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jessmaybank · 1 year

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My best friends brother series; Part 1 - Bubbles & Trouble

Series masterlist

Outer banks masterlist

Pairing(s): Rafe Cameron x fem! Kook reader.

Word count: 1.5k

Summary: After you had been left heartbroken by a fellow kook, you decide to let loose at the Cameron house per Sarahs request. Little did you know, your best friends brother may be the only one there to pick up the pieces.

Warnings: alcohol use, swearing, mentions of sex (smut in the next parts)

AN: In the words of Victoria Justice, my best friends brother is the one for me…

“Y/N please don’t cry! We both know he didn’t deserve you” Sarah protests through the phone, eager to help her best friend.

“I know, I know. But with her? Seriously? You have to be kidding” you cry, tears streaming down your rosy cheeks, painting your skin with your mascara.

After a year together, your now ex boyfriend Jake decided to cheat on you. Ironically, it was with the girl he always told you not to worry about. Turns out, when a man says “don’t be stupid, she means nothing to me. I love you Y/N” what they actually mean is “I’m ganna fuck this girl upstairs at a party whilst you and your friends are all downstairs looking for you”

Dick.

“Why don’t you come round tonight. My Brother is having some friends round for drinks in the hot tub and he said I can join, I’m sure he won’t mind if you come with” Sarah says.

You weigh out the pros and cons in your head, and decide that alcohol, your best friend and her brothers cute friends beats rotting away in your depression pit of a bedroom any day.

“Well, I do need a drink. I’ll be round later, love you Sarah” you say, a small smile creeping up on your face for what felt like the first time in days.

After a rocky patch In their relationship, Rafe and Sarah have actually been getting on relatively well recently. Although you don’t know much about Rafe considering you have been best friends with his sister since you were little, you did know he could be difficult at times. You always made conversation with him at his house or at parties to be polite, but nothing substantial ever came of it. His looks made up for his dry conversation, but you knew Sarah would kill you if you ever went near him.

A few hours passed and you pulled up to Tanny Hill in a blue bikini accompanied by some denim shorts. When you lazily knocked on the door, you were greeted with a topless Rafe. His defined muscles along with his tanned skin definitely made him a sight for sore eyes.

“Y/N hi, Sarah told me you were coming” he says, and you don’t miss the way his eyes flicker up and down your dainty figure somewhat subtly.

What takes prominence over that however, is the smile on his face which is half genuine and half full of pity. Great, Sarah has told him.

“Hey, yeah I hope that’s okay” you say.

He mutters a quick of course and ushers you into the kitchen. You agree almost immediately when he offers you a drink, which he takes notice of.

“She’s just getting changed upstairs. She’ll be down in a sec” Rafe says, when he observes you scanning the room for Sarah.

You smile and mutter a thank you as he puts a drink on the counter in front of you. As he’s about to leave to join his friends in the garden, you grab his arm.

He turns around with a confused but sincere look on his face, his blue orbs dazzling with intrigue.

“Uh look, I’m assuming Sarah told you about my breakup. I don’t want any pity okay, I just wanna get drunk and forget about it. So please, no more sympathy looks. I would actually prefer it if you were your moody self” you say.

Rafe chuckles, and you mirror his actions. His blue eyes burn into your own as he studies you. He’s always thought you were adorable as you always acted shy and innocent around him. Until now, however, he’s never realised how goddamn beautiful you were.

“Sure, I get it” he replies. Without thinking, Rafe brings his muscular arm up to your face, dragging your stray strands of hair from the front of your face behind your ear. The gesture was an attempt to comfort you without using words. Rafe was never very good at using his words, and he would much rather show someone how he felt than tell them.

Your body felt like it was set on fire as he touched you, the small action turning your brain into mush.

The two of you snapped back to reality as the sound of footsteps became louder and louder. Rafe cleared his throat as he pulled away from you, and you instantly grabbed your drink, the desire for alcohol increasing by the second as you looked everywhere but at him.

“Y/N!” Sarah shouts, pulling you in for a hug as she reaches you.

You return a hello as you embrace her petite frame. Your eyes accidentally catch Rafe’s as you hug Sarah. The smugness radiates off him as he sends you a wink, a smirk crawling on his tanned face before he walks out into the garden.

You realise his sympathy towards you was indeed short-lived as he’s back to his normal self. You mentally curse. Maybe pitiful looks we’re the better option after all.

The next hour or two consisted of you, Sarah, Topper, Kelce and Rafe crammed into their luxury hot tub. Everyone was pretty drunk by this point, which you blamed on Kelce for making everyone play drinking games. You even had to kiss Topper during a game of truth or dare which was extremely awkward for everyone involved.

Rafe had been sending you flirtatious looks all night, most of which you have returned with a glare. It’s like he’s trying to get you into trouble. The worst part about it though, was that it took a lot of self restraint not to play along and indulge in his suggestive actions.

“Okay, okay, last one I promise. Rafe truth or dare” Kelce says, before finishing the rest of his drink. You’ve lost count of how much you have drank tonight. It turns out drowning your sorrows is a pretty effective method for solving your problems.

“Dare” he says without hesitation, and you admire his braveness.

“I dare you… to kiss Y/N” he says with a smirk. Oh no.

“Gross!” Sarah yells, her body swaying to the music in the background. It was clear she was the drunkest out of all of us.

Your eyes widen as you realised what Kelce has just said, eyes practically popping out of your skull. Rafe swaps places with Topper to sit next to you, and as you turn you head to face him you notice his eyes turn dark with lust.

Before Rafe could make a move though, Sarah leans over the hot tub to throw up. You’ve never been happier to see someone throw up, and you mentally thank Sarah for never being able to handle her drink.

“I think that’s enough for you tonight” Topper laughs at the blonde chucking her guts up before him.

Sarah’s words are slurred as she tries to reply, and Kelce and topper carry her out of the tub and into the house, putting her into bed.

As the three leave, you can practically feel the tension rising between you and Rafe. You know you should just get out and call for a ride home, but part of you is burning to know what his full red lips would feel like against yours, or how good it would feel to have him inside of you.

