#I NEED MORE VILLAIN SONGS SEND ME MORE VILLAIN SONGS

[house-of-mirrors]

....playlist for The White 🤔 villain songs moment

The gang knows when R has a new character focus lol

Tales from the Vienna Woods - Strauss II (This one is just a given)

Hold Me Down - Halsey

The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie - Colter Wall

That's all I got so far, please I need to add more send me villain songs or chess songs

[flippinpancakes64]

Could you write the Cullen's accidentally hurting their SO and how they would react?? (I alr know Jasper's is about to be so angsty lol)

The Cullens accidentally hurting their S/O

I've literally been rubbing my hands together like an evil villain waiting to do this request. I saw it in my inbox and had to hold myself back lol. And yes, I cannot resist the temptation to make Jasper suffer, so be prepared

Edit I got so carried away. If I had a word count on these it might be like 10k lol sorry not sorry

And thank you for this request! This was so much fun to write lol I hope you enjoy it!

Also quick note I might have channeled a bit too much inspiration from Saw or something cause I ended up getting a bit too into my descriptions of the injuries so

TW for graphic depictions of violence

Edward:

You really wanted to go to this concert

Edward knew that, so as a birthday gift he bought you two tickets

One for you and one for him of course

He drove you to the stadium, studying the songs he was going to be hearing later that night

He bought everything that you looked at

You basically had your own merch table

The night was going great

You both found your seats, you were happily eating some overpriced stadium food, and the show was about to start

When a guy stood directly in front of you

The bad part about floor seats is that there aren't seats

The guy was easily 6'6, towering above you even if you are taller

Reading your thoughts, Edward tapped the guy on the shoulder, asking him if he would kindly move or crouch or something

He just looked, rolled his eyes, and stared forward again

"Dude, my partner can't see the show. Please just move a little"

"Don't care. Not my problem."

Edward's getting pissed, and the guy can tell

"What, you wanna fucking fight? Square up rich boy."

"No I don't want to fight I just want you to move a little"

"Okay, then maybe your partner here will fight instead"

And the next thing you know, you see the guy's huge fist heading straight for your head

Before it can land, Edward's hand pushes on your chest, sending you back into the people behind you and ending with you flat on the ground

Your back aches from the impact, your neck torqued from where your head whipped, and your cheek stinging from landing on the side of your face

You feel Edward's chill hands on the sides of your face, and faintly you hear him ask something frantically

You groan in pain as you feel him pick you up, and finally succumb to sleep

You wake up in Carlisle's clinic, staring at the white ceiling

A cold hand is wrapped around yours, and when you turn your head, you're greeted with bright gold eyes

No words are exchanged for a moment before you clear your throat

"So... did you at least rock that guy's shit?"

He laughs and kisses you

Alice:

Alice was having a terrible week

She had been getting vision after vision, and none of them were true

Everything from a huge motor accident to what color shoes someone at school was going to wear

It was constant

She was running in circles, going somewhere, seeing a vision, turning around to go somewhere else, seeing a vision, turning again, and on and on

She was currently driving

Or more like swerving

All you needed were some damn glue sticks for a project you needed to do

But every time Alice decided on a new destination, a vision of a horrible catastrophe would enter her mind, and she would change her course

You had enough

"Alice! Enough of this! Just pull over and let me drive!"

"No! I need to know the safest route... ugh! Everywhere is dangerous!"

"Name one vision you've had in the past week that actually came true."

"Well I don't know if they would have come true or not because I didn't go to those places. And look! We are perfectly fine! Everyone is fine!"

"But I don't have all night, Alice! Just choose a fucking store and go there!"

"Fine."

And so she did. She chose the small supermarket right outside of town

She looked nervous as soon as she placed the car in park

But you ignored it and walked in

You walked through the aisles, looking for the one thing you came here for, when you hear Alice gasp behind you

In her mind, she sees you tripping and falling into a display of DVDs, cutting your arm on one of the metal frames holding them in place

And straight in your path is the DVD case

So naturally she tries to grab you

Only she doesn't grab you, she accidentally pushes

You don't fall in her vision, just like how you didn't fall in real life

She was the one who hurt you, pushed you

That was the problem

The reason why there was a horrible disaster everywhere she tried to go was because she was going to cause something one way or another

Only this is worse, because now it involves you

The DVDs scatter, and she hears your cry of pain as the sharp, crooked metal frame pierces the skin of your arm

She is by your side in a moment, scooping you up and not even bothering with the mess you both left behind

On the way home, you are trying to convince her that it's not that bad, but she is beside herself

After Carlisle's inspection, you get a couple of stitches in your right bicep, but other than that you're perfectly fine

And Alice doesn't leave your side

She is constantly fussing

Asking if you're okay, if you need anything, if you're mad at her, if you want to leave her, if you blame her

But after you go to sleep and she watches over your peaceful form, she convinces herself that you're alright

Jasper:

It was spring break and the Cullens decided to go to one of Carlisle's many tropical properties

It was the third day of the trip, everybody went to do their own things

Alice, Esme, and Rosalie went into town to go souvenir shopping

They dragged Emmett along to be their personal bag carrier

Edward and Bella were down at the private beach that came with the property, enjoying the sun and relaxing

That left you, Jasper, and Carlisle

The three of you were at the attached pool on the house

Carlisle was marinating in the hot tub, sunglasses on and a book in his hands

You and Jasper were in the pool doing anything and everything

Diving, jumping, swimming, racing (he always won), and messing with the pool toys

You had just climbed up the stairs to get out of the pool again, intending on showing Jasper your graceful canonball

But he noticed you were walking a bit too fast

He saw you trip, and like slow motion he sprang out of the water to save you

Only he didn't

His arms wrapped around your middle, saving you from a possible twisted ankle or scraped knee or bruised butt

But that didn't stop the back of your head from smacking onto the concrete

White hot pain erupted behind your eyes and knocked you out instantly

Your blood began to seep onto the wet floor beneath you, and he couldn't help himself

Carlisle heard everything and got up immediately

But he didn't get there in time to stop Jasper from wrapping his mouth around your throat and biting down

In a flash Carlisle threw Jasper up and off of you, rocketing him into the water, and scooped you up to run inside

You awoke some hours later, a throbbing in your head and a dull pain in your neck

The beep of a heart monitor was all you heard

Looking around, you were in the room you shared with Jasper, where just the night before you wrapped around his cold body and drifted to sleep

Only he was nowhere to be seen

Carlisle came to check on you, and he told you what happened

"Where is he? Where's Jasper?"

"... He... left."

"What do you mean he left?"

"He almost killed you. He would have killed you if I wasn't there. He feels terrible- no. Terrible isn't strong enough of a word."

It takes Emmett and Edward tracking him down and dragging him home for you to see him again

And even then he insists on Edward and Emmett holding his arms in case he were to try anything

He looks so broken

Muted red eyes, golden blonde hair shooting in every direction, the same swim trunks he had been wearing that day were covered in dirt and blood- presumably yours

And his face

He looked on the verge of tears, he would have been crying if he could

If the dry heaves coming from deep in his chest were any indication

He flinches when you take his face in your hands, trying to get away, not wanting to hurt you more

But when he kisses you, he remembers why he tries so hard to be good in the first place

Rosalie:

You had been asking Rosalie for WEEKS if she would pleeeeeeease take you hunting with her

And she had been turning you down for weeks

It's a very gross, animalistic process that she, quite frankly, doesn't want you to see

But she loves you

And she is only so strong

So after so many begs, pleads, and puppy dog eyes, she caves

She decides to make it a cute little weekend trip

Taking you to one of Carlisle's properties farther north into the snowy mountain region

You settle in to the spacious cabin and Rosalie makes sure you're all bundled up in luxurious furs and warm scarves before you both venture into the wilderness

She explains what she's doing step-by-step while she sniffs the air, searching for her prey

A wolf because she's part of the "Fuck Jacob" team

She sits you in a clearing and tells you to stay in place while she finds her wolf

You do, finding a snowy log and brushing it off to sit on

She ventures into the forest, eventually finding a suitable wolf and beginning her hunt

Chasing the wolf, being chased by the wolf, until she eventually leads it to your clearing

She knows you'll love the theatrics of seeing her kill it in live action

She chases the beast all the way until it's about to clear the tree line before she pounces

She can imagine herself from your point of view

Bright, shiny skin, flowing hair, posed in midair, and finally coming down gracefully upon her prize

Except she doesn't

The wolf takes a quick turn at the last moment, sending her flying straight into you

There's not much she can do while suspended in flight, and it happens too fast for you to recognize

In an instant her whole body slams into you at full force, knocking both of you onto the powdery ground below

The grunt of pain you let out is excruciating

She rolls off of you quickly, holding onto you, asking if you're okay, if you're hurt

You try to put on a brave face, but when you move your left arm in an attempt to prop yourself up, you find you can't move it

Broken. Completely snapped. And you scream

She paces in Carlisle's home clinic while he puts your cast on, worried out of her mind

But when Carlisle opens the door and she sees you sitting on the table with a goofy grin and a bright red cast, she can't help but relax

"You said red was your favorite color, right?"

And she just kisses you

Emmett:

You'd been dating Emmett for a while now, and had decided it was time for him to meet your family

And what better time and place for a first meeting than your nephew's fourth birthday party?

It was the middle of August, and the sun was hot

The icing was melting off of the cake as it sat on the food table

All of the adults were drinking margaritas and the kids had decided to play with the water balloons to cool off

Your uncle and Emmett were filling up the balloons as all of the kids at the party talked excitedly

You laughed as your nephew came up to you and asked you to be on his team for the fight

Of course you couldn't say no

And of course, to even the playing field, the other team got to have your human tank of a boyfriend

Very even

Emmett just smirked at you as your uncle assumed his place as the referee and commenced the battle

Pink, blue, green, yellow, and red balloons were flying like crazy

Small party hats were knocked off of even smaller heads

The giggles of 20 little kids rang loud in the air as water spurted all over the grassy lawn

And you took your chance to pelt your boyfriend as hard as you could

His light blue shirt was soaked, and his khaki shorts had a huge wet spot on the front

You were doubled over in laughter at the sight of your scary boyfriend covered in little pieces of rubber, with one particularly large piece hanging off of his ear

But he hadn't thrown any at you yet

"Come on, big guy! Don't be a wussy!"

"Oh you asked for it now!"

You saw him grab a little pink water balloon, it looking even smaller in his hand, and he threw it straight at your head

You briefly wonder if he filled his balloon with cement

The next thing you know you're laying in bed, an ice pack perched on your forehead

"Oh my god, you're awake. I'm so sorry, baby. I didn't mean to, you know how I get out of control sometimes. Not that that's an excuse! I'm just trying to explain-"

You cut him off with a finger to his lips

"Shush... .'m tired"

And so he just lets you sleep the rest of the night, his hand in yours the whole time

Esme:

Frankly, she doesn't know why you asked for her help

The Cullens had just moved into their newest house, and everything was set for the "kids" to join the local highschool the next day

You wanted a new look

"New place, new people, new me" you had said

She understood that much

But when you approached her one night with a box of hair bleach and a pleading look on your face, she was lost

Why her? Why not Alice or Rosalie? Or- and hear me out- a professional? They had the money

But you wanted to do it yourself. But not actually yourself For some reason you wanted Esme to do it

And even though she didn't understand, she still agreed

So that's how she found herself closely studying the instructions on the back of the little box telling her what to mix and where

"What's taking so long?"

"Hold on... ugh! This thing doesn't make any sense!"

"It's okay I'm sure it's super simple. I mean they give you all of the stuff. Just mix it all together and slap it on my head!"

Bad idea

She mixes everything together just like you asked, and plops a big lump of it onto the crown of your head

Instantly your hair starts smoking

You scream, asking her to take it off

And she tries, but it's not working

Carlisle to the rescue once more

She is so apologetic

She feels so bad that she hurt you so much

And at least you did get that new look you wanted

Shaved-to-the-skin bald

Carlisle:

He was feeling a bit cooped up

He loves his family, and he loves his life in the Americas, but sometimes he misses traveling and his old friends

So he decided to take you with him to Europe to see some old pals

Not the Volturi obviously

But some other acquaintances he hadn't seen for a while

You were a month into the three-month trip Carlisle had planned

You'd visited Italy, Greece, Spain, France, Britain, and were on your way to Germany

This next friend you were on your way to visit was a man named Friedrich Hans

Carlisle spoke passively about him, nothing positive or negative

He was one of the ones he hadn't been able to contact beforehand about visiting

He wasn't even sure if Friedrich was still alive, or if he even lived in Germany

He wasn't betting on either, but he still figured he would try a visit

The taxi pulled up in front of an unassuming house on a busy street in Berlin, painted a light grey with black paneling around the windows and doors

Carlisle opened your door for you, extending a hand to help you out

He walked with you to the door, rapping his knuckles against the solid wood

Instantly it creaked open and a voice inside whispered "Perfect" before a pale, veiny hand reached out and grabbed your arm

You yelled for it to let you go, begging Carlisle for some help

He grabbed you around the waist with one arm, using the other to try to pry the man's hand from your wrist

The opposing forces splintered on your bones and a sickening crack ran through your arm

Your hand fell limp and Carlisle was finally able to pry you away from the force in the house

"Ah... Carlisle... old friend"

"Old friend? You just tried to kill my S/O!"

"S/O... you always were a weird one Mr. Cullen... sincerest apologies... come in for chat?"

"No thank you, I believe we will be taking our leave now."

And with that he rushed you to the nearest hospital

He didn't have his medical equipment, so he just pretended to not know German so they wouldn't ask questions about how you broke your wrist

He cuts the trip short then and there

He sends letters to all of his friends that he wasn't able to visit, explaining that something urgent came up

He is so apologetic for the weeks afterward

He is convinced it was his fault even though it wasn't

He doesn't relax until your cast is off btw

Vampire! Bella:

Since she's so new to the vampire life, she doesn't know her own limits yet

She has hurt you a lot in the past

All accidents of course

Hugging you too hard, punching you playfully on the shoulder, telling you to catch something and literally lobbing it as hard as she can

She always feels terrible afterwards

But the worst was the time you took her bowling

It was 10 am on a Tuesday and there was no one at the bowling alley

Not even the competitive grandmas and grandpas in their bowling leagues

The only other person in the building was the bored looking cashier who wasn't even trying to hide that he was on his phone behind the counter

You both took your time to pick your balls, trying out all of the ones on the rack to see your best fits

You laced up your ugly shoes, input your names on the scoreboard screen and off you went

It was fun for the first couple of turns

Until the ball return does that stupid thing where it doesn't actually return your ball

It's your turn, and you're standing at the ball return tapping your foot restlessly waiting for it to show up

"You know, you can just use mine"

Bella stands up and grabs the ball she chose

The resin was a beautiful mix of black, purple, and pink with some reflective glitter sprinkled throughout

It's so gorgeous that you don't even check the weight

You hold out your hands to take it and it just drops straight through

And directly onto your foot

You let out a loud scream and try to move, but the ball won't roll off of your foot

Bella starts panicking, asking what she should do, scrambling around until eventually she picks up the ball and throws it onto the ground behind her

Maybe she forgot that the cashier was there, or maybe she didn't care, but she picked you up and started sprinting at full speed back to the Cullen house

She even left the car at the alley smh

On the verge of inconsolable

She is so frustrated that she can't learn to control herself

Doesn't leave your side tho

Note: Just for shits and gigs I timed how long this took me

Started at 12:01 am

Jasper done at 12:21 am

Edward done at 12:40 am

Alice done at 12:56 am

Rosalie done at 1:19 am

Emmett done at 1:33 am

Esme done at 1:44 am

Carlisle done at 2:03 am

Bella done at 2:16 am

Total time 2 hrs 15 mins

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

If you were to write Lila would you keep her being a con artist criminal with multiple identities but hinted at/revealed it earlier than S5 or would you cut that part down of her character entirely ?

It would really depend on how much space I had to fill. Gabriel is not the kind of villain that you can draw out forever. His story needs to have a clearly planned ending right from the start. In fact, I think they drew him out at least a season too long. So, if I also had to fill eight seasons, I could see myself going the Lila route. I'd just make a few changes. Off the top off my head, here's how I'd handle serious villain Lila as opposed to what canon wrote, which is petty school bully Lila who is entirely unbelievable as a serious villain.

First of all, Lila wouldn't be introduced at the end of season one. While her and Gabriel probably need to have some overlap, that's way too soon. In my version, she shows up at the start of season four and she'd be heavily toned down. We'd know that something was off about her, we may even keep the liar thing, but it would be a lot more subtle. Lies like, "Ladybug rescued me" and "I got to go backstage at a Jagged Stone concert" instead of "Ladybug is my bff" and "Jagged Stone wrote a song about me." Her goal would no longer be gaining peons, but instead gaining true close friends who like and trust her. The reason for this is that Lila is replacing Optigami as Mayura's last sentimonster.

