#Far better than the gremlin deserves | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

bwabys-scenarios · 1 year ago

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Reunited

Part 24

Illumi x Reader x Feitan

part 23

part 25

warning: feitan is mean and ungrateful but what did you expect, he’s a lil gremlin! reader gets bitten and scratched cuz he’s wild 🙏

taglist: @tsukilover11 @mercyboluthecrazychicken @sxyriii @shidoni-san @living4tomrua @lemonslut @honeylunalove @sugarrushdaydream

if you’d like to be ADDED to the taglist, please comment a red heart ❤️, make sure you’re able to be tagged/mentioned, and have your age in your bio(IF YOU ARE ALREADY ON THE TAGLIST, YOU DON’T NEED TO ASK TO BE ADDED AGAIN!!)

3 years ago

The summer air was suffocating. (Name) had long since abandoned her long sleeves and fluffy blankets, exchanging them for tank tops and sheets.

The girl continued her work of peeling apples. If she wanted to finish her next batch of apple butter before her journey into town next week, she’d need to peel until she couldn’t anymore.

“Reports of the notorious band of thieves, the Phantom Troupe, wreaking havoc in the next city over have reached-“

(Name) switched the channel of her small bear up radio. She didn’t want to hear about some thieves causing mayhem. The girl had already pushed the name out of her mind by the time she continued her work.

As the day wore on, she felt herself grow tired. She’d peeled around 60 apples. (Name) tossed the remaining bags of fruit into her fridge, setting the cut apples to boil on the stove.

‘Mmm, I think I’ll go dip my feet in the river while this boils. I deserve a little relaxation!’

(Name) slipped her flip flops on and ran outside, sliding down the hill and to the river’s edge.

It was calm and quiet, the sound of crickets and the sight of fireflies soothing to the girl. The water was surprisingly cool against her skin, causing her to jump lightly upon contact.

She sat down on the rocky riverside, dipping her feet into the water. “Ahh, now this is nice.”

For a moment, all of her worries of making ends meet and supporting her family melted away, the feeling of the river’s water lapping at her skin allowing her to forget.

But this wouldn’t last long. (Name) opened her eyes at the sound of something bobbing in the water. She turned to look down the river, narrowing her eyes to get a better look.

‘Is that an alligator? No, it couldn’t be, that shape isn’t right…’

(Name) stood and shook the water from her feet. She walked along the riverside until she was close enough to see what was floating on the surface of the water.

“Is that… oh my god!”

(Name) threw off her shoes and jumped into the river, swimming to the center to grab at the shape slowly sinking into the water. It was a person!

She swam back to shore, pulling the man up onto the rocky riverside. He was breathing, thankfully, so she wouldn’t have to do mouth to mouth.

“Let’s get you inside…”

She half carried, half drug the body to her porch, setting him down on the wooden floor as she scurried inside. She quickly turned the apples off before they could boil over, and rushed into the bathroom for her first aid kit and towels.

Not only was he absolutely soaked, but his body was covered in wounds, ranging from small cuts, to gashes. His arms were in the worst of shape though, having turned a strange purple color.

“Ah, he’s shivering. I gotta get him warmed up before he gets sick…”

She pulled at the man’s clothes, muttering an apology under her breath as she began undressing him.

—————

(Name) sighed, setting the small man down on the bed in the guest room. Thankfully she’d just laid out fresh sheets.

The girl didn’t have any men’s clothes for him, so she settled on pulling a pair of her pajama pants over his otherwise naked body. So far she had avoided looking at anything private, and she was planning on keeping it that way.

“Mm, his shirt was destroyed, but his pants and boxers can be washed and dried. Better than nothing, I guess.” She set aside the wet clothing for later, focusing on his injuries.

He had a large gash on his chest. It would need stitches, something (Name) could handle. Any other small cuts and bruises could be treated with a bandaid or salve, but his arms… that’s what she was most worried about.

His arms didn’t appear to be broken, but the purple color was throwing her off. He had also grunted in pain when she’d touched him, the only reaction he’d had the the entire time.

She decided to wait until he woke up to address his arms, setting some packs of ice to help with the swelling.

(Name) got to work stitching up his wound, being as gentle as possible. After that, she wrapped his chest in gauze, tending to his smaller cuts with some antibacterial spray and bandaids.

He had some glass stuck in one of his legs, which she had to pick out as well. Just what in the hell happened to this man to be in such bad shape?

She wanted to call a doctor to come check him out, but she had so signal so far out from town. She’d have to wait for him to wake up and be stabilized before she could leave, and that worried her.

After a few hours of tender care, (Name) covered him up and turned off the light. His breathing had evened out, his chest rising and falling softly.

When (Name) was finally able to climb into bed, she realized she hadn’t taken the time to really take in his appearance. She’d been so focused on saving his life she hadn’t even thought to get a good look at him.

‘That’s alright. I’ll take a good look at him tomorrow…’

—————

Sun filtered in through the curtain drawn window, causing the sleeping man to groan and attempt to raise a hand to his face to block out the light.

He regretted this immediately.

Indescribable pain shot through his limbs, causing him to scream out in agony. He cursed in his native tongue, struggling to sit up.

The door in front of him bursted open, a short, plump woman running through.

“Holy- are you okay? You’re awake oh my-“

She paused at the wild look in his eyes. The man growled, struggling to back away as he practically barked at her.

“Stay back.”

(Name) held her hands up in surrender, giving him the space he requested. Once she was a good distance away, he relaxed, but only slightly.

“Where am I?” He had an accent that (Name) couldn’t quite place, but it was nice.

The girl looked from his face to his arms, concern written across her face. “You’re in my home. I found you in the river last night.”

He frowned, sweat beading down his forehead from him straining to get up. “Who are you?”

“Oh, I’m (Name).”

His next question came fast. “What you want from me?”

She paused, her brows knitting together in confusion. “Nothing? Why do you ask?”

He let out a humorless laugh. “No one helps for “nothing”. What, want information? Better kill me, I don’t talk.”

She blinked before waving her hands frantically. “Kill? Whoah I’m not gonna kill you! I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I don’t want anything from you.”

Although he could tell she spoke the truth, it didn’t do anything to ease his suspicious. “Don’t… don’t come near.”

He felt his eyelids grow heavy. He had just woken up, but he was still exhausted. The weight of his body slowly sunk back into the bed, the man falling back into a restless sleep.

(Name) stood still until his breathing returned to normal. She then walked over and placed a hand on his forehead.

‘He’s burning up!’

She rushed out of the room and returned to place a damp rag on his head, replacing the melting bags of ice on his arms as she did.

‘Hmm… I’ll make something easy to eat for when he wakes up.’

She settled on some homemade chicken noodle soup. She’d recently culled some of her meaner roosters, so she had some left over chicken sitting in her freezer.

“This will do. I hope he’s not allergic to any of this…”

(Name) was able to get a better look at him this time. He was relatively small, shorter than her definitely, with black hair that fell past his cheeks and a pale complexion. She couldn’t place his eye color, they were either a dark shade of gray or a light shade of purple.

The next time the man woke up, it was night. By the looks of the sky outside, it had just become dark out. He could hear the sound of the woman humming, the clinks and clanks of dishes being washed reverberating down the hall.

He was able to sit up with minimal pain this time, the bags of (now melted) ice dripping to the floor. The rag that had been placed on his forehead fell into his lap as he observed his surrounding.

The room was plain, having blue walls and no decorations. Next to him was a night stand with a cup of water and a straw. Had that woman left that there?

‘Need to call boss. Doesn’t know what happened.’

He looked around, spotting his phone next to the water on the nightstand. It was broken, and even if it hadn’t been it wouldn’t have worked because of his dip in the river.

The man thought back to his fight, and how he’d gotten there.

Chrollo had ordered him to steal an expensive relic from a local gang, which Feitan thought was child’s play. Although only Feitan was ordered to take the gang out, the news reported that there was more than one spider ransacking the town. He wondered how scared they would have been if they knew all that damage had been caused by him.

Feitan only ran into trouble when a nen user skilled in paralyzing peoples bodies was able to grab his arms. The limbs quickly turned purple, but Feitan was able to kill the man with little to no further injuries.

He dropped the relic off at the designated spot before walking along the river. Feitan hadn’t realized how badly injuried he really was until he felt himself sliding down the hill and into the river. He passed out before he could swim to the surface.

Thankfully, he was light enough to float down until (Name) spotted him.

‘Careless. Should have contacted Boss beforehand…’

He looked down at his arms, gritting his teeth. It seemed the persons nen hadn’t disappeared after his death. From the small amount of information he’d heard, the paralyzation could last up to 4 months. ‘Stupid. Could have been more careful.’

He wanted to slam his fist into the wall, but knew that would only make things worse. Feitan instead took a deep breath.

His mind wandered back to the woman from the previous day. His arms were next to useless, would he have to rely on her to eat? Feitan didn’t want to. He couldn’t believe that the girl had no ulterior motive, it just wasn’t possible. No one helped others without looking to gain something, at least not in Feitan’s world.

The sound of the door creaking open caught his attention. He’d been so deep in thought that he hadn’t heard her approach the door.

“You’re awake! That’s good, just in time for dinner.”

The girl walked in carrying a plate with a bowl and piece of bread on it. She sat it down in the man’s lap as she situated herself in the chair she’d placed beside his bed.

“Can you move your arms?” she asked, picking up the bags of ice.

“No.”

She nodded. “Alright, then I’ll feed y-“

“No.”

“No? What do you mean no, are you not hungry?”

She reached out to place a hand on his forehand. Maybe he had a fever that was upsetting his stomach! But before she could place her palm on his head, he lifted his head and bit her hand.

“H-hey!” She pulled her hand back and held it to her chest as small droplets of blood beaded to the surface.

“Don’t touch me.”

She could feel the venom dripping from his words, an unspoken threat laced in between them. If she touched him, he’d hurt her.

“But if I can’t touch you, I can’t help you. I promise I’m not going to hurt you, I-“

“Stay away.”

Something about that man felt dangerous, like she was a gazelle standing in front of a lion. His eyes pierced into hers, telling her that he wasn’t someone to be messed with.

(Name) sighed and stood up from her chair. “I’ll try again later. Goodnight.”

She took the bowl and left the room, turning the light off behind her.

Feitan woke up feeling better than he had when he fell asleep, and weirdly not hungry. Out of habit, he attempted to lift a hand again to block out the sunlight, only to be reminded of his condition.

“Fuck…” he groaned, sitting up. He swung his feet over the side of the bed, taking tentative steps towards the door.

He paused for just a moment to look over his attire. Hanging dangerous low on his waist was an oversized pair of sweatpants, with some kind of cat cartoon character he didn’t recognize. They were much to big for him, the drawstring pulled tight to keep them from falling down his hips.

‘If Uvogin or Shalnark saw this, wouldn’t hear the end of it.’

Unable to open it with his hands, he kicked it open, causing it to fly off its hinges.

(Name) screeched from the kitchen. “OH MY- my door!” She rushed over, glancing between her door and the man in front of her.

“Where the bathroom?”

She blinked. It took her a moment to process his question before she pointed to the open bathroom.

As he began to walk away she stopped him by clearing her throat. “Will you be needing any help?”

He glanced back at her, raising an eyebrow. “What, gonna hold my dick for me?”

He didn’t wait for her to respond, just walked in and kicked the door close.