You subside your dirty thoughts as you start to get out of the hot tub, but Rafe stops you by pulling you down onto his lap so your back is against his chest.

You don’t know wether to freeze up, or relax under his touch, a flutter of adrenaline pulsing through your veins as you sit on the lap of your best friends older brother.

“What are you doing” you breathe, the rise and fall of your chest an indication of your fast beating heart.

“I think you know what I’m doing” he whispers in a low and raspy tone in your ear. His hand runs up and down your thigh, and you can feel your arousal spilling out of you at his seductive words.

Rafe grabs your jaw and turns your face towards him. Once again his eyes are filled with lust and if you weren’t already sitting down, your knees probably would have buckled.

You don’t know weather it was the alcohol or weather you just wanted to do it, but you welcomed his kiss. The kiss was slow and his lips were soft, which was unexpected, but you loved it. His tongue teased your own as his hand ran down your neck and then into your hair. This kiss held more passion than anything you had experienced with your ex the whole year you were together.

When you felt Rafes fingers run over the place you wanted him the most, you snapped back into reality. He’s your best friends brother, what the hell are you doing.

“Fuck, we can’t do this” you say, pulling away from him.

Needing to get out of this situation, you spring up out of the hot tub, grab your towel and your belongings and rush inside, ignoring Rafes protests for you to stay. You texted Sarah that your leaving, saying that you’ll call her tomorrow and that you hope she’s alright.

Rafe sat there for a while, waiting for his erection to go away before he could find his friends. For some reason, although the had just been rejected, he just couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning with you and him.

In honour of buzzcut Rafe being all over my tik tok feed today, it’s only right I came back with another fic! Im hoping this series has about 5 parts. Enjoy bitches!

#outer banks #obx #drew starkey #rafe cameron #rafe cameron smut #rafe outer banks #rafe x female!mc #rafe x reader #rafe x y/n

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ughhhdavid · 1 year

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A kinda long analysis of some scenes in The Sound Of Music in relation to the Ted Lasso finale, TedTrent, and Ted's bisexuality ahead.

Since they decided to name the finale as a reference to The Sound Of Music, and perform a song from it as well, I've decided to look into it. After all, Ted has always been pretty similar to Maria. They're both enthusiastic, positive, they come into this family's life, and, while uptight and closed off at first, it eventually warms up to them. They both help their new family become better.

And then they leave.

Why?

They both say it's because they miss their old lives. But Maria actually leaves because she has developed feelings for the Captain. Meanwhile I think Ted missing his family at home is genuine. (However, he had a chance to have both his Richmond family and his Kansas family at the same time. And there's some debate of the reason he didn't want that)

In The Sound Of Music, we get glimpses into Maria's life after going back.

Sound familiar?

All these shots of people he loves who you think would want him there. Even his own best friend's wedding. And where is Ted? Why is he missing these moments? Why is he so isolated?

Uhm... Hello???? If there's one way to describe Ted's face in this scene, it's this.

Now this is where Ted's story ends. But Maria's continues, having a very intense conversation with Mother Abbess about feelings you've never felt before, having something deep inside you that you can't face, being confused, and not wanting to betray God. This seems very queer coded to me.

On the other hand, she thinks that she is only in servitude of God, and accepting the Captain's love would be distracting her from her mission as a nun. To which Mother says, that just because she loves The Captain, that doesn't mean she loves God less.

Now that got me thinking about Ted, and the way he left everything behind, and the way he rejected everyone's love for him, and the way he seemed to think that was the right thing to do in order to fully love and be there for Henry.

But Ted was a great father, even in London, and he didn't need to sacrifice all other things he loved for him. (Of course, parents would sacrifice everything for their kids, I'm just saying Ted didn't have to).

Loving Richmond didn't mean he loved Henry less.

Mother Reverend also says this:

Which reminds me of what Trent said earlier in the episode:

"I don't think we change, per say, as much as we learn to accept who we've always been"

Next she sings the song "Climb Every Mountain",which finally convinces Maria to go back. Here are some of the lyrics:

Which, first of all. Rainbow??? Ok.

Like the rainbow in Ted's hallucination? Like the bi flag in that same hallucination that helped him get unstuck and get as close to achieving his dream as he could, with Total Football.

Secondly, this reminds me of Ted on the plane, doubting himself. Thinking about how they could've won the whole fucking thing. And later, the lyrics from "Father and Son" that play while Ted looks at the snowglobe.

"For you will still be here tomorrow

But your dreams may not"

How are we supposed to interpret this if not that Ted is abandoning his dream,Richmond?

And that someone needs to make him realize his dreams are important, too?

Next, Maria comes back and greets the Captain in an interaction that reminded me a lot of Ted and Trent.

And then the captain says this:

Which is a criticism I heard a lot about the finale. The entirety of AFC Richmond said goodbye to Ted in big ways, and small ways, but he never said a proper goodbye to any of them. A proper, heartfelt goodbye in which he said something substantial, anything that anyone deserved to hear from him, after spending the past 3 years loving him, being by his side and believing in him.

With Maria returned, The Captain breaks up his engagement to The Baroness.

He says he has been dishonest. He has hidden his feelings and he can't hide them anymore. Reminded me of Trent, saying he had to come out to his wife 2 times before her believing. Trent, hiding his real feelings from a woman he couldn't love the way she wanted him to.

To which the Baroness gets defensive and acts like she's the one who wants to break up. That she doesn't think he's the right man for her.

Why?

I laughed out loud when she said this, ngl.

Next, The Captain talks to Maria in the garden about her plans to leave again soon.

Again, reminiscent of Keeley and Rebecca asking Ted to change his mind, and stay. And the book Ted is holding on the plane "How to Change Your Mind: The New Science Of Psychadelics".

The part where he says "it will be all wrong again after you leave". Let's talk about that. Because as Ted leaves, Roy and Jamie throw away years of development and go back to their old dynamic. Nate is a kit man again. So much regression. Beard, going home to an abusive girlfriend. And Ted, who was learning to break free from society's idea of what a family should look like, Ted, who wanted to be free and fluid, going back into those boxes.

