your soul" option rather than the"I want your love" one and it's just as poignant.

Not only is Sylus conveying his love for her when he kisses MC's forehead in the datura field, but with this gesture he is also entrusting his very soul to her. That is his final act before the light dims in his ruby like eyes, and his body turns to dust, leaving only half his soul and his unspoken confession of love behind.

I am never recovering from this.

I am sending Paperfold my therapy bills.

They can't keep getting away with breaking my heart like this!!! (actually yes they can and I encourage them to keep it up. Never have I seen a couple as heartbreakingly, compellingly, beautifully written as SylusMC)

To end on an uplifting note, Sylus carries what MC taught him about love into his next life... although he has yet to drop the L bomb with words he has already professed the sentiment to her right here (unbeknownst to her ofc and to us, at the time)

I love SylusMC to death, man... The more you dig into their story, the more rewarding and gut wrenching it gets. Can't wait for further revalations and critical damage to my feelings down the line 🥲👍🏻❤️

[luludeluluramblings]

I can't imagine Connor not rushing to Reader when they're giving birth. Or that he'd even miss it.

Like, imagine he's in a situation where he was originally being held hostage or something. But he hears Reader panicking and calling Alfred about them needing to get to the hospital for birth, and Connor turns into this machine of cold, calculative, determination. Uses every trick he's learned from the Bat Family under two different Robins. Just destroys all obstacles and threatens that he has to leave now. So either get out of his way or risk what it means when he doesn't care if you live or die. Breaks the sound barrier as he flies as fast as possible. Barely makes it in time to watch his baby being born and proceeds to allow himself to be used as a heating pad while guarding Reader and his new baby. While trying to do as much skin to skin contact as possible when Reader isn't holding them.

I don't think he'd allow Reader to go with the Bat Fam. Especially if it stresses Reader out.

But say he was off world for a quick mission again, and the baby was early? When he gets back, he's all confused as to why the Reader isn't at their apartment.

He then finds Reader, at the manor, crying from the stress of being a new mom while not even getting to use the baby things they picked! They're not in the nursery Connor painted for them! And the Bat Family won't. Leave. Them. Alone!!! They're going through heavy disassociation and depression. Cause being around all these people that they were sure hated them right before the baby was born? Makes Reader question if they only want them back because of the baby. It also makes Reader so broken.

How could they immediately love the baby, but couldn't ever bother with them?

Connor breaking the both out and flying back to the apartment.

This, this is getting too far ahead. But, it’s beautiful.

A fully yandere!Conner with a scared Reader that just had their newborn would be brutal and terrifying.

He wouldn’t kill anyone. That would just piss the family off more. But, they way he would cut ties with the family or anyone that sides with them would be done in such a cold buisness like manner, that they’d start doubting if they ever where actually friends with him.

Even Injustice!Superman had emotions.

But, Conner? That apathy is all Lex Luthor genetics shinning through. The part of him that makes it so easy to destroy those around him.

Though Conner is using it to defend his family, so he’s justified. But, it would be chilling.

Teammates would be paralyzed, and friendships shattered like some bones.

Do not fuck with his Reader or his child. And, God help you if you fuck with both of them.

As for the other part, I think that would make Reader have so many issues with motherhood if they were allowed to feel that way.

It’s so common for everyone to care about the baby and ask about the baby, when you’re basically at a physical low and exhausted.

I don’t think this would happen with Reader, thankfully. Being pregnant is a state that Reader was in to the family. A condition that bore results.

Some of the family, yes, would obsess with the baby right away. But, the big thing they the want is to watch Reader be themselves and a mother. They will ask, “Are you okay?” “Do you need something?” “Can I get you something?”

Those mommy issues are what’s triggering some of the absolute worst of their yandere tendencies. Anyone that intervenes on Reader being a mother to their child are a villain in the family’s eyes.

[i-love-you-just-the-same]

okay but simon crashing ur wedding hah (tw: kidnapping, not in a sexual way)

he's been deployed for god knows how long. he's dead on his feet, coming back home to his birdie... just to find the apartment empty. it's been empty for a long time, too, with the amount of dust covering every surface. thinks the worst immediately, but price would have told him if you'd been hurt. can't communicate well if at all while he's gone... but price wouldn't keep that from him.

then he finds the note.

dated nine months prior. you can't do the low to no communication anymore, extended missions, waiting for him to come home in a casket. you're sorry but you can't live like this.

wish is fair, he knew, you had told him this before. he was winding down, though, setting to put his ring on your finger. what wasn't fair is that you had found someone new. a whirlwind romance, to be married in two weeks.

that wasn't happening. he calls in a favor to one of your cousins (she always did find him attractive) to be her date to your day. the groom was shorter and skinner, simon could take him. full out ops plan, he has this in the bag.

so he does leave. makes an excuse to your cousin, pulls his car around front, and then he tosses you in it. he didn't even mean for it to be the trunk, but you wouldn't sit still enough for the seatbelt! he had to keep you from flying out the window.

-

you're in his trunk. he thought it'd be easy: sneak into your dressing room and talk some sense into you, but then you start SCREAMING at him to "leave!" and "you don't have the right to say shit, riley!"

once he finds a suitable spot, he gets you out. you two make quite the scene: bridezilla and kong. you're in visible distress with him, most passerby assuming it's the end of a promising relationship when it's actually the opposite. he lets you get it all out, he doesn't want to hear anything else about it later.

when youve finally wore yourself out, he speaks

"'m sorry it came to this birdie, but you just didn't damn listen. you're gonna getcha 'self a husband, promise that. done whatcha asked, office job 'n all. now, let's switch these rings out, and yeur all dressed 'p already."

he nods behind you to the courthouse. shame the monogrammed napkins can't be reused.

---

heyyyy guys guess who's back... 2024 election wasn't for the weak... I'll try to post more 🫶 . send me a request or smth

[fixated-cookies]

brwo,,, u gotta write more of that yandere heat thingy w/ shadownilla,,, pls brwo,,, I'll give u my life savings,,, 5 dollars,,,,

:DDDD

That dream had me in a chokehold, it was so short unfortunately but it was crazy. pt.1 of the reader heat thingy

THIS WORK CONTAINS CONTENT SUCH AS NONCON, MIND BREAK, AND MANIPULATION !! VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED!!!

IF ANY OTHER TAGS NEEDS TO BE ADDESSED PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!

I kinda went crazy on this, I spent all day making it actually, Grammarly is carrying my writing. I know my computer is sick of me.

I think although pure vanilla is gentlemanly, he even has a side that can end up rivaling Shadow Milk Cookie in intensity. Like, he just loves you sooooo much. He’s held himself back for so long, always playing the role of the ever-patient, ever-loving guardian. But tonight? Tonight, patience be damned.At first, he tries to keep up the act, whispering soothing reassurances, brushing his fingers over your heated dough with delicate care. “It’s alright, my love… Just let us take care of you,” he murmurs, but the more you whimper, the more you writhe between them, and the more his control starts to crack. Along with the ache in his dick.

Shadow milk, his other half oh, his dear other self can obviously tell, he snickers at the sight “Oho? You’re shaking, Vanilly,” he trails a finger down your bare body “Losing yourself, are we?~”

And Pure Vanilla does nothing to deny it.

Because he is losing himself...so damn badly.

His usual kindness is laced with something deeper, something dangerous. His voice becomes ragged, “You need me,” he growls, his voice dropping into something husky, needy. “Let me prove it to you. Let me show you that no one—no one—can take care of you the way I can.” Gone is the gentle healer, the composed ruler of the Vanilla Kingdom. In his place is a man stripped of restraint, a man who has spent far too long suppressing his own desires.

"Wa-wait..." you try to stall, to push upwards on the mattress. “Ahh, so you do have a spine under all that sickly-sweet kindness,” he sneers, dragging a clawed hand through Vanilla’s golden hair, yanking just enough to make him hiss. “Go on, then. Show them. Convince them.” He doesn't need to be told twice.

He leans in, his sweet lips hovering over yours, taking in your delicious scent. His pupils are blown wide, "You don’t need to worry."His voice borders on a plea, "Just let me love you...”

you kicked your legs in a panic with a cry. Your entire body is burning, but the humiliation? Oh, that burns even hotter. You’ve never done this with anyone before. Never let anyone see you like this, so vulnerable, so desperate, so utterly needy. in the back of your mind, you're sure that they know...

"Sweetheart, shhh, it's alright,” He tries to coax you into a soft submissive state, a quiver to voice filled with temptation. “Poor little thing’s acting like a cornered bunny~” Shadow milk drawls from beside you. He uses his cool hands to trail up your body causing you to jolt in pure vanilla's chest. Perhaps it was for the best they took you when they could, just imagining you crying and rutting into a pillow with no proper help or cock took years off their life.

Pure vanilla lifts up your thighs...his breath hitches, his golden lashes fluttering as he stares—utterly captivated—by the sheer amount of slick dripping from your trembling thighs, pooling beneath you, staining the sheets in unmistakable need. He gulps dryly. “Oh… Oh, sweetheart…” His voice is breathy, almost reverent, as if he’s witnessing something divine.

You whimper at the exposure, your hands flying to cover your face, your entire body burning with mortification. But Pure Vanilla? He only exhales, long and shaky, his mismatched eyes darkening as he swallows thickly. his usual composure fraying at the edges as his fingers trace delicate patterns along the inside of your thigh. “Do you even realize… how much you need us right now?”

A sharp chuckle interrupts the moment.

“Dripping like a little broken thing… You really thought you could just suffer through this alone?" You instinctively try to close your legs shut. "Ah, ah, ah~” he mocks, gripping the other leg, tilting so he can take a nice peek for himself. He doesn't say anything, but you can tell his posture falters for just a slight second.

A trembling, helpless little thing, caught between two predators—one who soothes, the other who taunts, yet both equally relentless. "Please," you whimper, voice weak, laced with desperate excuses. "I-I can handle it, I always— I don’t need—"

"Don’t need?" Shadow Milk interrupts you harshly "Ohhh, little liar, you reek of need~" A soft sob leaves out as you feel a thumb press onto your clit. "let us help you… Don't fight this… Don't fight us…" You twist, writhe, trying to squirm away—but there’s nowhere to go only able to whine again once the thumb starts to rub tight circles, you don't know whose thumb it is, and you don't want to know...

"Ohhh, don’t you see?" You hear a soft chuckle. "She likes this little game~" Your body's heating up, burning with ache and need. you can feel the sweat starting to make your dough sticky. "So scared, so shy, yet her body says otherwise~" You shake your head rapidly, breath coming out in panicked little gasps. "N-no, I just—” "Shhh~" He shushes you, voice almost mockingly gentle. "No more little lies, sweetheart. We know better… don’t we, dear Pure Vanilla?"

Pure Vanilla inhales sharply. But you see it—the way his chest heaves and then he does something that makes your heart stop.

He nods.

"She needs this," he breathes, almost like he’s trying to convince himself. "She’s suffering… She needs us…"

Before you can react, Shadow Milk’s hands tighten on your thighs, spreading you further. And Pure Vanilla? The man who was once so patient, so restrained?

His hands follow upward.