(Name) was left in a stunned silence, staring at the door. ‘Did he…’

She huffed and went back to working in the kitchen. It wasn’t as easy as it had been before she’d had to bandage her hand, but she’d power through it.

——————

Feitan could feel something warm in his mouth, something savory. It tasted good, the man swallowing the liquid in deep gulps.

In his dreams, he was sitting with all of his childhood friends enjoying the soup chrollo had made them. All it was was chicken and water with some sparse seasonings, but feitan enjoyed every second of his meal.

The smallest of smiles was on his face as a spoon was lifted to his lips.

He was still asleep, and (Name) was going to take advantage of that.

She’d propped him up and had slowly been dripping the broth from her soup into his mouth for the past 15 minutes, being mindful of his breathing. For the past two days, she’d been feeding him like this when she could.

He refused to eat anything she offered him, threatening her if she got too close. He always followed through with his words, biting and clawing at whatever skin he could get to.

Feitan didn’t stay awake much, only getting up to use the bathroom before passing out again. She’d gotten used to the man randomly leaving his room only to use the bathroom.

One afternoon after he left, she saw water dripping down his face and onto his chest. (Name) assumed he has been drinking water from the sink. He didn’t even trust her enough to drink the water she had supplied.

This didn’t bother her, though. The kind of wounds Feitan had received, both old and new weren’t the type that littered an ordinary man’s body. He’d had a hard life of fighting to survive, so she didn’t take his harsh words and actions to heart.

(Name) had fixed the door to her best ability to give the man some privacy. She left it cracked open slightly so he could go to and fro without breaking it again. Feitan seemed perplexed by her actions. Despite his less than kind attitude, she seemed unbothered. This freaked him out.

(Name) knocked on the door before entering with a medkit in one hand and his laundry in the other. “Hey. I need to change your bandages.”

He didn’t glance up from looking at his lap, his lips twisting into a deep frown. “I said no touching.”

“Yeah, I know, but if I don’t change your bandages you’ll get an infection.”

Feitan sneered at her, spitting out his words. “Don’t care. Stay away.”

She set the medkit down and placed his laundry on the bed before she sat next to him. Unlike placing ice packs/rags and feeding him, changing his bandages in his sleep wouldn’t be easy. If he woke up, he might seriously hurt her.

“Alright, I won’t touch you, but I’ll need to go to town and get a doctor. If I can’t help you then I can at least get someone-“

“No doctor.”

(Name) raised an eyebrow at this. “No doctor? How exactly do you plan on getting better if I can’t touch you or get you a doctor?”

The man didn’t answer, giving her a glare. “Listen, your three options are to let me take care of you, see a doctor, or die from infection. What’s your choice?”

He looked her straight in the eye as he answered.

“I choose death.”

——————

“God, he’s stubborn. And annoying.”

(Name) loaded her homemade canned goods into her large basket, huffing and puffing over the man’s behavior. He’d fallen back to sleep after his declaration, not bothering to speak on the subject further.

He seemed to be doing alright, all things considered, but his attitude was worsening by the day. He refused to tell her anything, not even his name.

(Name) fastened her basket to her bike and started on her journey to town.

It took around 30 minutes by bike, but stopping to take breaks made it a 45 minute trip.

(Name) participated in a farmers market every Sunday, selling her canned goods to make enough money to support herself and send a little money home to her family every month.

After a long day of selling her goods, she packed up her cash into three plastic jars. One was for her, the second was for her family, and the third was new. It would be her “mysterious stranger fund”, money she’d use for his basic necessities.

She decided to stop by the local thrift store and buy a few different pairs of clothes for the man. It was hard to find things that fit his style. Even in the heat, he’d been wearing a long black coat, so she assumed he liked wearing warm clothing.

She could afford a pair of black jeans, a black hoodie, a few pairs of boxers, some socks, and a set of pajamas. It would have to do until she could come back next week.

He hadn’t bothered to change out of the sweatpants she’d dressed him in his first night there, despite her pleas for him to do so.

Feitan would just scoff, saying that he wouldn’t be able to sleep in his usual pair of pants.

He didn’t seem to like talking, maybe it was because he wasn’t great with words? (Name) really liked his voice though, it was attractive when he wasn’t growling or yelling at her.

She stuffed the jars her loyal customers had returned and the clothes she bought into her basket and started on her way home. It was dark now, but the moon guided her along her path.

——————

“I’m home, I got you some-“

(Name) paused, dropping her basket onto the floor.

The man was sprawled out along the floor, his breathing uneasy and sweat beading down his forehead. It looked like he’d passed out after leaving the bathroom.

She was at his side immediately, hoisting him up as gently as she could. (Name) placed him onto his bed and pulled back his bandages. The woman grimaced at the sight.

“Infected, just as I thought.”

The infection wasn’t bad, but bad enough that if it wasn’t treated, he’d die. (Name) thanked god that she kept antibiotics on hand, running to her bathroom and pulling the out of her mirror cabinet.

“Hey, can you swallow? I have some medicine that will help you.”

The man let out a ragged breath, shaking his head. “N… no. Don’t… don’t touch me.”

He was too weak to fight her, but he still refused her treatment. The girl bit her lip before popping one of the pills into her hand and squeezing his cheeks.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not going to let you die.”

She shoved the pill into his mouth, holding his lips shut as he thrashed, scratching and clawing at her skin. Soon, he lost his strength again and swallowed the pill.

(Name) let go of him, blood dripping down her arms from the wounds he had inflicted. She paid them no mind, leaning him against his pillow and placing a rag on his forehead.

“I’ll be right back with some water and some fresh bandages.”

For the next 24 hours, Feitan was in and out of sleep. Every once and a while he’d feel the cool sensation of water being poured into his mouth, too weak to protest.

(Name) stayed by his side as much as she could, constantly checking his temperature and changing his bandages after applying medicine to his wounds. He’s still bark out complaints and threats, but due to his condition they were now empty.

At one point (Name) was scared he would die, his face turning pale and breathing growing softer. She held his hand through the night, tending to him as gently as she could through his pain.

——————

Feitan woke up to the feeling of someone’s hand in his.

He was still exhausted and weak from the infection, but was able to lift his head enough to see who was holding his hand.

The woman was at his bedside, having fallen asleep while caring for him. Tears fell from her eyes freely as she slept.

Had she stayed with him the entire time? Feitan glanced at his chest, seeing that he was wearing new bandages and a different pair of pants. They were black flannel pajama bottoms, something he wouldn’t usually wear, but comfortable on his sensitive skin.

He noticed his hair had been pulled back into a ponytail to keep out of his face. A rag laid on his forehead to fight his constant fever, the taste of broth on his lips.

This girl had been diligently caring for him through his tantrums and mean words. Could he really keep pretending she was out to hurt him?

(Name) stirred, her tired eyes opening to see Feitan staring down at her with calculating eyes.

“You’re awake-oh sorry.”

She let go of his hand and wiped away her tears. “Sorry, your health declined last night and I was afraid you’d die, so I held your hand. I didn’t want you to… die alone.”

Feitan couldn’t understand her kindness. Her words did something to his chest that he didn’t like, not one bit. He shrugged it off, leaning back against his pillow.

“… you stayed here whole time?”

It was the first time he’d asked her a non hostile question in days. “Yes, of course. You were very sick and needed my full attention.”

He didn’t seem satisfied with her answer, but relented. She leaned closer to look at his face, giving him a sweet smile that unsettled the man more than he cared to admit.

“Are you hungry? I’ll make you whatever you want, if it means you’ll eat.”

Feitan maintained eye contact with her. His body was weak, and he knew he’d need to eat something soon. With the infection and his injuries, he would die if he didn’t consume some nutrients. Although he said he’d rather die than be fed by her, his body wouldn’t allow him to deny his hunger any longer.

“… curry.”

She blinked, leaning back. (Name) tried to hide her excitement over his request for food. “Okay, what kind?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

(Name) was quick to leave after giving him his medicine. He didn’t fight her for it this time, only complaining about the situation.

As she left, his eyes couldn’t help but wander to her bandaged arms, the beginnings of guilt starting to form in his stomach.

——————

“Fei, what was your mama like?”

Feitan and Chrollo sat together under a makeshift shelter, the latter stirring a bubbling pot of soup. Although it was hot, no one ever complained about the food.

They were just kids then, running around having adventures and trying to survive.

“Dunno. Died.”

The young boy didn’t seem to bothered by his own words, looking out into the distance to watch his other friends play.

“Oh. Sorry to hear that.”

A silence fell over the two, Feitan pulling his knees to his chest. When was the last time someone had held him? He couldn’t remember. He didn’t even know if he’d ever been held tenderly, like he was precious to someone.

As he would grow older, Feitan would be able to hide his feeling of loneliness and need for touch, but now he was a child that was struggling to keep it all together.

Chrollo clapped a hand over his back, remaining silent as the boys eyes brimmed with tears.

Feitan always hated that dream. It made him feel soft and sappy, something he perceived as weakness. The Phantom Troupe’s interrogator didn’t have time for such useless feelings.

He had just woken from his dream, the tears that welled up in his eyes pooling down his cheeks. He hated that he couldn’t wipe them away, cursing his heart.

The smell of food cooking caused his stomach to growl. He was now aware that the woman had been slowly feeding him broth over the past few days as he slept, but that was hardly enough to fill his empty stomach.

Feitan watched through the crack in the door as the girl scurried around the house, picking up little messes as she cooked. It was amusing to watch her bump her hip against a counter and gasp before jokingly wagging her finger at it, as if it could feel shame.

He wondered if she’d act so silly if she knew he was watching.

Feitan stood up and opened the door completely. This drew (Name)’s attention, who glanced his direction before going back to working on dinner.

The man stared at her for a moment before going to the bathroom.

(Name) tried to ignore the feeling of his eyes on her, grateful that he left as soon as he did. It was hard to cook when you were being watched.

After leaving the bathroom, Feitan did something that (Name) hadn’t been expecting.

The short man sat at the dinner table, staring at her with unreadable eyes.

To say it was unnerving would be an understatement.

When (Name) turned to ask why he was staring at her, he scowled. “Observing.” was all he said.

She sighed and finished up dinner. If watching her would give him some peace of mind, who was she to deny him?

“Dinners ready.”

She placed a plate of beef curry down in front of him, the smell of the food almost causing his mouth to water. “Here…”

She sat next him, scooting her chair closer. He instinctively shrunk back, like a wounded animal. She only waited for him to calm down, stirring up the food to help it cool down.

“Are you ready?”

He hesitantly nodded, leaning towards her with his mouth open.

The first bite was heaven for Feitan. He didn’t know if he’d ever tasted anything better than the curry he was eating then. After that, he was much more receptive to her feeding him, finishing the plate before he realized it.

“Alright, do you want some more? There’s also some pie in the fridge if you want some!”

He didn’t answer. It was already humiliating enough to be fed by a complete stranger, he didn’t want it to last any longer than it had to.

But his sweet tooth would not agree with his brain.

“Pie.” He stated, staring at the fridge.

——————

After his meal, Feitan retired to his room to sleep. Just walking around was exhausting, he didn’t have any energy to socialize with someone he didn’t really like.

The man stared up at the ceiling, thinking back to her face as she fed him. She didn’t look at him in a condescending way or laugh when the food fell onto the floor because it had been too hot. No, she patiently waited for him to finish chewing his food, and wiped his mouth as if she were taking care of someone she cared about a lot.