For these characters, it's like the show was folded in half,to get the beginning and the end to touch. For them, it's like starting from zero. It's like everything they've been through has been for nothing. (Roy even specifically calls this out).

Back The Sound of Music, Maria and The Captain finally confess their feelings to each other.

Are you kidding me? A whistle? You mean like coaches have?

Anyway, this is all the parallels and things I've found interesting while watching this part in The Sound Of Music. I could go on for longer, but this movie is 3 hours long of scenes that remind me of Ted.

"Yeah, it might be all that you get

Yeah, I guess this might well be it."

#ted lasso #ted lasso spoilers #Ted lasso finale #Season 3 #Episode 12 #so long farewell #The sound of music #bi ted lasso #Bisexual ted lasso #Trent crimm independent #Tedtrent #Ted x trent #Tedependent #My post

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gasolinerainbowpuddles · 1 year

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𝑭𝑬𝑹𝑨𝑳 𝑾𝑶𝑴𝑨𝑵 ║ Chapter 5 - I Hold a Beast, an Angel, and a Madman in Me

| RATING: explicit material | 18+ | WORD COUNT: 7.7k | CHAPTER WARNINGS: typical canon violence, mild self-harm

| CHAPTER SUMMARY: Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone doesn’t come without risk. Multiple incidents threaten to be a substantial setback in your hard-earned progress, and you rely on Joel to help you keep pushing forward.

║ＰＲＥＶＩＯＵＳ ║⋄── •✧• ──⋄║ ＮＥＸＴ ║

Please read with caution if you have difficulties with works concerning: SA, physical violence, torture, captivity, trauma, and similar topics as they are discussed throughout the series. All highly sensitive portions WILL BE MARKED with my sensitive material banner if you wish to skip the more challenging portions. The sensitive material banner looks like this:

“I ate a piece of jerky at 2:17 last night when I woke up to go pee,” you announced as soon as Joel answered the door.

His face pulled back for a moment, not expecting such a unique greeting, but he quickly recovered. “Wow, one whole piece? Got ourselves a daredevil in Jackson now, huh?” he deadpanned.

You wheezed a nervous laugh when you realized how silly you must have sounded. You dug into your depleted reserves of self-confidence and pushed through the conversation.

“Y-Yeah, that’s right. It’s a– I had a whole piece. A whole entire piece. Maybe I’ll, um, maybe it will be TWO pieces next time,” you boasted. For good measure you popped your hands on your hips and gave a lopsided shrug.

Your spirited, clumsy attempt at bragging and trash-talking over eating a single piece of jerky elicited a genuine belly laugh from Joel. The stilted guffaw was a clear indication you had caught him off guard with your unique style of casual, playful banter. You grinned ear to ear, excited just to have made him react in such a way. It was your new favorite hobby, seeing if you could get Joel to smile or laugh with a bit of back and forth.

“Fuck’s sake, get in here,” he laughed, shaking his head.

He propped the door open wider for you to enter, and you scooted past him quickly. It was market day again. After your failure of a first attempt, Joel helped you lay a bit of groundwork so you weren’t doomed from the start. He worked with you to organize your list so that it was one continuous path with no circling back or crossing aisles. “In and out” as he had told you. It sounded easy enough when he was in charge.

You wanted to try navigating through the store on your own, and Joel obliged with the sole condition that he could step in if he felt it was necessary. So far, he had only had to intervene once. Kevin the store clerk tried to strike up a friendly, casual conversation with you, and all you could do was fumble over your ration slips and blabber incoherently. Small talk seemed to be a tipping point for you.

Still, you worked through your nerves and went twice a week with Joel and Ellie to the market. Maria was quite pleased that Joel had offered to help out with such a clear gesture of commitment, and you wondered why she had made it sound like it wasn’t something she would expect coming from him.

Around the one month mark, your boots had finally started to get broken in. You, too, had molded a bit to the demands of “normal life.” The routine Susan had established for you proved to be crucial in your progress. Knowing what to expect and when to expect it gave you the comfort to build up a little more confidence each day. You had even discussed a sort of part time job with Maria - something to help you feel like you weren’t just a freeloader.

She considered it for a few days before returning with an offer. Patrol shift changes happened near the front gates, and there were a few tasks and odd jobs that would make the transition smoother for everyone. It would only be a few hours at a time here and there, you didn’t have to interact with people for very long, you’d be around some familiar faces, and it was enough work to make you feel useful. It also felt nice to have a bit of purpose other than keeping Susan company - not that you didn’t enjoy it.

Your new job wasn’t anything complicated. The assignments were pretty straightforward: keeping the supply closets straightened, setting up log books for shift change, opening up the handoff stations, keeping track of everyone’s recorded hours for Tommy to review, doing some light housekeeping like sweeping and wiping down surfaces. When you earned your first ration slip, Susan had insisted you keep it and put it in a small picture frame somewhere readily visible in your room. A reminder to yourself of how far you’ve come, she had said.

It was a bit ironic looking at the framed slip as it sat on your dresser in front of a covered mirror. You had draped a blanket across it, along with almost every other mirror in the house, just to avoid your own reflection. You couldn’t stand seeing yourself. It didn’t feel like it was you who was looking back. It felt like someone else. You much preferred just focusing on your internal workings and not worrying about the flat look in your eye every time you caught sight of yourself in a mirror.

When you had asked Susan if you could cover the mirrors, she was kind enough to not question why. In fact, she had offered to take some of the bigger ones off the wall entirely, but you insisted she not go through that sort of trouble. You didn’t want her to get hurt doing it, and there was something that felt so heartbreakingly final about removing them that you couldn’t condemn yourself to it.

You held onto the hope that one day you would be able to see you when you looked into a mirror. For now, you only had to avoid eye contact with the bathroom mirrors, which you had agreed to leave uncovered at Susan’s request. You had come far in your first month, but there was still so much further to go.