As shadow milk hunches over your most vulnerable spot, you can feel pure vanilla experienced hands knead and grope at your tits, squeezing and massaging. coaxing wanton moans out of you

Oh, the moment Shadow Milk gets that first taste, the teasing, the taunts—everything just stops. His entire body tenses, fingers digging into your thighs with a sharp inhale as if he’s just discovered the most intoxicating thing in existence. All of that sharp tongue, usually so wicked with words, now has a far better use. The way he groans against you, as if drinking you in, sends vibrations shooting up your spine.

"So… so sweet," he pants, his voice strained. His thumbs roll over your sensitive peaks, his own body shuddering from the scent surrounding him, clouding his mind. Shadow Milk hums against you, "Mmm, hear that?" he murmurs, pulling back just enough for his breath to fan over your oversensitive skin. "She’s singing for us, dear Pure Vanilla. Let’s see how much sweeter we can make her sound~ "his smug grin smeared in your slick. His lips glisten, his tongue darting out to lazily lap up what he can before letting out a chuckle.

Pure Vanilla, who had been barely holding himself back, shudders at the sight, his restraint snapping at the sight of you, so dazed, so flushed, so utterly vulnerable. He hears your intense sobs of pleasure and wants nothing more than to drown you in it. "Care to trade, my dear Pure Vanilla?" The second the offer is given the blonde man immediately lunges, switching places. His touch far gentler than Shadow Milk’s but just as overwhelming.

"Sweet divinity..." he gasps, his lips brushing your dough in a reverent whisper. "How could you ever think of enduring this alone?" Shadow Milk just laughs darkly beside him, licking his lips as he watches the once pristine and gentle Pure Vanilla descend into unhinged devotion.

You whimper once more trying to clamp your legs shut out of pure instinct only to be met with a sudden, sharp suck to your already overstimulated and soaked clit. The sensation jolts through your body like lightning, your back arching off the bed as a strangled moan rips from your throat. "Nngh!" His once-gentle hands firmly hold your thighs apart, his grip unyielding despite the shaky restraint in his own breath. You can feel your undoing quickly approaching

"Now, now, you wouldn’t want to offend him, would you?" He taps a teasing finger against your trembling lips. "He’s just trying so very hard to take care of you, after all."

With one last harsh suck and a grit of your teeth, you feel yourself cumming over his face, with a sweet cry. Your vision dims as your squeeze your eyes closed, feeling hands within your hair combing through. You may have thought you passed out for a couple of minutes because the next time you open your eyes both of them are completely undressed.

You feel still the heat in your dough, though lessened a little..."Please..." you mumbled out. Pure vanilla looks at you with seeming hearts in his eyes, listening for your every beck and call. "My sweet darling...?"

"More."

And nooow you have two cookies simultaneously grinding into your cunt with such a rough fever you can barely think. It’s overstimulation in its most intoxicating form "All you had to say was the magic word!" He whines into your ear from behind. Pure vanilla was under you, gosh, he looked like was seeing the gates of heaven, Is he alive?!

Shadow milk will be whispering the filthiest things into your ear, mocking how your trembling between them, while Pure Vanilla, for all his usual tenderness, would be groaning and gasping, overwhelmed by the heat of it all eyes rolling into the back of his head. your breath hitching into the sweetest, most helpless cries as they both stretch and fill you impossibly, leaving no space untouched, no part of your body left unstimulated.

"I—ahh, I knew you’d feel perfect like thi- he'd gasp out. Shadow milk gazes at him from over your shoulder, grinning down. “Ah, Pure Vanilla… you’re awfully quiet now,” he taunts, of course, those two are basically frotting their cocks inside of your cunt!

His breath was heavy, ragged, his forehead pressing against your shoulder as though grounding himself. “You—” He swallowed thickly, biting back a sound of frustration. “Stop talking…”. "Aww, but we're so… close." His voice was dark, teasing, reveling in the way Pure Vanilla tensed. The tension between them was thick, charged with something dangerous.

A choked sob slipped from your lips, and you didn’t even realize you were crying until the tears began to spill freely, slipping down flushed cheeks. The overwhelming heat, the sensations wracking your body, the sheer impossibility of holding onto any semblance of rational thought—it was all too much. Pure Vanilla’s eyes snapped open at the sight, drool slightly spilling from his lips. “Oh, love…” he breathed, his touch on your hips tightening, as though he could anchor you to reality. “You’re finally letting go, hmm? Finally accepting it?” He mocks into your ear.

“You don’t have to think anymore,” he murmured shakily, "Just feel… just let us take care of you.” Shadow Milk chuckled darkly at that, the amusement in his voice sending shivers down your spine. “Let us?” he echoed, nipping at your ear before murmuring his next words, dripping with honeyed malice. “Oh, sweet thing… at this point, you don’t have a choice.”

And with that, whatever shred of control you had left shattered completely.

You weren’t sure when you stopped resisting. Maybe it was sometime between the fevered kisses, the whispered reassurances, or the merciless taunts. Maybe it was when your body finally gave out, too drained to do anything but receive. Your head rested against Pure Vanilla’s chest, rising and falling with his breath, his warmth enveloping you completely. Your tears slipped down his chest, dampening his dough.

He sighed softly, one hand cradling the back of your head, “I have you. We have you. There’s no need to cry anymore.” he whispers softly. But you had to cry, because even in the throes of pleasure, your mind still struggled to comprehend the weight of it all. The weight of them. Their obsession, their need, their utter refusal to let you go.

“Ah, finally,” Shadow milk mused, almost to himself, but the sheer satisfaction in his voice was unmistakable. “I knew you’d come around eventually. You just needed a little… convincing.” You felt the smirk against your skin as he nuzzled into the crook of your neck. Pure Vanilla kissed the top of your head, his hold tightening as if he’d never let you go.

And for the next several days, you would have no choice but to accept it.

--

Guys please...guys please... I don't know what happened, I just kept writing and thoughts kept flowing. I know its long please!!! have mercy!!! I need them so bad, that dreamed fucked me up. It fucked me up so bad!! I'm crying!! I hope you guys can notice how I made shadow milk and Pure vanilla relationship represent a push and pull toxicity. I may have ended up butchering their characters in the progress though D:

[takaraphoenix]

I'd love to add onto that list, since this is my favorite flavor of Steter! 💜

Care for Me, As I've Never Known by lavenderlotion

“Why...why did you offer me the bite?” Stiles asked quietly, the cover of night and the hum of the Jeep’s engine giving him courage he wouldn’t usually have. Peter hummed thoughtfully, taking a turn smoothly. “That is quite the question you’re asking. I’m not sure the answer is one you would be happy to hear.”

Inside I'm Screaming (Make Me Real) by Therapeutic_Steter

anonymous asked: how about: after the kanima attack stiles decides he's over being undervalued and not cared for by scott and peter comes and cares for him, and stiles ends up joining dereks pack.

Vengeance Looks Good On You, Sweetheart by cywscross

Just because Scott refuses to see the Argents for what they truly are - prejudiced serial killers sitting proudly on a mountain of innocent corpses - doesn't mean Stiles will. It's about time someone did something about the Argent Empire anyway, and what a coincidence - summer vacation is just around the corner. -- Or, the one where Gerard Argent kidnapped the wrong fucking person to torture. Stiles has never subscribed to the policy of forgiving and forgetting anyway, not when razing the problem to the ground and salting the earth for good measure has always been a far better solution in the long run. He doesn't expect to have company.

(though this one is a little less on the "takes care" side but it's still spectacular post-basement Steter)

In Full Bloom by cywscross

After the ridiculously dramatic hunter-werewolf-kanima showdown is over - after Derek and Isaac have disappeared into the shadows, after Lydia has bundled herself and Jackson into the back of the Argents' car, after Allison has climbed in as well and Chris has driven them off, after Scott has run after the vehicle like a panting dog - Stiles stares after the trail of black goo Gerard has left in his wake and thinks, only idiots leave loose ends untied. That's where it starts, for him. (It started much earlier for Peter, and now he has the pleasure of watching Stiles grow into his own in much the same way. Of course, he hadn't expected to end up fixating on the boy quite so much, but then, what's life without a few surprises?)

(also a little less on the caretaking but still excellent post-basement Steter)

And now to some self-rec because I'm proud of my own work!

Small But Good

After Gerard is taken down, Stiles finds himself disappointed in Scott and very hurt. He also finds himself alone with Peter. Peter, who is suddenly alive again. Ever since he'd helped kill the Alpha, Stiles had been thinking about Peter a lot, had realized something about Peter's behavior toward him but he thought it wouldn't matter anymore, with Peter's death. Now that Peter is alive again, maybe they should talk about the fact that they're mates.

A Brighter Future

As children Erica and Stiles met in the hospital, Erica running from her tests, Stiles running from his dying mother. Together, they hide in Peter Hale's room. They become friends and, unbeknownst, they become Peter's pack.

(Yes, it starts much earlier than that but it does culminate in post-basement, I swear)

Through Time and Trials

Everyone Stiles loved died and, with his own dying breath, Stiles used forbidden magic to go back in time to save his pack. Only that the spell turned out to be more of a curse. Every time he dies, he is sent back to the same point, the point where he first started losing pack. The take-down of Gerard, the night Boyd and Erica were captured by the Alpha Pack. He's done this over and over and over again. Thirty-four lives lived, to varying lengths. This time, he cracks. For the first time, he actually tells the pack that he's a time-traveler and what he has been through.

mmmmmmm you know what’s some good good shit? some tasty words?? some delicious delicious fiction??? 

Peter taking care of Stiles after the Gerard Beatdown. 

Here’s a list of fics that have that, but not a comprehensive list because I KNOW I’ve read more than these. Feel free to add if you think of more!

The Fort Fic by @cywscross  

Do you remember - back when you were a little kid - the forts you used to make at home out of blankets and pillows and overturned furniture? Like all those kids, Stiles does. Unlike all those kids, Stiles never quite outgrew it.

The Alpha Thief by @hotpinklizard

Something changes around the time Peter turns thirty. His wolf becomes malcontent and angry. His control, impeccable since he was a child, starts to slip, that inner rage leaking out. Talia’s iron clad control over the pack chafes him. He can’t explain why, but it feels like his world shifts. Pack members he’s grown up with suddenly leave with barely an explanation, without a goodbye. His parents’ deaths, something that occurred over five years ago, suddenly feel raw, everything after their passing he remembers feeling stilted and wrong.

Or

What if Malia’s existence wasn’t the memory Talia took from Peter? And what if memories weren’t the only thing she stole?

Razor Edge of Danger, also by @hotpinklizard

It starts with Gerard. After the clusterfuck of Stiles crashing into the kanima with his jeep, Jackson’s ‘death’ and werewolf resurrection, Lydia and Jackson go off together, Scott goes after Allison, and Derek, broken and hurt from yet another betrayal and use of his body against his will, takes Isaac and leaves, unable to look at any of them. That leaves Stiles standing next to his battered jeep, arms wrapped around his aching ribs. No one so much as looks his way. Except for Peter.

A Meeting in the Dark by LeeBlack

He’d no sooner stepped in the kitchen when the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he froze in place, having gotten the crash course on being able to tell when an apex predator was watching him.

“If you’re going to kill me, just get it over with,” he said, with a bravado he most certainly did not feel.

The back door opened enough for someone to slip inside and close it, flipping the deadbolt shut.