Of course, Feitan wouldn’t process that (Name) cared for him, a stranger for a long time. It didn’t make sense to him. Why help someone when you stood to gain nothing?

He watched as she cleaned up the kitchen through the crack in the doorway.

‘Strange woman.’

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steddiealltheway · 1 year ago

Text

Part Ten aka the final part of Not-So-Secret Secret Admirer!!!!!!!!!! Part One. Part Nine. AO3 Link.

Eddie feels... lighter. He still avoids Family Video like the plague and is suffering from intense amounts of guilt, but he feels like maybe things are getting better. He hasn’t heard from Steve since the Family Video incident, but he tries not to dwell too much on it.

He ends up dwelling on it a lot. So much so, that he almost misses his phone ringing.

With a sigh, he makes his way over to it, trying not to get too in his head about the Steve stuff.

“Hello?” he answers, trying not to let the worry seep into his tone.

“Eddie.”

Steve.

“Hi,” Eddie replies breathlessly because he doesn’t know what else to say. His heart races as he wonders if it’s his turn for a lecture and is about to get chewed out over the phone. Honestly, he deserves every bit of it.

“Hey, uh,” Steve clears his throat and almost sounds... nervous? “I’ve decided to go through with the movie night tonight.”

“It’s Friday already?” Eddie voices his thoughts.

Steve chuckles on the other line, “Yeah.”

“Yeah,” Eddie repeats back even though he’s not entirely sure why. A silence passes between the two, but Eddie doesn’t know how to fill it.

“Well, I just wanted you to know that it would be cool if you were there.”

Eddie can’t help but confirm, “It would be cool?”

“Or metal as you like to say, but yeah,” Steve answers, and Eddie can hear the smile in his tone.

“I-I’ll be there,” Eddie confirms then groans, “I guess I have to give all the little gremlins a ride anyways.”

Steve laughs and butterflies flutter in Eddie’s stomach. How did he not realize his crush sooner?

A silence settles between them, and Steve clears his throat again, “Hey, Eddie I just wanted you to know-”

A loud knock on Eddie’s door has him nearly dropping the phone and cursing. “Just a minute!” he yells out and puts the phone back to his ear.

“Everything okay?” Steve asks.

“Yeah just,” Eddie stops as the knocking continues.

There’s a laugh on the other line, and Steve says, “I’ll let you get that. Um, see you later... alligator.”

Eddie laughs and hears Steve curse lightly as he hangs up.

There’s still knocking on the door and Eddie rushes over to fling it open. Max stands on the other side. “I thought you died or something. Anyways, we need-”

“A ride. I know.”

Max smirks at him. “So, mine and El’s plan worked?”

Eddie scoffs, “I wouldn’t go that far, Red. But... thank you.” And although it was outlandish and El literally had to use her powers, Eddie sincerely means it. Somehow their dumb plan that was probably made during those seconds of them whispering in the back of his van got through to Steve.

Max waves him off and mutters, “Gross.” But the smile she tries and fails to hide betrays her words.

She turns to leave, but Eddie realizes he has no idea what time the movie night is at and asks. He earns an eye roll and a quick response of, “Six.”

He can’t help but feel relieved that it isn’t at eight.

-:-:-:-:-:-

A few hours later, Eddie finds himself in his van filled with loud teenagers. They all seem to be buzzing with excitement over whatever movie Steve got for them, and it’s a nice change from their last ride.

Luckily, none of them bother asking him about the Steve situation which surprises him. Maybe Steve’s talk had stuck with them.

As he approaches Steve’s home, he takes a deep breath and has to remind himself that he was invited. Steve wants him here.

He gets out of the van without any coercing from the kids – namely Max and El – but stays behind them all in case Steve changes his mind. But then he opens his door with that bright smile and looks so much happier than he did only days ago and waves them all inside.

Eddie slowly makes his way through the doorway when Steve stops him with a hand on his chest just as he feared. He nearly turns to leave when Steve leans in and says, “I’m really glad you came.” At first, he’s scared that maybe this is all a trap with how kind Steve is being to him, but his tone and smile are sincere. He even catches the glint of his ring that he’s wearing proudly on his hand.

Eddie just nods in response, too afraid to say anything that might mess up this newfound peace.

He walks inside and notices a distinct lack of other adults – even Robin. “Robin had plans with Nancy tonight,” Steve explains somehow reading his thoughts. Then, his eyes settle on the coffee table in the living room flooded with snacks and pizza. “And that,” Steve continues, “Is the money all the kids put into the bet.”

Eddie slightly smiles but still feels so entirely confused as he’s thrown into the deep end of Steve’s friendliness and openness after being in the shallow end for so long. Steve ends up excusing himself to make popcorn, and Eddie finds himself going over to the couch to settle in for the night. He grabs a slice of pizza and tries to push down the feeling that he doesn’t deserve to be there.

The kids make themselves at home as they dig into the food and chat loudly while Dustin puts in whatever move they’re watching. Steve comes back in with a few bowls of popcorn carefully balanced in his arms which he hands out amongst the group before settling next to Eddie on the couch with one bowl. “Mind if we share?”

Eddie shakes his head and tries not to feel so thankful when Dustin turns the lights off so Steve can’t see how shaky his hands are as he grabs a handful of popcorn. He tries not be so tense, but Steve’s thigh is pressing right against his, and when Steve sat down, he must’ve rested his arm on the back of the couch because his hand is now grazing his shoulder and-

Eddie risks a glance to his left and takes in Steve’s features softly lit by the tv. It’s all too much.

Eddie excuses himself and rushes out the back door and sits in one of the poolside chairs. He sighs and puts his head in his hands. Why can’t he just move on like everyone else? He guesses they’ve had practice with their multiple encounters with the Upside Down stuff. But he hasn’t.

The sound of the backdoor opening and closing startles Eddie out of his thoughts as he glances up to see Steve slowly make his way toward him. He sits down on the same chair but keeps his distance. “You okay?”

Eddie glances at him and shakes his head.

Steve nods in response and runs a hand through his hair. “Want to talk about it?”

For some reason, that opens the floodgates. “I’m just really really sorry for what I did, and I know that it was horrible, and I put you through so much, but it’s like all of it has suddenly gone away. And I don’t get it, man. Really, if someone did this to me, I probably would’ve run halfway across the country by now to avoid them. And honestly, I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop and for you to go back to hating me again. I think that was somehow easier than just pretending like none of this happened. Of course, I don’t want you to hate me I just... I don’t know. I just feel like there was no real resolution on our end, and I don’t know where we stand. Maybe. I don’t know.” Eddie finishes with a shrug and tries not to scold himself for talking too much like he always does.

“I never hated you,” Steve replies after a few seconds have passed. “But yeah, you’re right. I’ve talked to Robin and the kids, but I haven't really talked to you.”

Eddie nods and fidgets with his rings. He doesn’t know what to say.

Luckily, Steve talks instead, “I was hurt at first, but you know that after our last real conversation from that night. But I was honest when I said I just needed space. I needed time to figure things out and not make any decisions when I was feeling so... so heartbroken. But then Robin was just always there trying to defend you and what happened. She eventually opened up about how you were the one who wanted to stop things but she pushed you to continue. She even explained the whole thought process behind her trying to end it with that stupid date.”

Steve takes a moment to breathe and look back at Eddie. “I was still hurt that the first part had been fake, but I just... slowly had to trust that things between you and me or between me and E.R. slowly became real. And when I got your notes and gifts after I just knew I couldn't cut you out forever. And hell, I missed you, too. I missed everyone really. So, I slowly started talking to Robin again, which let me tell you, not speaking when you’re next to each other for eight hours at a time is really awkward. But it was still a process. And I knew I wanted to talk to you, but when your gifts stopped, I thought maybe you needed space, too. But then the kids showed up and-”

“Wait,” Eddie interrupts and scrambles to apologize, “Sorry, really, I don’t mean to interrupt but... what do you mean you thought I needed space after the gifts stopped?”

Steve shrugs and starts fiddling his ring which is honestly quite endearing but not what Eddie needs to be focusing on at the moment. “They just stopped so suddenly that I thought maybe the whole thing about me thinking it was too much was you projecting about it being too much for you, especially after our talk.”

“But Robin said that you said it was too much...” Eddie trails off as he thinks. Robin who Steve had barely talked to for weeks including during the time Eddie had dropped off the gifts.

He makes eye contact with Steve who based on his expression has come to the exact same conclusion. He groans and says, “I really wish I would’ve had the whole ‘no meddling in my love life’ talk with her sooner.”

“She was just looking out for you,” Eddie reasons.

“Yeah, because that worked out so well last time,” Steve says with a smile.

And for some reason, Eddie starts laughing. It’s all so stupid. The plan, his impulsiveness, everyone else’s involvement. He starts laughing more, not sure why it’s all so funny to him, but then Steve starts laughing as well, and it’s like nothing has ever been funnier to either of them.

“I’m so stupid,” Eddie laughs as he feels a tear escape down his cheek. “God, I’m so stupid.” Another tear escapes, and Eddie can’t tell if he’s laughing or crying anymore. He hiccups as laughter and tears escape him and he explains, “Sorry, it’s just all these emotions from these past few weeks are hitting me.”

Steve’s laughter dies down, and that’s when Eddie notices that his has died down as well. He chokes out, “I’m so sorry, Steve.”

Steve scoots closer and opens his arms to Eddie. “I know, Eddie, and I forgive you.”

And it suddenly hits Eddie that that’s what he’s needed but didn’t ever expect to hear. He latches onto Steve and cries into his shoulder apologizing as Steve pulls him in tighter and whispers, “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

The tears eventually die down and Eddie is able to focus on his breathing and getting himself back together. “It’s stupid,” Steve says still holding onto Eddie, “But the whole thing about Dustin’s leg really made things click with why you did it. Especially if I was a fraction as annoying as he was. But I’ve gotta let you in on a secret on why I was complaining so much.”

Eddie pulls away and uses his shirt to wipe the tears and snot – gross – off his face before facing Steve who confesses, “I was hoping that someone would take the hint and maybe suggest that they could fix that issue for me.” He bumps his shoulder against Eddie’s.

There’s no way. Eddie lightly socks Steve on the arm. “Hey-!”

“You could’ve told me!”

“Yeah, but right as I was getting up the courage, I got a secret admirer that kind of distracted me a bit.”

Eddie groans and lays back in the chair. “I have such horrible timing.”

“A bit,” Steve says with a laugh and a silence hangs between them.

Eddie almost makes a dumb joke about how they’ve probably missed a good chunk of the movie when Steve says, “I have to ask about one thing.”

The serious tone has Eddie sitting up and humming in response. He watches as Steve fidgets his ring, scratches his cheek, runs a hand through his hair, and does a multitude of his nervous ticks that has Eddie trying to fight the urge to hide behind his hair or fidget with his own rings.

Suddenly, Steve just stops and looks at Eddie all earnestly and nervously before he asks, “Do you still... like me?”

Eddie’s heart stops beating but then starts pounding so hard that he thinks Steve must hear it too. He nods slowly and confesses, “Steve, I think I’ve loved you since you bit that damn bat’s head off. It somehow just took my brain a lot longer to catch up with what those feelings were. But yeah, I still like you. I don’t think I could ever stop.”

Steve gently smiles and looks down at his ring. “You know, when I thought we had lost you, that was one of the worst feelings I ever felt. And I knew that I could never lose you again.”