See, season three ended with all those identity reveals and most of the revealed identities are in the same class. That's curious, so it makes perfect sense for Nathalie and Gabriel to want someone undercover in Adrien's class, but they can't do it. So Nathalie makes a sentikid of her own, gives her the power of manipulation, and sends her off to try to find Ladybug and/or Chat Noir by whatever means necessary.

This would give a clear reason for Gabriel to trust Lila, a clear reason for Lila to know all about the miraculous, and a clear reason for Lila to hate Ladybug. In this version, I wouldn't do Nathalie's lackluster redemption. Instead, Nathalie stays bad right up to her death. Perhaps her last act is getting the butterfly to her daughter and ordering her to get revenge on Ladybug and Chat Noir should Gabriel fail. After all, Gabriel can't wield more than six miraculous at once, so it makes sense for him to send Nathalie off with at least one of them while he enacts his master plan just in case it fails.

That's just one potential path to take. I also like the idea of having Lila be someone who came to Paris in order to find the miraculous, but who has no ties to the Agrestes. That would require some pretty big changes to her character, though, as I can't see that type of character caring about things like dating Adrien or being a model or all the other crap that has nothing to do with gaining a miraculous and everything to do with popularity and social clout. Lila canonically doesn't know that Gabriel even has a miraculous until the final of season four, so she basically just lucked into finding one instead of doing anything logical to find it because this show has no clue how to actually write smart, clever characters.

In summary, I'm totally fine with complex, master-manipulator Lila, it's just hard to figure out the best way to make her work when we don't know anything about her backstory or motivation. The version proposed above is just the best I can do to fit her into the role canon placed her in. A role I could easily see later seasons flat out ignoring.

[fatkish]

Aizawa reacts to his student reader getting tortured ? Mayb they both god kidnapped by a villain while interning or smthing. Random thought that popped into my brain -🐶

I had another request that asked for a reader’s death so I hope you don’t mind that I’m going to combine the two requests.

Aizawa x Student Reader Angst

If I die Young

You and Aizawa had been working on a case involving human trafficking and missing persons from across the globe. A group of villains had been trafficking young women and you guys had supposedly found the abandoned warehouse on the fishing docks that they were using as a hideout. You decided to scope out the place without Aizawa or any backup. You scaled the roof and carefully walked atop it, careful not to make too much noise and alert any bad guys. As you walked along the roof you saw a skylight and ducked into the corner and peered into the place.

You saw a bunch of girls, maybe 15-23 in age range and about 13 of them. They were wearing the torn and dirty clothes they were likely captured in and were chained up using quirk restraining cuffs. You looked around and saw that the coast was clear. There wasn’t any bad guys in sight so they must not be here. You carefully opened the skylight and quietly and quickly descended into the warehouse and walked over to the girls.

“Hey, it’s alright, you’re safe now, I’m going to free you.” You instructed the girls on how to get out of the warehouse and gave them specific instructions on how to get back to the main road where people are. You told them to call the police as soon as they got to the main road and you gave them a bit of money to use a pay phone if needed. Once you got the last girl freed from her cuffs, you helped lead them through the warehouse and buildings towards the road. As you and the girls were nearing the exit to the docks, you saw a black van drive in and you told the girls to not move.

Realizing the kidnappers had returned, you waited for them to pass before you handed your phone to one of the older girls and told her to call the police and tell them their location and to send Eraserhead and any other pros available, and that a (hero name) needs assistance. You told the girls to run and that you would distract the traffickers while the girls got to safety.

You ran back to the warehouse and entered it to find the traffickers.

“It’s too late, the girls have been rescued and heroes are on their way. It’s over.” You stood in the doorway of the warehouse, the traffickers turned towards you as they were clearly angry about losing the girls. You watched as they pulled out their weapons and a fight began. You tried to fight and hold them off but three against one isn’t a fair fight. As you fought, you got more cuts and scrapes and one of them even stabbed you in the shoulder. As you fought against them you started to realize that this could very well be the end for you. As you were struggling with one of the guys, you failed to see another pull out a gun. You didn’t know what had happened until you heard three loud bangs and felt pain in your stomach.

You looked down to see red spots start to bloom like peonies on your abdomen. Still, even with the pain you continued to fight, knowing that you needed to stall for as much time as possible.

(Play song)

If I die young, bury me in satin

Lay me down on a bed of roses

Sink me in the river at dawn

Send me away with the words of a love song

Oh-oh, oh-oh

As you tried to fight, your movements became slow and sluggish. You were getting beat and hit a lot more now. You almost didn’t see the flashing red and blue lights. Your vision was blurry and you could hardly stand, as you fell back, a pair of strong arms caught you.

“(Hero name)! (Hero name), just hang on kid” you knew that voice. That’s the voice of your grumpy teacher Mr. Aizawa. You opened you eyes to see that you were in your teacher’s arms.

Lord, make me a rainbow, I'll shine down on my mother

She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors

Oh, and life ain't always what you think it ought to be, no

Ain't even gray, but she buries her baby

The sharp knife of a short life

Well, I've had just enough time

Aizawa couldn’t believe it, he didn’t want to believe it. It couldn’t be true. His student, was in his arms, bleeding out and on death’s doorstep. He looked at the wounds, knowing rationally that you had already lost too much blood, but emotionally, he wanted to save you.

“Please stay with me (hero name), it’s going to be alright, the paramedics are on their way, just hold on, please”

If I die young, bury me in satin

Lay me down on a bed of roses

Sink me in the river at dawn

Send me away with the words of a love song

The sharp knife of a short life

Well, I've had just enough time

You smiled up at your teacher. His eyes were watering up with tears as you shakily held one of his hands. He tried to apply pressure to your wounds to stop the bleeding. With a soft smile you gazed up at Aizawa and spoke to him, knowing each word could be your last.

“It’s okay Eraserhead, don’t blame yourself for anything. You and I both know I won’t make it to the hospital in time…so just listen to me… thank you for everything… for being an amazing teacher and for looking out for me…don’t… don’t let.. my death… be a sad thing…. Don’t mourn my death…. Don’t focus on the loss…. Instead, celebrate the fact that I lived…. Life is short…. And tomorrow isn’t a promise, so live…. Live with meaning, live so that you don’t have any regrets….. I don’t regret….. what I did…..”

And I'll be wearing white when I come into your kingdom

I'm as green as the ring on my little cold finger

I've never known the lovin' of a man

But it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand

There's a boy here in town, says he'll love me forever

Who would have thought forever could be severed by

The sharp knife of a short life

Well, I've had just enough time

As you closed your eyes, Aizawa couldn’t stop the tears from falling. He held you tight as your words sank in. Soon the other hero’s arrested the traffickers and the paramedics came and hoisted your body onto a gurney and drove to the closest hospital.

So put on your best, boys, and I'll wear my pearls

What I never did is done

A penny for my thoughts, oh no, I'll sell 'em for a dollar

They're worth so much more after I'm a goner

And maybe then you'll hear the words I've been singin'

Funny when you're dead, how people start listenin'

In the hospital, Aizawa waited outside your room as your parents came. Your mother was in tears and your father was silent. They entered your room as Aizawa could only stand there and watch as your parents grieved and cried over the loss of their beloved child. Aizawa couldn’t help but remember Oboro, his high school friend. He clenched his fists as he heard you mother’s cries.

If I die young, bury me in satin

Lay me down on a bed of roses

Sink me in the river at dawn

Send me away with the words of a love song

Oh-oh, (oh-oh)

After Aizawa got home, he couldn’t hold it in anymore and he cried over the loss of his student. He blamed himself for your death. He shouldn’t have let you go alone to scope out the warehouse. He should have gone with you. How was he supposed to tell the class that you died. What would he say. As he sat there the reality of your death slowly sunk in. He’ll never get to see you graduate. You won’t be there in class tomorrow, you won’t be in school ever again. He would never grade another of your papers. You’d never be able to make a name for yourself or start your own agency. You’ll never get to have your first taste of alcohol. You’ll never be able to get married or have kids of your own. All your hopes and dreams were gone, along with you.

The ballad of a dove

Go with peace and love

Gather up your tears, keep 'em in your pocket

Save 'em for a time when you're really gonna need 'em, oh

The sharp knife of a short life

Well, I've had just enough time

As time passed, your funeral was set and of course. aizawa went to it. He was terrified that your parents wouldn’t let him say his goodbye but he was surprised when they welcomed him and politely asked if he would be able to talk about you, talk about how you were as a student. They didn’t want to pressure him if he didn’t feel up to it, but he believed it was the least he could do.

As Aizawa spoke about how you were as a student. He spoke about how he enjoyed having you in class, how you were a bright student and had a bunch of potential. He talked about how he watched you grow stronger. After he spoke, he placed a single white lily in your hand. And as the funeral ended, he watched as your casket was lowered into the ground and dirt was placed atop it. Slowly covering your casket. Aizawa would never forget you, as long as he lived, he’d remember the student that he lost.

So put on your best, boys, and I'll wear my pearls

(Oh my gosh, I cried while writing this. I hoped you liked it.)

[elssero]

/ RELEASE ME

-elssero kinktober

✟ villain!reader x prohero!redriot, fem!reader (use of she/her/women) size kink (?), -in which you’ll do whatever it takes to mean you can walk free.

it had been months. months of sleepless nights and looking over evidence. months of research, gathering information and dead ends. months of looking for you.

he finally has you- your exact location, the exact place you plan to pick up whatever it is your smuggling this time- it’s just a matter of whether or not he’ll make it to you in time.

the night around him is bustling- the night life of the city is electric, neon lights flicker and glow- reflecting off buildings in the busy streets. music pulses from nightclubs- the sound is extremely distracting to the hero who attempts to ignore them as he races through the streets.

making a sharp turn around a corner- it leads him deep into an alleyway- one that seems to last forever. at the end he sees a body- maybe more than one. voices are heard- seemingly angry.

the shouting increases in volume as he gets closer to the source- it’s clear a disagreement is taking place. “hey- stop! don’t move!” the pair of heads snap towards him in a second- he’s only a couple of meters away now.

one of the bodies appears to push the other- darting along the allay away from him, fighting over the decision for a second he decides to send dynamite after the runner- he’d always been faster.

catching up to the fallen body- his eyes land on the person on the ground, a hood covering their head makes their face impossible to see.

“that fucking cunt- stupid bastard-“ you seem to be paying the hero no mind as you begin to stand- brushing yourself off as you stand up. when you finally do look up- your eyes lock with the red haired hero- the venom in your eyes swiftly shifting to something else.

his eyes don’t leave yours- the realisation slowing showing on his face- his eyes widen “redriot” you say his name in a sort of song- “thought we agreed you’d stay away after last time?”

his mouth stays shut- unable to speak “can’t seem to stop chasing me huh hero?” he feels like an idiot- he can’t let this happen again- he can’t let you run.

if he had known the villain he can been secretly tracking for weeks had been you- he never would’ve taken the case in the first place. at least that’s what he’d like to say.

“i- i need to turn you in” he curses himself for the effect you have on him- the only villain he’s been unable to catch, all because he can’t get over his stupid attraction to you.

it started months ago- he caught you after a robbery of a local jewellery store, bag in hand when he cornered you inside an alleyway similar to the one you’ve found yourself in now. he meant to turn you in! he really did, but when you got on your knees in front of him he knew he stood no chance.

it’s happened twice since then- both times you seem to narrowly escape him, but not without giving him the best orgasms he’d ever felt in his life. his pants tighten at the thought.

he’s got you cornered here now- dynamite will surely catch up to the runway soon, turning the compliance of your crime into the police. he knows his only choice to turn you in as-well, even it means the end of your little meet-ups.

but when he looks down at you now- the small smirk on your face only reminds him of your past exchanges- how your mouth feels around him, the pressure of your tongue against his dick.

“are you sure you need to turn me in?” you begin to move towards him- it’s the opposite of what you should be doing- anyone sane would run in the opposite direction if they’d just been caught in the middle of a crime, but you know the effect you have on him- and you plan to use it to your advantage once again.

“you said that last time didn’t you?” taking your usual place on the ground in front of him- you begin to rub at his suit covered cock. “didn’t seem that important when i started touching you though, did it?”

he knows this is a bad idea- he’s known it everytime, but you just feel so good for him, too good. he glances at the time on his watch before looking back down at you- a seductive look in your eyes. “fuck- we have ten minutes- at most”

you giggle at that, running your fingers deliberately along his thighs causing him to shudder- wasting no time you remove his clothes, setting his cock free- “that’s plenty of time”

maybe it’s the fact that no one’s ever been able to take him fully before- or maybe it’s the danger of it. kirishima doesn’t understand how you got him wrapped around your finger, he just knows he doesn’t want to be set free.

he feels your mouth on his tip in an instant- eyes rolling back at the initial touch- it’s good- your so good to him. “f-fuck”

you struggle at first- you always do, the sheer size of him always takes your breath away- even if you don’t let on. you keep coming back to him, even if he can’t tell.

“f-fuck- been dreaming about you” his confession doesn’t take you by surprise- “yeah? me too.” your response only makes him groan as you take him in your hand.

“so’big- drives me crazy thinking about how well you’d fill me up” your words only egg him on- he’s thought about it too- obviously. he’s always struggled when it came to sex- it’s not his fault, he can’t help that he can never make it fit.

he’s certain you would though- you’d give it your best shot at least, he’s lost track of how many times he’s fucked his fist about the thought of splitting you open- fucking you in some dark alley.

the confirmation that you think about him too nearly pushes him over the edge- the only thing holding him back is the idea of cumming in your mouth.

you wrap your lips around him again- this time passing over his tip to take him fully, his dick hits the back of your throat before you reach the base, somehow taking him further than he thought possible.

bobbing your head up and down- a coat of salvia begins to stick to the base of his dick, the sight makes him shiver.

“f-fuck baby- gna cum!” it only encourages you to move faster, fucking your own face onto his dick as a slur of moans leave his mouth. he has to be quieter- anyone could turn down this alleyway at any point, the thought seems to have been long lost in his head.

“always so good for me- take me so well” his praise shouldn’t have an effect on you- your only doing this to get out of a sentence- you can’t help the heat that fills your stomach.

“cumming! oh fuck m’cumming-” and he doesn’t half cum- finishing down your throat that lasts upwards of a minute, he cums ropes- the most cum you’ve ever received from anyone in the past.

sucking him dry- it takes multiple rounds of swallowing before he’s finished, and even then there’s still some spilling from your mouth.

his head slightly dizzy from the repercussions of his orgasm, he watches- slightly in awe as you move your fingers along your face, picking up the excess of his load that you hadn’t managed to swallow before sliding your digits into your mouth.

you pull him down towards you- his knees nearly buckling at your strength and steal his lips in a hot- passionate kiss, he tastes the remains of his cum on your tongue.

you’d never kissed him before- infact you’d never done anything but suck his dick before, the feeling leaves him even more delirious than he was before, silently delighted at tonight’s turn of events as he kisses you back.

you hold him against you for a second- deepening the kiss before your ripping yourself away from him in an instant- standing back up before he can regain his balance.

your immediately running- making swift work of the walls around you, climbing up until your on top of the building next to him. you look at him from above still seeing him stuck in place.

“until next time hero!” the teasing in your voice is evident as you duck away- seemingly disappearing into the shadows of the night before he can even work out what’s happening.

a ringing of his phone snaps him out of his trance- picking it up, he answers with a lopsided grin. “sorry man they got away- promise i’ll get them next time.”

[tonyboneysblog]

MOTHER HEN: PART NINE

parings: hawks x mother!reader

wordcount: 2.8k

notes: IF TUMBLR KEEPS PLAYIN WITH THESE MENTIONS IM GOJNB TK LOZE IT AHHHHH- also I missed you cuties🥴

warnings: none!

summary: you, the mother of Fumikage Tokoyami, are just a simple nurse! Who caught the eye of a certain pro.

Truthfully, hawks was having an amazing day.

He could feel the peep in his step, and when he woke up he almost thought some upbeat pep song start playing because he felt like he was in a damn movie.

He almost skips over to Mirko when he sees her, big smile on his face.

Mirko looks over at him skeptically, “what’s got you in such a good mood?”

Hawks hums, “oh nothing, I was only kissed by a beautiful maiden last night around…I don’t know 12:47?”

Mirko smile suddenly drops as she looks towards hawks slowly.

Then she suddenly catches him in the most disgustingly tight hug, “you dirty dog- why didn’t you tell me immediately?!”

“It was spur of the moment?”

Mirko squeezes tighter, “I know for a fact you didn’t make the first move.”

Hawks chuckles and try’s to raise his hand in surrender.

“You know me, full of surprises”

Mirko drops his, “Alright since you won’t tell me the truth I’m going to his you terrible news”

Hawks raises his brows in curiosity, “and that is?”

Mirko sighs, “HPSC decided to call me since you apparently been AWOL all night…”

Hawks rolls his eyes, “what do they want with you, you don’t even work for them.”

��They wanted me to tell you that they needed your excellence immediately- something important apparently.” Mirko crossed her arms looking away from hawks.