You finished up sweeping the hallways and busied yourself with small tasks as you waited for the patrol groups to switch over. Joel was scheduled today, and that meant you would wait for him to get back with the rest of the group so you could walk home together. You had come to look forward to your walks with just you and Joel. The addition of Ellie during your trips to the market were nice, too, but there was never the comfortable silence you craved when it was the three of you.

Joel wasn’t the most talkative person, you had come to learn. You had seen him several times speak barely a word to others around town or during patrol shift change. Even people he enjoyed the company of, like his brother Tommy, would only garner two or three word sentences from him at times. With you he seemed a bit more open, although you weren’t sure why. It was always pleasant whenever you had a conversation here and there, but really it was the way you could walk side by side in silence that had you eager.

It was the only time you could recall that there was quiet, both outside and inside your head. Your mind wasn’t closed off into that safe spot you had carved out for yourself. You had retreated to it so many times when you needed to disconnect from reality long enough for the bad things to pass. But you hadn’t gone there in weeks. Weeks!

When you walked with Joel, it was just stillness and calm. Your thoughts weren’t racing. You weren’t on high alert. You could just enjoy the much too short walk home, side by side with your silent companion.

Then the times that you did want to talk, Joel didn’t seem bothered by that either. He never made you feel like an idiot when you tripped over your words or struggled to figure out how to express yourself. You hadn’t done it in so long that you were relearning much of the skillset. He even let you practice small talk with him, even though both of you hated engaging in it. It was one of those necessary evils that you had to tolerate if you were going to be sociable with others in Jackson.

Three weeks into your part time work, and you were offering simple greetings to some of the more familiar faces. Most of the ones you were brave enough to interact with had been part of the original patrol group that discovered you. They knew exactly what sort of circumstances you had come from and as such gave you a wide berth whenever you interacted. They all seemed to be rooting for you and wordlessly cheering you on as you found it in yourself to branch out and feel more confident addressing people.

There were others that made you feel on edge, although it was your history to blame rather than anything on their end. Some of the men got too close for your comfort but mostly backed off if they sensed you were ill at ease. In general it was just a lot of people focused on getting ready to start patrol or intent on finishing up whatever they needed to in order to end their shift. You could stay in the fringes, unnoticed and unbothered by the majority of people coming and going.

You straightened the chairs against the wall for the third time in the handoff room when at last you heard the sound of doors and footsteps. A glance up to the clock confirmed it was finally time for shift change. A few of the oncoming members shuffled in wordlessly while others gave you a quick nod of acknowledgment.

You gave Jason a friendly wave when he came through the door, and he flashed a quick smile back at you. He was probably more privy to the extent of your connection with Joel than anyone else. He’d been there that day at the market, eyeing yours and Joel’s hands clasped together during your panic attack. He’d never brought up that day to you, for which you were incredibly grateful, and it was in line with his general disposition.

He was one of the few people you’d recognized as someone Joel respected and cared about what they had to say. At first you thought it was because Jason was a sort of boss or manager with patrol shifts and personnel, but you quickly realized it was because they held a mutual respect for one another.

Jason never sought out more interaction than was necessary. Never pried. Just focused on whatever task was at hand and minded his business. He was a bit of Tommy and Joel combined, when you considered him. Not overly friendly but had a warmth in his eyes and smile. When he would occasionally ask how you were doing, you knew he genuinely wanted to know and wasn’t just asking to be polite.

You gathered up your things as you readied for Joel’s arrival. You picked up Tommy’s coat to put over the more fitted one Maria had found for you. Her balmy insistence at Tommy’s behest that you keep his jacket permanently still made you smile. You were looking over the jacket with fondness when a newer acquaintance appeared at your side.

“Hello, hello, and hello again,” Nathan purled. His toothy grin went right along with his loose, overly familiar communication style.

“Hi, Nathan,” you greeted in a short snip.

“It’s Nate, babe. C’mon, what’s it gonna take for you to call me Nate instead of being so formal?” he teased.

Nathan had been seeking you out more frequently with an exponential, energized interest each time. He was just an overenthusiastic nuisance at first, but his cocky youth had made him more brazen than usual this past week. It was never aggressive or hostile, but you didn’t enjoy the interactions. There was a clear shift in him around a week ago, and it was either an inability to recognize or a refusal to acknowledge on his part that his behavior was veering from plucky into pushy.

“Fine. Nate,” you quip.

“Atta girl,” he hooted. “Now how about you let me take you to the Tipsy Bison sometime? Get to know each other a little better, huh?” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and your stomach started to tighten.

“No th-thank you,” you decline, cursing your stammer for ruining the firm delivery.

“Acting all shy, huh? You don’t have to keep playing so hard to get, sugar. It was sexy at first, sure, but I think we’re past that by now, don’t you?” His arrogant toying of the words dripped from his tongue like a rotten pour of molasses.

Your fingers tightened around Tommy’s jacket in your hands as you felt yourself freeze up at Nathan’s advances. A molten heat spread across your chest and cheeks, and you worked to get your tongue functional again so you could tell Nathan to leave you alone.

Breathe breathe breathe breathe breathe.

Some of your fingers started to cramp and twitch with how tightly you were gripping the jacket. Nathan’s eyes swept lazily across your face in a way that had you wanting to bolt.

It’s okay there’s people around–you’re okay–just breathe breathe breathe–Joel will be here soon—

Nathan’s tongue drew across his bottom lip with a languid pass, and you felt like you might throw up.

It’s okay you’re okay it’s okay– Jason is at that table nearby–you’re okay— nothing’s going to happen– it’s okay

“Damn, you’re pretty when you blush,” he muttered, tilting his head in admiration and skimming his knuckles across your cheek. You made a noise of horror and rejection that you’d intended to come out as a “DON’T TOUCH ME,” but it got stuck in your throat.

“Leave her be, Campbell,” Jason cautioned from across the room.

“What? Can’t a gentlemen help a lady into her coat?” Nathan sneered at him. Without asking, he yanked Tommy’s coat from you and straightened it out with a jerk as if to assist you into it. You flinched at the abrupt motion after being frozen from his unwanted contact to your face.