A breathy laugh is punched out of Eddie at the admission because he’s always felt the same way. “I could never lose you, either.”

Steve looks at him with that look that feels like it’s only reserved for Eddie as he says, “And I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop loving you – no matter the stupid shit that you do. So, if we already agree that we’re never losing each other and we both love each other...”

Eddie can hardly believe what he’s hearing but he can’t help but protest, “Steve, please stop making this sound like a business deal.”

Steve laughs loudly, almost surprised by the comment, but he recovers and asks, “Would you seal the deal with a kiss?”

Eddie stares at Steve for a moment and is baffled by everything he is and everything he’s gone through that has somehow led him here, asking to be with Eddie. “I don’t deserve you,” Eddie says and continues, “Especially after everything I put you through.”

Eddie jumps as the back door slams open and Dustin yells out, “You realize you turning him down is only going to put him through more shit, so just kiss already!”

There are some yells of agreement from behind Dustin that Eddie doesn’t even want to think about. How long have they been eavesdropping?

“What did I say about interfering with my love life?” Steve yells back, and Dustin just smiles wide and waves as he closes the backdoor.

Eddie takes in what he says as Steve mutters under his breath about those damn kids. “This is the only time I’m glad they’ve interfered,” Eddie comments as he builds up the courage to lean in and finally kiss Steve.

And, hell, if only he knew he could’ve done this so much sooner.

Steve somehow pulls him in closer but pulls away to say, “I’m still going to murder them.”

Eddie nods in agreement before he kisses Steve again. He pulls away and rushes to say, “Just to clarify, we’re dating now, right?”

Steve huffs and answers, “Actually, I’m waiting on if my secret admirer E.R. ever reveals their true identity.”

Eddie’s jaw drops, but he leans in and whispers, “Did you know that it’s actually me?”

Steve fakes his surprise as he gasps and pretends to faint. Eddie easily catches him and pulls him back into a kiss.

Eddie thinks that this not-so-secret secret admirer plot has to be the dumbest yet smartest (but still mostly dumbest) thing he’s ever done.

Tag list who I thank for sticking around for this journey. Sincerely, thank you:

@wrenisflying @gobbledy-gluk-gluk @swimmingbirdrunningrock @ghostlyjax @wheatnoodle @yet-still-more-banched @moonshadows-13 @princessstevemunson @adankrivervalleynearyou @manda-panda-monium @brassreign @bornonthesavage @unclewaynemunson @bird-with-pencils @themardlonk @fangirltofangod @csinnamon-fox @mightbeasleep @theysherobinbuckley

@writtenbyancientskeletonhats @nagitoeatsnillacharms73 @duckyreads @hellykelly @glittergluekintsugi @rainydays35 @thatonespacek1d @frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe @paperbackribs @anaibis @adaydreamaway08 @steviesbicrisis @madaboutmunson2 @goose-on-the-loose @dangdirtydemons @whimsicalwitchm @aftermidnightwriting @toasted-ghosty @queerbeansworld @aryakanojiaa @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme @queerriotgrrrl @iwouldsail @hellomynameismoo @r0semaryyy @hopefulcookieoperatorpersona @pomegranatebb @piningapple @love-kurdt @wallpaper-inside-my-heart @eddiesbabe95 @isaacisunsure @adankrivervalleynearyou @sleepdeprivedflower @gay-little-bitch @ely-seum @tillystealeaves @yes-im-your-mom @ceaselessly-watching @evix-syne666 @sweetharmonychilde @myhorseis-regularsized @homosexual-having-tea @anything-thats-rock-and-roll @henderdads

@spectrum-spectre @phantypurple @britishmysteries @mad-h-w @marivictal @gamerdano @cutiecusp @staninggaycouples @doctorqueensanatomy @virgil-is-a-cutie @sleepy-time @adankrivervalleynearyou @satan-is-obsessed @novelnovella @lottaweirdnameshere @bidisastersworld @justreadingabooksstuff @me-1-2 @shinekocreator @e-dollly @thelittleclare @ajeff855 @estrellami-1 @haluton @hoffmannwrites

@thehumblefigtree @eddiemunsonswife @otterology @precursorandthedragon @th1gh-s @ironydude @space-invading-pigeon @sofadofax @sunfloweringstories @swingset-sunset @eddiemunsonsupremecy @danni-phant0m

#steddie #eddie munson #steve harrington #stranger things #steddie fanfic

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11queensupreme11 · 4 months ago

Note

Me: I'm going to read Arsenic blues, wishing to see what the queen has to us ❤️

After reading the note: The fuck!?

Can't believe people are really stealing your job and asking why they haven't the right to it. People are crazier every time I check is half concerning and half amazing how their brains work

Have to be nice, living in that fantasy world for free and without Isekai yourself.

Be for real and growth. Write your own stuff and don't come here asking yourself why the author is mad when you literally just committed a CRIME

Anyway, great character as always queen! ❤️

It is amazing how Loki has one type, defender of rights only person here that knows about human rights and thinks they deserve it.

Loki's the "fuck around and found what happens" god and is always hurting him but he can't scape the consequences of his own actions

Dumb bitch, you're lucky you're hot

Baldur was the first to say: they deserve to live cause you created them and if they're bad it is because you all are worse, maybe if you all learn a minimum of moral they would be better ❤️

I love him, Loki really didn't deserve him, he doesn't deserve Percy either but Baldur is... *Chef kiss*

He was the first, if you know what I'm saying, it is even wonderful how a person (god) can be so kind without knowing what it really is. It is hard to be kind, but without an example!?

Made him the god of humanity and sent him far away from Loki's (too late)

Loki: what's wrong here? Him or me?

Me: You have one chance, and hint, it isn't Baldur you asshole

(That hint of karma. Poseidon is going to lose his daughter, one as loved as Baldur and it's just his fault cause he doesn't have a heart. Love that for him. I love him but I also love the drama)

(Maybe we're more like the gods that we like to think I guess)

Thinking about it, maybe Percy being too gremlin with him IS a good thing.

No matter what, that side of her, the way she's always ready to fight but also being ready to relax with him is his... Well, Loki is always on the edge, but her giving so much kindness to him is also pushing him away.

She chooses to spend time with him and genuinely enjoy that time when he isn't tricking her (to the surprise of EVERYONE including him)

(Percy, being too kind is one thing)

At least he's learning that maybe killing and hurting your loved ones isn't the best decision.

Took him millennials but progress is progress

For now, act 4 is going to give him a ticket express to that fall to madness

Beelzebub...

Well, his trauma is stopping him right now, but I trust him to find a way, it's the smartest one so I'm going to wait before saying something

(For once, the author's favorite is one of my favorites)

(Just laughed cause that is karma right there, you were the one always making the deals with bad ends, now is your turn babygirl. Still rooting for you king ❤️)

Thanks for the chapter Queen and remember, a alive Nico is the best kind of Nico ❤️

bro omg that plagiarizer was weird af. did you see the old ask asking for permission to make an hp x pjo x ror fic inspired by mine? THAT TURNED OUT TO BE THEM. they made a third wattpad account sfahdvbjhv ��😭😭

i made another chapter calling them out on wattpad and they deleted the books and fucked off (they'll probably be back with a fourth account 💀) but yeah, that's just weird behavior fr 😭

and also.... the thing i wrote about poseidon getting karma? yeah, that's a big ass hint for the future HEHEHEHE

and yesss percy actually does enjoy loki's company most of the times, he just ruins it by... you know, being an asshole to her sometimes, but other than that, she likes hanging out with him! she actually considers him as a friend (but beelie is her #1 bestie in the ror verse LMAO)

#👸🏻| asks #👸🏻| arsenic blues

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socalledsomethingorother · 2 years ago

Text

why izuku and katsuki’s character development couldn’t fully exist without their specific relationship to one another

when izuku was given the strand of all might's hair, he makes a comment about feeling like he's very lucky to have been in his situation. all might gives him a speech on how being lucky and being deserving are two different things--"one's an accident. the other, a reward. never get the two confused."

then, months later during the hotpot party before the PLF war, izuku makes the same goddamn comment about feeling lucky that he's all might's student and has a better relationship with katsuki.

this is a great, fairly subtle detail from horikoshi, and is why katsuki is the perfect foil for izuku. izuku has grown in terms of power, and katsuki has grown in emotional maturity.

it's easy for us as an audience--and for the other characters--to point out katsuki's emotional instability. he's an asshole. that behavior directly and negatively affects others around him--that's why they're quick to call him out for it. izuku, on the other hand, has his chronic savior complex. his emotional immaturity didn't affect anyone else around him until he let himself deteriorate in his vigilante arc. in fact, the behavior caused by his unhealthy emotions actually benefited those around him.

the point of the deuteragonist is to be a similar yet different enough character from the mc in order to make the mc's development obvious. izuku's kind and shy personality makes katsuki look like a fucking gremlin, therefore making katsuki's emotional development that much more impactful. katsuki's physical strength and power is glorified so much that when he himself realizes that izuku is now stronger than him, we know exactly just how powerful izuku has gotten.

but what i’ve pointed out so far could’ve been conveyed by using any other character. and it has. shoto is also another character whose strength has been regarded as one of the best in terms of future pros. we’ve seen enough of his power in action to know that izuku being regarded as stronger means a lot. katsuki’s emotional growth can be shown using most other characters. horikoshi could’ve used plenty of other characters as a benchmark for izuku’s and katsuki’s growth.

but they use each other as benchmarks. katsuki’s inferiority complex is heavily rooted in the fact that he thinks izuku is a better person than he himself is. izuku measures his level of strength by battling katsuki. katsuki doesn’t give a fuck if his attitude bothers the other characters, and izuku doesn’t say that winning against shoto will prove his strength as a hero.

sure, their achievements in their development is obvious to us and to the other characters. but it could not have happened if they didn’t deeply value the other’s opinion and well-being.

#character analysis #character essay #bkdk #bnha #mha #bakudeku #dkbk #my hero academia #izuku midoriya #katsuki bakugou #bkdk analysis

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humanradiojmp · 3 months ago

Text

Murder Drones Episode 8 Blind Reaction Part 2

Contains spoilers

Cyntessa’s “kay” feels like her version of “I love doing anything.” so cocky and up for anything, but that might just be her downfall.

Guys, the nightcore song is called “BiteMe!” Can this get any better?

It actually has some motifs similar to “Uzi the Drone Killer”, arguably one of the main music themes of the series, so yes, it can.

NOOO! Not Uzi stabbing N! It’s probably a trap or a trick, but still.

Bye J

I mean, yes, but no. Or like a number of blinks and winks

Not using N’s love of dogs against him. or more like the good memories they had before this whole thing

Guys pay attention! V is fighting the abomination alone!

I like the “Let them swallow you” lyric to represent the solver’s insatiable hunger

How you like it now Cyn?

Bit of a callback to the fact they are vampires, or vampire adjacent. The burning in the sun just felt like an appropriate ending for the abomination that’s been haunting everything

Is it over?

The solver has gotten eaten. And their reaction is priceless

But won’t that corrupt/take over Uzi now? or even kill her? that’d be a tragic way to go. Destroyed the monster but you destroyed yourself in the process.

Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, e-

Oh no, she’s dead!

Nvm, we’re good. but is it over? Truly?

We really needed more Thad, honestly. So much characterization gone to waste

Heh, like mother, like daughter.