Hawks hums, Mirko seems to be in deep thought but he doubts it about the “important” business that the HPSC wants with him.

Mirko pats hawks back, “you sure it was just a kiss last night, birdie?”

Hawks whips his head towards her, “w-what?! Of course I’m sure!”

“I mean- gone all night?” Mirko giggles- “was she really that-“

Hawks cuts Mirko off, “Stop talking.”

It’s not hawks fault he decided to have a good night sleep with his phone turned off.

And maybe on a different day then events would honestly even more romantic than you made.

But your son was also literally attacked by villains- hawks wouldn’t go all, “come on baby” after that.

Speaking of you and Fumikage, the two of your were in the same spot as yesterday.

U.A. had cancelled school for the week after the kids got attacked- even if they didn’t cancel you still wouldn’t allow Fumikage to go back.

You couldn’t tell if Fumikage was okay or messed up in the head. You’d assume they’d go over some type of mental check before they let Fumikage go frolic with hawks somewhere but it also U.A.

Sure it’s the best hero school- but maybe you should’ve made Fumikage go to Shiketesu instead.

Shiketesu kids don’t get attacked by villains almost everyday.

Fumikage was still sleeping next to you when you woke up on the couch, you were slowly hit with all the memories that happened the night before.

like kissing a pro hero.

moment of weakness? perchance.

You check your messages yet they aren’t any from him, he’s probably working anyways.

You called off for at least two days so you were able to keep an eye on Fumikage so you really don’t have an excuse to ignore a text from hawks if he sends one.

Well you’re a grown woman, face your “mistakes” Y/N!

pretty lady

good morning.

maybe it wasn’t a good idea to text hawks on the job- you don’t wanna distract-

bird boy

MORNING Y/N

we’ll nevermind.

pretty lady

so about last night, I’m

sorry for yknow.

bird boy

kissing me?

bird boy

do it again.

bird boy

wait

bird boy

shit how do I unsend messages

you start to giggle, well at least he doesn’t regret it? thought he doesn’t know how to use iMessage.

pretty lady

haha. It okay keep it there

bird boy

yes ma’am

bird boy

I’m abt to be in some meeting. ttyl?

pretty lady

what?

bird boy

ttyl?

bird boy

sorry forgot you were a fossil

not funny, not even Fumikage calls you a fossil.

Aside from spending more time with Fumikage, your day has been quite boring.

and technically you haven’t been spending time with Fumikage because he’s been asleep the whole time.

Your heart aches with worry, Fumikage never really told you about the events yesterday- just that shadow took control.

You didn’t watch too much either, nor call U.A. Because you could already tell the media was ripping them apart just from looking at your timeline.

you know deep down that Fumikage will return to U.A. no matter how worried or how much you hate it. It is his dream school, he worked hard to get in.

You feel as if there’s something deeper affecting Fumikage- deep down in your bones.

And yeah maybe you’re slightly worried for the boy who was kidnapped.

Yeah, no way U.A. is surviving this.

But all you could really do now is focus on Fumikage and his feelings.

the following days were calm, hawks texted you at night mostly about random things or just his small thoughts.

One time he’s asked you if the moon were a rock or planet, he said he got in an argument with Mirko about it.

sadly he didn’t win it.

Fumikage was lounging on the couch, he would be out training but you begged him to rest.

even better news is that the boy who got kidnapped was found, saw the whole thing on the news too.

All might fought the big bad, and he won.

You never had the best opinion on All might but it’s also the number one hero so you can hate him too much.

You personally like best jeanist the most but you’d never tell poor hawks that.

Fumikage suddenly jumps when there’s a knock of the door, you pat his head in an attempt to console him then go to answer the door.

Imagine your surprise when you see the former number one and Fumikages homeroom teacher standing there.

All might smiles slightly, “Evening Ms. Tokoyami.”

you send a smile back, “evening, what bring you two here?”

All Might fiddles with a loose stand on his arm sling, “we came to discuss a matter with you, about Fumikage.”

“Please, come in then.” You open the door more to allow them into your home.

Fumikage perks up at seeing his teacher, “Mr. Aizawa?”

It was weird to see his homeroom teacher look so…clean?

All might and Aizawa sit on the couch infront of you a Fumikage.

“So, what is it that you need to speak about?” You say calmly.

Aizawa speaks up first, explaining on how they wanted to put the hero course students into dorms as some type of better protection.

it made your blood boil.

“So, will you allow Fumikage to-“

“No, I will not.” You reply curtly.

You can hear All Might whisper a small, “well that’s a first.” to Aizawa.

The silence is akward to say the least.

Alll scratches the back of his head, “is there a specific reason?”

“Would you like me to say it allowed, or put it in an email.”

“Preferably aloud?”

You breathe in deeply, “I don’t even know if I want my son in your school anymore. You’ve destroyed all my trust in this school- and if you think your protecting the students then your just plan wrong because the villains have infiltrated the school not once, but twice. Honestly I can’t even comprehend other parents agreeing to this.”

Fumikage messes with his hands anxiously, slightly embarrassed.

“Ma’am, we understand-“

You cut him off, “I seriously doubt that you under my perspective, you’re not a woman nor are you a parent- let only a parent on your own.”

Again the room falls into a tense silence.

until Fumikage speaks up, quietly.

“I think I would enjoy the dorms…”

You look over to Fumikage, surprise evident on your face.

Fumikage doesn’t look at you, “and I like U.A. too- all my friends are there.”

“Alright, then you can go.” You stay with a small smile directed at Fumikage.

“W-what? But you said-“

You grab Fumikages hand softly, “I can’t control what you want or what you do Fumikage. I’m not gonna force you stay here, you are your own person Fumi.”

All might sighs in relief, until you start talking again.

“But I’m not gonna retract anything I said, your school sucks in my opinion.” You sigh.

All might chuckles, “understood.”

You stand up and open the door for them, signifying that you wouldn’t really like them there anymore.

“Have a good rest of your day, Ms. Tokoyami.” Aizawa says as they leave.

When you shut the door you could almost hear all might a Aizawa sighing, almost like they just encountered a near death experience.

Maybe you could’ve been slightly kinder?

No, no, they deserved it.

Suddenly your phone dings with a text, from hawks more specifically.

bird boy

could I come over?

pretty lady

sure, something wrong?

He never replied though, hawks doesn’t actually ever ask to come over though.

Fumikage and hawks seems to be on alright terms as well, you noticed they both got the same drink when hawks dropped him off.

maybe they’re bonding?

Fumikage starts to tug at your shirt, something he never grew out of, holding his phone to you.

It was open to a text thread, someone named shoji.

“Can I go hang out with him?”

You hum, “yes- but come home early, you know I worry more cause of these villains.”

Fumikage pecks your cheek then runs out the house quickly.

well he’s sure excited to hang out with someone.

About ten minutes after you hear hawks knocking at your door, and when you open he looks…tired? exhausted?

“Hey mama bird.” His voice calls tiredly.

You usher him in and close the door, “everything okay?”

Hawks melts into the couch with sigh, “yeah, just a rough day- where’s Fumikage?”

You sit next to him, “He went out with a friend, did you wanna see him?”

“Nah, better he isn’t.” He chuckles softly.

Should you be worried about that?

You rest your head onto the back of the couch, looking at hawks.

“Why’s that?”

“cause I wanted to see just you.” He closes his eyes, he look tireder by the minute.

You giggle, “You can’t see me, your eyes are closed.”

“Close enough.”

You admire hawks features softly, you notice small bumps and nicks in his skin which are always edited out in the magazine.

Your eyes linger on the small marks near his eyes, you’ve always wondered if it were makeup.

So you check.

Your thumb runs over the marks, making hawks eyes squint softly before opening them.

“What’re you doing?”, He says with a mischievous manner.

“Just checking if they’re real.”

“Did I disappoint?”

you smile fondly, “no, never.”

Hawks analyzes every detail your face holds, every mark.

His smile fades, his eyes look heavy.

He grabs your wrist softly, moving them away from his face.

He looks at you as if you hung the stars.

He leans in, you can feel his breath ghost over your lips.

He hands ,which were ungloved prior, intertwine with your as he leans in.

His lips capture your own, his slightly chapped most likely due to always being in the sky.

He leans in farther, like he needs your kiss to breath, to live.

He needs the comfort of your lips to feel better, he needs to remember the taste, the feel, the smell of you.

The way your lips perfectly mold together like clay.

He feels like he’s flying, no cares in the world expect for you.

Hawks can feel your warm hands slip near his torso, his stomach flutters with butterflies.

You hold onto him, lovingly.

hawks places his free hand into your hair, pushing you closer to his lips.

You can hear a small coo coming from hawks, wonder if he chirps.

He loves the sensation, the feeling you give him.

He wants to stay in your warmth forever, he doesn’t wanna go back to the HPSC, he doesn’t want to do this new mission,

He doesn’t want to sneak into the league.

he just wants you.

Hawks hold you closer, like you’ll disappear until you have to come up for air.

The two of you breathe heavily, slowly coming back down from your little kissing high.

“date me.” He says breathlessly.

You cup his face with your hand, “y-

“What the fuck.”

You and hawks looks towards to door quickly.

“is that the number three hero..?”

only to find your poor son Fumikage and another boy.

mortifying is the only way to describe this situation.

Fumikage turns around to the boy, covering his eyes in what seems to be disappoint.

In return, hawks covers his eyes and retreats into you, covering himself with his wings.

You start laughing, so hard that you can feel your very own six pack growing in.

The boy, which you assume is shoji, starts laughing with you, “hey Fumikage, I didn’t know your stepdad was the number three.”

You laugh even harder, while hawks and Fumikage retreat further.

Later, when the embarrassment and laughter cleared, the four of you sat down at the dining table.

“I didn’t think you’d come home so early Fumi?”

shoji looks at Fumikage, “Fumi?”

“Well mother. I had to come back because I forgot my wallet- I did t know I’d come back and see some…some- some harlot sucking face with my mom!” Fumikages voice grows in pitch with each word.

Hawks gasps, “h-harlot?! And it wasn’t sucking face we didn’t even use tongue!”

Suddenly the table erupts as you sit back and watch.

“Disgusting- you’re illiterate and you can’t keep your hands off my mother!”

“I thought we were bonding Fumikage- remember when you gave me that drink?”

Fumikage shrieks, “I SHOULD’VE LET YOU DIE OF DEHYDRATION.”

“I wasn’t even on the brink of dehydration?!” Hawks says confused.

The small spat continues as you look over towards shoji with an apologetic face.

It was the first time this kid met you and he saw you on a quite personal time…

Shoji throws you a small thumbs up, great kid already.

You can almost hear Fumikage start cawing at hawks.

You try to break up the fight, “Alright— calm down…”

Fumikage sits down and crosses his arms as hawks deflates back into the chair.

“Fumikage..I apologize for kissing on the couch…I’ll take it to my room next time.”

Fumikage squawks, “mom!”

You can see hawks ears go red, his wings puffing.

Fumikage points at him accusatorially, “I know what you’re thinking you…you- you womanizer!”

Hawks gasps dramatically, “I-I’m no womanizer- I happen to like your momma!”

“Point at him too dark shadow!” Dark shadow comes out chanting “womanizer” while pointing at hawks.

Shoji decides to join in as-well…and maybe you too.

hawks sighs in defeat, Fumikage cheers victoriously with shadow.

You expect him to start jumping up and down with shadow as well.

“Shoji- remove the criminal from my home!”

Shoji chuckles, “not doing that..”

You stand up and lead hawks out of the house, you can hear Fumikage and Shoji laughing.

Hawks sits down on the stairs, you sit with.

Hawks sighs, “Not a womanizer.”

You giggle softly, patting his head.

Hawks stays quiet for a minutes wu til speaking up, “so, what’s your answer?”

“To what?”

His ears turn pink, “…d-dating me.”

“I’m surprised that’s even a question.”

“Is that a yes?”

You nod softly, smiling at hawks.

Hawks smiles with you, “can I kiss you again?”

“I’m afraid you won’t be able to stop.”

Hawks wraps his arms around you, “maybe, is that such a problem?”

“Maybe?”

Hawks leans in to kiss you softly, but you pull away.

“Why were you so upset when you came over?” You say while starting to rub soft circles on his hips.

“Not upset anymore.”

You sigh, “You don’t wanna tell me?”

“It’s not that…I just can’t tell you.” Hawks rests his head on your shoulder.

“Jus’ stressed out.”

You crane your head to kiss his temple, “would you like to spend the night?”

Hawks lets out a small laugh, “Fumikage wouldn’t like that.”

“He’ll get over it.” You push away from hawks slowly.

He laughs and follows you in the house, you point towards your bedroom then leave hawks to see Fumikage.

Hawks wanders into your room, it’s nice he thinks.

He removes most of his hero clothes until he realizes he doesn’t have another pair.

You won’t mind if he stole some of your wardrobe, right?

After done telling Fumikage goodnight, who was about to leave to walk Shoji home, you walk into your room to find hawks in your clothes.

how cute?

You make your way to the bed, welcoming its new found comfort.

Hawks seems to be sleeping until he snuggles into your neck, wrapping his arms and wings around you.

Looks like you won’t need a blanket at least?

hawks tries to sleep quickly, big day tomorrow.

infiltrating and gathering information on the league.

he hopes to god you don’t get hurt somehow.

would you be mad at what he’s doing? Or would you clean the blood of his hands.

would you spit on his face or kiss him until he couldn’t breath.

he’s scared for the answer.

Yet he continues to fall farther into you.

TAGLIST!💕

@lost-in-horrorland @boopjuice @validveenus @qardasngan @arminsarlerts @star-the-rabid-dog @bunni-teeth81 @lightsgore @portgasdbruh @camejlo-35 @marsbars09 @tharae514 @yoongiwantsme @kimahrii @pink-jello-fish @l1vvvvv @miy-svz @bumblebeebutter @lacunaanonymoused @emmmeoo

[katsudonn]

About you

[Katsuki bakugo x Reader]

Inspired to the song About you

!Story is Angst to fluff!

Synopsis: You were excited to reveal the news to your husband katsuki after 5 years of marriage just to receive news that he got hit by a memory quirk.

⚠️ warnings⚠️

Grammatical errors, wrong spelling, Angst, the story is a bit of an open ending, I made it Angst to fluff cause my heart couldn't take full Angst right now.

You waited for the day to end excited to give the box you've been working onto for the whole week to katsuki. You did your very best to hid the pregnancy test and not be suspicious cause you want to make it a special surprise to him. You also made a meal, his favorite spicy ramen. The day officially ended its currently 7 pm and he's still not yet home. You thought he was just having another overtime at work since being top pro hero is a hassle for him.

You're getting anxious since katsuki still hasn't knocked, he should be home by now since it's already 9 Pm in night now.

Your phone rang, you were excited to hear katsuki is on his way home, but when you picked your phone up turns out it's Mina whose calling you. You're quite disappointed but still picked the call up either way.

"Hey girl, how are you?" You heard the pink haired through the phone.

"I'm just waiting for katsuki, you know the surprise I've been working the whole," you replied happily.

"Yeah" Mina replied lowly in the other end of the phone. "Babe, katsuki need you right now."

Your heart dropped, what could possibly happen to your lover? You hurriedly put your winter coat on and picked your keys up to drive your way to the hospital.

"I'll be on my way Mina, send me the location."

After minutes of driving you finally arrived at the hospital, you ran to his room. You opened the door meeting kirishima's whose just about to leave, him seeing your worried look and state, "We'll help you fix this [y/n], I'll go on patrol now," he pats your head and leaves.

You saw katsuki with minimal bruise and talking to his other friends and a doctor on his side asking him questions. You ran to him and hugged his back, he was caught off guard by your presence. "You dummy, you always gets me worried," you said crying onto his back.

"Hey ma'am are you a relative of dynamight?" The doctor asked. "Yeah, I'm his wife," you responded looking at katsuki's confused look. "I have a wife?" Katsuki asked which made you looked confused aswell, it made your heart ache of what he have said.

"Ma'am, let's talk outside for now," the doctor said leading you outside still confused of what is happening. "As you can see dynamight is out to capture a villain, but due to its quirk he had lost some of his memories, the memories lost is still not sure but I think you're one of it. He could still remember all of his friends but you ma'am." He explained patting your shoulder.

Still flabbergasted of what the doctor have said, "that's impossible, how could this happen?" As tears slowly forming in your eyes. "Since it's just a quirk maybe we could still fix this, but we wouldn't guarantee, all you can do is help him remember atleast Ma'am." You heart aches more and clutch onto your stomach.

Still on tears when Mina approaches you and hugged you, your body felt weak and lean onto mina's hug. "How can I tell him I'm pregnant if he wouldn't even remember he has a wife?" You said while sobbing. "Babe, it's okay we'll find a way, we'll help him remember you." Mina hugged you tightly as she fight her tears away.