“You should keep this locked. Beacon Hills isn’t as safe as it used to be,” came the response.

(baby) maybe that matters more by @lavender-lotion

“Well, well, well,” drawls a familiar voice that Stiles hadn’t even considered he might ever hear again. “The token pack human, left all alone?”

A Little Tender Love and Care by @ambersagen

Peter’s back from the dead. Stiles is fresh from a beatdown. It’s the perfect opportunity for a certain half mad wolf to get what he wants this time around. Luckily for Stiles what Peter wants is what the boy needs.

Would You Forgive Me if I Called You Hope, Peter Hale? @whispering-sumire755 (I could have sworn this one was post-Gerard beatdown, but it’s actually post- A Different beatdown. I’m including it anyway because it fucks.) (not literally it’s rated T)

Stiles has scars. He owns that, he accepts it, he’s cataloged and memorized every single one, he’s hyper fucking aware of them all.

//

“What do you want, Peter?” Having the more untrustworthy of the Pack getting protective weirds him the fuck out, leaves an odd fluttering in his chest, like moths, waiting perilously and suicidally to be burned.

He doesn’t like it.

“You’re injured,” the man says, “and whatever it is, it’s put you in enough pain that I nearly fainted when I-”

“- Used your werewolf mojo on me without my permission?” Stiles smirks, and Peter gives him a black look, crossing a leg over his knee and smoothing out some invisible wrinkle on his pants.

“Tell me the truth Stiles, how bad is it?”

[Or: The one where Stiles has scars, is more than a little fucked up, and Peter notices. He helps.]

[shurisneakers]

unsolved (xi)

Summary: Bucky doesn't even believe in the paranormal. So who the hell thought it was a good idea to stick him in a series about everything haunted for the internet's amusement? With his loose-canon of a teammate who has no concept of subtlety or shits left to give, to make things even worse. (Buzzfeed unsolved AU)

Warnings: swearing, frustrated bucky, obnoxious reader, ghosts,

A/N: hai. we're into the double digits. thanks for sticking around this long!! jsyk there are like 17 parts planned to this series so

Previous part || Series masterlist

This is a dream scenario.

It’s the weekend, which means he should be out somewhere fighting off bats in a haunted cave or sitting in a dark room muttering Bloody Mary’s name fifteen times like a broken tape recorder because you insisted the first three didn’t work.

Instead, by 5 p.m., he’s in bed. With a book. There’s even a cup of coffee sitting beside him, growing cold. 

Really, he should be enjoying this. It’s rarely this quiet, and especially as the sun went down, the absence of your shenanigans, the lack of you dragging him into another bullshit horror hunt should be greatly freeing. 

But something feels wrong.

Because something went wrong in his childhood, and then something very definitely went wrong in his adulthood, Bucky feels uneasy with the peace.

He turns a page. At least, he thinks he does. He’s not sure he’s actually read a single word. Gun to his head, he would not be able to tell you the plot.

By 6 p.m., his eyes have zeroed in more on the door than the actual book in his hands.

His phone is on full volume, waiting for a notification. He made sure his floor access was open. His windows are not blacked out. He has even left his door cracked open slightly, which feels wrong to the fundamental fibres of his being. 

Nothing.

By 6:30 p.m., his coffee is still half full and lukewarm. God, he did not like that drink. The only thing he's done is flipped through pages for the sake of feeling like he’s accomplished something.

By 6:37 p.m., he’s out the door.

His grumbling is only half-hearted, which he hates. There is something much heavier that sits in his chest. Anticipation. Worry. Fucking blergh. 

He’s never been on your floor before. He knows you share it with Nat, the way he does with Steve, but he's never actually visited it. Sure he regularly makes sure you're dropped off to your floor now , but he hasn't actually stepped foot there, no matter how much you invite him in to your bedroom.

He assumes it’s similar, just with fewer World War II relics and less The Price Is Right. 

By 6:45 p.m., he’s knocking loudly on your door.

There’s no answer.

His jaw tightens.  

He wouldn’t blame you if you had just upped and left. He just thought Maya would beat you to it, because the second the article dropped, it was like the Avengers personally made it their mission to have the next week become a shitstorm of them making headlines for the most insane things. He thinks she's on sick leave. Or she should be, at least.

Clint posted a picture from inside a JP Morgan bank vault. Nat walked straight into a national live broadcast and joined in on a debate she had no context to. 

Sam did something. Bucky wasn't sure, but he saw Maya rubbing her temples and assumed it was bad.

Then, after Steve gets in an argument online and matches donations to Planned Parenthood and ends up donating nearly 100K, Maya declared a state of emergency. 

Every single one of them was put on lockdown, all social media passwords were changed, and every future press interview was canceled.

Bucky never even got the chance to plan what his disaster would be.

But even after all that, he had heard from you. Big, congratulatory messages flooding the group chat. Dumb memes. Responses to inside jokes no one else understood.

So where the hell were you now?

He bangs his fist against the door again.

Nothing.

A muscle in his jaw twitches. He raises his metal hand, just one second away from really turning the door into a pile of splinters-

It swings open before he gets the chance.

And there you are, staring at him like he’s the crazy one. The audacity. 

“Wha– oh.” You blink at him. “Why are you trying to break into my room?”

For a moment, it is just two idiots staring at each other.

Finally, he lets out a low, “What’s wrong with you?”

You raise a brow. “Could you be more specific?”

Only then does he really look at you.

The skin under your eyes is darker than usual, your arms crossed tightly over your oversized sweatshirt. Official Avengers merch, two sizes too big and the same colour you got him because you insisted you had to have matching fits. There’s a slump in your shoulders that wasn't there before.

“No video today?” he asks gruffly.

“Nah,” you sigh. “You’re free to do whatever.”

He stares.

You stare back.

“What?” you demand.

“Is this because of the news?” he asks slowly.

“I’m just tired, Buck.” You rub at your temple, like you're already exhausted with the conversation. “Haven’t I annoyed you enough this week?”

Logically, he should be happy about this. You did annoy him. Constantly. Every day. Even off the clock.

So why the hell is he still standing outside your door?

“Don’t you have something better to do?” you ask, leaning against the doorway. “I thought you were watching True Detective with Steve.”

“Dunno where he is,” Bucky mumbles. Which is a lie, because Steve was very much in his room, waiting for him but Bucky had ghosted him to instead come be a clown outside your door. 

You squint at him. “What are you doing here?”

He shifts his weight. “Thought you were dead.”

A snort escapes you before you can stop it. “Why? ‘Cause I didn’t come knocking today?”

He doesn’t respond.

Your jaw drops slightly. “Wait. You came looking for me because you missed me?”

“I didn’t–” he starts, then immediately gives up halfway through the sentence because he already knows he’s lost.

Your grin is too smug. “You came all this way because you missed me.”

His entire body tenses. “I just came to check.”

You press your lips into a thin line, fighting back laughter. “That is so cute. Just say you’re in love with me. I’ll even kiss ya if you ask nicely.”

Bucky turns immediately on his heel. “Goodbye. You can die now.”

You laugh outright at that, and he shakes his head as he stalks back down the hall. Which is good. Which means things are back to normal. He can go find Steve and get done with the stupid fucking vampire show or whatever--

“Actually--” your voice calls out behind him. “D’you wanna come in?”

His body actually stops.  Turns back slightly, warily asking over his shoulder, “…Why?”

You shrug, leaning against the doorframe. “No pressure. I was just gonna watch old conspiracy theories and figure out whether they’re legit or just old Avengers missions. You can sit in the corner and brood or whatever it is you do.”

“I do not brood,” Bucky says, brooding. 

“Sure, buttercup.” You wave dismissively. “See you next week, then.”

Bucky stares for a second longer, then pivots.

Then pivots again.

Finally, with a deep sigh, he walks back toward your door.

Bucky doesn’t expect your room to look like his room. His room, by standards, was the second worst room in the Tower, only second to Clint’s fucking swamp dungeon. 

But he also doesn’t expect it to look like this.

It’s too empty.

A bed, a desk, a laptop. A single, half-empty mug on the nightstand.

The only thing that makes it yours is the box shoved in the corner overflowing with fan mail, little gifts, and trinkets from people. Stickers, keychains, neatly folded letters– even a framed cross-stitch that says "if we die, we die together."

Which he doesn’t remember you saying, but sounds exactly like something you would. The thought makes his chest feel weird. 

But beyond that, it looks like a room doesn’t require much time to be packed up.

Something about that sits wrong with him.

“You’ve done a lot with the place.”

“Finally get you into my bedroom, and the first thing you do is insult my interior design,” you say. You gesture at the lamp on your desk. “Look at that lamp. I got it from the same trashcan I found Alpine in. It’s got character.”

Bucky squints at the lamp. Now that you mention it, the shade is bent at a weird angle and the base is slightly burnt.

“Really livens up the space,” he tells you.

“Thanks, I try.”

You flop onto the bed, stretching your arms overhead with a sigh. 

He hesitates for a beat before finally settling onto the floor, knees pulled to his chest.

You blink. “Why the hell are you sitting on my floor?”

“I’m comfortable,” he grumbles.

“You– I have chairs.” You gesture to them. “They’re free, I swear. You do not have to do this.”

“I’m good.”

You narrow your eyes, but let it go, shifting to sit near the edge of the bed. Your knee almost bumps his shoulder.

For a moment, there’s just the hum of your laptop, the faint flicker of the TV waiting on a selection screen.

“How are ya?” he asks, voice lower than usual.

“Mighty fine. You?”

He gives you a look.

You blow out a breath, arms crossing loosely over your stomach. “I’m fine.”

“Then why do you look like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like you haven’t slept in a week.”

Your lips curve up in the corners. “We can change that. Wanna sleep with me now?”

Bucky doesn’t react. At all.

Which is worse. Because he should roll his eyes. Should scoff. Should grumble some insult under his breath.

But he doesn’t. Your smirk falters slightly.

You clear your throat. “God, you’re no fun.”

“Why’d you call off the video shoot?”

“Why must I work all the time? Why can’t I take a simple break without being interrogated?”

He just keeps looking at you. It’s that new kind you’ve noticed him doing now. The kind that lingers half a second too long, that feels heavier than it should.

You shift. Rub at the edge of your sleeve.

“It’s…” You hesitate. “Not been the best week.”

Bucky adjusts how he sits. He doesn’t doesn’t dig, only keeps his eyes trained on you. 

You take a deep breath, then force a grin. “Been watching Glee compilations till, like, 1 a.m. Pretty sure that’s the real issue.” 

Bucky makes a low, unimpressed noise. Still, he lets it go—for now.

Instead, he asks, “So what’s your plan?”

You blink. “Huh?”

“For making yourself feel better.”

That makes you pause. What’s the plan? Like he’s already factored himself in, as if whatever comes next includes him.

You open your mouth, then shut it.

“Paranormal shit.”

You weren’t even thinking about it. It just… happened, probably because he’s here and it’s the subconscious working in mysterious ways. 

But Bucky’s reaction is not what you expect.

He does not shut it down instantly. Call it nonsense. Leave the room. All of which he has done before, to varying degrees.

Instead now he looks at you like he’s used to it. Like he’s thinking about it.

Something in your stomach tightens. You beat it down with a stick. 