You could say their hearts are connected. Hope there’s a proper reunion. Please. Please. PLEASE! They’re literally soulmates.

OMG girl, seriously, OC?

But in all seriousness, the battle scars for what she’s gone through is such a nice touch. Her half toned eyes are there to show what happened happened, and she came out alive

And we all know everyone is going to have at least one oc with this new canon trait

It really is a hero’s journey. It came full circle. Now she’s more assured of herself, has friends, and the colony is safe.

We stan a supportive Khan. Character growth.

Not Doll’s corpse!

She’s still a chaos gremlin

Also can we just take a minute to appreciate how far the animation has come from the first episode to now? everyone at Glitch should be proud of their improvement. This series is a testament to their efforts and skills and it’s absolutely wonderful.

I really like how the end credits show everything that’s happened and how it’s changed. Like the partial solver symbol over the planet, Khan and Nori did get a reunion (YEEEEESSSS!) and N finally getting his rummy game.

DOLL?!?!?!?!

Liam Vickers 2D animation, nice touch

The funeral for Doll deserved

And the kids can be kids now. also deserved.

Honestly, everyone who’s worked on this should get a round of applause and a big ol’ “Thank You!” From the production to the voice acting, to the animation, to the sound and music, to the crazy ideas in general that happen to work so well. Thank you so much for making this series a reality. I may have gotten into it later than some others, but I love this show as much as those who’s been there day one. It is a little sad to see it’s done, but I’m also glad it ended as well as it did.

Cyn lives in Uzi’s mind now

F O R E V E R

first part

#murder drones #murder drones episode 8 #i laughed #i cried #it moved me bob #radio rambles #humanradiojmp #text post #not art

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blackkatmagic · 11 months ago

Note

If you’re still doing the ask meme, 2-3-12-18 for Luke and/or Leia?

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

Luke - I think I love his sense of duty. Like, at the beginning of ANH he has all these goals and big dreams, but he stays because Beru and Owen need him and he knows that. It's a thread that carries all the way through to his confrontation with Vader, too, and it's just such a good character beat, I love it.

Leia - I really love how Leia is 110% heart only just barely covered by her temper. She's driven and passionate and she cares so much, to her very core. Given how much she feels about everything, I can imagine Bail didn't have much of a choice but to wind her up and let her go, even in the Imperial Senate. She's only a teenager when the OT starts, and she's still one of the main figures of the Rebellion. She's just amazing.

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

Luke - Hm. Maybe the fact that he's kind of mopey and a little whiny at the beginning of the movie? But also it's understandable, given that the people who raised him just died and he does get better once everything starts happening.

Leia - Kissing Luke to make Han jealous. It's not even that she and Luke are twins, since neither of them knows at that point, but I just tend to find that kind of...playing people's emotions against each other to be kind of aggravating.

12. What’s a headcanon you have for this character?

Luke - I like to think that a few years after the Emperor kicking it Quinlan shows up to finish training Luke, and Luke ends up getting as much of the history of the Jedi Order as Quinlan has access to (a lot, given that he knows where T'ra is) shoved into his head, so he can rebuild the Order the way Obi-Wan would have wanted to see it.

Leia - I love the headcanon that she ends up becoming known pretty widely in the Outer Rim as the Huttslayer, and it ends up making people trust her far more than most politicians, especially after the fall of the Empire. Every time she gets sent on a diplomatic mission somewhere important, the fact that she killed Jabba invariably gets spread around the planet just as much as her status as a hero of the Rebellion.

18. How about a relationship they have in canon with another character that you admire?

Luke - Ngl I adore Luke and Yoda's relationship. They're both gremlins and they're both so wholesome underneath it and I just think they work perfectly as mentor and student. Yoda deserved to get to train another swamp gremlin, and Luke deserved a mentor who would unleash his gremlin tendencies.

Leia - The only nice things the ST gave us besides Finn in the first movie is the relationship between Amilyn Holdo and Leia. But if we're not counting the ST and we shouldn't, the Bail-Leia relationship is just so beautiful and makes my heart feel three sizes too big. They have so much love for each other!! So much faith in each other!!!! How can you not be touched by that??

#kat answers

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olderthannetfic · 1 year ago

Note

https://www.tumblr.com/olderthannetfic/719851012571250688/httpswwwtumblrcomolderthannetfic719533921022?source=share

"Nonny deserves better than to think that finding fictional men attractive means she thinks poorly of herself."

Nonny should clarify what I meant by "it's weird to be a woman and only like to read about men" in my original ask.

It feels weird to me. I know it doesn't inherently translate to internalised misogyny, but in my case I think it does. That is the source of my conflict and distress, not possibly being shamed by randos online.

Fictional references/models were always hugely important in my life and I do feel worse about myself because I can't connect with or admire fictional women as much as the men. Why can't I connect with and admire people like me? It seems that in my own opinion, being "like me" (including me!) makes a person subpar in that way...

Maybe the real issue is whether I can do that with real women? Maybe I haven't even tried enough, because fiction plays a role so big in my life that now I'm basing my whole self-perception on something artificial. I don't know.

I get that that's a deeper and more specific issue than simply "what gender you read about", but it is my relationship with "what gender I read about".

We constantly have to fight back against shaming generalisations like "liking m/m is misogyny" but well, on a self-identified case-by-case basis, it might be. And tbh it doesn't give me any peace to just hear that it's simply not.

Honestly, it's like kinks. We don't always know what forms them. They're just there, and something else won't do.

But also, plenty of women are perfectly capable of relating to characters who are actually like them... they just aren't finding female characters who are anything like them in the genres and mediums they enjoy.

One thing I find very annoying is how I'm expected to prioritize this part of my identity—female—over every other part of my identity. It's a radfem value, but people don't notice.

If I had to rank everything, I'd put bisexuality first. I relate far more to bisexual male characters than to lesbian characters.

And while I have no issue with being a woman, I also relate far more to characters with Weird Gender Shit going on than to most celebrations of womanhood, whether it's some woo-woo feminine wisdom crap about the moon and herbs and ahistorical fantasies about matriarchy or "her inner woman craved submission" het romance drivel or whatever.

I relate fine to portrayals of women who are basement-dwelling gremlins who spend all their time on internet porn.

It's just the actual media I'm confronted with that I don't relate to.

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britcision · 4 months ago

Text

On today’s episode of “Ryoko Kui should totally come play dnd with me she’d fit right in at our table” lemme tell you about the bard

Our bard’s a tiefling, with a little fey heritage from his mom’s side and a little aasimar heritage on his mama’s side

All this mechanically means for him is that he’s resistant to radiant rather than fire damage and his Primal Savagery does radiant damage rather than acid damage

Storywise, it’s a little more of a problem because it physically makes him shiny… and per consultation with the rest of the party after 4 years of playing, he now has a mild compulsion effect from the fey side

Cuz when people see him, they want him

How they want him depends on the person, but the party pretty much unanimously looked at this sweet little sunshine child with a DEX modifier of -4 and decided they’d die for him within a couple sessions, which was funny enough it became the effect

(Not only were our edgelords who decided they were gonna be standoffish lone wolves who didn’t bond with anyone not immune, he fucking got them both first before moving on to the others)

He has no control over this effect nor any say on how it affects people, because that wouldn’t be as much fun

It also led to him being kidnapped and kept as a pet for 11 years by Evil Art Forger Tony Stark, because wanting to keep someone does not mean you see them as a person in any way shape or form

(Coincidentally, he was 11 at time of kidnapping)

(No One was pleased to learn that the sweet happy bard also actually does have a tragic backstory)

(They were less pleased to discover that he himself does not believe he has a tragic backstory, he still likes Evil Art Forger Tony Stark and thinks he’s great)

(Wait until they find out it even includes more annihilated towns than theirs we’re at 5/7 party members - almost better numbers than the Dad Box)

So our bard is a bit of a dichotomy; on the one hand, he has Party Mode, which is when Evil Art Forger Tony Stark wanted to show off his pretty shiny little tiefling pet to his evil crime friends

The bard was also promptly adopted by the escort’s guild in-game, so unbeknownst to him until about a week ago he had official membership and status in the most prominent entertainer’s union in the land; this will be functionally useless for everything except border checks and Lying To Authority

(He’s a bard his persuasion was already there)

He’s a well known little escort, all perfect grace and poise and refined manners

On the other hand, he has All Of The Rest Of The Time, when he’s a feral little bastard gremlin who WILL bite anyone he can get his teeth into and will jump off a moving horse with a -4 DEX penalty if he thinks he saw a snake

(His passive perception is 26 and he’s planning to bump it because he doesn’t think I deserve nice things like surprising the party)

Oh, and he doesn’t believe yuan-ti are real snake people because his tiny autistic ass is 10000% hyper-fixated on snakes for not having legs, and there’s a yuan-ti pureblood in the escort union who only pulls the tail out for stabbing purposes

(She’s aware he believes this and has been deliberately not showing him because she thinks it’s funny. She’s right)

All of this brought to you by tonight’s revelation that he’d get along like a fucking house on fire with the Canaries

Mithrun may well be the only person not blood-related to him that’d be immune to his compulsion effect, but far more importantly, Mithrun and Fleki both deserve to just haul off and bite people more and he’d encourage them wholeheartedly

But far more importantly, their interactions would probably go something like this:

Everyone else: oh man I bet that shiny little guy’s not gonna get along with the captain, he’s all bright and cheery and the captain’s gonna ignore him cuz he doesn’t care about anything but dungeons

Virtue and Mithrun in the corner:

Virtue: hey wanna sit for six hours and I can tell you about snakes

Mithrun: sure. I fucked a snake once

Virtue: ………. Okay I lied you’re going first but if they had legs it doesn’t count

Mithrun: nah there were no legs my lover in my dungeon was snake from the waist down. Probably a naga

*detailed monsterfucking explanation likely follows*

#pasha’s paw patrol #big gay dnd problems #i just think virtue deserves friends who appreciate his hyperfixations #in. different ways. than he does.#also it’s extra funny cuz no he’s an escourt everyone expects him to know about sex #aaaaaand he does not #but i bet mithrun runs a great sex ed seminar #(yeah his tiefling virtue name is ‘virtue’ he’s a literal little guy)#they would be BESTIES #mithrun and virtue just having snake adventures #(virtue may not trust mithrun alone with his giant snake tbh)#(i feel like mithrun would find that very funny too #whole smile and everything)

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imagionationstation · 1 year ago

Note

I’ve seen a few AUs now where the baby turtles where like, actual baby turtle sized or at least palm sized, so I wanted to know; how would your ‘12 Leo react to a baby Donnie who could fit in the palm of his hand? (I know the ‘12 turtles were a little closer to actual toddler sized, but just imagine)

*squints at you and wonders how much you know about my “In Which” activities on A03*

Anyway. That- is a very loaded question.

So let’s keep imagining.

Imagine discovering this little turt. Imagine him being scared and confused. Imagine him desperately clinging to your attempts to comfort him, despite him not truly knowing who you are.

Imagine if he was completely untouched by harm, and every time he leaned against you, it was like he was trusting his whole body and soul into your care. Every time he smiled or giggled, it was like that little piece of happiness was reserved for you alone in ways that you could never hope to deserve. Every time that he cries, he looks so helpless and heartbroken that all you can do is frantically search for a way to make it better.

Now.