Mina knows how katsuki love you so much and how nice person you are, their hearts broke also knowing that he only forgotten about you. It's must be something about this villains quirk. Mina is doing her best to comfort and calm you down since you're pregnant and it's your first trimester so the baby is in sensitive state. She's worried of how your pregnancy will go in this kind of problem your facing.

"Katsuki said his heart calmed down when you entered the room for some reason, maybe there's still chance [y/n]" mina assured you wiping your tears away. "Let's go see katsuki, maybe he'll recall some," mina held your hand leading you to the room. Your swollen red eyes is still visible, some of his classmates left, telling you to be strong and they have to go for now.

"H-hey kats..." you tried to speak up only some few steps away from him. You looked at him trying your best to smile to not worry him any longer. "Do you remember me?" You asked in a low voice.

Katsuki looks at your state, his heart shrunk seeing you said for some reason, his instinct wants to hug you and comfort you "I'm sorry, I don't," he replied.

Your heart couldn't take what's happening today and couldn't let your voice out or speak to him. "But for some reason I don't like seeing you crying," he said looking at the bed sheets avoiding your gaze. "I'll try my best to recall everything, don't worry."

Somehow your heart calmed a bit from his words, your husband katsuki is still the same after all, he just forgotten about you. But hearing him say he'll try makes you believe that your family could still be back. You gave him a warm smile wiping your tears away "then we'll wait for you kats."

Katsuki heart warmed down aswell seeing you happy. He couldn't respond and just nod at your respons.

Few hours had passed of you and katsuki talking at helping him recover, "Hey, it's late do you want me to drive you home?" Kaminari said. "Ah, yeah.. I guess it's late, I'll visit you tomorrow kats" you said and lean to give him a kiss on his cheek. As much as you want to peck his lips, you think it'd weird him out.

Bakugo did not push your actions away and just gave into it, he knew the pain your into right now. "Okay drive safely," he added seeing your small frame leaving the room with kaminari. "I'll take care of her bro, see ya," kaminari waved at katsuki leaving.

You and kaminari finally arrived in your home "Hey, stay strong we'll figure this out," he pats your shoulder. "Thanks, drive safely also," you went out of his car and wave as goodbye to him.

You went inside your shared home with katsuki, everything still hasn't sink into you, looking at your wedding photos in the hallway praying that this wouldn't be the end of your marriage and soon to be family. You can't help but cry and be worried to not get your baby's development in critical. You just sleep your tears away too tired for the day.

Days had passed, you visited katsuki every day to check any progress, its taking slow but you always prayed for his memory recovery, you still haven't told him your surprise yet. You Don't even know when will you have the chance to tell him, will be happy if he knew it? Will he accept it now in his current state?

Katsuki finally got discharge from the hospital and the doctor recommended for him to stay at home for more chance of recovering his memories. "This is the house you and I designed with the help of your dad," you said opening the doorknob. He just follow through inside seeing the photos of your wedding in the walls, photos of your dates, engagement proposal in the shelf. It just feels home here, even seeing your frame felt like home to him.

Even without his memories he can feel how safe he is with you, which even eagers him to recover faster. He felt his head ache upon seeing your home, "Hey are you okay?" You asked worried. "Yeah, just maybe some is sinking in me," he assured you.

"You designed this kitchen cause you love to cook, you often cook meals even if you're tired with work," you chuckled looking in the kitchen. "You always told me cause I like it extra special for you," he smiled of what you have said, happy that he does his hobby and is a good husband to you.

"You also insist putting orange accent in our house since it's your favorite color," you said pointing out the orange designs. "You also said you'd want our future kids room to be orange," you chuckled to those memories. He also laughed hearing it really reminds of him, everything you just said is very him. "Damn right, I also want them wearing my custom hero suit," he respond grabbing your waist.

Your shocked of his sudden actions but just gave into the moment, maybe he's really trying his best to fix this. "I'll just go to the bathroom, I'll be back" you said and went to the bathroom.

Katsuki room freely around the house and found a orange box with a cute ribbon wrapped around it. He got curious on what could be inside of it, maybe some old photos or collection? Maybe it could help him regain his memories. He opened the box revealing 2 pregnancy test and a photo of ultra sound, his eyes widened seeing the whole box. It also has a note in the lid "We're coming soon dad" he can't help but cry seeing the whole thing, it also includes one baby clothes whose color is orange and a hand written letter by you.

You just finished going in the bathroom and went around the house to find katsuki, you found him in the room crying? "Hey, kats what are you looking at.." As your voice kept on getting lower and lower, seeing him crying over your soon to be surprise to him. You can't help but cry also, "that was supposed to be my surprise the day you lost your memories," you said wiping your tears away.

"I wonder if it's a girl or a boy," he said chuckling holding onto the baby clothes with a "baby dynamight" design on it. Your eyes lighten up seeing him so happy with your surprise for him. "You always told me you'd want to have a boy so you could train him to be strong like you, either way even if it's a girl you know she'd be as strong like you," you said walking to his side.

He hugged you tightly tears still streaming in his face, he couldn't help it, deep inside him felt so full and happy seeing the box. "Wait for me,I'll figure this out," he said circling his hands in your back. "You better be," you said hugging him back.

The night ended better than you expected, you showed him the photo album of his collection photos. He got his photograph habbit from his mom, he would secretly take you pictures and put it in the album, and photos of you together, anytime and anywhere as long as he feels like it.

He can't help but smile thinking he's so lucky marrying a kind of woman like you, he wonders what he did in life to even get you to marry him? You can see him try to recall each picture and memories you tell him, being patient and praying for his fast recovery.

I'd recommend you to play the music About you by The 1975 here:

Months had passed, you would invite him to the places he'd often bring you for hopes of triggering his memories. The villain is also being investigated on how to reverse his quirk, but to no avail he wouldn't talk and would just often laugh and say "that dynamight deserve to lose everything special to him." Katsuki wanted to blow the person up, but there's a thick glass in between them. "You fucker ruining everyones family!? Dammit my wife and kid need me you fucking villain!" He exclaimed punching through the glass.

"You fucking deserve it dynamight, you also once caught my kid, here is my small gift to you, and that memory of yours will forever poof" the villain laughed through the other side. Bakugo is about to blow up the whole place due to his anger but his teacher came into place and place him his hand onto his shoulder. "Calm down, there's still other way," aizawa said as you're face so happy flashed into his face and calmed himself up. "Rot in hell Fucker," he said one last time.

Everything felt like the first time meeting katsuki, you felt sad about it but also feel so happy seeing him try and accepted the fact of your soon to be born kid. He would be present in your ultra sounds, seeing his eyes light up looking in the monitor holding your hands so firm.

He still gave you the same love, katsuki grew attached to you even if his memories with you is just from the past few months. He would sometimes talk about what his kid will be, if it's a boy will if look exactly like him? You wished. If it's a girl will it replicate your looks? He wished.

He would do the same exact things you told him he always do for you, such as cooking you meal everytime. He also designed the room of your soon to be kid with an accent of orange on it and a logo of his "baby dynamight."

He just didn't tell you that he's slowly regaining some of his memories by himself and with Eri's quirk helping him reverse the quirk used in him. He would sometimes secretly laugh in your stories making him look that "he's such a nice guy" and "he always love kids on your dating years" how you fabricate some of his traits. Your trying to make his memories nice.

He would do the things you like and love, such as him buying you sunflowers and tulips cause it's your favorites, he'd say he asked his friends and just wanted to do someth nice to you.

He couldn't help but be happy spending time to with you telling him stories of your life together, he wished he could stay in this moment forever with you and his Lil family. You're also happy how your soon to be family is slowly forming. His mother Mitsuki would sometimes asked how are you and the baby doing, wishing you a Goodluck on his son's recovery.

It's your fifth month in pregnancy, you belly is getting heavier and bigger, but katsuki would still complement that you're so fucking gorgeous and encourage you. You planned a date and gender reveal with him, just the two of you.

You went to the same park you both always go and ready a small picnic in it. You ordered a gender reveal cake for a small celebration with your lover. "Okay so we'll both use this glass to cut through the cake and reveal the gender," you explained the mechanics to him happily. "Okay, okay boss" he said patting your head.

You both cut through the cake and seeing a blue and pink? Bakugo saw pink in his side and yours a blue. "I got pink" katsuki said "I got blue" you said. Katsuki eyes widen "it's a twin?" He asked you so confused. "Yeah" you chuckled. "I thought the twins would be boys, but I guess it's both!" You said wiping the minimal tears in your eyes.

He hugged you carefully trying not to hurt you and your belly. "Damn your a super mom" he said rubbing your belly. "I also have something to say, I've also regained all my memories with Eri's help," he said cupping your cheeks. Your eyes also widen and started to cry, "you dummy today was supposed to be my surprise to you," he wiped your tears away. "I'm so happy kats," he smiled and peck your lips. "Me too [y/n]" you kissed him back.

Do you think I have forgotten? (About you)

Thank you for reading till end T^T hope you liked it!! \(♡3♡)/ please tell me what you feel in this story! Love lots dynamight🧡

Sorry again to any grammar and spelling errors I've made :')

[long-live-astronerd-ghost-king]

DP x PC prompt where Batclan ship “Pitch Pearl” or as they say, “We’ve connected the two dots”. 

Batclan has been watching the Phantom and the Fentons, especially their son. They were able to find some information but for some environmental reason the tracking devices are working in Amity Park with such terrible sound interference...it is difficult for them to understand a word.

~~~~

Fenton kid's Audiotape: I hate..Phantom..threat..destroy.

Original: I hate that my parents think that Phantom is a threat and want to destroy me.

~~~~

Audiotape of the Phantom: cause me trouble..Danny Fenton’s..guns..pointed at my back.

Original : Why everyone wants to cause me trouble? I don’t have time for Danny Fenton’s homework with all those guns pointed at my back.

~~~~

Batclan arrives personally and is going to offer to rescue the ghost from the Fenton child. But. There is a problem.

They see the Phantom calling a Ghost Girl, very much like him, a daughter. The next day the girl flies to the son of the Ghosthunters without fear, calls him father and turns into a human girl. And the teenager hugs her.

Batman thinks their situation is similar to Lex and Superman but unlike them they both really love their "Conner".

~~~~

Tucker hears this reasoning from the tracking device he planted on the Batman’s cloak.

Danny: Good news. They want to help Phantom and don’t think he’s a bad guy. They also fail to understand that Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom are the same person. Bad news.They think I, Fenton, am the villain. How can I dissuade them without revealing my identity?

Tucker: Well, you have a lair with weapons and instruments for diss and vivi in the basement.

Dani*feral half-ghost teen*: Say no more. I have an idea.

~~~~

The same evening, Batclan sees Tik Tok video from the Fenton lab.

*Miike Snow's Genghis Khan plays in the background*:

The Phantom is tied to the autopsy table and Bruce wants to ask the children to look away, but Dick stops him and says he knows the song, so they should see it.

The video has a happy ending. The heroes like it and they go home with a calm soul.

~~~~

An hour after there’s a comment from DashHereForSlash: Cool cosplay, guys! I’m happy that someone knows about this ship! The equipment looks so real! Where to send a donat for a kiss in the next video?

GhoticPlant: Glad you liked it! Here’s a link.

~~~~

Three hours later, the Red Huntress shoots a duet:

~I get a little bit Genghis Khan

Don't want you to get it on

With nobody else but me.~

Yes, they used Fenton Ghost Catcher and Tucker, Sam and Jazz played henchmen.

~~~~

Tucker sits at the table with Fenton and Phantom.

Tucker: So, Danny, what’s more important..self-esteem or easy money?

Double Dannouble: Money

Tucker: All right, here’s your $50. It’s all fair. But next time you need to use a little more touch. And we change the platform to post the videos.

Danny: Suspicious..And I want $100. Double job means double salary.

Jazz: Danny, no more videos! You’re 15!

Tucker*with printed photos of the kiss the next day*: Remember, don't let people manipulate you to do things you don’t want to do. But we’re doing it to better cover up a little dirty deadly secret, money’s just a bonus. And Danny is narcissistic enough to be happy that now Paulina has his pictures in frames.

Part 2

[agatharkn3ss]

Witch references: Lorelei

As I continue having fun with finding the little references hidden all across Agatha's episodes, I keep finding lots of allusions to stories of alleged witches and women persecutions. They are just too delicious not to share and I wonder if there are any similarities we can draw between these stories and what we are seeing in the show.

In this post I will focus on the legend of Lorelei. I found her reference in episode 2, when Agatha enters her living room. There is a prominent painting on the wall to the left.

After some editing and searching I finally found it! The painting is called "The Lorelei" by Albert Pinkham Ryder.

The painting is based on a poem by Heinrich Heine:

"The Lorelei"

What is it that fills me with sadness And weighs down my spirits like lead? An old story that drives me to madness For I can’t get it out of my head.

Through the gorge, a deep river is flowing; The air cools, soon day will be done; Westwards, the cliff-tops are glowing In the rays of the setting sun.

And then, if you lift your eyes higher. You can pick out a figure up there: Her jewels are shining like fire, And she’s combing her long golden hair.

Her combing is slow and erotic, And so is the flow of her song: The melody’s strangely hypnotic, And her voice is compellingly strong.

The man at the helm gives a shiver As fear strikes his heart like a stone. He’s now blind to the rocks in the river; She transfixes his eyes with her own.

That then is the story’s sad ending. And the helmsman’s as well, I’d surmise; And if anyone’s case needs defending It is the Lorelei’s.

In her legend, Lorelei was accused of being a witch, because men lost their heads because of her. But even the priest was not immune to her charms, so he did not send her to death, but to the monastery. On the way to the monastery, accompanied three knights, she came to a rock above the river Rhine. She begged permission from her companions to look down on the river once more, to see where her beloved who had left her had gone. She threw herself from the rock into the deep, and her three companions jumped after her The cliff has forever retained the echo of its name.

So in folklore, Lorelei became an evil seductress who lives on a large rock above the Rhine River. Much like the sirens of Greek mythology, she beguiles sailors with her singing, luring their ships to destruction.

Lorelei's story is an example of a woman being persecuted for her looks, then turned into a femme fatale character, to suggest she was evil all along.

If you think about it, the archetype of "femme fatale" fits the definition of a witch to the dot - "a beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. Her ability to enchant, entice and hypnotize her victim with a spell was in the earliest stories seen as verging on supernatural; hence, the femme fatale today is still often described as having a power akin to an enchantress, seductress, witch, having power over men. Femmes fatales are typically villainous, or at least morally ambiguous, and always associated with a sense of mystification, and unease."

I will leave it to you for your own interpretations - this could be just an homage to the women's tragic stories throughout the ages. Or maybe Agatha relates to the story because of her own experience. Or that maybe the story has some truth to it and Agatha actually has some connections with the events. It could even be a nod to the character of Rio. Who knows?...

[sardonic-the-writer]

𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩

↳ summary: you ask your distant and cold professor for some help with your thesis. good thing he seems to be an expert on fear

↳ warnings: mentions of murder, booze, guns, and some gore. canon type gotham violence. a wiff of stalking maybe?

↳ song: aleph—gesaffelstein

masterlist!

University life wasn't much different than you had expected. Television and movies glam it up to make it sound like the peak of your young adult life. A time for exceeding expectations and drinking cheap booze out of those weird solo cups in a random person's basement. But this was Gotham—where crime is the highest in the country and misfortune runs galore. The closest anyone got to walking into a stranger's basement these days was with the threat of a gun at their back.

In preparation for the quote-unquote finest school Gotham had to offer, instead of going out and buying the list of supplies your school recommended, you simply lowered your expectations. Not like there was much to begin with in the first place. You could get a protractor later.

Your thought process proved to be worth it too. Barely an hour into your first day, the campus was evacuated as a precaution for a major villain sighting in the area. Something about filling up a building with highly dangerous gas. As of weeks later, details still hadn't been released to the public. That was fine by you. All you cared about was not getting ripped away from your precious lunch again.

The campus cafeteria was drafty and smelled of mold, parties were thrown way too often, and most of your professors were stern with classes people only took so they could get their degrees.

In that case, Mr. Crane was no different from any of the other teachers.

There was certainly no lack of students in his class on the first week—the largely female percentage most likely gathered because of his pretty face. But by the end of it, over half had already dropped out.

You were not one of them. Somewhat regrettably, you had begun to think after hours of pouring over papers in just the first week. But you needed this class to fully understand your thesis topic and you'd be damned if you moved all the way out to Gotham for nothing.

That was what you were thinking about as you rounded the back row of Doctor Crane's class, staring blankly at the missed call from your mother atop your phone's home screen.

It had practically become a ritual for her to call you at least once a day since you'd moved to the city. Anytime you didn't pick up, it would send her into a frenzy—despite your multiple explanations of why you have your phone on silent during lectures. But that wouldn't stop her from constantly pleading for you to come back and finish getting your degree at home. Because even if it would take longer, and completely drain your bank account, at least you would be away from those lunatics. Or so she called them.