Your breathing was picking up to an audible push and pull from your lungs. You were struggling to concentrate on breathing evenly with Nathan so close to you and being so insolent. You felt yourself become wholly petrified of what he was going to do next and if there was going to be anything you could do to stop him. “I-I don’t. No. No,” you stutter.

“You don’t know? You don’t know what?” Nathan questioned, again either willfully or ignorantly overlooking your meaning and visible distress.

“Campbell, goddammit,” Jason snapped, sounding a little closer than before.

You shrunk away from Nathan who had started to approach you with the jacket opened. You couldn’t discern if his enthusiasm was in bad faith or not. Your lip was trembling by the time you turned your face away from him and dropped your eyes to the ground. His steps were closing the gap between you quickly even though you had taken several steps backward, and your last ditch effort to make him stop was to put your hands up in a plea for him to stop.

Before Jason could round the table and intervene, Joel’s foot slammed into the back of Nathan’s knee and buckled him to the ground in a brutal drop. You jumped back at the unceremonious appearance but felt relief erupt in your gut.

“What the FUCK, man?!” Nathan bellowed. He grabbed at his leg in a crumpled heap, but Joel callously stepped over him and snatched Tommy’s jacket back. He lobbed it onto a nearby chair before meeting your eyes. He was zeroed onto you and rushed to cradle your face in his hands.

“This asshole hurt you?” Joel demanded with a stormy look. His eyes darted over you as though he was assessing the possibility himself before you could confirm or deny. You shook your head side to side in quick snaps, feeling jumpy with the rush of adrenaline coursing through you.

When Nathan made the novice mistake of trying to get up from the floor, Joel was quick to hand out a souvenir for your brash admirer’s serious lapse in judgment. Joel dropped his hands from your face and connected the sole of his boot squarely into Nathan’s chest with a hard drive, sending the recipient hurtling across the room. The panicked expression on Nathan’s face and his fruitless gasps for air indicated Joel had knocked the wind out of him.

“Turn around for a minute, honey, and close your ears, okay?” Joel requested softly. He cupped his hand around your shoulder and gave a small squeeze before sliding some of your more wily strands of hair behind your ear. It was a stark contrast to the crippling display of violence he had just exerted, but it was consistent with the rest of this whirlwind of a shitshow.

You yielded to Joel’s request and pivoted away from the scene with your fingers plugged into your ears. Your breaths were coming more steady now, and Joel’s reassuring rub between your shoulder blades brought you back to sanity.

You waited quietly, focusing on the comforting heat from Joel’s hands on your body. It wasn’t more than 20 seconds when a chair slamming into the one just off to your side pulled you out of your dutiful obliviousness. You could hear Joel’s menacing growl before you even turned back around.

“–outta your fuckin’ mind. You’ll be shitting out teeth for the next week when I knock ‘em down your fuckin’ throat if ever you try that shit again.”

“Okay, man! Jesus, okay! I’m s-sorry, man! I didn’t know she was your girl!” Nathan’s puny groveling almost made you feel guilty. Almost.

He sounded terrified, and for good reason. Joel outsized him by leaps and bounds, and the anger fueling his dealings was nothing but bad news for Nathan. You tucked your head down at an angle as you turned to see the altercation.

Nathan’s upper half hovered over the floor, swaying only with the movement of Joel’s hand where it was firmly locked onto Nathan’s collar. Joel’s free hand was balled into a fist and ready to dole out as many souvenirs as Nathan needed to remember and comply with the expectations regarding his interactions with you. He coughed, still trying to catch his breath. His left eye was starting to swell, and the skin around it was reddening with damage. A few drips of blood were slithering down his chin, and upon second glance you could see his entire mouth was awash in blood.

“Alright, Joel, that’s enough. You’ve made your point,” Jason interrupted.

“Not done yet,” Joel bit out.

With that he turned towards you, something of a sheepish smirk on his face when he saw you were no longer in your bubble, and dragged Nathan across the floor before dropping him at your feet.

“Apologize,” Joel snapped down at him.

Jason was muttering something to himself behind Joel’s back and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Joel clearly wasn’t going to let this go until Nathan satisfied all the stipulations of his clemency.

Everyone had huddled to get a closer look, and not a single soul attempted to mediate the situation, other than Jason’s half-hearted attempt just now. It was then you realized this entire room full of people didn’t want to risk running afoul of Joel. There would be no hesitation on his part in allocating “souvenirs”for anyone interested in testing his patience when it came to your safety and comfort.

“Make it good, dumbass,” Joel growled, ramming the tip of his boot into Nathan’s thigh. Nathan yelled out again in pain and clutched the spot as he swiveled to look at you. You flinched again at Joel’s physical violence against Nathan and tried to stop shaking as you stared at all the blood.

“Fuck okay! Jesus christ, I am!” he relented. “Look, I’m sorry. I’m really fucking sorry! I swear to god, I didn’t know that you and Joel were–”

Joel slapped the back of Nathan’s head impatiently. His tone was equal parts indignant and caustic when he spoke. “She’s entitled to some civility regardless of any attachment, you fuckwit. Goddamn, who the fuck agreed to let you stay in Jackson? You are about as useful to have around as a screen door on a submarine.”

You couldn’t help but sputter a laugh at Joel’s creative barb. You were so keyed up that the moment of levity was a welcomed reprieve, although fleeting. The muffled snickering around the room let you know you weren’t the only one amused by Joel and appreciative for the blip of eased tension.

Joel caught your eye and shot you a questioning smile when you laughed. “You okay now, hon?” It was verbal whiplash, going between the hostile berating directed at Nathan and tender soothing words for you. You nodded and looked down at pitiful Nathan, who launched into an edited solicitation for your pardon.

“I’m– yes, of course. You deserve it. You deserve civility. You don’t have to be his girl for me to be polite. I understand. I get it, I swear. I swear to god I’m never gonna talk to her again. I swear I’m–” he rattled off, directing his pleading back to Joel to assess if it was adequate.

“What about my jacket?” you interrupt.

“Huh?!” Nathan gasped. His eyes snapped back to yours.