You grin. “Oh, you want to.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

He exhales sharply through his nose. “What paranormal shit?” 

“Well, I don’t know. I didn’t expect you to agree.”

“I didn’t agree.”

“You told me so with your eyes. You gave me signals.”

“You’re insane,” he mutters. "I did not give you signals."

But you suddenly perk up like it’s given you an idea. 

“What?” he demands.  

“You ever talked to ghosts?”

Kinda.

“No.”

“Well, that’s what we’re doing today.”

“What?”

“Ouija time, baby,” you say, already moving towards the box in the corner. “Now I don’t have a board but fear not. I shall make one. Custom-built. And then we will auction it off for a lot of money when you fake your death.”

“Why do you already sound like you’re prepared for that?”

“Because I am.” You rummage through the box. “Let’s see. We’ll need a marker, some cardboard–”

“You got a ring we can use?” he asks with a sigh.

“No, ‘cause you haven’t put one on me yet.” 

Bucky shuts up after that. 

You grin, pulling out a shot glass and wiggling it between your fingers. “Classy, right?”

Bucky stares at it. “Has that been used before?”

“Any remnants are just a little treat for the ghosties” you reply, flopping onto the floor and immediately getting to work, drawing out letters in marker.

Bucky watches you, something unreadable flickering across his face.

This is so fucking stupid.

Still, all he does is shifts to sit properly, arms crossed over his chest, watching as you finish drawing out the board with little squiggles decorating the corner and everything. 

He doesn’t even realize how close he’s leaning until you glance at him, something teasing and careful in your gaze.

And for a second– just a second- maybe he forgets how to breathe.

Then you smirk, knocking him right out of it. 

“Alright, soldier,” you say, grinning. “You ready?”

Bucky gives you a flat look.

The room is quiet, except for the hum of the TV and the scritch-scratch as you add in finishing touches. 

You hold up the board.

It’s terrible.

The letters are uneven and the numbers are already smudged from where you’ve dragged your sleeve over them.

You sit back, admiring your work, before grabbing the shot glass and plopping it in the center.

You nod solemnly. “It’s ready. Now put your hands on the planchette.”

Bucky sighs deeply, metal fingertips touching the top of the glass.  

You clear your throat dramatically. “Spirits, if you are here, make yourselves known.”

Silence.

Bucky nods. “Guess that’s our answer–”

The shot glass suddenly shoots out.

His muscles tighten immediately. His fingers twitch like he’s ready to grab a knife out of thin fucking air.

You, however, fail miserably in hiding a grin.

Bucky’s eyes narrow immediately. “You’re pushing it.”

“I am not,” you lie.

He stares.  

“…Okay, maybe a little.”

Bucky groans, dragging a hand over his face. “I cannot believe I am wasting my night on this.”

“You’re just mad that the ghosts like me more.”

Bucky does not dignify that with a response.

“Put your hands back there, boy.”

So he reluctantly places his fingers back on the shot glass.

You clear your throat again.

“Oh great and powerful spirits, what secrets do you have for us?”

Silence.

Bucky watches unamused, watching as the letters spell out in lightning fast speed:

Y - O - U - R - 

A pause.

M - O -M.

Bucky lifts his hands and leans back.

“That’s the ghosts talking, not me.”

Bucky just sits there, silent.

You wiggle your fingers dramatically over the board. “Maybe you’re the problem. Maybe the ghosts just don’t like you.”

Bucky snorts, “Right. I’m the problem here, not the fool who used a shot glass to talk to them.”

“The shot glass is genius, alcohol is an ice breaker in most social situation."

"What about this is a social situation?"

"Well it's you, me, and a couple of babes from the underworld. By definition it's a social situation, and a cool one at that."

“Why aren’t your ghosts talkng to us then?”

“Maybe they’re ageist.”

Bucky glares at you.

“You’re practically ancient. Maybe they just hate old people.”

“Maybe if I was a centuries-old spirit and the first thing I heard from the afterlife was your voice, I’d go straight back to hell.”

Your mouth falls open, before you let out an outraged scoff.

“Oh, that’s rich coming from–”

You stop mid-sentence when Bucky shifts, leaning back slightly, arms stretched behind him, his body loose and relaxed. 

There’s a stupid smile ghosting at his mouth. 

“Oh my God.” You latch onto it instantly. “You’re enjoying this.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.”

The sleeves of his hoodie are pushed up just enough to expose the solid cut of his forearms, the angle of his jaw sharp against the dim glow of your terrible table lamp. 

His expression is too neutral, too blank. Like he’s waiting for you to react.

Something about it catches you off guard. It’s not intentional. It’s not even anything. But your stomach tightens anyway.

And suddenly, you’re aware of how close you’re sitting, how he feels bigger in the small space, how there’s this awful, annoying sense of recognition curling at the edges of something you’re not ready to name.

Bucky notices the way your expression shifts even if it was just for a second, his eyebrows knitting together. 

You clear your throat immediately. “Anyway. Let’s ask them something real.”

“Oh, now we’re asking real questions?”

“Spirits!” You slap your hands onto the board. “What is Bucky’s deepest, darkest secret?”

He rolls his eyes.

The shot glass has not moved in half an hour.

It’s honestly humiliating at this point.

You refuse to acknowledge this.

Bucky, however, has fully accepted it.

“So what now?” he asks, leaning back against your bed, fingers drumming idly against his knee.

You stare at the board. “Maybe it’s a slow connection.”

Bucky blinks. “Slow how?”

“Like two bars, not four?”

“You think ghosts have bad WiFi?”

“I don’t know, Bucky, I’ve never died before.”

“I have. WiFi’s not the issue.”

You shove his shoulder. 

Bucky’s stupid smirk does not fade. 

 “Can we pack this up, or are you going to keep going until your humiliation kink ends?"

"I see you've been thinking about me and kinks in--."

"Stop talking."

You narrow your eyes at him, muttering something that sounds suspiciously like ‘fascist’, but place your fingers on the shot glass.

Bucky does the same.

You inhale deeply. “Spirits, is there anything you would like to say to us?”

Silence.

“Maybe they don’t know English.”

“Sure.”

“Should we try Morse code?”

“No.”

You hum, ignoring him. “What about—”

“Hey spirits. What’s the real reason why this one’s hiding from everyone?” Bucky cuts in smoothly.

It just slips out.

He looks as surprised as you do, but he recovers way quicker. 

He keeps his eyes on the board, like maybe if he doesn’t make a big deal out of it, it won’t become a big deal.

The shot glass doesn’t move. Of course. 

But you pull your hands away first.

Bucky watches, quietly, as you sit back, pressing your palms against your thighs.

“That’s a dumb question,” you mutter.

Bucky hums. “Yeah?”

You exhale sharply, shaking your head. “Yeah.”

A beat.

You force a grin and shove the Ouija board aside.

“Well,” you announce. “That was disappointing.”

He stretches his arms over his head, not looking at you as he says, “You’re avoiding.”

You pause mid-movement. “Avoiding what?”

“You know.”

You freeze for just half a second, then shake your head, laughing awkwardly. “I haven’t–”

“You have,” he says simply.

It’s the certainty in his voice. Like he already knows the answer, and he’s just waiting for you to say it out loud.

You sigh. “It’s stupid.”

Bucky shrugs, looking back at the board. “Not what I asked.”

A moment passes.

“It’s the name thing,” you say finally, voice flat.

“The name thing?”

“Maya’s trying to relaunch me. Or, like, reintroduce me. Whatever.” You wave a hand. “She’s planning this whole… thing. New identity, new codename, new brand. Something public-friendly.”

Bucky doesn’t say anything.

“She’s just doing her job,” you say quickly, like you’re cutting him off before he can say anything reasonable. “I get it. I do. But it pisses me off.”

Bucky hums. “Why?”

“It’s dumb,” you mutter, kicking at a loose thread in the carpet. “I shouldn’t care this much. But now, instead of just letting me deal with it, I have to make it a thing. I have to let everyone see me deal with it. They want me to launch like I’m some new product. Like they get to decide what version of me gets to exist.”

Bucky is silent for a long second.

Not because he doesn’t get it, but because he does.

Finally, after a while, he leans back slightly, “So what do you wanna do?”

You blink. “I don’t know. That’s the problem.”

Bucky raises an eyebrow. “You don’t know? Or you just don’t like your options?”

Your mouth presses into a thin line.

Because hes right-- it’s not that you don’t know what to do. Stay silent? People fill in the gaps themselves. Let Maya spin it? You become someone else’s project. Reject it outright? You’re the problem.

It’s not even a big deal. It’s just a name. A stupid PR campaign. But every option feels like losing. Like a trap.

You exhale. “I just don’t wanna think about it right now.”

Bucky nods. Like that answer’s good enough.

And for some reason, that makes your shoulders loosen a little.

For the first time all week, it feels like someone actually heard you.

You shift, stretching your arms dramatically. “Anyway. That’s my tragic backstory.”

Bucky exhales sharply. “More tragic things have happened to you.”

“Yeah, like some blue-eyed Avenger-boy not asking me out.”

“No.”

“Let me have my moment.”

A silence rests lightly. 

“Alright,” he mutters. “What dumb shit are we doing next?”

“I don’t know. You want pizza?”

“I meant about your situation.”

You sigh, stretching your legs out in front of you. “Nothing. It’s fine. It’s not like I have a choice, anyway.”

Well that’s not entirely true. 

It’s an idea that creeps up a little too fast. It makes him worry about how much influence you’ve actually had on him. 

Bucky hums. “You’ve got one more option.”

You quirk an eyebrow. “Oh?”

He tilts his head, casual, almost lazy. “Yeah.”

When he finally tells you, your entire expression changes.

Slowly, deliberately, a grin spreads across your face.

“Oh,” you say, “you are evil.”

Bucky just leans back on his hands, completely at ease. “I had nothing to do with this.”

Twenty minutes later, the board is still on the floor. 

The shot glass is still doing absolutely nothing.

You and Bucky are back to arguing over whether or not ghosts have good taste in movies when your phone explodes with a call.

You barely have time to read the caller ID before--

“You released a fucking internet poll?!” Maya’s voice bursts through the speaker, loud and borderline hysterical– but not in a bad way.

Bucky immediately presses his lips together, suppressing a smirk.

You, however, grin like a criminal.

“Define released,” you say, like this is the most casual thing in the world.

“Oh, you know exactly what you did.”

“I do,” you agree easily. “But I like hearing you say it.”

Maya groans. “You put your entire name change up for a public vote.”

Bucky coughs into his hand.

You tilt your head. “And?”

“And?!” Maya lets out a breath, “They're all chaotic fucking names and the poll already has two hundred thousand votes.”

Bucky immediately stares at you.

You blink, turning to look at him dramatically. 

“Two hundred thousand?” you repeat, voice too calm.

Bucky raises an eyebrow.

You grin.

“Oh, I’m so famous.”

Bucky groans, while Maya is losing her mind on the other end.

“Oh my God,” she mutters. “Why are you like this.”

You shrug, flipping onto your back, staring at the ceiling. “I would say I was born this way but I was created. In a test tube and everything.”

Maya scoffs.

And Bucky, for some reason, has a look on this face, like he’s enjoying this more than he should.

Then, after a second, he mouths, “Have an actual conversation.”