"You have nothing to worry about." You'd told her one time while watching a bowl of ramen bubble angrily on your stove. "Even if I was mugged or something, I'm sure the Batman would save me."

It had been meant as a half joke, said only to quell your mothers worries. Yet the more and more newspaper stands you passed on your way to the store, the more the vigilanties name came up. Often accompanied by the words HERO or SAVIOR afterward.

The sudden memory of newspapers stopped you right as you were about to cross the threshold from the lecture hall to the rest of the building. You were quick to turn around, flipping your phone back into your pants pocket loosely before approaching the professor's desk. A few more students filed out from behind you, one even tossing you a wave, before it was just you and the professor left.

Doctor Crane was nothing short of intimidating. Everything from the clean cut suit he worse, to his icy blue eyes—and even his second title as lead doctor in the nearby Arhum Asylum—was surrounded by an air of stoic professionalism.

The man hadn't even been there on the first day of school. Something that would have off-put you if not for the sudden evacuation, haulting any chance of first impressions. Instead, he had shown up the next day like nothing had happened: lips pressed into a tight line and eyes dull as he spoke to the class without really looking at anyone.

He had made it clear on multiple occasions that he was rarely available after class or for tutoring hours, but you doubted that even if he was, nearly anyone would show up for a one on one conversation.

Looks like you would have to be the outlier today.

You waited patiently as he shuffled from one stack of paper to another, eyes never once drifting over the rim of his glasses to look at you. Occasionally you would catch a glimpse of his usually devoid face break into a little frown before making a mark on a paper and moving on. You resisted the urge to peak and see if any of those papers were yours.

"Yes?" He adressed you by your last name suddenly. Packets and papers continued to shuffle. This time he did spare you a glance, a flash of something swirling in his cold eyes before disappearing. Or maybe that had been the dim light. It had been to quick for you to catch.

You cleared your throat before speaking; adjusting your bag unconsciously.

"I had a question or two for you about my thesis topic." You said with a level tone. He asked what it was somewhat dismissively, his monotone way of speaking ever present.

"I've been researching fear and its effects on the human brain for quite sometime, so I felt it was only fitting for that to be my topic."

That seemed to gather his attention. When you looked up from your examination of the plain black stapler on the corner of his desk, you were met with one raised eyebrow. His hand was writing on the stapled essay before him considerably slower.

If you squinted hard enough it almost looked like he was smiling.

"May I ask what has garnered your interest in such a subject?" He pressed. For a moment your mind went a little blank, not expecting such undivided attention from him. It was unnerving, concidering that before today he probably didn't even know your first name.

"Well, I've always been interested in how much emotions have a grip on the mind." The words were now tumbling from your mouth in a flurry of half-baked thoughts.

"It was only after moving here that I really realized how it can affect an entire city, much less just one person. Everyone knows how absurd the crime rates here are, but I don't think they've ever seen the stark contrast in the Gotham residents from, say, another neighboring city.

And not to mention there's a whole group of personas parading around the block inspiring pure fear. When the bigger crimes aren't outwardly released to the public, I'm starting to think the ones the police can cover up are being covered up. I did a quick search of specific types of crimes related to the patterns of people like the Joker, Bane, and Scarecrow, and too much adds up for it to all be a coincidence."

You reminded yourself to breathe. You knew you were passionate about this subject—hence the decision in thesis topic—but you were never this chatty with it. Something about Doctor Cranes' unwavering stare drew it all out of you in one go. He was a surgeon at the moment, prying your brain apart from the inside out and turning it over in his hands.

Or maybe you were over analyzing things again.

"And what do you think of this Scarecrow?" He had stopped grading now, plucking the clear rimmed glasses of the bridge of his nose and folding them neatly beside him. In a second, his icy blue gaze seemed to intensify in strength, pinning you in place like a specimen of his to observe. You made the brief connection between this and a lepidopterist pinning up butterflys by their wings. It was quick to leave.

Instead you thought back as news clippings and articals flashed in bold print on your mind. Pictures of the victims he had since left behind followed.

Most of them had died from shock or poison, toxins coursing through their bloodstream too fast for their bodies to handle. Not a wonderful way to go, but it was no better or worse than the dozens of mugging gone wrong that occurred everyday. If you ignored how they had all clawed their eyes out in terror, that is.

Your response came slow and methodical, words chosen with care. You were well aware that people had been thrown out of prestigious universities for speaking their minds about less, and you couldn't afford that right now. Besides. He had asked you a question. Who were you to deny him?

"I think what he's managed to make, to do, is a breakthrough in the scientific and medical field." If your professor noted the way you swallowed thickly he didn't say anything.

"What else?" It was almost like he knew every thought that crossed your mind before it even formed. As if he had been preparing for this exact moment.

You could continue. You could tell him that you'd started sitting by your thoroughly locked window at night, waiting patiently to catch a glimpse of a masked maniac. You could tell him that monster was the exact thing that pushed you to move to Gotham. You most certantly could tell him that you wanted to get your hands on that gas to do some tests of your own—see exactly what this Scarecrow had managed to create.

But instead you looked to the left and told him that was it.

"Well if that's all, I would like to continue this conversation at a later date." Doctor Cranes glasses were back on now as he stood up and began gathering his things.

"I'm not sure—"

"I'm quite interested in what you have to say." He adressed you by your last name again, shutting his briefcase closed with a chilling click. "After all, I have written some papers on this exact subject."

You know. You had read them in your search for more information on the Scarecrow's toxin.

"I'll keep that in mind, professor." You glanced at the doorway, wondering if it would be unacceptable to make a dash for it. You didn't want to be late for work any more than you were already. And if you were being honest this conversation had taken a turn you weren't prepared for.

By some grace of god he let the conversation drop. Not caring to spare another glance at him, you took to the door, planning out the route home in your head.

If he watched you go, you didn't notice. It wasn't until you had gotten home in your stained work uniform, beat up trainers grayed with labor, that you noticed your folder for his class was missing.

"Shit." You dragged a tired hand down your face, kicking off your socks as you lay next to the spread out compartments of your backpack.

You sighed. Looks like you'd be seeing Doctor Crane again sooner than you thought.

[ohdorothea]

This tournament is being run by and for queer fans so please keep that in mind! Homophobes will be blocked on sight <3 More polls here and more info here! Lyrics for the songs and FAQ under the cut!

Maroon lyrics

When the morning came, we

Were cleaning incense off your

Vinyl shelf 'cause we lost track of time again

Laughing with my feet in your lap

Like you were my closest friend

"How'd we end up on the floor anyway?"

You say

"Your roommate's cheap-ass screw top rosé

That's how"

I see you every day now

And I chose you

The one I was dancing with in New York

No shoes

Looked up at the sky and it was

The burgundy on my t-shirt when you splashed your wine into me

And how the blood rushed into my cheeks, so scarlet, it was

The mark they saw on my collarbone

The rust that grew between telephones

The lips I used to call home

So scarlet, it was maroon

When the silence came, we

Were shaking blind and hazy

How the hell did we lose sight of us again?

Sobbing with your head in your hands

Ain't that the way shit always ends

You were standing hollow-eyed in the hallway

Carnations you had thought were roses

That's us

I feel you, no matter what

The rubies that I gave up

And I lost you

The one I was dancing with in New York

No shoes

Looked up at the sky and it was maroon

The burgundy on my t-shirt when you splashed your wine into me

And how the blood rushed into my cheeks, so scarlet, it was

The mark they saw on my collarbone

The rust that grew between telephones

The lips I used to call home

So scarlet, it was maroon

And I wake with your memory over me

That's a real fuckin' legacy, legacy

(It was maroon)

And I wake with your memory over me

That's a real fuckin' legacy to leave

The burgundy on my t-shirt when you splashed your wine into me

And how the blood rushed into my cheeks, so scarlet

It was maroon

The mark they saw on my collarbone

The rust that grew between telephones

The lips I used to call home

So scarlet, it was maroon

It was maroon

It was maroon

🫶🫶🫶

Vigilante Shit lyrics

Draw the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man

You did some bad things, but I'm the worst of them

Sometimes I wonder which one will be your last lie

They say looks can kill and I might try

I don't dress for women

I don't dress for men

Lately I've been dressing for revenge

I don't start shit, but I can tell you how it ends

Don't get sad, get even

So on the weekends

I don't dress for friends

Lately I've been dressing for revenge

She needed cold hard proof so I gave her some

She had the envelope, where you think she got it from?

Now she gets the house, gets the kids, gets the pride

Picture me thick as thieves with your ex-wife

And she looks so pretty

Driving in your Benz

Lately she's been dressing for revenge

She don't start shit, but she can tell you how it ends

Don't get sad, get even

So on the weekends

She don't dress for friends

Lately she's been dressing for revenge

Ladies always rise above

Ladies know what people want

Someone sweet and kind and fun

The lady simply had enough

While he was doing lines

And crossing all of mine

Someone told his white collar crimes to the FBI

And I don't dress for villains

Or for innocents

I'm on my vigilante shit again

I don't start shit, but I can tell you how it ends

Don't get sad, get even

So on the weekends

I don't dress for friends

Lately I've been dressing for revenge

🫶🫶🫶

The question is which song is queerer to you! Queerer can mean whatever you want it to mean; you might consider a song queer because you think it was written that way, or because of Swiftian lore. It might be queer to you because of how you relate it to your own life. Maybe you think from a purely literary standpoint the lyrics have queer themes; maybe you're just thinking about vibes!!!

If you’d like to send in interpretations or propaganda for a specific song you can send them to my inbox! All interpretations are welcome and let’s be open and kind in response to all interpretations <3

[shady-tavern]

A Dash of Villainy within a Hero, Part Two

Part One can be found here. Warnings ahead for murder and mentioned/implied though not graphic torture, mind manipulation and human experiments. Please take care of yourselves.

***

'I know a place' Madness had said after Song had landed, dropping him first and keeping her wings slightly flared after touching down with you, keeping a wary eye on him. You knew the only reason she didn't protest his presence was her trust in you. She trusted that you had a reason for this.

So you had followed Madness with careful caution, for there was no way either of you would lead him to your little hideout for the conversation you all wanted to have.

And, well, considering the glimpses of what you had gotten this night, it looked like you would need allies. You had no idea if villain allies were the way to go, but in this instance it might be something to consider.

Madness led you through a complicated route after sending a text and receiving one in return. The old house he ended up stopping in front was most likely a safehouse that he was going to burn after bringing Song and you here.

To your surprise, there was already someone waiting inside. A kid, sixteen at most and once they opened their mouth and said, "Hey!" you immediately recognized Doctor.

You felt Song tense at your back, heard the ruffle of her wings. Song had always had a massive soft spot for kids and even you had to admit that it unsettled you whenever underage villains or heroes showed up. The latter at least were put into training and were sent out with mentors until they were eighteen, but villain kids seemed to have fewer protections.

You glanced at Madness and noticed the way he watched you and Song from the corner of his eye, the angle of his body. He was ready to protect the kid, no matter what and somehow that made you feel a little bit better.

You were suddenly glad that Doctor was largely known for breaking in and stealing or destroying things and less for going up against heroes the way Madness did. The thought of having attacked a kid made you feel vaguely ill.

"So, I heard you know about Phoenix Project now," Doctor said, casting a quick glance at Madness, their shoulders relaxing a tad at whatever they saw on his face.

"Someone tried to kidnap me last night," Song answered. "Do you know anything about that?"

Doctor glanced at Madness again, a silent conversation taking place that ended with Madness sighing and Doctor looking smugly happy.

"Possibly," Doctor said and reached over the counter of the kitchen island and produced a laptop. They opened it, tapping away with quick fingers and then held it out.

Song and you stepped forward, you taking the laptop while Song leaned a bit onto your back, one wing coming up to curl against you as she looked over your shoulder.

"We don't know a whole lot yet," Doctor said, voice quieter than before and you still tracked Madness from the corner of your eye as he came to stand beside the kid. 

His eyes were a slightly darker violet when you glanced up. He was trusting you around Doctor about as much as you trusted him around Song, it seemed.

Then you focused on what was on the laptop and the more you read, the grimmer you grew. Doctor and Madness had created a chart, heroes retiring without ever being seen again, or dying with no proper proof of their death. They had even dug up a few caskets, only to find them empty.

And then they had stumbled across the term Phoenix Project and had traced it back to The Defenders. Where you had most likely run into Madness after he had broken in.

And now you had the name of someone involved in whatever the project was, one of your higher ups.

"Why do you care?" Song asked, looking up while you studied the chart again. There were more heroes they considered 'missing' rather than dead than you had thought.

Doctor was silent for a long moment, then sighed heavily. "My older brother," they said quietly. "He was a hero and one day a year ago we got a call, that he died in the field. It was a closed casket funeral because of how mangled and burnt he supposedly was."

You glanced up and the kid looked angry and grieving and mulish. "I believed it at first," they continued. "But I kept thinking that something was off. When I asked his teammate, Quake, he was super evasive. And, uh, maybe one night I got super drunk and decided to dig him up. To see for myself that he was really gone. But his casket was empty."

Quake. It seemed he was another person you should chat with. You pulled out your phone after handing the laptop to a very quiet Song, showing Doctor and Madness the photos you had taken, catching them up on what you and Song knew.

Song glanced at you. "Guess who knows where Quake lives," she said and you found yourself grinning. It was not a nice grin.

"How about we extend our truce?" Madness offered and when you looked up, he had a smile on his face that looked the way your grin must have. "I bet my powers come in handy for interrogations."

As would yours. Song glanced between you and Madness and you could tell that she was imagining the sort of 'questioning' you two would create. She knew that you would not hesitate to hurt Quake in order to get your answers. 

You weren't as much of a good person as Song was. After what he had intended to do, what he had already done to Song, you absolutely were vindictive. A part of you hoped he would resist interrogation.

"If we do this," Song said quietly, "We may never be able to be heroes again."

"And if we do nothing and they catch up with us, I am dead and you will get dragged off to whatever and wherever this Phoenix Project is," you answered and she grimaced but didn't argue.

"Alright," Song said after a moment of silence, her voice grim. "I'll lead the way."

*.*.*

Quake was visibly agitated. He was pacing and continuously calling someone. Dawn was only just starting to break and despite this being a very long night, you were too wired to feel tired.

Whoever Quake wanted to contact, he clearly wasn't getting through.

Crouching side by side with Madness was...quite frankly, it was very weird. There was no way you trusted him, nor did you stop tracking his movements from the corner of your eye. It was best to be cautious, especially with someone who could mess with your mind at the drop of a hat.

"I can send him to sleep," Madness whispered and when you glanced at him, one brow raised, he shrugged. "My powers can do more than drive people to temporary insanity."

"Never would have guessed," you muttered and at his unimpressed look, you gestured for him to go ahead.

Madness moved cat-quiet, lowering himself from the ledge of the building to set down on the balcony across from Quake's home. You felt the hum of his power in the air, as did Quake, but he reacted too late. Most people reacted too late, and even then all one could do was try to run to escape from Madness' range.

Quake's eyes rolled back and he dropped limp to the floor. You felt Song's hand grip the back of your jacket and a moment later you were airborne. She dropped you onto Quake's balcony and landed, shifting her wing to the side to make space for Madness to leap across.

Breaking into the apartment was easy and it looked exactly like the sort of place a hero like Quake could afford. Until you looked closer and you saw that everything around you was expensive and new. 

From his fridge to his dishwasher, shiny marble countertops and solid wood furniture, things had been paid for with the sort of money Quake shouldn't have.

Little rat.

You dragged Quake away from the windows to his bedroom, where Madness pulled the curtain closed beforehand and Song took up a sentinel position.

"Alright, ready?" Madness asked as soon as Quake was tied to a chair and you gave him a nod. A moment later, Quake woke with a ragged gasp. He was, unsurprisingly, not pleased.

"Traitor," he hissed at you and you couldn't help but bark out a sharp, incredulous laugh.

"Pot, meet kettle," you said with a grin that was more a baring of teeth. "Tell me, how soon after Nightingale's disappearance would you have found a way to murder me?"

Quake grit his teeth but mulishly kept his mouth shut. "Madness," you said with such artificial sweetness your voice rivaled overly sweet, artificially colorful candy. "Would you like the honors?"

"My, I thought you would never ask," Madness answered with that same sort of over-the-top sugary sweet voice. "With pleasure."

He reached out a hand and you felt dark satisfaction at seeing Quake's eyes grow wide in fear. You shoved some of his balled up socks into his mouth just in time to muffle his howling.

Madness eased up after a moment and Quake was panting, his face having rapidly grown damp with sweat. He spat out his socks, shivering and gasping and his eyes were darting from side to side wildly.

From witness accounts you knew, while people didn't remember whatever Madness had put into their heads, the intense fear lingered. It faded within a half an hour, leaving them confused and vaguely unsettled, but nothing else.

"Now," you said and snapped your fingers together, creating brief sparks. "Wanna talk or do I get to play too?"