Imagine if this tiny, precious green gremlin of a creature could fit in a single hand. Imagine watching him getting stuck on his carapace and trying to roll over, only to fail over and over. Imagine realizing just how tiny and dependent he is. Imagine that ever time he shifts in your arms, you remember that if he fell, he’s so small that his shell hitting the ground might crack it. Imagine watching him try to crawl and realizing that anything could very easily crush him.

You’re a powerful ninja that can break his arm simply by holding him too tightly. He��s fragile, so fragile that any everything around you is a potential danger that could hurt him.

Imagine if every instinct in your being is constantly on edge and screaming- protect- protect- PROTECT- PROTECT- PROTECT-

Saying this would disrupt things would be an extreme understatement. Forget any kind of self-care/training/patrols, this kid wouldn’t be able to take his eye of lil’ Dee for a second. It would be almost obsessive, the way he can’t stand the thought of putting him down, much less handing him off to anyone else. As long as lil’ Dee is in reach, he’s safe.

Leo will make sure of it.

“Hey, Leo?”

The brother in question doesn’t look up from where his gaze is trained on the braced form of their tiny brother, who is busy trying to figure out how to eat the teddy bear that is several inches taller than him. The leader holds the toy as he lays propped in the crook of his other arm, and Donnie consents to chewing on the fingerless hand, furry arms clasped in six fingers that don’t quite understand how to release yet.

Mikey steps forward and drops on the other side of the couch, repeating his name for the tenth time. “Earth to Leo!”

With Mikey’s insistent voice next to him and hard to miss, he starts and glances to the side. “What?”

Used to his random space-outs by now, Mikey reaches out a finger to curl around the teddy bear’s arm, putting very little force into prying it from Donnie’s mouth. Donnie kicks his legs and growls, playful and determined, unconsciously locking his jaw as tiny fingers dig into the fur. Leo flinches at the sudden movement, but other than shooting him a wary side-eye, says nothing.

But maybe that’s because Mikey had yet to stop talking. “So we talked about it and April says that she’s cool to help take Donnie tonight. I know you don’t want anyone else messing with him, but it’ll only be a few hours. And he likes me and he likes her and we all talked about it, and Raph and Casey’s going to be doing Vigilante stuff far away from here and I know what you’re thinking, but we-”

“Wait, wait, wait, stop.” Leo mutters as he shakes his head, worn-out gaze moving to train on Mikey. “What’s happening tonight?”

Leaving no room for argument, Mikey raises a finger to the sky and then pokes his plastron. “You. Are sleeping.”

“I… Already sleep.” Leo argues anyway, already disengaging from the conversation to let go of the teddy, returning his attention to the turt. The furry head covers the small plastron, stuffed body in Leo’s lap, and Donnie releases his jaw, looking curiously at it.

“I haven’t seen you sleep once since Donnie got small.” Mikey argues as Leo sets a finger on Donnie’s side, preventing him from being able to roll around when he squirms.

“I never said I did it a lot.” Leo mutters reluctantly.

“How about yesterday? How many hours? Six?”

“Mikey…”

“Five? Four? Three?”

“I know my limits.”

“Tell me you at least got an hour.”

A heavy sigh as his shoulders slump, and he somehow seems more tired than before. “I don’t know, Mikey. It’s not like I’m counting.”

“And that’s going to change as soon as April gets here.” Leo looks up as if just queuing into their plans, and Mikey reiterates. “She’ll take Dee, you’ll set an alarm, and go to sleep. If anything happens, which it won’t, I’ll-”

“No!” Leo snaps, both turtles look equally startled by his proclamation. His eyes harden suddenly. “No, Mikey, I’m fine. Seriously. Leave it alone. I’ve got him.”

“Dude, you’re barely eating and you’re not sleeping.” Mikey argues firmly. “We talked about it and we think-“

“Thank you for making plans for me behind my back, but I’m fine.”

The sharpness of Leo’s tone can slice like his katanas. It only further proves how tired he is, as normally he would understand their concern rather than jump to the conclusion that they were working against him. He’d be annoyed, rather than angry.

Mikey stands his ground. “You’re tired.”

“I’ll survive being tired until Bishop’s team finishes the cure!”

“We don’t know how much longer that’ll take!”

“I don’t see why that matters!”

“That’s because your brain’s mush cause you’re tired!”

Donnie’s face scrunches with uncertainty as he looks between them, and Leo catches onto his unease, taking the forgotten bear and flinging it at his brother. Mikey catches it before it can hit him square in the face and Leo gently cups Donnie in his hand, standing up and stating, “If I wanted to sleep, I would sleep. So back off.”

“Leo-”

Leo’s already leaving. “Not up for debate!”

“Leo!”

Mikey stands up and waves his arms in a vent of frustration at the turned shell, but Leo ignores him, heading for the bedroom and slamming the door behind.

“You’re kidding!”

Mikey’s hushed gasp draws April’s attention from her studies, closing the laptop to set it to the side and joining him in the hallway. She stops by Leo’s door, peeking over his shoulder curiously.

From the light spilling in, she can see Leo curled up on the floor, his side leaning against a pillow to keep him from rolling left. His left arm hangs over it, hand slack over a tiny body like a shield, and Donnie cuddles into the blanket nest underneath him. The only form awake is Chompy, sitting near the nest like a little guard, tail tapping the floor as he blinks sleepily at the both of them.

“Chompy. Really?” Mikey whines, completely aghast. “Chompy?”

“At least he’s sleeping?” April offers off-handedly, trying to pretend she’s not equally as upset to be robbed of a chance to play with the hand-size turtle infant. “That’s something?”

“Yeah.” Mikey admits with a sigh. “Guess he really was tired if we haven’t woken him. And Chompy’s a pretty good alarm system…”

She places a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. “We’ll try again another time.”

He groans playfully, and then grabs hold of her hand, tugging her arm back the way she came. “Fiiiine. But we got all evening free and someone’s gotta watch Chris Bradford reruns with me!”

“Mikey.” She laughs as she plants her feet. “I have an essay-”

“Aprriiiiilll!”

“Shhhh!” She glances into the room as Chompy chirps. “Alright, alright. But I’ll have to multitask.”

“Deal!” Mikey hurries into the main room, and April turns to grab the door knob. She watches the tense hand over Donnie’s shell relax again, a sigh leaving his lips as the area quiets, and she wishes them and the watchful alien a soft, “Sweet dreams.”

Chompy settles to sleep as the door shuts, and April heads to the pit.

“So, how many times have you seen this episode?”

“Only seven!”

“Only seven, huh?”

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chaoticdelinqueerwithglitter · 4 months ago

Text

Reborn Again (and again and again)

(Sanzu's bday fic with tones of angst)

(Bonten HaruMai)

It's been a while since I posted my fics here bc no spoons kept my away of tumblr ( I'm gonna try to post all of them and they are always on ao3!)

But.... Sanzu Haruchiyo birthday seems like the perfect occasion for this!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LIL PINK GREMLIN, I LOVE YOU DEARLY AND YOU DESERVE THE WORLD! (but I'm gonna give you angst and a lap full of Mikey, oopsie?)

(link to ao3 in case someone wants to read it there)

Summary: Sanzu remembers his last birthday, bittersweet memories that keep his delusions afloat.

And of course, he'll never lose his faith in his king.

(even when Mikey's eyes are completely devoid of all emotion)

Warnings: Manga Spoilers (Bonten timeline, so yeah), Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Implied Suicide, Mental Health Issues (issues is an understatement xD), Toxic Codependent Relationship, Heavily Depressed Mikey, Burn Out Sanzu, Unrequited Delusional Love, and idk, is Bonten they are so totally not fine and it shows, okay?

Yeah, this fic is an emotional roller coaster, it felt like it writing it and is not less of it as a reader (or I've been told that). Oh, Sanzu is sad and horny bc you can't tell me Bonten Mikey has energy to fuck (or live)

There is a part of the fic inspired on this art, bc Mikey sleeping on Haru's lap is for some reason precious to me 💜

Sanzu was bored, his feet kept tapping the ground, his mind drifting far away from here. He should be paying attention to his surroundings, guarding the building where his king was.

Instead, he was lost in the memories of his last birthday, almost one year ago. Wondering if it would be different this time, if Mikey remembered his promise. He shook his head, immediately feeling guilty for daring to doubt it. Of course he did, Sanzu was only feeling insecure, nothing new.

(He had to repeat it as many times as necessary, to convince himself that Mikey’s eyes had not been completely devoid of all emotion for more than a month)

To be fair, the fact that Hangaki didn’t represent any type of threat to his king, wasn’t helping him focus on the present or to keep his thoughts from wandering back to the previous year.

Sanzu was having a shitty day. That wasn’t exactly unusual lately, he had become more and more tired during the last years few months. Exhausted would be the right word, but he couldn’t afford to rest, to even entertain the possibility that he should delegate some of his responsibilities to others if he didn’t want to end up completely burned out. But of course, he couldn't trust anyone else to perform his duties, so Sanzu was forced to continue stretching himself thin.

(If he was more honest with himself, he could admit that he had been falling apart for way too long. But he wasn’t, he couldn’t)

Whatever. He was used to it. He’s handled this weariness before — today wasn’t unique. He was a grown ass man, who definitely wouldn’t throw a tantrum just because everyone forgot it was his birthday. And twenty-seven wasn’t a memorable number either, so who cared?

This was just Sanzu being salty, tonight's job took up more time than he anticipated, so he had to see Takeomi’s ugly face for way too long. Yeah, it was totally unrelated to the pang of jealousy he felt when he overheard the older man explaining to Kakucho how this week was special, since the anniversary of Senju’s death was close. He wasn’t that pathetic, to hold a grudge because, even now, his sister kept hogging all the attention.

(What sister? Sanzu was an only child, his own mind was playing tricks to him again)

He sighed, using his own set of keys to open the door of Mikey’s penthouse and trying to be as silent as possible. He was fully aware his king wouldn’t be sleeping — it was getting harder each day to convince him to even try it.

It was better to be quiet anyway, at least, until he had a clue of which mood he was going to find. Would it be one of those days of empty glares and cold words, where he was only ‘Sanzu’? Or…

“Haruchiyo?”

A weak whisper, but more than enough for him to quickly locate the source. Mikey was sitting on the sofa, completely in the dark except for the dim light that came through the window, proving the outside world was still there, uncaring and merciless.

“Hey… I’m back.”

His heart sank when he got closer, finally noticing Mikey’s puffy eyes and his tear-streaked cheeks. He wanted nothing more than to comfort him, caress his beautiful face and erase any trace of pain in it. But he knew better. Years of walking on broken glass around his lover taught him better.

(Was ‘lover’ the right word? When he had to repress his own feelings, pretending there was no love in order to stay by Mikey’s side? Probably not)

“What’s wrong?”

He asked cautiously, sitting on the nearest armchair. Mikey blinked a couple of times, looking at him in awe, almost like he was processing that Sanzu was really here.

“I thought you wouldn’t come tonight.”

There was no point in reminding him that he could just text or call —that no matter what he was doing, Sanzu would leave it in a heartbeat to run to his king's side. Mikey was fully aware of it, but he refused to show this type of weakness.

“I’ll always come back to you, Mikey.”

He gave him a soft smile, hoping it was somehow reassuring. It seemed to work, considering the next moment he had a lap full of Mikey, wrapping his arms around Haruchiyo’s neck and hiding his face in it. He didn’t have to think twice before hugging him back and gently pulling the thin body closer.