“You didn’t e-even ask. Didn’t even ask-ask about it. You just, you just took it from me without asking,” you challenged right back. “You-You can’t do that. To people. It’s not– It isn’t right. You c-can’t treat m-me like th-that.”

You were nervous to be this confrontational, but Tommy’s jacket meant a lot to you. As baffling as it might have been to anyone else, Nathan taking Tommy’s jacket from you without your permission was probably the most upsetting thing he had done to you today.

“I’m sorry! I’M SORRY! Please, I’m sorry!” he begged, watching Joel from the corner of his eye in anticipation of correction for this new grievance.

“Okay. Th-Thank you,” you said. You looked up to Joel and cupped his elbow to get his full attention. “Help him up, Joel, okay?” Joel’s face softened, but you could tell he felt Nathan didn’t deserve to get off so easy.

Joel snatched Nathan up with both hands on his collar now and brought him nose to nose. Even if it was done with the intent to protect you, the verbal altercation and physical violence made your stomach turn.

“If I see you actin’ like a creep with any women around town, we will pick up right where we left off, you understand me?” he snarled.

Nathan garbled nonsense and nodded emphatically. Joel released his hold, much to Nathan’s relief, and offered one parting remark. “Now go tell Tommy he has to call up the standby to cover your patrol shift because you’re a fuckin’ dipshit.”

Nathan didn’t need to hear his assignment twice and bolted from the room.

“Point made, Joel,” Jason sighed. “You okay?” he turned to you and asked.

“Yeah, I’m-I’m good,” you reply.

“Alright, good. Now get your attack dog outta here before he gets put on leave for interpersonal workplace violence,” Jason grumbled.

You scooped up your jacket and extended your hand to Joel, wiggling your fingers in an encouraging gesture for him to meet your grasp. His remorseless expression only strengthened as he reached out and took it. Once you made it outside and started your walk home, Joel appeared regretful for at least some of his actions.

“I, uh, I know I shoulda corrected him when he said we were together, but I was so pissed off I wasn’t really thinkin’ straight,” he admitted.

“It’s okay, Joel. Really,” you assure him. You rubbed your thumb along his hand in a soothing motion.

“No, it’s just that… I don’t want you gettin’ the idea that you’re only safe so long as you, I dunno how to put it. So long as you’re attached to somebody, I guess,” he explained.

This was the first time you had ever seen Joel unsure of himself.

“I really did try to hold back. Wanted to bash his damn head into the wall. Seein’ how afraid he made you,” he muttered. “Just, not exactly too proud of myself for actin’ like that in front of you. I know it bothers you, that kinda stuff.”

“It does…” you admit, “–but, I’m not upset you stepped in.”

“You sure?” he pressed.

“Yes. Very,” you reply.

Joel let out a deep sigh of relief and gave your hand a small squeeze. You looked up at him, but his eyes stayed focused on the walk ahead. “Just wanna be sure. You’ve dealt with enough shit. Don’t need me addin’ to it,” he said.

For the second time today, Joel garnered a surprised, sputtering laugh from you. He glanced down, curious at your reaction.

“Adding to it? Like, adding to my troubles?” you balk. “You serious?”

Joel shrugged your comment off. He didn’t find it as implausible as you did. You came to a halt and waited for him to look at you before speaking.

“If I could do that for you? What you did back there? I would,” you assert with as much conviction as you could muster. “Not that you need it. But, if you did. If you needed somebody to try and, and stick up for you? I would. I would try my best.”

The line of Joel’s mouth curved ever so slightly when you squeezed his hand for emphasis. “I know you would. I know you would,” he trailed off as the two of you started walking again.

“Know you’d give ‘em hell for me, honey,” he finished.

You hugged yourself around Joel’s arm, gripping his hand all the tighter, as you walked the rest of the way home in your usual comfortable silence. The clarity it afforded your mind only produced a single thought: Know you’d give ‘em hell for me, honey … for Joel, you would.

Closing in on your second month in Jackson was the perfect time to host a celebration dinner. According to Susan, at least. “What better way to show Tommy and Maria all your progress?” she posed to you two weeks ago. In that time, she had worked you through her own little charm school curriculum and proclaimed you “ready to be co-host” to a nice meal.

It was your idea to invite Joel and Ellie, a suggestion that Susan readily gave her stamp of approval, and before you knew it you were fidgeting with the hem of your shirt in anxious wait for your guests to arrive.

You heard Joel’s leaden gait as he and Ellie walked up the front stairs, and you swung the door open before he could knock. “Wow. Host so good you don’t even hafta knock to be let in,” Joel teased.

“Hi. Welcome. Please come in,” you parrot from the dialogue you had practiced with Susan.

“You sound weird,” Ellie heckled. She scrunched her nose in amusement at your stiff imitation of the mistress of ceremonies.

“Ugh. I know,” you mumble. “Just tell Susan I sounded good, okay?”

Ellie cackled but joined forces with your hostess farce without any begging necessary from you. Joel wore his usual amused grin for the evening. “Not sure you’re ready for this, but I have a feeling Susan’s got enough experience under her belt to keep up,” he said as he handed you a glass bottle of dark brown liquid.

“Thank you for this gift. How kind.” Your wooden delivery wasn’t selling any of the warmth it was supposed to. Ellie started off down the hall, inspecting whatever doorways were open along the way, leaving you beside Joel.

“Please don’t tell me you’re gonna keep that up the whole night,” he groaned. You glared at him with put-on exacerbation as you shut the door.

“Shutup, Joel. Susan has been putting me through the, through the hanger or whatever, for the past two weeks,” you huff.

“Through the wringer,” Joel corrected with a barely contained smirk.

“Whatever. I really want to do a good job, okay?” you admit with a skittish bounce onto the balls of your feet.

“Alright, alright. We’ll play nice,” he chuckled. “And, since you’re such a gracious host ‘n all and asked what gift was delightfully bestowed upon you, that’s some of Seth’s older batch of whiskey. Good shit.”

Your cheeks warmed a bit at Joel’s apparent familiarity with hosting etiquette. You accepted his gentle attempt to steer you the right way. “Oh. Yes. Well. Thank you. I’m-I’m sure this will go with– pair well with the … with the, um–shit, I can’t remember what’s for dessert.”