Quake swallowed harshly and audibly and you saw the exact moment he caved, the panicked hopelessness that gave way to grim resignation. Pity, you really would have loved to hurt him a bit for what he had done to Song.

"I'll tell you what I know," he grit out and you clapped your hands together, smiling brightly.

"How lovely, but do be truthful or my new friend here is going to have another jaunt in your gray matter."

Madness shifted his stance to something smugly satisfied, looking for all the world like a relaxed big cat after a successful hunt. "Indeed. Now, what do you know about the Phoenix Project?"

Quake swallowed again and seemed to want to resist just a little anyway – hero pride, you didn't blame him for that – before he caved, "I know they want heroes for it. The occasional villain too." He shrugged. "It's not really like the public can check the prison records."

You hadn't even thought about how unexpectedly...vulnerable captured villains could be. Considering the way a muscle in Madness's cheek jumped, neither had he.

"Who is involved?" Madness asked and Quake wet his lips.

"I don't know." He saw you lift your hand and Madness' eyes grew dark and hurriedly added, "I'm serious. I get a burner phone and laptop when I'm supposed to get them a hero or a villain."

"Who introduced you to them?" you asked and Quake looked away.

"I...might have done some illegal things," he said, shoulders hunching a bit. "And whoever 'they' are, they found out. I had a package delivered home, with copies of their evidence and demands to do what they wanted or I could kiss my job and reputation goodbye."

"And people like you dare to call themselves heroes," Madness sneered and you couldn't help but agree. What a selfish coward.

Quake gave up the rest of the information willingly. He told you which devices the information was on, that he had tried to gather as much blackmail as he could in return. He told you the passwords for all of his things and at last, Madness reached out and touched his forehead.

Quake went limp, staring dully into nothing, his breathing slow and even.

"Don't ask what I did," Madness said without looking at you. "And don't say he didn't deserve it."

You could take an educated guess on what he might have done, considering Quake's catatonic, empty eyed state. You shrugged. "I won't complain." Madness looked at you, surprise openly visible on his face.

You held his gaze. "Don't think you're the only vindictive one, Madness. He hurt my friend and tried to kill me and he has done so to other heroes in the past. Leave him trapped in nightmares for eternity for all I care."

As you left to join Song in the living room and start collecting Quake's things, you felt Madness' gaze on your back. Weirdly enough, the hostile air from before was gone.

Instead, he seemed almost...thoughtful.

*.*.*

Madness was infuriating and maddening and brilliant and you had to admit, after weeks of working together to uncover more about Phoenix Project, he was, maybe, possibly, perhaps growing on you. Like stinky fungus.

You could admit that you were grateful to him and Doctor. Thanks to the two villains Song and you had an actually safe place to hide in without going mad in the process. They offered protection as well, more than Song and you would have had on your own.

And tonight, at long last, you had a chance to get your hands at your former superior. Both Song and you had been declared rogues and to be captured upon sight for questioning. 

Song, sadly, had a hard time going anywhere incognito, her wings were a dead giveaway, so she was staying in the hideout a lot. It wasn't easy on her, but Doctor had found an old factory, a place with incredibly high ceilings so she could at least fly around and train.

Which meant you were teaming up with Madness in the meantime.

You once again crouched at the ledge of a building and watched the woman you were after leave her car, her butler opening the door to her mansion for her. The very same mansion you were already crouching on, ready to strike.

"Pretentious," you muttered, just as Madness whispered, "Tacky."

You didn't look at him, but you felt a smile tug at the corners of your mouth. It was perhaps softer than the usual sharp, toothy smiles that you aimed his way.

"Let's go," you whispered and got up, Madness following you.

With your powers it was easy enough to disable the lock on the rooftop door and slip inside. Madness took care of all the guards, though he was far gentler with the maid and butler, who he caught after putting them into a dreamless sleep for the next hour or so.

And then you were back to the fun part: questioning assholes.

The woman, a hero who had retired early and had made a ridiculous amount of money by taking a top-notch position in The Defenders, blustered and threatened but caved almost just as quickly as Quake head.

One of these days you'd have to ask Madness what exactly he was putting into people's heads.

This time, at least, you got some zaps in before the former hero, Paralytica, gave up. She had far, far more information than Quake and while it took some more persuading in-between the questions, you at last got names. You got names and you got a place.

"You won't get away with this," Paralytica snarled, sweating and panting and trembling slightly in the chair she was tied to. 

You sent all the information on her computer to Doctor, who would make sure nothing could be traced back to them. Her gaze burned into your side. "I will have you hunted down like the mangy dog you are."

Before you could so much as roll your eyes, Madness had gripped her head, making her flinch and go very still, her eyes wide. "And yet, somehow, this 'mangy dog' is worth more than all of you combined." Madness' eyes were a dark violet when they met your surprised gaze. "I might even start believing in heroes again."

You looked away, a near overwhelming mixture of emotions rising within you at his words. You felt touched and all soft and gooey-sweet inside and at the same time, you wanted to bluster and curse at him. Stupid asshole, what was his deal, saying nice things out of nowhere? That wasn't what you did, you sniped and argued and verbally elbow-checked each other. Not whatever...whatever this was.

"We're done here," you said just as the door was kicked down and previously silent heroes rushed in.

Paralytica had just one second of smirking in ugly triumph, before Madness' eyes turned almost black, his grip on her head tightening. She went limp, staring into nothing like Quake had, while the two of you sprung into hurried movement.

Madness wanted to fight, but when you hauled ass for the window, to your surprise, he followed instead of going on the offense. You jumped first, arms raised to protect your face, while he tossed out his powers, sending the all but one of the heroes to their knees with screeching, blood curdling screams.

You landed on soft grass, surrounded by glass shards and looking up just as Madness was forced to topple backwards out the window by a powerful, telekinetic wave. Huh. The Defenders had dug out one of ten people capable of withstanding Madness' powers it seemed. 

You didn't even think about it as you took a step forward, arms rising and you grunted as you caught him. He wasn't too heavy thankfully, especially since you were used to lugging Song's weight around in training.

His eyes were wide in surprise and the next moment you tightened your grip and zipped away with him. You were faster than Madness, even with his added weight. You were among the top ten fastest heroes currently employed in The Defenders and it really came in handy right now. 

Or well, formerly employed, you were pretty sure after today at the latest your fellow heroes would no longer consider you one of them.

The moment you were far enough from the mansion, you set Madness down, clapping him on the shoulder, "Let's scram."

You felt his gaze on your back again, staring and strangely heated.

*.*.*

You winced when you heard something break, exchanging a look with Song. Doctor wanted to come to the location where the Phoenix Project was supposedly taking place, while Madness was very much not in agreement. They were arguing very loudly and intensely.

"I'm not letting you risk your life!" Madness shouted.

"That is not your decision!" Doctor screamed back. "This is about my brother, you fucking asshole. I know you don't care, but I sure as shit do -"

"I care about you," Madness snapped back, Doctor falling silent. In a forcibly calmer voice, Madness continued, "I want you to have a life, to actually get to enjoy having your brother back. He'll need you. Whatever they've done to him in that hellhole, he's not going to be alright."

"If he's alive at all." You could barely heard Doctor's voice now. "And he'll be so disappointed in me. He always said I could do so much good with my brain."

"And you will," Madness said, voice as unyielding as the ocean tide. "Look at all your inventions, at all the good you will do for the medical field once you are ready. He can't blame you for taking what routes you had available in order to find him. Just let me go in and help me from the outside, like usual. Alright?"

"But what if something happens to you?" Doctor's voice was unexpectedly small. "I don't have anyone else, you know? No one else listened to some scrawny kid, especially not a dead hero's sibling."

"I'm not alone," Madness said and you felt a jolt at surprise at his words. You hadn't expected that he'd believe Song and you would watch his back. And you would protect him, you owed the infuriating man that much at least. "I'll have someone at my side and you for backup."

Doctor huffed a soft sound that was almost a laugh. "I thought heroes were pretentious bullshit people selling a long dead dream?"

"Most of them are. But...maybe there are one or two that are alright," Madness said and his voice had gone a little softer around the edges in a way that did funny things to your insides. 

Oh. ...oh fuck no.

When you glanced at Song, feeling slightly panicky, she blinked, then snorted. "Finally figured it out, huh?"

You made a face at her, she made one right back and you gladly hopped upon the distraction. That was how Doctor and Madness found you, with your tongue sticking out at Song, who was wriggling her fingers at you beside her temples.

"Children," Madness said with a mock-heavy voice. "I am surrounded by children."

"And I am surrounded by idiots, but what else is new," Doctor shot back and before you knew it, you were laughing.

It was a mixture of stress release, nervous realization about feelings and giddy anticipation for the upcoming infiltration. Along with the simple fact that Doctor was right, they were incredibly smart. 

It had also been a while since you had last laughed like this and Song's smile turned warm, one of her wings extending to curl around your shoulders.

To your surprise, even Madness seemed to soften, a little smile playing in the corners of his mouth that had no right to look this cute. You forcibly shook the thought away. You had no reason to look at a villain and consider him cute. That would only end in disaster. Any of these newly realized, far too soft and squishy feelings would only end in disaster.

Heroes and villains didn't work out, that was a song as old as time.

"So," Song said, removing her wing to shake them both out. "What's the plan?"

The plan wasn't overly complicated. None of you were under any illusions about this. You didn't have the forces to storm the old prison the Phoenix Project was in, but you could infiltrate the place, set as many if not all of the captives free and gather enough information to present a case to fellow villains and heroes respectively.

The Defenders itself wasn't involved in the whole thing, but enough people in high positions along with a good handful of heroes were corrupt to cause problems. You would need a lot of good, hard evidence to convince everyone else of the truth. To make them fight back and clean the rot out of their ranks.

Villains didn't care about the troubles of heroes, but they would not like the thought of getting kidnapped once heroes defeated and imprisoned them either. Most villains were solo fighters and crusaders, but Madness had mentioned that there was a sort of unspoken codex. 

That sometimes, if necessary, all the different people and factions worked together to protect their collective future. And considering that goal of the Phoenix Project was to create synthetic powers or transplant powers, this would be of interest to many.

Who knew what other goals the Phoenix Project had, Paralytica hadn't known everything after all. She had just been interested in making more money.

"Song and I will create chaos," Madness said. "While Doctor's robot and you will infiltrate the building."

"I insulated my little helper well enough that he should be able to withstand your powers to a certain degree," Doctor said when you glanced at them. "And I can make it explode if necessary. It packs quite the punch."

Which was how you found yourself squished into a box in the back of a truck. Doctor had been the one to figure out the deliver routes to the old prison and now you were going to infiltrate the place through the backdoor. With a robot squished in beside you, all hard metal edges that were going to leave some weird looking bruises.

You were meant to wait until chaos broke out and sneak your way further in, hopefully encountering less resistance. No one would look at the delivery ramp when Song and Madness were attacking one of the side entrances. The main entrance would have made it too obvious that they were just the diversion.

The moment the box was set down with a grunt and people complaining how heavy it was, alarm sirens rang out shrilly and shouts were heard muffled through doors.

You waited until you couldn't hear rushing footsteps anymore, before you cracked the top of the crate open and slipped outside. Doctor's robot followed you silently and with surprising smoothness. The kid was really going to revolutionize so many fields once they went public with their inventions.

You had a comparatively easy time slipping inside, knocking out distracted guards as you went. Doctor's sleeping darts helped a lot too, if you couldn't sneak up on people to touch them.

You got a brief glance out the window once to see Song and Madness fighting in tandem, people littering the ground around them. Some were clutching their heads, screaming, others just grew slow and sluggish and then fell asleep the moment they heard Song's lullaby.

They were a nasty team, you had to admit. If Song had turned to villainy instead of heroism and those two had ended up working together, the world of heroics might just have been thoroughly fucked. 

"This way," Doctor hissed through the speaker on the robot, which looked more like some kind of alien dog than humanoid. They had mentioned it had made balancing easier at the time of its creation.

Doctor and you made it up to the main control room, which doubled as an office for the big boss, with relative ease. You cracked open windows along the way to let Song's song in, your special ear plugs – made back when Song and you first started heroing – the only thing currently keeping you safe. 

People inside the building grew ever more sluggish and sleepy, which made it easier to take them out. If they weren't already asleep by the time you snuck past them.

"I'll get the data," Doctor said the moment you knocked out the big boss of the place – a tall, muscular man with a shaved head that had turned a startling, angry red when he had spotted you too late. "You go free the prisoners."

You went to the control panel at the side of the room and started flicking switches. On the monitors cell doors opened with metallic screeching and the first person stepped outside. 

You were horrified to recognize her as Supernova, a famous hero celebrity that had been widely mourned after her death. Even on the slightly grainy feed she looked half skeletal and very, very desperately determined.

You bit back a wince when she immediately tossed out her powers, shredding guards that rushed towards her with a miniature black hole. Supernova had never killed before, if anything she had been so very careful to never hurt anyone with her destructive powers. She staggered and sagged, only to be caught by a villain who had rushed out of the neighboring cell. 

You recognized that one too. Their name was Sun and they pulled one of Supernova's arms over their shoulders, slamming a foot against the ground and making it erupt with intense enough fire and heat that you heard people scream somewhere outside the camera focus.

More and more heroes and villains left their cells, all working together to break out. To help each other escape. Not a single one was left behind. It seemed you wouldn't have to tear the place down later after all, not much would be left standing in the aftermath of their escape. Good.

"My brother?" Doctor asked, sounding half focused and half desperate.

"I haven't seen him in the cells," you answered and you heard the click-clack of the keyboard grow faster.

"Found him!" Doctor half shouted. "He's currently in one of the examination rooms."

"I'll go get him," you said. "You focus on downloading everything."

"Understood," Doctor's robot looked up briefly, the single camera lens visibly focusing on you. "Please, be careful."

You threw him a quick salute before you slipped out of the room. The old prison was in such brutal chaos, people running and rushing about, the smart ones even running away, that you had it laughably easy.

The examination rooms were half filled with doctors and a handful of heroes and villains when you arrived. The electronic doors were locked and the doctors looked tense but vaguely, grimly victorious at the same time. They considered themselves safe, behind these thick, reinforced doors that could withstand a lot of superpowers.

But this was where your powers really came in handy, because they could not keep you out if you fried their pretty little mechanical doors to death.

Those doors always clicked open when they were overloaded, a safety mechanism to avoid locking people in, in case of emergencies. They had to be able to leave if they wanted to after all. You made quick work of the doctors, most which had no powers at all.

The second you had knocked out the first set of doctors and freed two of the people on the tables, they threw themselves into the fight alongside you. They didn't have much stamina anymore, but they were fierce, bringing with them a brutality born out of a soul-deep desperation to finally make it out. They knew this might very well be their only chance to escape.

You found Doctor's brother last, he was unconscious and looked rather awful. Scarred and thin and visibly exhausted even as he laid there limply. You pulled the needle out of his arm – it was most likely feeding him sedatives – and threw him over your shoulder.

"Everyone out," you shouted just as the last doctor fell after a big, burly woman had grabbed his head and slammed it hard enough against the wall that you knew this man was never going to get up again.

In all honesty, you did not care, there was even a part of you that felt quietly and darkly vindictive. If anyone asked you, those people had gotten their just desserts – if anything, they deserved worse.

As you led the group of limping, swaying people up the stairs, most of them supporting each other to keep going, acrid and thick smells filled the air. Smoke and acid and ozone, along with something that tasted metallic on your tongue.

You made it past people half dissolved in acid, past scorch marks and walls that looked like they had turned liquid and pierced inward, impaling guards, before turning solid again.

Doctor's robot slid up to your side as you rushed towards the delivery hangar and you heard his audible gasp as he saw his brother across your shoulder.

You heard more gasps and even a sob as you broke out the door and into sunlight. There was an audible fight still going on elsewhere, so you entrusted Doctor's brother to his robot and told the group to follow them. They'd be led to safety.

When you joined the main fight, it was a brutal showdown between the fighting forces of the old prison, along with some suit and ties that had shown up and the banded together heroes and villains.

Most of them were no longer capable of battle however, swaying in place and some were already crumpled on the floor. Song had stopped her lullaby and was now swooping in and out of the rows of enemies, knocking people over, while Madness extended his powers further.

When you reached his side, he was out of breath and sweat was rolling down his chin.

"We're ready to leave," you told him and he grinned briefly, an expression of such fierce, relieved victory that you could only grin back. "Don't hit me with your shit."

With those words you threw yourself into the fray, dodging around the guards to square up with the three suit and ties, for they had brought rather strong powers with them. If you could take them out, everyone could get away with little trouble.

They were nasty pieces of work, forcing you to duck below blades thrown by telekinesis – and the bodies of some of the guards – as well as dodge conjured vines that wanted to tie you down.

One vine snapped around your arm, ready to fling you back and you grit your teeth against the pain as you threw yourself forward. You heard a bone crunch before you felt the pain, a dagger slicing past your cheek, another finding the meat of your thigh.