You roll your eyes but tilt your head back toward the phone.

“Alright, fine,” you sigh. “Lemme step out. Yell at me in private.”

Maya exhales. “It’s not yelling.”

“It’s a little yelling.”

You roll onto your feet, shuffling toward the door

“Back in a sec,” you tell him.

Bucky just nods, watching as you disappear into the hallway.

And just like that he’s alone. Sitting on the floor. Next to a completely useless Ouija board.

And he doesn’t know why, but his fingers twitch.

Not because he believes in it. Not because he thinks it’ll work. 

But… just because. 

Instead, he just shakes his head, rolling his shoulders back. 

“You’re losing it, Barnes,” he mutters under his breath.

But then, without warning-

The shot glass moves.

Bucky immediately stiffens, staring at the door but you’re still having an animated conversation with Maya, fingers pressed into your forehead. 

Bucky’s gaze drags back to the board. 

He doesn’t move an inch. Doesn’t even breathe.

Just watches as the glass drags itself across the board, slow and deliberate.

One letter.

Then another.

J.

Bucky’s jaw tightens.

A.

His stomach twists.

Then–

M.

And the shot glass tips over. 

His heart stops.

And suddenly, he’s not in your room anymore.

He’s eight years old, sitting on the floor of a Brooklyn apartment, scribbling nonsense into a notebook while Rebecca Barnes, all of six years old, with messy braids and jelly-covered fingers, sticks a homemade label on his lunchbox.

“Becca.”

“What?”

“That’s not how you spell James.”

“Yes, it is.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Yes, it is.”

Bucky presses a hand against his face. “Mom—”

 He blinks.

The board is in front of him again.

The shot glass is still. He doesn’t know how long he’s been staring at it.

His head feels weirdly light. His chest feels too tight.

The door clicks shut behind you, and Bucky keeps still, in a way that says nothing happened.

Because if he doesn’t deal with it now, then it isn’t real. And if it isn’t real, then he doesn’t have to think about it.

You flop onto the bed, letting out a long, theatrical sigh.

“Well,” you exhale, dragging the word out. “That was a wild experience.”

Bucky registers the words, but not the meaning.

It’s like he hears you, but the sound is coming through the wrong frequency.

“Yeah?” he mutters, barely processing it.

The sound of your voice fills the space, but it doesn’t quite pull him in.

“Oh, yeah.” You roll onto your stomach, kicking your feet behind you. “First, she yelled at me. Then she was impressed, which honestly I think pissed her off more.”

Bucky nods. Because that’s what he’s supposed to do.

You’re still talking. That should ground him.

And yet his mind is somewhere else entirely.

The air feels off. Like the word JAM is still written in front of him.

“--already drafting apology emails before I even hung up.”

Bucky blinks once, twice.

He knows he should be engaged, responding, moving.

But instead, he just mutters, “Yeah.”

“You’re not listening to me.”

Bucky blinks. Finally, he fully snaps back.

His eyes flick toward you, registering you properly for the first time.

The way you’re watching him now, eyebrows raised, like you’ve been waiting for him to catch up.

He searches for the last thing you said.

Finds nothing.

Shit.

You press a hand to your chest, looking deeply entertained. “Are you ignoring me?”

Bucky scoffs. “Not right now specifically.”

“What was the last thing I said?”

Bucky opens his mouth. Then closes it. 

“Wow. Incredible.” You clap your hands together once. “I’m heartbroken. Betrayed. Ignored.”

Bucky shakes his head, dragging a hand down his face. “Jesus Christ.”

“Yeah this must be what he felt like."

"Wow."

"No, no, it’s fine.” You wave a hand, mock casual. “I’ll just go die then.”

Bucky groans. “I’m back.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“Because if you need to space out again, just know that I have an open window–”

Bucky balls-up the ouija board and tosses it at your head.

You shriek.

He’ll think about it later.

Whenever later is. 

The laptop screen flickers in the dim room, casting weird shadows against the wall.

You and Bucky are back on the floor, legs stretched out, backs leaning against the bed, watching one of the most ridiculous conspiracy theory videos you’ve ever seen.

The narrator speaks with the conviction of a man who has nothing to lose.

“--and that’s why I’m telling you, there’s no way the Pentagon incident was just a gas leak. Witnesses reported a mysterious figure in black who allegedly disappeared into the shadows–”

“That was Nat.”

You pause the video. “What.”

Bucky doesn’t even look away from the screen.

He gestures lazily toward the blurry figure circled in red.

“That’s her. Right before she cut the power and knocked out two guards. The whole thing took, like, a minute.”

You stare at him.

Then at the screen.

Then at him again.

“I fucking knew it.” You gesture vaguely at the screen. “I called this years ago. Everyone told me I was an idiot. ‘Oh, the footage is too blurry, you can’t even tell if it’s a person.’ Amateurs.”

“Feel validated?”

“Oh, hugely.”

He shakes his head, amused.

You squint at the screen. “What else? What’s real, what’s bullshit?”

Bucky thinks for a second.

He points to another clip.

“Alright, see this?”

A new segment starts playing, showing grainy footage of someone scaling the side of a high-security building.

The narrator’s voice kicks in again. “--but the real question is, who was this shadowy figure? And how did they evade detection when–”

“That’s me.”

You blink.

Bucky nods. “Stockholm. 2012. Whole mission went sideways, had to improvise.”

You exhale, pressing a hand over your face.

“Oh, my God.”

Bucky smirks. “Something wrong?”

“You’re telling me that a significant percentage of government cover-ups are just you and Nat running errands?”

Bucky shrugs. “I wouldn’t call them errands.”

“What would you call them, then?”

He thinks about it for a second.  

“Side quests.”

You nod slowly.

“Right,” you say. “Of course. Are the lizard people real?”

Bucky huffs a short laugh. “I’m not answering that.”

“Wow. Interesting.” You stroke your chin. “You didn’t say no.”

Bucky rolls his eyes. You grin.

The videos keep playing, but neither of you are really watching anymore.

The narrator is still droning on, something about classified operations and shadow governments, but the energy has shifted.

Your eyes feel a little heavier now.

Bucky can tell.

You’ve stopped fidgeting, stopped making comments, stopped cracking jokes at his expense.

You’re just there, leaning into his side, slowly sinking deeper into the moment.

He exhales, tilting his head back against the bed, letting himself relax, too.

The silence between you is comfortable. Easy.

And before he fully registers it, your head is in his lap.

Bucky freezes.

It happens so smoothly that for a second, he wonders if you even realize what you did.

You don’t say anything.

Just curl up slightly, tucking your arms under your head, pressing your cheek against his thigh like it’s nothing.

Like this is normal.

Bucky forces himself to breathe.

To not react too much.

To not make it something. Because it’s not.

Right.

The glow from the laptop screen flickers, illuminating the soft edges of your face.

Something in Bucky’s chest tugs.

You sigh, voice quiet, almost lazy.

“Thanks for hanging out with me,” you murmur. “I needed that.”

Bucky swallows.

“Don’t mention it,” he mumbles.

And then before he can think too hard about it, his fingers brush lightly over your scalp.

A small, absentminded gesture.

Barely there.

But you don’t move.

Just breathe slower. Sink deeper.

Bucky knows he’s going to regret this later. His back is already complaining, his brain is already filing this away for future analysis.

But you look too at ease to move.

So he stays right there.

here’s my ko-fi if you’d like to support my writing!

to those who comment and tell me what u think-- i love u. ur the sole reason i haven't abandoned this lil fic. thank u for everything mwah <333333

to know when this fic updates, please follow @shurisneakersupdates and turn on post notifications! it's the only way tumblr will let me have a taglist and i don't post there at all except for fics </3

[jubileebloom]

As much as I appreciate the people defending Ford in the wake of TBOB's release, and discussing the importance of avoiding victim-blaming and being aware of a person's environment, there's something specific that rubs me the wrong way about some of the things I've read.

The thing about abuse is that takes agency away from its victims. This is actually something that broadly applies to different forms of trauma, as I've just been going over in one of my classes on Adolescent Development. My professor for that class specializes in trauma-informing and training, so she has an entire unit on trauma as part of the syllabus, and one of the things she emphasized was that giving people agency and control over their own choices is critical to helping them recover from a traumatic event.

When it comes to Bill's possession of Ford, the lack of control is even more literal. Ford literally has his body puppeted by a demon, and his mind altered as well. Others have taken agency from him to a lesser extent—Stan limiting his choices in education, Fiddleford potentially using the memory gun on him, as another analysis post I can't find did a really good job of breaking down—but it's not as all-encompassing as Bill's abuse, and Stan and Fidds both make better choices later in the series. Bill refuses to.

But I'm getting off topic. My point is, Ford's loss of agency is one of the most crucial pieces of his character arc. It's why he lashes out so strongly when he returns home, against his will, to find that his identity has been stolen. It probably factors into his need to be the "hero", to be the one to defeat Bill. And even though he ultimately isn't that "hero", and he does let the Mystery Shack continue to operate, he does ultimately get more of a choice in the matter. He chooses to go along with the plan. He chooses to go with Stan on their long-overdue adventure.

But there's something else he does too. He apologizes.

Why is that so important? Because in regaining his sense of agency, he also undertakes the accountability that goes with it. He isn't solely to blame for everything that happened to him, or even necessarily every choice he made, but he did make bad choices.

And that's the thing that bothers me about some Ford analyses and defenses. Some people go too far and say that Ford isn't to blame for anything that he's done. Not only is that untrue, but it is once again stripping him of his agency. He is an adult capable of making his own decisions, and ergo capable of making bad decisions. And we need to accept that, without infantilizing him or blaming everyone else around him.

One of the things that compels me so much about Gravity Falls is that is generally does strike this balance pretty well, of personal agency vs. external circumstances. (There's also an excellent analysis post out there somewhere about Dipper and Mabel's agency, how the show doesn't force them to fix the problems of their predecessors or burden them exclusively with saving the world, but does still let them have agency and power in the fight and in Stan's recovery.) There are so, so many things that happen to the main cast that are mostly outside of their control, and also bad decisions that a lot of them have made that cannot be excused, at least not fully, by their circumstances.

And the beautiful thing about that agency is that these characters are also able to use it to become better people, to regain control over their lives, to take back power after it was taken from them. But you have to let them, and that includes letting them be people who messed up, owned up, and worked to make it better.

In fact, I think the reason that Ford is so quick to own up to his mistakes when it comes to Bill is because that's one of the ways he's taking back his power. He's incredibly stubborn when it comes to holding other grudges, but with Bill, he readily admits to Stan and Dipper separately that he's made some "terrible mistakes", to use his words. And he isn't to blame for falling for Bill's manipulation—Bill was the one actively manipulating—but no, he should not have summoned him to begin with. That doesn't make him deserving of anything Bill did to him, but by admitting to the mistakes he did make and working on a way to defeat Bill, it's letting him take back some amount of control in the whole situation. He can't make Bill change his ways, but he can own up to and correct the things he did wrong.

He does overcorrect a bit; I do think he blames himself too much for "falling for Bill's flattery." But generally, I like how he also doesn't try to blame Bill for every single thing that went wrong with the whole portal deal, like he (initially) did with some other situations, especially everything with Stan.