Joel covered his howl of laughter with a strained cough, and you couldn’t help but giggle along with him as you scolded him. “Shutupppppp,” you groan.

“Why yes, I would love to be shown to the kitchen to greet the other guests that may have arrived and or to say hello to the other host for this evening,” Joel chortled.

You sighed and rubbed your forehead against the palm of your hand. This was going to be a complete disaster, and you can’t believe it was falling apart already after you’d put so much work into it.

“C’mon,” Joel encouraged with a quick arm around your shoulder and a gentle shake. You leaned your head against his middle before pushing off and heading down the hallway together.

Joel did his usual work of charming the pants off Susan on your behalf. You were lost on the reference he made to some television episode where the main character Lucy and her friend went to a charm school and failed miserably. Joel and Susan joked how you were leagues above Lucy and Ethel’s attempts, which didn’t make a whole lot of sense to you, but you took it as a compliment all the same.

“Don’t tell me you’ve never seen I Love Lucy,” Joel chastised.

“I’ve heard of it?” you offer.

When Joel scoffed, you swiftly reminded him that it was before his time, too, if you were remembering correctly. Ellie as always chipped in with her helpful takes and said that if it was “just the grey TV before they got colors” then it was “definitely Joel’s time.” Joel grumbled something under his breath about “pain in my ass” and “talkin’ outta the side of her mouth” at Ellie’s remarks, and you and Susan could only giggle at their banter.

“How old were you when the outbreak happened, anyway?” Ellie wondered.

You were shocked it had taken her this long to ask you such a basic question that you had prepared yourself a little bit for it. “Eight.”

Joel choked on the single finger whiskey he had poured himself. You’d only ever told him you’d been a kid on outbreak day but never got into the exact details other than escaping to safety with your parents.

“Poor Bug. Just like my daughter, not even out of elementary school,” Susan murmured softly. You shot her a sympathetic look and squeezed her arm in consolation. “But at least I’ve got you now, Bug,” she added with a squeeze back to you.

Tommy and Maria arrived a little late, and Maria owned the blame entirely. “Baby Miller makes it summertime year round,” she quipped as she freed herself of her jacket when they arrived. Apparently she’d run her head under cold water for 10 minutes straight before she felt cool enough, and then had to change clothes so she wasn’t left in damp, sweaty fabric.

Susan sat at the head of the table, and you were opposite as the cohost. Maria sat next to Susan as the “guest of honor” with Tommy to her right and your left. Joel sat across from his brother and Ellie across from Maria.

“What a quaint gathering,” you comment stiffly, hoping you remembered the line correctly. Joel choked on his water but straightened up when you shot him a look.

“Oh. Yes. Wow. Yes, quaint. Susan, you’ve been making an impression on her, I see,” Maria chuckled with a wide-eyed grin.

“Bug has done so well. I’m so proud of her. And Joel can tell you all about how she’s doing, too. Can’t you, Joel?” Susan prompted.

You couldn’t help the nervous face that met Joel’s gaze, but you really weren’t sure if he would give you a rave review. Not that it mattered. But still, it would feel nice to know he thought you were meeting some sort of unspoken expectations.

“Best company in Jackson, in my opinion,” he said softly, never tearing his eyes from you. Your watery smile made him grin in return, and you only looked away when Tommy cleared his throat.

“Proud’a you, sweetheart. Come from a hard place, no doubt about that. Made lotsa strides since you got here, and we can all see that,” Tommy said.

You really had to hold yourself back from getting emotional now. Tommy seemed to detect your precarious emotional state and rubbed your hand for encouragement. You gave him a double scrunch of your fingers against his hand in return, and he offered up his crinkly smile you loved so much.

“Really. It’s so great to see you out and about. And helping out with patrols, too,” Maria added.

Tommy shot Joel a devilish look when Maria brought up your patrol job. “Yeah, heard a lotta people talkin’ just the other day about your help up there. Makin’ quite the impression.”

Joel didn’t look up from his plate and opted to just roll his eyes at Tommy’s nettling. Oblivious to what Tommy was actually referencing, Susan clapped her hands together with an enthusiastic expression. “Bug, how wonderful!”

“Probably just being nice,” you mumble before staring off and taking a few sips of your water.

“No no, believe me, there was enough hullabaloo about’cha that I can guarantee you’ve carved out a little piece of Jackson for yourself that people aren’t soon’ta forget,” Tommy chuckled, never tearing his eyes away from his increasingly irritated brother.

You chewed on your lip thinking about Joel’s run-in with Nathan. You wondered how many people knew about it now and what they thought of you and the role you played in it. You felt Joel’s foot make swift contact with Tommy’s shin underneath the table, who sat up straighter immediately and glanced your way. Apparently Joel had taken note of your dour mood and wasn’t keen on the effect Tommy’s words seemed to be having on you.

“Ah, really, though.” Tommy cleared his throat and flushed a little. “Might not feel like you’re doin’ a whole lot up there, but it does make a difference. Things been smoother since you started,” he said in earnest.

You thanked Tommy for the compliment but adjusted yourself in your seat awkwardly. All the built up nervous energy inside you was demanding to be channeled somewhere. Susan gave you an encouraging wink, mistaking your fidgeting as feeling bashful at all the good things everyone had to say about you.

“Can I get a thing, no– Can I get anyone anything?” you fumble, trying to shift back into co-host mode.

“I’d actually take some ice water if you don’t mind,” Maria said. She had peeled off her long-sleeved shirt and was down to the tanktop she’d worn underneath it. “Just another round of my own personal summertime.”

“Oh, of course. Let me just– I’ll be right back,” you announce, standing and heading to the kitchen. You were just glad the first real request of the night was so manageable. You emerged with a pitcher of ice water and a new glass for Maria that had extra ice in it.

You felt bad that she had been dealing with these unpleasant bouts of heat for at least several weeks. At least as far back as when you’d overheard her and Tommy’s conversation through their kitchen window after you’d arrived. You sympathized with her recurrent discomfort and made a mental note to ask Susan later if that sort of thing would go away once she had the baby.