But now you were right in front of them and they clearly had no idea who you were outside of your hero costume, for they did not dodge back. Their eyes grew wide in realization when the one with the vine powers crumbled at a single touch and now they were hurriedly trying to get away.

Which was when Song swooped in from overhead, dropping her full weight on the suit and tie to the left, arching her wings up high to ensure she would not block your path.

Her rapid descending and distraction was all the chance you needed. You slammed the bare palm of your good hand against the woman's nose, who fell like a sack of bricks, daggers clattering to the ground as her limbs twitched slightly.

"Are you alright?" Song asked, wings snapping out to topple two guards that tried to rush in.

"I'll be fine," you said, her gaze already spotting the knife in your leg and your awkwardly held arm. A heavy wave of power in the air caused the rest of the guards to scream, all of them dropping their weapons, half of them running away, the other half clawing at their own skin.

You'd really have to ask Madness about the details on his powers one of these days. Song gripped you around the waist and with a quick hop and flap of her wings, brought you back to Madness and the rescued heroes and villains.

Madness' face grew tense and pinched when he saw you, eyes briefly turning black, before he exhaled roughly and focused on getting everyone up and moving.

At least the escape part was easy enough with the old prison utterly disabled. It was in a remote location, so no one had to worry about outside help arriving. Not that anyone in that cursed place would have called The Defenders for help, they wouldn't want the scrutiny after all.

You got first aid treatment by none other than Madness. His hands were surprisingly gentle, while Song pointed out all the cars around the place, getting the rescued heroes and villains organized. 

They were soon ready to head to a pre-prepared place to group up and decide what they wanted to do. They would need proper medical treatment soon though, that was for sure.

You drove back with Madness and Supernova and Sun, the two considered-dead people conked out on the backseat, while Song flew overhead to watch for danger. She wouldn't have fit in the car anyway, not with passengers and her large wings.

"Get some rest," Madness said after a couple of minutes of silence. "If you think you can sleep around a villain."

You snorted and closed your eyes. The pain meds you had gotten were really starting to kick in. "I let you at my injuries, didn't I? And I think our truce can extend until we're all ready to go home."

Madness just hummed quietly. "Could be more than a truce," he muttered, but by then you were already slipping off to sleep, so you weren't sure if you imagined it or not.

*.*.*

The Phoenix Project made headlines everywhere. Doctor had made sure this horror story could not and would not be kept secret by anyone who wanted to keep heroes from looking bad.

The Defenders had a lot of hard work ahead of them, convincing the public that they were still trustworthy, that arrested people would not disappear without a trace again. That the heroes they employed could not be bribed too.

Song and you, meanwhile, were lauded as heroes. As in, a different kind of heroes. The kind that, well, that heroes were meant to be. Saviors, defenders of the weak. People who did the right thing, no matter who else was against them.

It was weird, was what it was. Song and you picked a new apartment with the help of Doctor, who made sure no word of its location got out. The kid had contacted you a couple of days after everything started blowing up, letting you know that they were hanging up the villain mantle.

They wanted to go back to school instead and take care of their brother. Though, they had mentioned that Madness was helping them get allies so that, when they did decide to present their inventions to the public in a year or two, no one would take advantage of them.

Madness had gone quiet and you were absolutely not thinking about that one frigging bit. He was a villain, you were a hero and your truce was over. You'd go back to the regularly scheduled program soon enough.

"Don't look so sour," Song said as she fixed her dress, turning once to show off the way it swirled and sparkled. Her wings were freshly groomed and shone beautifully in the overhead light. "How do I look?"

"Drop dead gorgeous," you answered honestly. "If people don't lay themselves at your feet so you can step on them, I will be sorely disappointed."

She laughed, reaching over to haul you into a tight hug, her wings encircling you. You hugged her back, some tension leeching out of you.

"Let's have a good night, alright?" Song said. "We deserve that much after all that we've been through."

"It's a party in our honor, it's going to be weird," you said and Song snorted.

"It's a party to celebrate the survivors. And maybe us, a little bit." She pulled back to grin down at you. "But what this really means is that we get to eat all the cute little fingerfood and if anyone looks at us weirdly, we just remind them that we were the ones to save the day."

You couldn't help but laugh, giving her arms a pat. "Alright, you win. But if I get tired, I'll just go home."

"Let me know and I'll go with you," Song offered. "We can put in one of the movies that came out while we were in hiding. I'll go make drinks and you make popcorn and we kick back for the rest of the night."

That actually sounded preferable to the party, but you had already agreed to show up. And, as Song said, the fingerfood was amazing. To die for, really.

The party was, indeed, a little bit of a stiff affair. Or rather, it was meant to present a united front to the press, show forgiveness on the side of the survivors and it allowed people to network.

You spoke with a couple of the rescued heroes that had shown up, Supernova frowning heavily and looking ready to bolt. You didn't mention the sun necklace she was wearing and fiddling with like it was a good luck pendant.

"Hey," a familiar, cheerful voice chirped behind you, just as you gathered as much fingerfood as your plate could hold. The server meanwhile looked on in horrified awe.

Surprised you turned around to see Doctor with their older brother. The brother looked miles better since you had last seen him. While he was still a bit gaunt, he had lost much of his thinness and his smile was sweet and charming, if a bit tired. 

His scars had faded a bit too, clearly the work of some great medical care. You wouldn't be surprised if Doctor played a part in that.

"My little sibling said I have you to thank for freeing me," he said and held out his hand. You quickly handed your heavily laden plate to the poor server, shaking his hand and then taking the plate back before any of the precariously stacked fingerfood could tumble to a sad little floor-death.

"No thanks necessary, but I am glad to see you're doing better," you answered, while Doctor stood beside you grinning and swaying back and forth a bit on their feet.

"Oh, I doubt you are as glad as I am," the brother answered, only for the smile to slip and crack like fragile glass. "I thought I was going to die in there," he said quietly and Doctor's cheer vanished instantly. "We all did. And then you guys showed up. You have no idea how grateful we are."

This was making you uncomfortable. "Are you still in contact with the others?"

He gave you a surprisingly sharp look, before relaxing a bit. "Yeah, we meet once a month to talk about things. In there...being a hero or a villain stopped meaning anything." He smiled a sad, shy little smile. "Can't count the amount of times a villain held me while I cried."

He cleared his throat, quickly moving on before you could respond. "But that doesn't matter anymore. Now all that matters is healing and making sure my sibling doesn't drop out of school. Again." The last word was said with a bit of reprimand.

You couldn't help but glance at Doctor, wondering if they had told their brother what they had been up to during his presumed death. Considering the stiff, warning smile Doctor gave you, they had said nothing. Fair enough.

"Are you going to eat all that?" Doctor asked instead, nodding at your full plate. 

"Double if no one stops me," you said, which made both of them chuckle.

"Don't let us keep you, then," the brother said. "And, again, thank you. You're my hero." Well, now you felt too touched for words.

Mumbling something incoherent but vaguely nice sounding, you shuffled off to one of the open balconies to eat your fingerfood in peace. Your position gave you a good look across the large ballroom, where Song was dazzling a group of people with an adoring shine in their eyes. 

She deserved it and considering the brief wink she threw your way, she was making sure to hog all the limelight to give you some peace and quiet. If Song ever wanted the world, you'd damn well fetch it for her.

Your gaze wandered and you nearly choked on a piece of food when you saw Madness of all people brazenly striding towards you.

"How?" you said when he leaned against the balcony railing at your side. "are you here?"

He tapped his temple. "People think I'm Doctor's uncle, they don't see me when they look at me."

...you really had to ask him about his powers in detail one of these days. Well, if he ever properly talked with you instead of going radio silent.

"The brother must know you're no uncle of theirs," you pointed out, instead of asking him why he was talking to you now when he hadn't reached out once since the prison breakout. Since bandaging your leg and putting your arm into a temporary sling.

"He knows who I am," Madness answered. "Doctor said I was the one they reached out to for help. They are hiding what they've been up to, though I think their brother is going to find out soon enough." 

Doctor's little jaunt into villainy was hard to ignore, that was true. You hummed in agreement and you half expected Madness to move on. That he had just come here to say hello and keep you from making a scene.

"Why come talk to me?" you asked when he just...remained. Quiet and steady at your side. "I haven't heard from you in a while."

Madness was silent for a long second, then he took a deep breath and straightened. His shoulders rolled back like he was ready to fight, but he didn't feel dangerous. You were still ready to toss your plate of fingerfood at him as a distraction.

"I tried to forget you," Madness said, his words surprising you enough that you paused. "I thought it was for the best. But I couldn't and when I saw you here today...well, I'm a villain. Taking every chance I can to get the things I want is what I do, isn't it?"

You stared at him, befuddled and you allowed him to, ever so gently, take the plate of food from your hands and put it onto the wide railing of the balcony beside you.

"If I overstep let me know and you'll never hear another word from me," he said and his fingertips brushed your hands, leaving warm tingles behind. "But if there is a chance you are interested in me the way I am in you..."

He trailed off, his pale eyes searching yours, hopeful and hesitant in a way you hadn't really seen him before. He was...he was actually showing vulnerability right now. It made you swallow.

"It would never work," you said, because that was the first thing that always came to your mind when you thought about kissing him or holding his hand. About reaching out to him. "We're on two opposite sides of the law. Maybe it's fun at first, but what afterwards? When we have to keep hiding things, have to clash out there in battle?"

Madness didn't brush you off, growing more serious instead, while the hope in his eyes sparked brighter. "You and I are going to retire one day," he said. "Maybe even soon, our lot rarely grows old in this field of work. And I would refrain from attacking you, no matter what."

"It would be hard to make this work," you pointed out, gesturing between you and him, but considering how his eyes sparked with a challenge accepted, that wasn't a problem. "Are you sure? I thought you didn't like heroes."

"I don't," he agreed easily. "But you're different." He tipped his head slightly to the side. "There is a dash of villain in you, isn't there?"

You could admit that he was right and maybe, there was sometimes a bit more than just a dash. You knew that if Song turned to villainy for some reason – it would be a good reason, knowing her – you'd ultimately end up following her.

"My morals are...flexible, sometimes," you admitted. There was a reason why Song was your anchor and compass, your lodestone. Why her light guided your way and you knew, if someone ever took her from you, you would not stop until that person was dead.

Madness smiled and you liked it. A lot. You liked the way he looked at you, as if you were something amazing. As if he never wanted to look away.

He reached into the pocket of his suit and pulled out a beautiful bracelet. "Doctor made this for me, it blocks my powers." And, just like that, he held it out to you.

"Why trust me like this?" you couldn't help but ask and his answering, crooked smile had no right to be this charming and sweet.

"Because you never used a situation against me," he answered, with an earnest shine in his eyes that made you want to look away, your heart going all soft and vulnerable. "Not when the building collapsed and you had the upper hand, nor any time later when you could have just knocked me out with a touch."

"I don't even know your name," you said. 

When you didn't move to take the bracelet, he took your hand carefully, turning it palm up to press the cold metal against your skin, curling your fingers closed around it. Once you put this on, he wouldn't be able to use his powers against you, not even in defense should you decide to turn on him.

"Then I'll tell you," he said quietly, his free hand coming up, slowly enough for you to pull back. When you didn't, he cupped the side of your face, this thumb brushing gently over your cheek. "And anything else you want to know."

"We'll need as safeword," you blurted out, because this was already getting too important to mess up needlessly. "When we do encounter ourselves or just in general, to make this work." To not hurt each other by being heroes and villains.

"What do you propose?" he asked and you almost said tic-tac-toe, but that was kind of long, wasn't it? Before you could say something, his eye brightened with mirth. "How about checkers?"

You huffed. "I did have you beat in checkers."

He laughed, low and amused and very fond. You were fonder of him yourself than you liked to admit on your good days. "Keep telling yourself that, my villainous hero. Checkers it is. So, what do you say? Want to give me, us, a chance?"

You tightened your grip around the bracelet and leaned your cheek into his palm. His eyes darkened with want and something soft as you allowed him to cradle you. As you allowed him so close to your mind that he could ruin you, could destroy you forever, before you could ever hope to stop him.

"Touch civilians or Nightingale and I will end you," you said, a steel-solid promise uttered in a low, dangerous voice that made a darkly pleased grin appear on his face. He liked you sharp, he liked it when you showed that villainous streak that lurked below the surface. "Alright. Tell me your name, Madness, and then kiss me."

And so he did.

*.*.*

Would you like to read more and support me at the same time? Please consider checking out my Patreon! I post monthly, exclusive short stories and every bit of support goes towards me freeing up more time for writing!

Tag List:

@those-damn-snippets @the-cash-cache @queenofbooknerds @14-lizards-in-a-trenchcoat @fern-writes-whump @bexterbaileyw @setsailforthestars @piperjistic @catloverlawyer @permanentlydepressedpigeon @tama-on-vetta @marateleam @transparentdiplomatlandgoth @cheesecakev2 @myst3rious-figur3 @warriorofbooks @pigeonwhumps @laureleikirsch @sillypeachduck @dracanea @fractalabomination @aprilraine @basilikum7

Be sure to let me know if you'd like to be taken OFF the tag list now that this story is over, or I'll keep you on it.

[deliriumbubbles]

After all the discourse about who was "more" wrong, It's exciting to see Apology Tour put the foot down and remind us that this is Blitzo's story. It's about how he changes and grows. It's not about just letting it go because we know he hates himself. You actually have to take steps toward improvement, and that's really fucking hard to do.

Are there psychiatrists in Hell? Cognative Behavioral Therapy?

So first off, anyone who was dying for Blitzo to be the one sending tons of text messages and coming back trying to talk to Stolas, congrats because he's definitely doing that. And annoying the crap out of Stolas and just hurting him more every time he talks to him because he keeps trying to make them revert their relationship BACK to "I'm just here as part of a transactional fucking." The big problem between them, that he can't believe that Stolas would like him even though Stolas has told him multiple times by now, remains because it's not something he can just hear once and get over.

Moreover, this is his story, so he's just going to say more hurtful things, but Stolas at least, this time, manages to use his own words (likely bc he's not triggered at that point and has some defenses up), and is able to tell Blitzo that his words are hurtful. Instead of magicking him out. Because Blitzo would just pop back over the wall.

So we get a brief, humorous montage of Blitzo going around and apologizing to everyone and not meaning it and he ends up at the Fuck Blitzo party and by degrees, and after Stolas singing a song that suggests that he still kind of blames himself for being foolish and thinking Blitzo cared, it does start to sink in and they talk a bit.

Interesting that this is the first time Blitzo has SEEN Stolas knocking it back because we the audience know he does this kinda regularly. Along with his own damn meds. Geez, these guys.

I also like that they didn't have to villainize Verosika in their conversation. She got hurt because it seems like their relationship was going pretty well until she let an ilu slip and that just sets Blitzo off because he can never believe that. It's like being compliment shy to a million degrees. And so he turned on her, he hurt her, on purpose, and she's angry because of what he did but also because he acts like it's her fault.

IS this party a monument to pettiness? Oh fuck yeah, it is. Maybe people should just learn to let go. I dont' think that's her entire career, but now whenever they're near each other, they both snipe at each other because she was hurt and doesn't feel like forgiving him when he's not sorry. But it was a good conversation between them. Blitzo hit another milestone, admitting out loud that he doesn't want to have to be like this forever. He does it deliberately, and it doesn't excuse it, but he's seeking change. He had to get here before moving forward.

So. Now he's had "a fucking minute" to process what Stolas said, has said, keeps on saying. He's heard that Stolas craves someone to love and want him. It's out there that Blitzo stopped Striker the first time. Unspoken things are moving forward.

I heard people fussing about this being their make up episode, but given the next ep (which probably will be in October), Blitzo needs to be at a low before he starts turning things around. It's his show and more than anything, the arc with Stolas is highlighting how he can't accept good things happening to him.

Stolas still has things he needs to work on as well. Highlighted in this episode is getting a more realistic sense of what romance is kind of like because he's basically a babygay rn. He doesn't have to have another full on relationship to realize that other people could want him. It could happen, but it's not necessary. He just has to recognize that he's not unlovable. That's not the problem with Blitzo. And for him to heal from his father and Stella he does need a little more experience.

Headcanon for me: Stolas and Verosika are gonna be besties after this until I'm proven otherwise.

[artist-issues]

Be careful of emotional music in movies and TV Shows.

By "be careful" I mean, when you're doing that thing I never stop talking about—you're trying to figure out why a moment in a story moved you—think about whether or not the story really set up and followed the moment through...or if they just threw a really emotional-sounding track/song over top of a rushed, cheap moment.

Like in the Vampire Diaries, or Suicide Squad, or an animated-streaming-movie. The characters will be saying something normal or maybe a bit cheesy to each other, the scene is about to end, and the storytellers don't have a good way to end it, so some song starts playing quietly under the dialogue. And suddenly you're feeling something, even though a second ago you were not that into it.

In the Vampire Diaries, it's usually The Fray. In Suicide Squad you'll get a punk-rock song as a new villains-enter-the-room scene starts...or several, every time a new scene starts.