“I’m sorry, the deal took longer than I thought.”

A noncommittal hum was the only answer he received, another sign that Mikey cared less every day about his own organization. It was fine, Sanzu could keep the gears turning and perfectly greased, waiting until his king was ready to step back in the game and take what was rightfully his.

“But I’m here now, I’m right here…”

His voice dripped with affection, his touch conveying the same feeling as he started to play with the white locks. The soft caresses spoke louder than the words he’ll never say. It was fine — he was good at hiding parts of himself, burying it with all his secrets.

(So many secrets, weighing him more every day, slowly drowning him until he couldn’t recognize his own reflection)

“You are.” Mikey finally lifted his head, looking at him like he was trying to figure out something. “Even if this morning…”

“No idea what you’re talking about.”

It was a lie, they both knew it. Of course he remembered how detached his king had been, how disgusted he looked by his weak attempt at cuddling. The cold voice, clearly commanding him to disappear from his sight. ‘Don’t you have work to do, Sanzu?’

It was a lie, one of the many he carefully crafted for Mikey’s sake. There was no need to dwell on it when Sanzu wanted to comfort him, not burden him with guilt. Especially when the cause was his own inability to hide his stupid hopes and desires.

“Apparently about nothing.”

“Yep, nothing at all.” He repeated, softly brushing a strand of hair out of Mikey’s eyes and kissing his forehead, earning a simper in return.

Wait, what? A smile? A coy one, small and probably easy to miss for anyone else. But not for him, Sanzu was able to spot the most subtle change in his king’s expression, and this wasn’t subtle. A genuine smile on Mikey’s face? And thanks to him?

Sanzu’s inner turmoil disappeared. The fatigue that he constantly carried with him was gone too. Just like that, a simple gesture from his king, made everything better, all the problems more than worth it as long as it meant protecting these rare moments of happiness.

(A necessary reminder of why he kept fighting, always so restless, refusing to let go, reinventing himself over and over)

He leaned in to cross the small distance between their lips, kissing him slowly, wanting to savor the moment. There was no rush for once, and even if he longed for more, even if his body reacted to the closeness and the familiar taste, he knew too damn well Mikey’s libido had been practically nonexistent lately.

No matter how much he yearned to go further, he’d take whatever his king offered to him without presumptions. For now, Sanzu was content with the way Mikey’s lips parted, allowing his tongue to explore freely. He couldn’t stop himself from moaning inside the kiss, realizing he sounded too desperate.

Damn it, when was the last time they actually had sex? He couldn’t recall when it was, but he could clearly see the memories – the way Mikey whimpered in his ear, his body pressed against the shower wall…

Fuck, he had to calm down before his own neediness tarnished this moment doing something stupid — Like pressing Mikey’s warm body down onto his growing erection, bucking his hips slightly, rubbing himself just enough to feel the friction against that tight ass he adored so much… Stop it, brain!

“Sorry…”

Sanzu pulled away from the kiss with a flustered face, looking at Mikey with glossy eyes and pressing their foreheads together, still catching his breath.

“Why are you apologizing, Haruchiyo?” There was a sad undertone in his voice that didn't go unnoticed. “It’s me, I can’t even give you that, you should…”

“Don’t go there.” He gently placed a finger in front of the other’s lips. “I don’t need it, okay? I can live perfectly fine without fucking.”

“But you want it.” Mikey deadpanned.

“Of course I do, because you’re gorgeous and I can’t help feeling attracted to you.” He gave him a soft peck. “And that’s on me, you don’t owe me anything, alright? Having you in my arms like this is already the best birthday gift I could ever wish for.”

“What?!”

“Nothing.” It was too late — he knew as soon as he saw Mikey’s eyes widening in a mix of surprise and clarity.

“Fuck, it’s July… That’s not nothing!” He groaned in frustration. “Did you get to celebrate it at least?”

Judging by the way Mikey looked at him, the answer to this was probably written in his face. That was the exact reason why he didn’t tell him, to absolve him of the guilt, to prevent him from falling deeper into self-loathing.

“It’s okay, we can still celebrate it together if you want-”

“It's not even your birthday anymore.”

His rage was icy cold, Sanzu was sure the temperature of the whole room dropped a few degrees. Suddenly he was freezing, despite the anger not being directed at him for once.

“Then we don’t? It’s not a big deal, really, there will be other occasions. It happens every year, right?” His gaze stared at him with disbelief. “What? I’m serious, I don’t need some fancy ass shit, this is already perfect.”

“Haruchiyo…” Whatever his king wanted to say, the way Sanzu hugged him tighter seemed to change his mind. Instead, he sighed, burying his face on the crook of his neck. “Fine. Next year?”

“Next year it is.”

He started to stroke his hair once again, wanting to leave this conversation behind. It was true, his day got infinitely better the moment Mikey sat on his lap and hugged him. Sanzu couldn’t ask for more, because there was nothing but him.

“I won’t forget it, I promise.”

Sanzu gasped at the honesty in those words, a lump in his throat that threatened to make him cry, touched by his king making a promise to him. It wasn’t going to happen, he couldn’t put his own burden on Mikey, it was his to bear alone.

(Alone and isolated inside of his own mind)

“I know you won’t Mikey, I believe in you.”

He whispered with raw devotion. He will never lose his faith in Mikey, because as long as his king kept breathing… Everything was possible.

Sanzu smiled softly, melting slightly with the memory of how Mikey ended falling asleep on his lap, of how he made sure to stay still, to not interrupt the other’s dreams. If he closed his eyes, he could see how perfect Mikey looked when he woke up hours later, well rested for once. The way his face lit up when he saw that Sanzu was still there, hugging him for hours and making sure he was comfortable. He could even feel the lingering sensation of his lips on his own… Damn it, how could he miss Mikey so much when they were almost living together?

(It was due to Mikey fading in front of him, disappearing somewhere out of his reach. No, he couldn’t admit that)

He sighed, frustrated with himself. He was doing it again, yearning instead of being grateful for what he was given.

A sudden change in the white noise from nearby pedestrians forced him to snap out of his inner turmoil. He lifted up his head, scanning the surroundings to find the source of the commotion.

Sanzu’s eyes widened with panic, the world went silent. Except for the echo of his own delusions shattering into thousand pieces, ringing in his ears for a split second that lasted for ages.

“Mikey?!!”

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nights-at-crystarium · 2 years ago

Text

Fragments - episodes 15-18 author notes

Shall we sit back and go over the recent episodes together? C:

You can find similar breakdown posts on older episodes in my pinned!

Obligatory ShB spoiler warning.

Any theme song enjoyers? I associate this song with this moment, and generally with Exarch’s longing and excitement that can’t be shown. “And in my usual voice, I say, there you are��.

Go away grandpa, you crashed an otherwise perfect party :’>

Had this followed the msq more closely, i.e. had Feo Ul not been the first to find Vivi, or had it happened in an environment more familiar to him, he might've asked Exarch if he's shy, or just ugly. Kinda like if you’re a bully in your school, you might still wanna keep a low profile in a new school.

Vivi treads lightly in a new world, at least tries to. He doesn't yet know how thick or thin is the ice under his feet.

Exarch doesn’t know about the tree since he was busy waiting for Vivi in the Ocular, having just finished the summoning spell, tense and giddy, hood up and all. Minutes passed, nothing happened, then Exarch started getting antsy and finally turned on his tv to find Vivi in Lakeland.

“Hey it could’ve been your spine” I hope is clear: as in Vivi could’ve landed on Lyna instead of the aforementioned tree, not a threat to snap her spine in a fight. He knows better than taunting random people.. Moreover, people stronger than him x’D

Artist achievement unlocked: managed to make a hooded person look expressive. IN THE BACK VIEW.

SPROUT?!

He’s more cute than he deserves to be here and you’ll perceive him.

Being at the end of the episode, “we’re friends, yes” is the first and only line almost nonchalantly tossed to Vivi! Exarch wanted to buy time and observe him, how he’s changed, how’s best to approach him now.

..And Vivi needs rest and new clothes, he spent AN ENTIRE DAY in one outfit. We've seen him around several people so far, and, while he's always genuine, he's the most himself with Exarch, even at this early stage.

But yeah, he’s jaded, regrets many choices in his life and wants his money back.

Vivi's tailored for this ship. Before I even knew that I wanted to write a comic of this size, I asked myself, what condition does he need to be in at the beginning of ShB for the chemistry to happen? The answer was, well, "terrible". I’ve got the juicy deets, but you’d have to be patient and keep an eye out for more flashbacks sprinkled in throughout the story.

What matters now is that, finally, both of them are sufficiently tired to start noticing something else than gremlins in each other.

Have fun living with the knowledge that there’s no face where it’s supposed to be :>

Exarch has a way with the fae: don't flinch, offer them something nice. He offers rest to Vivi without hesitation, as soon as he sees his emotionally battered state. And, oh, he’s still an archer, landing that perfect shot first try. This here is a genuine spark of interest, surprise and gratitude in Vivi’s eyes.

I went balls deep with the visual subtext here. Despite being shown up close, Vivi’s broody face takes on a secondary role as his mind literally closes in on Exarch in that moment, on the mystery man that’s suddenly so unlike the rest. Even if he’s yet another quest-giver, even if shit’s on fire, he allows Vivi to go? Rest? Have some time for himself???? Exarch is, or is about to become, his only light in the darkness :3c

Exarch’s stiff posture is also intended here. He must’ve rehearsed this scene sooooooooo many times, he was prepared for hostility, interrogation, tantrums, but this Warrior’s indifferent and just wants to leave?

Magical boy de-transformation! Headcanon time, two of them even.

Firstly, the Tower can register living presence in its vicinity, a passive ability which Exarch can casually tap into. Being aware of an entire city’s population is, mildly put, overwhelming, thus he’s learned to shrink the “radar” area down to his Ocular, or wherever he’s at the moment and whenever he actually needs it. He feels that Vivi’s indeed left, therefore he can safely remove the hood.

Secondly, the hood shadow’s magicked. The panel above demonstrates how it’d look naturally, if it were a normal shadow. But he casts a pitch black glamour that also extends to his hair.

Just a cool crystal flare that I feel like showing off :>

None of you would believe me now if I said this isn't a horny scene? Although this looks lewd, for someone who’d spent a century clinging to memories and tales the lingering scent is just another confirmation that all of this's real. He can't even touch the WoL (or so he thinks), the scent could be the most he ever gets. Bearing in mind the stress of the day, I genuinely don’t think that he’s in the mood here. But no worries, he’ll get plenty of horny opportunities later on :>

The subtle characterization in the way he opens a door to a supposedly empty, still unknown room.

An unironically normal reaction to the Light, and shadowbringing \o/

This. This goes into my personal collection of the best vivifaces I’ve drawn.

He’s quick to react to a threat (?) popping out of nowhere in a supposedly safe room.

GOMU GOMU NOOOOOOO-

I know the arm’s too long, but I like to incorporate some animation princliples :>

The Champion of Eorzea uses a stick to cure a 100 years old depression, ca. 2023, colorized.

Vivi didn't mean to pierce him, actually. While the space's more than enough for living, it's still cramped for fighting as a dragoon, and he simply misjudged the distance while spinning around and lunging at the source of that eerie voice. There’s also an ooc explanation: I couldn’t quite align all of this in one frame, and thought hey, Ardbert’s a ghost, it’s okay to pierce him!