Anway. Let Ford make mistakes. Let him be wrong sometimes. Let him have his agency.

[lu-is-not-ok]

So the new Vergillius announcer has personaized, specialized quote for each specific Sinner, and it's a fascinating mixture of praise and burns. In order, (so Yi Sang first and Gregor last):

"Impressive, Sinner #1. You seem to have a surprisingly high aptitude for Identity and E.G.O usage." "Ms. Faust… You knew that enemy part would eventually cause trouble, didn't you?"

"… What did Sinner #3 do this time? Haah…"

"Hm, your battle sense is just as excellent, even as a Sinner. Now, is there something you can do about your incomprehensible speech quirk, Sinner #4?"

"Excellent, Sinner #5. I hear that your quick actions have prevented many a disaster."

"… Don't think you can smooth over your terribly ineffective attack with an innocent smile, Sinner #6."

"Sinner #7. I thought you'd finally learned how to use that head of yours… It has been a while since our last consultation, hasn't it?"

"So I hear that you're the class president now, Sinner #8? Then it's time you took to the helm."

"I do appreciate how easy you are to please, Sinner #9. You may expect sweets should you perform well in this battle, of course."

"You've got blood on you again, #11. … Hm, I suppose you have indeed grown somewhat as of late. I thought you'd be bawling on your knees by now."

"What's this, miss lieutenant? How come you've let yourself be sliced to pieces like this? You're going to be the biggest burden to your Executive Manager dearest."

"This is no time for your defeatist attitude, Sinner #13. Get on your feet and soldier on. Where's your usual disposition, hm?"

I'm don't think this is a uniform scan of how Vergillius views each Sinner, but there are some fascinating nuggets-Rodion straight up getting bribed, a hint of Yi Sang having the best synchronization rates with IDs and EGO, and the possibility of Vergie knowing about Faust's psychic knowledge link deal.

It's, naturally, the Hong Lu one I'm coming to you with-I wonder if it's as innocent as it looks (Hong Lu did an ineffective attack and tried to laugh it off, Vergie Ain't Havin' It), or if Vergie can legitimately see right through Hong Lu's act (or knows his Deal all along).

Anon, you have no idea how perfect your timing is. Since I have recently done an attempt at analysis of all those lines in a random Discord server. So instead of dilly-dallying, I'm just gonna mostly repeat what I said then.

Before I do get to the Sinner-specific lines, I do want to briefly go over my thoughts about Verg's other lines, the ones directed at Dante.

Notably, a large amount of them has a much more gentle, if not downright warm tone to them. There is a level of patience, curiosity, and even sometimes concern that Verg shows towards Dante yet doesn't direct towards the rest of the Sinners.

There is very little to no condescending language directed towards them, which is in stark contrast to the vast majority of Verg's Sinner specific lines.

I wanted to point all of this out as Vergilius is a character who staunchly refuses to connect with people, and in reaction the people around him refuse to connect with him. There's very few people he actively tries to be kinder to, usually people he already knows, with it being most obvious with how he treats Charon.

Thus, the fact that Verg treats Dante with a level of kindness he doesn't extend towards the other Sinners implies a prior emotional connection we have yet to learn the specifics of.

Alright, with that little intro out of the way, here's my interpretation of each of those Sinner-specific lines one by one.

Yi Sang

One of the few positive voicelines, however the compliment Verg gives Yi Sang here can be read as somewhat backhanded due to the usage of "surprisingly", implying Verg doesn't actually hold high expectations towards him.

I also think that Verg specifically complimenting Yi Sang's usage of Identities and E.G.O could be another reflection of his not that high opinion of him. Verg is effectively complimenting not Yi Sang's own strengths, but rather his skill at borrowing power from other sources.

Faust

The only Sinner besides Dante that Verg refers to by name, showing that he holds a level of respect towards her that he doesn't for the rest of the Sinners. Considering the fact we know she's the one who hired him effectively, it might be more so a formality on his part than a reflection of any sort of closeness.

I have a couple of interpretations for what he says here, but in both of them it's clear that Verg feels a sort of exasperation towards Faust, and that he's aware of her downright supernatural levels of knowledge.

One interpretation is that he's expressing frustration, effectively accusing Faust of taking so long to act despite clearly having known ahead of time that the part would become a problem in the future. This is one of the patterns Faust shows, as she has a tendency to simply let bad things happen even when she knows they're about to, only ever doing something when she has no other choice.

The other interpretation is Verg being vexed by Faust's quick actions and efficiency, knowing that she only did so because she had the information that would tell her it had to be done. This is another pattern she exhibits, as she highly values efficiency and following the orders and information she has access to above her own opinions.

Don Quixote

Probably the most straightforward one. Verg's opinion of Don Quixote was so badly affected by how much trouble she's caused that now he's come to expect her to be the source of any potential mishaps.

There's also a notable sort of resignation to this voiceline I feel. It gives the impression that Verg has given up on trying to discipline Don Quixote, feeling like no matter what he does she's just going to keep causing issues regardless.

Ryoshu

The one line where Verg expresses both a positive and negative opinion simultaneously. Verg clearly holds a certain amount of respect towards Ryoshu, acknowledging her battle prowess even when nerfed. However, he also makes sure to undermine the compliment to make it clear he has no fondness towards her by calling out a trait of hers that he finds irritating and perhaps knows she's unlikely to change.

Interestingly enough, I feel like there's something to be said about how surface-level his jab here is. When it comes to the other Sinners he makes jabs at, he tends to target something they're a lot more sensitive about. Here however? Nothing of the sort. I think when Verg calls Ryoshu's speech quirk "incomprehensible", it reflects his opinion on Ryoshu as a whole - he finds her equally incomprehensible, unable to understand her as a person.

Meursault

Probably the only entirely positive voiceline out of the lot, neither backhanded nor condescending. Verg shows appreciation for Meursault's reliability, and might even be subtly throwing shade at the other Sinners by implying they could be the cause of the disasters in question. Not much else to say here lmao.

Hong Lu

I think this line very clearly shows Verg knows Hong Lu is full of shit. Not only does Verg call out the fact that Hong Lu is trying to get away with messing up, he also directly calls out the "innocent smile" as Hong Lu's method of doing so. He can tell Hong Lu's innocence and naivete isn't entirely genuine, but rather that it's a shield he uses to evade criticism and negative attention.

Also this is the only voiceline where Verg directly calls out a Sinner's attack as being dogshit. The others are a lot more vague about what caused Verg's reaction (except for Outis but we'll get to her), but here Verg confirms that the thing he's annoyed by is Hong Lu's offense. Considering my other analyses about Hong Lu caring more about his performance of combat rather than being actually effective at it based on his animations... no yeah, that tracks Perfectly.

Heathcliff

This is. An interesting line. I would probably need a whole separate post to get into it in detail, but to make a long story short it's pretty clear that as of the current point in story Heathcliff is the only Sinner that is actively trying to reach out to Verg and treat him like a person, and Vergilius is very much noticing that and (perhaps subconsciously) beginning to warm up to Heathcliff.

Why do I say all of that? Because I believe this line is a reflection of that relationship. See, both of the things Verg says about Heathcliff here are him noting that he thought Heathcliff was improving. That he was actually smart, that he hadn't needed any discipline in a long time. This line to me feels less like an insult or a jab, and more like an expression of disappointment.

Whether he wanted to or not, Verg was slowly starting to form a sort of bond with Heathcliff, enough to feel disappointed when Heathcliff fucks up and to try and distance himself. Mind you, he's still being an ass and vaguely threatening about it, but it's still something to note.

Ishmael

First of several voicelines where Vergilius is openly condescending towards whoever he's talking about. Calling Ishmael a class president is not only Verg acknowledging Ishmael's tendency to effectively speak for the Sinners as a whole several times, but also putting her down by effectively calling that behavior immature and something a child in school would be doing.

Then he basically goes "can you stop fucking around" by telling her to actually take charge and be responsible for once. Because despite how she presents herself, Ishmael is kinda bad at this whole personal responsibility thing.

Rodya

Similarly to Heathcliff, I think this voiceline is a reflection of Rodya's relationship with Verg as a whole. Again, to summarize, Rodya consistently puts on an overly casual and friendly act when interacting with Vergilius, despite her actual opinion on him being basically in line with the rest of the bus - she doesn't like him one fucking bit.

I think the first part of this line is Verg low-key calling her out for that, calling her "easy to please" in a very facetious way to show how see-through her act is to him. He is fully aware she does not like him but pretends to anyway.

Then there's the second part. I don't think Verg is genuinely trying to bribe Rodya. I interpret what he says here as his attempt at giving her a taste of her own medicine. Rodya regularly acts overly friendly towards him, so for a moment he acts overly familiar as well by offering sweets for a job well done. He's being an asshole and he knows it. The fact that he's effectively making a jab at Rodya's not-so-secret food insecurity only makes it more obvious that he's being an ass for the sake of being an ass.

Sinclair

Maybe the most backhanded lines of all of them if I'm honest. Verg is both acknowledging Sinclair's growth as a person while also putting him down by reminding him of the pathetic state he was at the start. Another Sinner he clearly has low expectations of.

I think this also shows Verg's tendency to underestimate the Sinners, specifically when it comes to their ability to change. I slightly alluded to it in Don Quixote's section, but Verg pretty clearly doesn't expect any of the Sinners to change for the better, and is thus surprised when he sees Sinclair prove him wrong.

Outis

If Sinclair's line is the most backhanded one, then this is the most condescending one with the most obvious animosity. Outis is the only Sinner that Verg calls something other than their number or name, instead giving her a frankly patronizing sounding nickname. He's both reminding her of her supposed role by calling her "lieutenant" while also putting her down by adding that "miss" in front.

Every single thing he says towards her is meant to put her abilities into question and make her seem incompetent. Considering that Outis regularly brags about her abilities and is the only Sinner to show she's not afraid to fight him, it's clear he's trying to take her down a peg. This shit is personal.

Him calling out her partially facetious attachment to Dante is also notable, as protecting them was the excuse Outis used when she first stood up to Verg. It's clear that moment left quite the negative impression on him.

Gregor

Last but not least. I think this line is another example of Verg seeing through a Sinner's facade, just like he did with Hong Lu and Rodya. He's calling out Gregor's go-getter facade by questioning where his "usual disposition" went and comparing it to his genuine attitude, that being the defeatism and unwillingness to participate.

There's also I think an interesting layer to this line, that being how it could be referencing back to Canto 1. Verg is effectively telling Gregor that one failure isn't a good enough reason to give up, perhaps subtly implying that he's already over Gregor's fuck up and would much rather not have to deal with what he might consider self-pitying.

[kathleenkatmary]

Am I crazy in thinking that this isn't nearly as nonsensical of a choice as so many have made it out to be? I think, given the situation, it's not that out there for her to think that calling Cobel would be her best option. Not only was it a terrifying situation, it was also one where there more traditional options one would take in an emergency weren't really options. These were her options:

Trust Reghabi, who she didn't know, who she met for the first time as her brother was losing consciousness. All she knew was that this woman claimed to have performed a procedure that led to Mark's current condition. She had way to know how honest Reghabi was being about the reintegration, if she was actually a skilled enough surgeon to do it safely and effectively, or what her motive might be. And Mark was in no shape to vouch for her.