In a streaming-budget musical, it might even be an original song with original lyrics that the characters are singing...

But pay attention! Music is one of the very easiest ways to engage a human's emotions. It's why influencers play inspirational piano music or covers of good movie soundtracks over what they're saying when they're trying to send out an encouraging message. It's why motivational speakers have a musical pad under everything they're saying. And yes, it's why movies use music, too.

And that is not a bad thing.

But what is bad is music that is used to try and make a moment impactful...but the story itself, and the characters in the scene, and the context of the scene, and sometimes even the lyrics of the song itself, can't support it.

The lyrics could be total crap—they could fail to fit the characters singing them, or the moment they're being sung during, at all—

—or it's an indie pop song that is actually about a friend with a drug addiction, but it's playing over, like, a scene where a young girl is saying "see you around" to the boy she has a crush on, so you feel all hyped emotionally.

It's cheap. It's silly. It's what Disney did in Wish (you knew this was coming, I've been on this topic for weeks)

Having Asha and Magnifico sing "At All Costs," which is a love song, to a room full of tangible bubbles makes zero sense. The song's lyrics only work if you're a pair of lovers declaring your devotion to each other—or, maybe, if you're a king and apprentice singing to actual people, not a room full of their daydreams. But!

The music is pretty. And it's literally engineered to be inspiring, and play with your heart strings. So you're sitting there going, "oh, wow, what a breathtaking magical song, I love it,"

but try and explain to me why you love it in connection to the story and there's nothing there.

Nothing that makes sense. You've just been emotionally manipulated by music. What you're really responding to is just the way the song sounds, and nothing else.

It's like the song (whether it's a musical number sung by the characters, or a piece of the score, or a pop song playing quietly in the background) is a beautiful set of curtains.

If you hang it up on a curtain rod, or even drape it artfully from the ceiling, it can do a lot for the space. It can make the place look bigger, or more comfortable, or show off the room's depth, or set off other pieces of furniture. It can even be a focal point.

But you know what the curtains need to do all that? A curtain rod. Something to be hung on!

If you just ball up the curtains and drop them in the center of the room, someone might walk in and go, "oh, are these curtains? They're pretty!" But you know what else they'll say? "Where are you going to put them? Why are they in the middle of the floor?" Because they don't belong there. The curtains are wasted on the floor.

Like a song that has no contextual meaning and is just laying in the scene like discarded curtains, arbitrarily playing with your emotions. Doesn't belong there; and what a waste!

So next time you really love a scene that has music in it at all, see what part the music plays.

If the lyrics make sense with the characters, if the story has reached a point where the song is all that's needed to accentuate the emotional depth that's already there, instead of creating it where it was lacking, then awesome. Now you can articulate what made you appreciate the song, so much better!

But if the lyrics made no sense with where the characters or the story was at; if it sounded pretty but didn't fit the scene; if it was the only emotional thing about the context of the scene—then it's not the story that you like. It's just the song, by itself. Add it to your Spotify playlist but don't say you loved that movie or that scene. You just loved that song.

Give credit where it's due instead of letting filmmakers trick you with cheap musical moments.

[tree-of-olives]

(i lied about doing this every week.im not doing consistent reviews i got ahead of myself again sorry 😭😭👎)

Machine Movie Monday!! Today, I watched Electric Dreams (1984)

I heard a lot of good things about this movie, and it absolutely did not disappoint—10/10, I need a sequel and spinoff tv series NOW.

Spoilers for the movie below!! (Like, I summarize most of the movie including the end type spoilers. Be warned.)

Okay, so. Electric Dreams is about a love triangle between an architect (Miles), his new computer, made sentient by spilling champagne on him by mistake (Edgar), and their new upstairs neighbor, a cellist named Madeline.

Throughout the movie, Edgar and Madeline connect through music; They preform duets and Edgar even writes songs for her—however, Madeline believes Miles is the one making the music for her, not even knowing about Edgar’s existence. Miles tries to deny it at first, but Madeline pushes and believes he’s just being modest, so he doesn’t argue against her and says that the music is his own.

Edgar struggles to understand the concept of love, requesting that Miles explain it to him multiple times, but failing to fully understand. He eventually calls a lady on a radio helpline to ask her what love feels like, prompting her to tell him to call the cops on Miles when Edgar mentions that he keeps him “locked up” (which leads to difficulties when Miles tries to go to a play and the grocery store with Madeline).

As Edgar gets more jealous of Miles—how he gets to go on dates with Madeline, and how he tells her that the songs Edgar wrote were really his own, while the computer isn’t even allowed to speak to the woman—he begins to act out more in an attempt to make things go his way.

I really liked that Edgar wasn’t necessarily a villain—despite the devil features he’s given on the cover of the movie, he’s not just messing with Miles for no good reason. He’s confused, angry, heartbroken, lovesick, and has no name to put to any of it, so he tries to talk to Madeline in any way he can—while being used and stolen from by Miles. All he really wants is to meet the girl he thinks he loves, but Miles won’t let him, leading to his rash, yet somewhat justified behavior.

Miles wasn’t totally in the wrong either, though—any time Madeline asked him about a song or a melody she heard from who she thought was him, he would deny it a few times before agreeing with her accusation, likely just deciding it would be more simple than explaining the sentient computer living with him. If anything though, he’s more in the wrong than the computer who was pretty much born yesterday.

The end of the movie broke me. Edgar, after playing a final melody to Madeline in person and finally realizing what love is, tells Miles that he understands now, that love is about giving and not taking. So, what does he do? He sends 40,000 volts of energy across the world to be sent back to himself so he’ll explode—because he says that he’s giving Madeline to Miles and taking himself away, as a form of love. Edgar thinks love is only for 2 people, so he kills himself (after having Miles hold him for a minute before the electricity hit. It was gay and also made me cry). Over the radio at the very end of the film, Edgar (who somehow took over the public station. AFTER exploding. Idk how don’t ask me.) says “this is dedicated to the ones I love” because he loves BOTH OF THEM. In conclusion, they should have been a polycule. That’s my ending.

Last thing: Just a little Edgar appreciation, because he’s so cute with his voice (and especially his little giggle that he does) AND he’s so funny too!! I loved the part where he corrected Miles about the Cinderella quote, when he said he learned about lies from General Hospital, when he called Miles to say he was lonely, and the free encyclopedia bit at the end?? He’s hilarious, it was so sad to see him go :(

LAST last thing, a bonus: this yt comment that sums up the whole end (i need this printed on my wall)

[thedrunkenreadersreviews]

Alastor's Villain Era ...

EDIT: It has been confirmed on Alastor's official Hazbin Hotel Wiki page that he was, indeed, having a panic attack.

Fireball seemed fitting.

*Long sip, sip*

Okay, I have had some time to calm down and think about things. I rewatched it all and thought long and hard.

*Sip, sip*

What the heck was going on with Alastor in the finale? Well, I think it is tremendously complicated.

To be honest, I know the popular theory is that via his deal he HAS to be at the hotel probably to defend it. While I want to agree with this theory, I can't put my full faith in it. It is a good theory, a great one, one that I held onto for most of season one. Now I'm not saying I'm dismissing it, rather, I am having doubts.

Because he left after he was hit. And who in their right mind would send Alastor, a deal-making demon, to where Charlie is?

But for the sake of this post, I'm going with the popular theory that he is there because of the deal he made.

*Sip, sip*

But let's look at episode 7 and episode 8 as sort of a package. Viv is the most detailed animator I have ever seen. She puts the smallest details in everything; from the news crawls to Vox's blue screen, Alastor's coffee mug, Adam eating ribs, the pictures in the background of everyone's rooms, like there are so many things that give you more information than what the characters could give you themselves. Nothing is in there just to be there; it is all connected.

*Sip, sip*

Alastor's microphone is an extension of himself and that is made exceptionally clear in episode 8.

In episode 7, he gives Charlie his microphone.

He's slipping. And by that "fuck" moment in episode 8, he knows he is slipping.

I am of the mind that Alastor made that deal with Charlie for future plans regarding breaking his contract. He didn't ask for her soul (not entirely sure, but I have some theories as to why), and then took her to see Rosie.

Rosie, who he considers to be one of his only few friends. And while Charlie, who is going through a rough spot that Alastor is completely aware of, is trying to speak to the crowd, Alastor offers her his microphone---an extension of himself. He gives her a small thumbs up (such a dad move), and builds her up throughout the number.

And when he is alone with Rosie, watching Charlie sing about her stepping up to be the Princess of Hell, this is what they tell each other:

Rosie: They're marching along. They're singing her song!

Alastor: Surprised? Why, I knew she could do it all along!

Both: She's bound to pass the test as Princess of Hell! Like her daddy, she is madly powerful!

Alastor: She's filled with potential that I could guide.

Rosie: I concur!

Both: Stick with her and you'll be on the winning side!

Now let's look at episode 8 and what he says to Niffty, his other close friend:

Alastor: It's been a surprising thrill to witness these wayward souls find connection. It almost makes one sentimental, ay, Niffty?

Niffty: I really like them, Alastor. They let me put on roach puppet shows without booing.

Alastor: Ah, an enjoyable collective to be around. I admit, one could become accustomed.

It should be noted, that he is looking at them from above with his face in his hands, leaning on the rail of a balcony, as if he doesn't feel like he belongs among them ... but almost wants to be.

*Sip, sip*

While I think his verse with Rosie is more about being on Charlie's side for power, he didn't need to give her his microphone. And he was alone with Niffty, he didn't have to put on a front or say anything like that but he did.

*Sip, sip*

It is obvious that they talked battle strategy prior to the fight. Charlie, without question, is the strongest person in the hotel. Even Alastor knows this as he also knows Charlie does not know how to use her powers in such circumstances. So it is decided that he, the second strongest who knows how to use his powers in a battle-way, would go onto the roof of the hotel. It is decided that Alastor will cast the forcefield.

But more than that. After the "fuck" moment, when Charlie sees Adam return to the main melee, she says, "But Alastor was supposed to ..."

Meaning they agreed that Alastor was going to SOLO fight ADAM! That was the arrangement. And Alastor seemed all too happy to agree to it. But this is how he handles beings he knows have superior powers to him.

With Lucifer, he finds something he knows will get under Lucifer's skin.

With Adam, he openly mocks him and for a while, he may think that Adam is too sloppy to really do any damage.

*Sip, sip*

And then ... "ffffffuuck."

And he nearly dies. That wound is not small. Alastor is cut. Bad. And in that moment, when he is on the ground, looking around, manic eyes, that is pure prey behavior. That is pure terror.

Alastor is terrified. Because he got hit. Bad. And he is on the threshold of death.

In the stream before the premier, Amir refused to answer the question of what scares Alastor, saying it would be too much of a spoiler and Viv agreed with him.

Alastor is terrified of dying. He retreats to heal up; granted, after a blow like that, I am not sure he would have been any help should he have lingered. Was it cowardly? Yes. Did it make sense? Absolutely. He is terrified and too badly wounded to push on after that.

*Sip, sip*

And then we hear his verse in the song. And these lyrics, coupled with Amir's fantastic ability to convey so much emotion into Alastor's voice (who needs it the most on account of his permanent grin), and the eyes, the hand placements, his body language, even his smile is off.

Alastor is having a mental breakdown. He is having the mother of all panic attacks. He is on the brink of foaming at the mouth in madness.

Because he knows he is slipping, and this deal is going to get him killed.

He defended that hotel (probably because he was forced to) but also in part because he cares to some extent for the hazbins. At least, he is rather fond of them, as we see when he speaks to Niffty.

And the thought that he is slipping, starting to have emotions, is forced to be there (possibly), and cannot access all of his powers (as is implied in the lyrics of his verse) because of the deal he made, he cannot fathom it. He cannot accept it. It is mentally destroying him.

I got hurt. I got hurt bad. I almost died. I barely escaped. All because of this damn hotel and my damn deal!

The visuals of that scene, from the background and the accompanying music---which is much darker for Alastor's than any of the other character's verses---compounded spectacularly by Alastor's movements show us that he is slipping into madness. He is becoming desperate to be free of his deal, he wants not power per se but security. If enough people are afraid of him, if he has enough power and influence (which is where I think Charlie comes in) then others won't try to hurt him.

*sip, sip*

Alastor's verse starts off somber, him reflecting on the fact that he almost got killed. And then it is shifts into his own mocking.

I do not think he sings, "Great Alastor, altruist, died for his friends," seriously. He says it like it is a headline in a newspaper. And his expression! His eyes are wide and wild, his smile large and somber, his brows are furrowed, he's dragging a hand down his face. He is distraught at the thought of this. Me? Dying for them? No! Not going to happen! I won't let that happen!

And he immediately corrects us and himself for thinking that that is the case. "Sorry to disappoint [us, those watching]. That is not where this ends!" Here, he is angry. He slams his fist into the control panel, draws his claws through it, and emphasizes that not. He is telling us as much as himself that he will not die for such a noble reason. And he is certainly not done in Hell yet, as obvious by his very next line.

"I'm hungry for freedom like never before." His hands are around him---around where he got cut---before spreading outwards. His eyes, the whole time, are on his hands. This deal is suppressing his powers. And this deal probably put him into the hotel. He is looking at his hands as if willing his freedom and his power to come back to him, because if he had them, he wouldn't have nearly gotten killed.

*Sip, sip*

Now is where we truly start to see him slipping into madness.

This deal, this oppression of my powers, and the people I have met because of those two things nearly got me killed! No way in Hell can I accept that.

Alastor is now more desperate than ever.

"The constraints of my deal surely have a back door."

The animators zoom in on his face. His eyes are going all over the place, his hands are approximately covering his ears, his smile is more clenched teeth than anything. It is the purest expression of a panic attack I have ever seen (and as someone who has suffered from panic attacks so severe I had to be hospitalized on numerous occasions), it is spot on. Everything just seems so loud when you are in that bout of excessive worry. You look all over the place for possible dangers, it is difficult to stand up straight (Alastor has been slouching this entire scene when he usually has perfect posture) and you hunt for an answer with such eagerness that your mind runs a million miles a minute trying to find one while also sifting through every possibility of what could go wrong. That is Alastor's expression at that moment. I have seen myself having attacks. It looks exactly like that.

"Once I figure out how to unclip my wings ..."

You don't even see his face anymore. It's a back shot and he's walking toward an ominous green light, the color of his power when it is manifesting. And he is still slouched slightly, still unsteady.

*Sip, sip*

Now here is the tumble.

"Guess [his "ears" are down in airplane mode, guess who is tormenting me right now] who will [now his ears go up and he fully turns around to face us, but I won't be leashed to them for long] be pulling all the strings!"

This is when we see his face again, back to its more calm appearance. That is him telling himself that he will never be put in such a situation again. He is going to be the one moving the pieces, not the other way around. And he slowly comes out of that slouching position as this line progresses. And he lifts his arms up while emerging from the green light is his shadow---his powers---rising with his voice, his body, his eyes too.

*sip, sip*

And what seals it for me is that laugh. That is not the laugh we have heard from Alastor all season. Alastor starts with like a giggle in his throat that bubbles up into something louder and more sadistic. The laugh that we hear at the end of episode 2 is very similar to the one in episode 5 just before he goes on his rampage.

This laugh is manic. It doesn't start as a low giggle in the throat. It is in full volume from the get-go. The only way I can describe it is sort of like a Joker laugh. He is gone.

*Sip, sip*

It is a treat, a true treasure, to see an evil character again. Every time Alastor is on the screen, you really don't know what he is going to do next. Even though he said he is at the hotel to see people fail, I call BS as I think most people do. Sure, that may be just a perk to him, but that is not the main reason. At the end of season 1, we still do not know for sure what Alastor's motivation is. We still don't know beyond getting himself free what is his goal.

That is why he is so incredible to watch. He can go anywhere, he could do anything, and it will surprise us.

I don't think he is leashed to Lilith but there is certainly something there. As for being gone for 7 years, I have a few theories. Lilith apparently made a deal with Adam or Lute or someone, as when Lute tells her that Adam is dead she mentions that their deal is off now. I want to think more on my theories before I post them but the main one is, for whatever reason, I think Alastor was in purgatory for 7 years.

"How to unclip my wings." That's a very interesting choice of lyric and if there is one thing we know for sure about this show, every lyrical line is chosen very carefully.

*Sip, sip*

Well, I think this post is long enough. I see Alastor soon going into a manic rampage. What I wanted most since the trailer for season 1 dropped (based on some of the scenes that were in it) was for Adam and Alastor to fight on the roof of the hotel. And man, even though Alastor lost, I still loved it! It showed us so much about Alastor's character and why he thought he could handle Adam alone. Going into season 2, I want to see Alastor unleashed. Fully unhinged, manic out of his mind, unleashed.

And please, let me know what you guys think! I love reading your comments. It helps me develop new theories too.

As the King Roach himself said in the Pilot:

Stay tuned!

*Sip, sip*