Both are quick to handwave the fact, and let’s be honest, self-defense of that sort must be a mundane thing for a WoL.There’s more important stuff to discuss. Both are desperate to vent to someone they could trust. They may disagree on things, but generally they vibe pretty well with Ardbert.

A lil shoutout to @agent-jaselin for commenting this under the respective episode. I almost forgot to point it out while making this post. Vivi tries to see if he can relate to another WoL, if his struggles are valid, or if he’s overreacting to a typical hero life. Ardbert had a whole friend group adventuring alongside him, the Scions don’t measure up unfortunately, on top of that Vivi (emotionally) stays the fuck away from anyone post-ARR for their own protection (and his own if he ends up losing someone else), so it’s not quite the same experience for him.

One of the few redeeming qualities: Vivi keeps his word. This's gonna be relevant in like 2025 :'>

He baby, THAT’S his problem.

From pointing his spear at him to comfortably undressing and falling asleep in his vicinity. Ardbert's possibly the first man to be asked to stay and not get laid by Vivi :’>

While the Crystarium and its people seem nice, it’s still Vivi’s first day (one loooooong day since the beginning of chapter 2) in a brand new world, and Ardbert’s the only somewhat familiar person here. A ghost? Even better. The supernatural’s easier to deal with and is less likely to backstab you.

The sweet-voiced hooded guy says that it’s okay, that he’s safe here.... Yeah that on itself is a flag for our mr doubter. He’s grown reasonably paranoid since ARR, (almost) everything he does has a nice cynical-flavored logic to it.

While this’s a wolgraha comic, it’d be bland without support characters. Ardbert doesn’t play a massive role in this particular story, still you’ll keep seeing him here and there.

The next several episodes focus on the main two and Feo Ul, they’ll claw their way in even if they were left out x’D

#shb spoilers #ffxiv #ffxiv: fragments #fragment ii: new world old friend #fragments talk #vivien rell #crystal exarch #g'raha tia #feo ul #lyna #ardbert #wol x g'raha tia #wolgraha #own: next lvl #ardbert hylfyst

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unbotheredalwyn · 7 months ago

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All Kayla Nicole has done is live her life and the swifties have done nothing but attack her. There’s even a “snark” subreddit about her which is nothing but obsessed TS fans who follow her every move to hate on her. It’s really ridiculous. Between that, the racism toward the Ginny & Georgia actress and how quickly her friendship with Zendaya (her one token black woman friend of note pre-Ice Spice) ended I just TS and her fans to stay far away from black women! Their behavior when it comes to us is weird and disgusting.

Isn't it also worth mentioning that todrick hall (a black gay man) has not been seen with Taylor in a longggggg while.

They were besties as far as I can remember and he helped her during you need to calm down and etc etc.

Ice spice needs to carefully and quietly exit the friendship just like zendaya did because they will become brutal to her. They will probably say Matty was right about ice and shit ☠️

Also Kayla nicole is hot and she deserves better than that gremlin man

Can they also leave Beyonce alone too?

I hope ice gets out of this unscratched highly doubtful but yeah

#anti taylor swift #swifties dni #toxic swifties #ex swifties #shit swifties say

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radioactive-earthshine · 9 months ago

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Impulse (1995) #29

I have talked about this before but it is always worth mentioning again that even by virtue of Bart being a speedster it would only give him a marginal advantage in playing video games, because a video game can only go so fast. It cannot keep up with his true speed no matter how fast he pushes the buttons.

In other words, Bart has to SLOW DOWN to play these games. They act as stimming for him and help acclimate him to a slower pace than the one he is used to functioning at.

Max doesn't get it, he doesn't understand these games, how they work, how Bart plays them and he just gives him a NO with a loose far reaching 'what if you compromise your ID' line to shut him up (as if Bart is not already the most popular kid in his school and already has people on him at all times.)

Bart gets frustrated because he is not being listened to (and is being shown that he can't be trusted), Max refuses to budge on the topic and Helen, well...

Impulse (1995) #29

Helen acts as an opposing voice to Max and challenges him on how he is raising Bart. Helen feels that Bart should be respected more and deserves better explanations. Max, being Max, feels like he already understands Bart enough and the subject is over (it isn't, Bart was thinking about it all day) and condescends his own daughter all in the same conversation.

It's a dick move and Helen naturally snipes back by reminding him he was never around for her growing up, that he BAILED on her mother after being caught in bed with her.

Helen really is an important person for both Bart and Max right now because she really is on Bart's side as she constantly pushes Max to respect him - regardless of how he might perceive Bart, no matter how much of a chaos gremlin Bart might be, Bart DESERVES RESPECT.

#orla reads impulse #bart allen #helen claiborne #max mercury #max loves bart a lot but he sure as hell did not understand him

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emilija04acer · 9 months ago

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Game for your soul (part 3 of Niffty Distribution System)

>I'm trying something new! I'll just put the whole short fic here. Some people like to read it here.

Here is the link for AO3>

https://archiveofourown.org/works/54040492

Alastor learns the reason you shouldn't play games other than cards or chess when trying to get someone's eternal soul. You may get attached...

Or you know lose!

Here are some tags> Alastor & Niffty (Hazbin Hotel)

Characters:

Alastor (Hazbin Hotel)

Niffty (Hazbin Hotel)

Additional Tags:

Game

Soul deal

Niffty is a Gremlin

Alastor Tries to Be a Jerk

Niffty Deserves Love

Manipulative Alastor (Hazbin Hotel)

Alastor Has a Heart (Hazbin Hotel)

Cute Niffty (Hazbin Hotel)

Dialogue Heavy

Fluff and Crack

Fluff

No connect 4 didn't exists in the 50s

It's from the 70s

that's the main reason this is crack

⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰ Soul-taking and deal-making were always entertaining for Alastor, the Radio Demon. He loved getting demons' souls by challenging them to something they thought they were good at, only to watch them struggle and inevitably fail. He didn't care what the game was, as long as he had the upper hand. A drinking game, a poker game, a dice game. Luck games were no safer than skill games. He always found a way to win.

Getting overlords' souls was the most enjoyable, their screams filled the dead air of his broadcasts. He relished watching those powerful beings lose their chess matches, their dignity, and their lives. He would sometimes broadcast the game itself, for the amusement of his listeners and the humiliation of his opponents.

But when he met Niffty a week ago in that alley, he didn't know what he was in for. She was a mystery and an enigma. He got to know her somewhat, over the course of a few days. She wasn't the brightest, but she was energetic and engaging. She was amazing at cleaning, cooking, and pest killing. She was incredibly fast and agile.

He had mistaken her for a child when they first met, and he still had to remind himself that she was indeed an adult. He had seen small demons before, of course, he had. But maybe it was her demeanor that seemed childish and somewhat innocent. However, that was far from the truth, and he knew it.

He decided to challenge her to a game for her soul. He weighed his options. He enjoyed her company, she was respectful and insane. Tied in a small energetic package. She would be a great asset to have, a loyal servant to call for small tasks. Even better, she seemed eager to spend time with him. Willing service would be a nice change.

Alastor invited her to join him for dinner at his mansion. This was the second time he had done so. He made jambalaya, her favorite dish. It was the best thing she had ever eaten that a man had made for her. She had asked him to make it again, and he had obliged. He knew it was to her taste.

⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰

After their dinner, he finally popped the question he had anticipated the whole evening.

"Would you like to play a game, my dear?"

"A game? Sure! I love games!"

"Wait, before you make up your mind. It's a game with high stakes."

"Oh? Wait. You mean for a soul?"

"Indeed. Are you still interested?"

She thought for a single moment. "I accept! But first, what do I get if I win?"

He highly doubted she would win, but he knew a deal was a two-way street. Both parties had to get something. Usually, he made a contract after the game, but he decided to state the terms verbally. Words, when deals were in question, were not cheap. You could spin them, of course, but he didn't feel the need to do that now. She was more than willing to play.

"If you win, you can get anything you want. We'll write the contract after. Are you ready?"

She nodded excitedly.

With a clap of his hands, Alastor conjured a table and two chairs. He hoped she would choose a game of strategy, like chess or checkers, or a game of chance, like cards or dice. He was confident he could beat her in any of those.

He let her pick the game. He wanted to give her a fair chance.

She looked at the table and saw a variety of games. She picked one and held it up.

"Let's play this one," she said, her eyes sparkling.

Alastor looked at the game. It was a plastic board with holes and slots. It came with a bunch of red and yellow discs.

"Connect Four?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I like this game. It's fun."

Alastor shrugged. He had never played it before, but it looked simple enough. He agreed to play.

They sat down and set up the board. Alastor let her go first. She dropped a yellow disc into the middle slot.

He followed with a red disc in the same column. She dropped another yellow disc on top of his. He did the same.

They continued like this, alternating turns and filling up the board. Alastor soon realized that the game was not as easy as it looked. He had to pay attention to the patterns and the possibilities. He had to block her moves and plan his own.

He started to sweat. He felt a pang of anxiety. He was not used to losing. He was not used to being challenged.

He looked at the board. It was almost full. He saw that she had three yellow discs in a row, and only one slot left to complete a four-in-a-row. He had to stop her.

He scanned the board for an opening. He saw one. He dropped a red disc into the slot, blocking her.

He smiled. He had done it. He had saved himself.

He looked at her. She was smiling too.

She dropped a yellow disc into another slot.

She said one word.

"Connect."

He looked at the board. He saw that she had made a diagonal four-in-a-row, using the disc he had just placed.

He had lost.

He felt a surge of shock, anger, and disbelief. He had lost his game.

He screamed internally.

Niffty giggled. She knew she could ask anything from him. He had said it just a minute ago.

She could ask for money or power or whatever her little heart desired.

She could ask for his soul. Not that he could give it to her. His soul didn't belong to him.

"What do you want?" he asked, defeated.

"Give me a paper, sir, please!"

He obliged, summoning a paper and a quill. Writing it down was smart, he admitted. He couldn't twist his words, even if he wanted to.

She held the large feather in her tiny hands and carefully wrote. She was focused, more focused than Alastor had ever seen her.

"I'm done! Here, read it!" She handed the parchment to him with a smile.

⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰

Alastor took the parchment and read it. He expected to see a list of demands, such as money, power, or fame. But what he saw was something else entirely.

It was a contract of friendship.

It said that he had to be her friend, and never get tired of her. He had to invite her to help him with his schemes and let her have fun with him. He had to make jambalaya for her at least once a month and share his stories and jokes with her. He had to protect her from harm and comfort her when she was sad. He had to respect her wishes, and never betray her.

He was baffled by this. He had never seen such a contract before. He had never made such a contract before. He had never agreed to such terms before.

He looked at her. She was smiling, her face beaming with anticipation.

He felt a strange sensation in his chest. He didn't know what it was, but it wasn't unpleasant. It was warm and fuzzy, like a radio static.

He smiled back. He reached for the quill. He signed his name on the bottom.

(This is supposed to be crackfic but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if this turns out to be somewhat true)

Plot twist Niffty is the one that owns his soul.

Anyways! I hope you enjoyed this!

This was just a short fic I joked about with my friends and actually wrote it.

#alastor and niffty #hazbin hotel #hazbin niffty #hazbin alastor #hazbin fanfic #ao3 fanfic #aroace alastor #platonic fics #alastor soul deal #game night gone wrong #connect 4 #nifty's soul #alastor soul theory #alastor deal #crack fic #niffty distribution system

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