Just go it completely alone, with no way to know for sure what was happening to Mark, what was wrong with him, what to do if he got worse, what horrible other things might happen, etc.

Turn to the devil she knows. Cobel is obviously not someone she can trust, but she couldn't trust Reghabi either. And when it comes to a situation like this, most people are probably going to be more comfortable with the person they don't trust because that person has done specific things to earn that lack of trust rather than the brand new person that they don't trust because they have literally no information about them. It's literally a case of "better the devil you know". Especially in a case like this, where she knows that Cobel was fired from Lumon and that her being fired had something to do, at least in part, with how invested she is in Mark.

Yeah, sure, there might be a better option that she could have come up with if she'd sat down and really considered it. That fans of the show could come up with from the comfort of their couches having seen everything that's happened in all the episodes of the show up to this point while they aren't actually experiencing their brother having a terrifying medical episode on his kitchen floor. But just because an option is more logical doesn't mean that it's good writing.

I think, when it comes to the way people talk about the choices fictional characters make, their judgements are often based on what we've seen and what we know as viewers rather than on what the characters themselves know. And without really considering the state of mind the specific situation the character is in would put them in. And I think this mindset that Devon somehow made the worst decision or a stupid decision or a decision that doesn't make sense in the situation she was in and that means it's bad writing is kind of a perfect example of that.

This idea that if a character makes a choice that's suboptimal, or that isn't the most logical option, whatever, then it's bad writing is just so absolutely, downright ridiculous. You know who often makes choices that are suboptimal or not the most logical? Especially in moments that are scary, tense, and/or highly emotional? The vast, vast majority of human beings. Writing that has characters make decisions that might not be the most logical or sensible for the situation but that make sense based on who the character is, what they know, and what they've experienced is good writing. It's how characters and their decision making should be written. Writing characters to always make the most logical or sensible decision for a situation is not good writing in the vast, vast majority of situations.

Is there a decent chance that Cobel double crosses Devon and Mark and uses them to her advantage to try to prove to Lumon that she's more valuable than they give her credit for? Absolutely. Does that mean that, given the specifics of the situation as Devon knew them, her calling Cobel makes no sense and is therefore bad writing? Absolutely not.

to everyone who's like "why would devon call cobel? this makes no sense! this feels like bad writing!", may i point out to you that devon married ricken. that lady's a truly wild judge of character and vibes. she's not LIKE us.

[fandommothfreak]

Jason Todd's ACTUAL Music Taste

(Someone has probably already done this but I am in desperate need of a reference sheet tailored to me specifically.)

Poison Idea Jason is introduced in Batman #408 (released 1987) wearing a red shirt with POISON IDEA written on the front. Poison Idea is a punk rock + hardcore punk band from Portland, Oregon. We also see a poster of the same band hanging in his apartment, so I think this is a favorite of his.

Pick Your King (released 1983)

Kings of Punk (released 1986) WARNING FOR SUICIDE + SELF-HARM TOPICS

- The Modernettes We see another poster with REBEL KIND written beneath the silhouette of four people. In the first image shown above, we can also see "rebel kind" spraypainted by Jason's apartment door. The closest match I could find for this is a song called "The Rebel Kind" by punk band The Modernettes.

This band sounds more pop punk to me (although I'm not the best at differentiating between musical subgenres), and Jason only shows interest in one of their songs. That, paired with the sound we hear from Poison Idea, makes me think Jason isn't as into pop punk as he is hardcore. This might be one of those songs where the message in the lyrics really resonates. "I know one day we're going to leave this far behind, and we'll be free to run with the rebel kind," as just one example. I think he identifies with the term "rebel kind," especially if he's the one who painted that on the wall. (I'm assuming he did.)

Here's a link to the full album, View From the Bottom (released 1982).

- Eric Peters I have no fucking idea who this is, but he's hanging on Jason's wall. He's got a hat and a guitar and a fuckass goatee (pictured in the second image, next to the Poison Idea poster). I can find one guy who only started releasing music in the 90s and another guy affiliated with DC Comics who doesn't look old enough to be referenced this way.

The hat and the guitar + straight hair combo reminds me a little of Slash + Izzy from Guns n' Roses. They released their first album like a month after Batman #408 was released, but if one of the authors saw their US tour in 1985, it could still make sense. Or they just based it off the 80s rock star aesthetic in general. Point is, I don't know. So. Eric Peters can be whatever fanon wants, I suppose. - Blister Twister (DC's KISS) + Simon & Garfunkel We see a heavy metal band, Blister Twister, perform a heavy metal cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" in Batman #412. Jason thinks it's cool.

- (UPDATE) Slipknot & Lacuna Coil Jason has posters of what looks like 1999 Slipknot (heavy metal) and Shallow Life by Lacuna Coil (goth/alternative metal) hung up in his room in Nightwing Annual 2021, which is part of the Rebirth relaunch.

Slipknot (released 1999)

Shallow Life (released 2009)

- Some concluding thoughts! (Edited to suit Jason's Rebirth music taste.) Based on what little we get, I think, as a kid, Jason leans more towards harsher music and has a preference for hardcore punk. Punk rock and garage punk are up there as well. He likes music that sounds raw and real. He'll jam to softer punk subgenres, like pop punk and post-punk, but that's more so when he really feels for the lyrics/messaging. Maybe he starts getting into the latter more as he grows up, but hardcore is still his favorite.

Metal music doesn't show up until after the Blister Twister performance, so maybe that's his introduction to the genre? It starts off as more of a superficial appreciation ("Cool!"), but then he gravitates from hardcore to nu metal (which is inspired by hardcore). A lot of people would consider Slipknot a nu metal band, and their 1999 album sounds like a mix of a few different subgenres, so maybe Jason is introduced to more of those subgenres through them. And then Lacuna Coil. I'm not familiar with them, but reddit says it's goth metal. I listened to some of their songs from Shallow Life, and I can absolutely see angsty teenager Jason resonating with those lyrics.

tl;dr I think Jason prefers the harsher subgenres of punk and metal, but still enjoys a variety of subgenres in both. Punk was his childhood; metal was his teenhood; and I'm assuming he still likes both in young adulthood. He likes the more raw, more real-sounding stuff and songs with messages that he resonates with.

Moving even more into headcanon territory: street rap, East Coast rap, lots of underground artists, that's all music Jason likes and listens to. I honestly don't think Jason would feel much of anything for mainstream pop music since it doesn't sound very raw or real and a lot of it isn't very relatable to him, but I do still think he'd jam to it occasionally for the laughs (and there might be the one-off song that does say something that resonates).

And if we're taking Jason's love for classic literature into account, then yes, I will subscribe to the headcanon that he enjoys musicals. I don't think he'd be a fanatic, but he appreciates the story and he might jam to songs that resonate with him like "The Rebel Kind" does. (I still think that's his favorite song, as a young adult.)

If anyone who sees this can find more canon hints of Jason's music taste, please, please show me! I love these little Easter eggs.

[aquilaofarkham]

Do you think Richter is going to kill Olrox? I almost don't want him to, but I think it would give Richter the closure he needs idk :/

oof so this has been sitting in my inbox for awhile just cause i've been figuring out a way to best formulate my thoughts on this topic but lemme try answering without sounding dismissive of other people's theories/interpretations (which i genuinely don't want to do)

short answer: no, he's not. at least that's not what i believe

long answer: so this isn't necessarily an issue specific to this fandom but rather fandoms on the whole, but castlevania fans tend to take certain moments and pieces of dialogue at their most literal meaning. which i mean i get it, i'm autistic so i often read into things very literally but guys pls sypha wasn't ACTUALLY calling alucard a real flesh and blood teenager (that's just one common example i can think of)

getting back to richter and olrox though, i think richter repeating word for word what was said to him after julia's death was an intentional decision on the writer's part. because even though olrox said he would kill richter "one day" once they finally reunite when richter's a young adult, olrox is never outwardly hostile or antagonistic towards him. during that scene in the church dungeons, he almost greets richter like an old friend who he hasn't seen in a long time and carefully reaches his hand out instead of attacking him (a moment which i STILL need an explanation for. it could be that olrox is at peace with the consequences of his actions but at the same time. writers i'm in your walls right now)

even after richter runs away, the two are still somewhat in the same vicinity as each other but again, olrox never makes the conscious decision to go after richter. mainly because he's obviously busy with other matters but when drolta asks him about richter, he just smiles and refers to him as "the son of an old foe". not his foe, just the son of one who he already bested

the only time i can remember when olrox actually snapped back at richter was when he wasn't listening and even then olrox doesn't want to kill him because (again) there are things more important currently happening than their rivalry

(just a side note but olrox also doesn't try to attack juste even when they're in the same area. probably because mizrak is there and would absolutely try to stop him but personally i think olrox is just done with belmonts now. like there's no point adding another hunter from the same family to his ledger now that the object of his *very justified* revenge is long gone)

i think some—obviously not all but SOME—fans tend to narrow their focus on richter saying "i will kill you olrox. one day" without taking into account the "but not today" addition. and i don't think richter would be smiling like this if he was really planning on killing olrox

to me this was richter's way of telling olrox "i never forgot what you did to me. but i recognize that you saved my life when you could have easily ended it. i don't forgive you and you probably don't forgive me either. that makes us even". or as @ifishouldvanish put it (i think it was them so correct me if i'm wrong!!) that scene was richter saying "nine years ago you made the decision to walk away and i've been afraid of you ever since. now i'm no longer afraid and i'm making the decision to walk away"

which honestly? i think thats infinitely more narratively fulfilling and a more interesting way of giving richter closure than having him repeat the cycle of revenge. because olrox is already repeating a different cycle of his own with mizrak

but anyway, nah i don't think richter is going to eventually kill olrox nor do i think he SHOULD. but my word isn't gospel and this is probably just a case of this evergreen post:

[itsabouttimex2]

Vital question- who out of the lmk cast would get cuteness aggression with y/n?

Cuteness Aggression

Sun Wukong is the original cuteness aggression sufferer. He has thousands of tiny monkey friends, and every time they do something cute, he has to fight for his life not to compress them into fluffy little carpets. He settles for aggressively patting their little heads instead.

But then, in general, all the show's monkeys (minus MK) would have this, manifesting mostly as "If I rub my face on you really really hard you'll smell like me and everyone will know that we're troopmates!" while only occasionally drifting into "I'm so fucking excited that I'm going bite you, sorry about the blood."

Also, if one little FFM monkey thinks you're so damn cute that you need nuzzles and bites? Every monkey thinks that you need nuzzles and bites. Pray that your rabies shots are up to date.

But for Sun Wukong especially, I think there's kind of this want to fill the loneliness in his life with a cute Y/N, even if it means picking them up and squishing the living daylights out of them. And the squishing isn't so bad until your bones stop popping and start straining to the point they may well snap.

Lots of kisses, too! If you've got fur he'll definitely kiss it until it's horribly ruffled out of place, and then he spirits you off for a long, loving session of grooming!

"You can't leave yet, bud! You look like such a mess! Aw, c'mere... let me fix you up..."

Hey, remember that thing I said about biting? Yeah, Macaque does that. Oh, so much biting. He's not even trying to be mean here! He really just stops thinking and leans over to take a chunk out of you because- you're Y/N! You're cute! The cutest, even! The very cutest in Megapolis, and maybe the whole wide world around! How can he not have a taste?! He just wants a quick bite! You're too adorable to resist!

Once he gets used to having you around it'll slowly taper off into mild nibbles and the occasional impulsive lick, but the need to be carried to the bathroom and patched up slowly fades away and is replaced with more basic forms of affection like sneaking into your bed at night and crawling into the bathtub and asking for help to wash his fur once you're done screaming.

Basic forms, not normal ones.

"Oof, Y/N. That's, not looking too good. In my defense, I didn't expect to cut that deep... oh well, guess I'll have to kiss it better~"

Yeah, I don't think anyone is gonna be surprised to see Mei here. Come around her place in a dress with lacy frills or pop out of the bathroom in a fluffy onesie for a sleepover and Mei's draconic brain overloads and bluescreens, and then she's right up on you, cooing and squealing and falling to her knees to beg for an album's worth of photos.

As best she’ll express her gleee through high-pitched noises and vibrating in place like he’s buffering. At worst she’ll consider indulging in the urge to violently shake little creatures before going to take a breaher because she wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt.

Screaming, and so much of it. “LOOK AT IT! LOOOOOK! Y/N DO YOU SEE THE PUPPY IT HAS A HAT.” She always stops just short of actually blowing out your eardrums, but damn if she doesn't come close.

She’s not the most aggressive, but damn if she isn’t the loudest.

Red Son would rather die than admit it, but he absolutely suffers from cuteness aggression-especially when it comes to you. He claims to be above such “foolish displays of emotion”, but the moment you do something even remotely adorable, his hands clench, his jaw tightens, and the flames in his body spark uncontrollably as he struggles against the overwhelming urge to combust from sheer affection.

Aside from you, the only thing Red Son truly finds to be “cute” are… well, small, fragile things. Little sputtering machines skittering at his feet. Itty-bitty mutts begging for scraps. Kittens misjudging jumps and smacking headfirst into the walls.

If you’re cute, that means you’re fragile, and if you’re fragile, that means the world is far too dangerous for you to navigate alone. So obviously, he has to escort you everywhere, with a firm grip on your wrist (or your entire body thrown over his shoulder, depending on the situation) because gods forbid he actually just hold your hand like a normal demon with a massive crush.

[tune-on-in-folks]

I actually like this a lot! (and totally not because I am also socially awkward.)

Vox doesn't attend the Overlord meeting, one because Alastor's there; but two, he'd be in public and he'd have to talk, and he doesn't have a script for that!

He puts on a front with everyone he's interacting with. We see it when he has to go see Valentino. "Just another day with Val, hey, hey, hey! Fuck my life." And he also seems to put on an act for Velvette, just in the way he interacts with her. He portrays this type of character for them that he doesn't seem to be.

He's always putting on an act, a show. Always performing.

Vox tells Valentino that their brand is "perfection." He wants to portray to the public that the Vees, but mostly him, are perfect. Which is where his little hypnosis power comes into play.

He obviously dreads dealing with the paparazzi, he's frowning before he deals with them before putting on that showman act. And once he's done with his peice, he hypnotizes them so he can make a swift exit, and keep them compliant. But he can't hypnotize Alastor.

When he does face Alastor in Stayed Gone we see him start cool headed. "Top of the hour! We're discussing a certain has-been. Who has been spotted cavorting around town....Did anybody miss him? Did anybody notice? More on tonight's program!" It's an intro to Vox2Night, his show, where he obviously writes the scripts, and has them practiced.

He's eloquent at the start, using rhymes and being witty. But as soon as Alastor joins the song that all goes out the window because now they're off script. His eloquence suddenly becomes desperate attempts to stop Alastor, barely insulting him. "What a dated voice!" And "...he's the shit that comes before that!" And my favorite, "you old-timey prick!" But most of what he says are interjections, "come on!" Or "oh please!" Or "hold on!"

Vox is flashy and in your face, but it's typically in a way he can control. Editing is a thing after all. But when he's doing a live broadcast? Welllll, not so much. He wants to control what everyone thinks of him all the time. What his business partners think of him, what the public thinks of him. It's all about control with him, and Alastor takes that control away. Just by seeing though him, by tripping Vox up.

And Alastor does all of that with a cool confidence. He's not flashy and in your face, but rather cool and collected. He's very similar in certain ways to Vox. (Wanting people to acknowledge that he was gone, wanting to know the theories, etc.) But he's also very different in just the way he holds himself.

All this to say, I agree. Vox is an anxious outgoing introvert and Alastor is a calm confident extrovert. Either way they both like attention and control.

You won't be able to convince me Vox isn't introverted/socially anxious in some way. We don't see him leave Vee tower once during S1, he only talks to the paparazzi with a plan to control the narrative and then mind controls them into accepting it, and his preferred medium is something he can both control entirely and is usually scripted, meaning he knows exactly what topics will be discussed or what anyone else will be doing so he can prepare a reaponse in advance (Vox2Nite).

Plus, he has the "if all else fails hypnotize them" backdoor cheat to his powers.

There's a reason that, as soon as he went against a foe who wasn't following his very clear pre-prepared script and who he couldn't see to hypnotize into letting him control the narrative, he immediately fell apart.

Alastor and him are foils because Vox is very flashy and in your face, but he's using it to hide that he needs tight control over everything or else he'll fall apart. Alastor, however, relies on his personality being the draw, and he's excellent at rolling with the verbal punches.

Vox is an outgoing anxious introvert, and Alastor is a more subtle confident extrovert, and both of their mediums reflect this. Vox needs to distract you so you don't notice anything even slightly amiss, and Alastor needs to entertain you so you don't get bored without something to distract you.

[thethronezone]

Primarchs and drunk driving

Mortarion - No??? Why would he do that? That's so stupid? Actually disgusted by the concept.

Fulgrim - Swears he's never done it but the truth is that it happened a couple of times in his youth. HE WAS YOUNG AND IMPULSIVE, OK???

Angron - Too mad to get drunk. Too mad to drive. Might be a safer driveing drunk though, since he's got real bad road rage.

Magnus - Hah! No. This nerd is more likely to isolate himself in his study with a good book rather than go driving when drunk.

Perturabo - Never. What's the point? Such a waste of time. Mad that it's even a thing. Would beat his sons if he saw them do it.

Alpharius - Are they drunk or are they just pretending to be? Because in either case; yes.

Lorgar - Gasp! He would NEVER! (He did it once after he got drunk on the communal wine during mass. Very ashamed of it.)

Horus - He was once a gang member. Of course he's done some drunk driving! Swears he's a good drunk driver (he isn't.)

Konrad - This man used to kill drunk drivers, what makes you think he'd ever be one?

Sanguinius - Does being high on Red Thirst count? Because if so, he might have done it once or twice. Otherwise, no, never.

Corvus - Has never done it and will never do it. It is irresponsible and someone might get hurt. Very serious about it.

Ferrus - What's the point? Being inebriated would seriously hamper his ability to drive, why would he do that? Sees it as a logical problem.

Rogal - Holds seminars about the dangers of drunk driving. Talks about responsible drinking.

Vulkan - Shamefully admits that he did it once as a youth. Never did it again though and learned his lesson (that poor salamander never saw it coming...).

Lion - Ok, listen, that one time doesn't count. He had never had alcohol before! How was he supposed to know vehicles and booze don't mix?

Leman - Has done it before and will do it again. Swears that he's a good drunk driver. Survivors would disagree.

Jaghatai - Did it a few times in his youth. Would take his bike on joyrides across the wast planes of his homeworld, beer in one hand.

Roboute - ... Yes. But only once! He was young and it was a momentary lapse of judgement! Would absolutely never do it again!

[archangeldyke-all]

teacher reader and teacher sev finding out about jinx’s crush on the new boy at school (ekko). i feel like sevika would be the type of teacher to purposely assign them seats together to watch how their relationship would unfold ☺️

GAHHHHHHHH CUTE (i'm obsessed with this little story hehehe)

men and minors dni

sevika finds you in the teachers lounge, a mischievous smile on her face. "you got jinx next period, right?" she asks.

you snort. "yeah, why?"

sevika kisses your cheek in greeting before sitting beside you, propping her feet in your lap. ran rolls their eyes and pretends to gag. you laugh.

"i think she's got a crush."

"what?! on who?" you ask.

one of the best parts of your job is watching teenage romance blossom between your students. despite the fact that sevika acts like she doesn't care, from the giddy giggles she's letting out right now, you know she does.

"y'know the new kid? ekko?" she asks.

you snort. you do know the new kid. he was home-schooled by his parents most his life, but he's decided to finish out his high school education at zaun high, wanting to experience a 'real' school before getting sent off to college. he's a sweet boy, he's already asked you about joining the 'volunteer club' you run every wednesday after school, and he's always excited to talk about the reading assignments in your class.

"what makes you say that?" you ask.

"she actually ran laps today to keep ekko company. apparently, she's appointed herself to be his 'school guide' until he gets used to things."

you giggle. "maybe she's just being friendly."

sevika gives you a deadpan look. "baby. it's jinx."

you laugh. "alright, alright. i'll see what i can do." you promise.

sevika corners you again after school, while you're straightening up your classroom.

"so, whaddya think?!" she asks, sitting criss-cross on one of your student's desks. you giggle.

"i think you're onto something. i put the kids in pairs today to edit their essays. jinx and ekko were giggling the entire time."

sevika grins. "i knew it!"

you laugh and approach your girlfriend, kissing her forehead. "you're a genius. they're pretty cute together, too."

sevika hums. "are you done here yet? i wanna take you out for dinner."

over the weeks, you and sevika make little changes in your classrooms to nudge ekko and jinx closer to one another.

sevika conveniently assigns them as partners for most of the drills she forces the kids to do. you assign them desks beside one another. you even get ran and mel in on it, both of them pulling strings in their own classes, too.

ekko drags jinx to voulenteer club every wednesday, and sevika says jinx has been hanging around during the boys' baseball practice to watch him play.

the first time you catch the two of them holding hands down the hall, you almost break your neck with how fast you run to the gym to tell sevika the news.

"woah, easy there tiger!" she laughs as she catches you when you stumble. you giggle, kiss her cheek then tell her the news.

"jinx and ekko were holdin' hands." you say.

sevika grins. "fuck, really?! i told you!"

by the time it's homecoming season, the pair have made it official.

you and sevika watch ekko and jinx slow dance from the corner of the gym where you're supposed to be chaperoning. you giggle.

"they're gonna get married one day." you say. sevika snorts.

"they're sixteen!"

"look at 'em!" you laugh, gesturing to the couple. ekko's giggling as jinx twirls him under her arm, and she chuckles as he swoops back around and kisses her cheek. "they're clearly soulmates." you say.

sevika snorts. "well, if they do make it to marriage, we deserve an invite to the wedding." she mutters. "we're the whole reason they're together in the first place."

"do you think they know all the little tricks we pulled to get 'em together?" you ask.

sevika snorts. "hell no. i've done everything i can to make them think that i find them disgusting."

you cackle, then pinch sevika's ass. she jumps and glares at you. you giggle and blow her a kiss as you jog away to the other side of the gym to stop some freshmen from spiking the punch bowl.

kofi

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