“Ugh, perfect. Thank you,” Maria said when you made your way back to the table.

“No problem.” You picked up her new glass and began filling it with ice cold water. The freezing bite against your fingers helped to steady your hand as you worked. You were trying your best to not overthink this and get nervous, but you really wanted to do a good job for Susan.

“So what, you just get like internal lava from the baby or something?” Ellie wondered.

Maria and Susan both laughed at the description but didn’t deny its accuracy. “Something like that,” Maria agreed.

“Ugh gross. That sucks. At least this winter keeps dragging on, I guess. Somebody said the other day at school that it’s normally a little warmer by now. But that’s good for you, right? Even some snow still coming every now and then?” Ellie reasoned.

You felt a sprout of confidence blooming in your chest, and you took up on it immediately before it went away.

“Yeah, but that just means Maria has to talk Tommy out of filling the bathtub with snow to help her cool off. Can’t just hang out of your kitchen window every time.” You laugh a little at your tongue-in-cheek contribution as you go between Maria and Tommy to fill his glass with water next.

You feel them both still on either side of you, and you glance at Tommy in search of a reason. He had a confused, sad look that you couldn’t understand until you realized what you’d said. You sat the water pitcher on the table without filling Tommy’s glass and reflexively crossed your arms over your lower belly in subconscious effort to self-soothe.

“How do you know about that?” Maria asked behind you.

You took a big step back and removed yourself from between their chairs. “I-I …” you stammer. “Shit.”

“How much did you hear?” she quickly followed up. She knew. It was all over her face. Tommy’s, too. They knew you had eavesdropped on their conversation. Their private conversation about you and how bad off you were. Something you were never meant to hear and had no right listening in on.

“Something wrong?” Susan asked with a confused frown.

“Yeah, what the hell? Why’d everybody get so weird all the sudden?” Ellie chipped in, helpful as ever.

You opened your mouth a few times, but your tongue felt heavy and unwieldy. You didn’t know what to say, so instead you turned on your heel and abruptly exited the room, climbing the stairs two at a time until you made it to your room and locked the door.

“You fucking idiot,” you snap at yourself with a soft headbutt against the back of your door as you leaned into it. You bury your face in your hands and fall into your mattress. It was bad enough that your instigation of Joel and Nathan’s fight had been a topic of vague discussion over dinner, and now you had just outed yourself as an eavesdropper and a liar.

You could only imagine the conversation downstairs with Tommy and Maria letting everyone else know you had apparently spied on them and made yourself privy to their private conversations. Everyone would discover you couldn’t be trusted. Your mind was hurtling towards that ever present and endless expanse of panic that was apparently going to be rooted in you forever.

You shuffled around your room in search of a rubber band and quickly dragged the first one you found over your wrist. You pulled the band taut and released it with a stinging snap against the softest part of your wrist. The faded scars from so many hours in restraints left little pale patches as the surrounding skin welted up around them with the repeated, calming snaps of the rubber band.

A hiss of satisfaction hummed from your throat at the grounding sensation it gave you. A soft knock on your door tore you from your self-soothing. “Uh, just a minute. I’m– I don’t think I’m coming back down Susan, I’m sorry,” you call out.

“Not Susan, but I’ll give you another guess,” Joel’s muffled voice came from the other side of the door.

You sighed and walked across your room but only stared at the doorknob after a few steps.

“Gimme two minutes, and I’ll leave you alone after that,” he bargained.

It was laughable that he’d think you didn’t want to see him. You wanted nothing more than for him to be right beside you. You were afraid of the possibility that he was going to look at you differently now after learning that you were a liar and a sneak.

You reluctantly opened the door for him. You close and lock it after he stepped inside your bedroom. You kept your eyes downcast and settled back into your bed, curling up into yourself on your side without a word. You couldn’t take a look of disappointment or rejection from him right now. It would absolutely gut you.

Joel approached slowly before asking your permission to sit on the bed next to you. You gave a short sound of approval and felt the mattress beneath you sink down with Joel’s weight. You stared at the wall in front of you, hyper aware of Joel’s measured, calm breaths behind you.

“Your mirror’s covered,” he noted.

You let out a resigned sigh. Of course he’d notice. Susan had taken the coverings off all the mirrors downstairs in preparation for tonight’s dinner, but you hadn’t considered any of the upstairs ones.

“Yeah. Too bright. In the mornings. Lots of light,” you lie.

“You’re gonna have to pick between not lookin’ at me and not tellin’ me the truth, ‘cause I’m not gonna put up with both,” Joel said with firm candor.

You stirred at his provocation and rolled over. Joel sat facing forward, still taking in your decorative alterations. When he looked down at you, you instantly covered your face with your arms. It was too much.

“Quit it,” he urged gently, brushing his fingers across your lower arm. You dropped your safeguard and willed yourself to maintain eye contact.

“Are they going to kick me out?” you sniffle.

“You seriously think that?” Joel shot back. “You think even if that was the case me’n Ellie would just stand by? Or Susan?” Your lack of understanding at the extent of how much people cared for you had clearly struck a chord.

“No,” you mutter. You clear the lump in your throat with a few swallows.

“Exactly. So you can stay up here and take yourself outta the equation of your own life, or you can come back down with me and have a little liquid courage and enjoy the rest of this dinner,” he said.

When you didn’t answer after a few moments, Joel doubled down. “So what’s it gonna be? You gonna hole yourself up here? Or are you gonna pull yourself together and come back downstairs with me?”

He wasn’t being unkind, you knew that. It was the truth of your options, and he wasn’t going to let you skirt the issue by forming your own bastardized version of events where everyone hated you and you weren’t capable of doing hard things.

“I guess… I guess staying up here won’t do much. For showing how I’m doing better since I got to Jackson,” you reason. “And I’ll probably just drive myself crazy up here, alone with my th-thoughts.”

“Your call, honey,” Joel reminded you. He meant it. You knew if you really decided to just have a pity party for yourself upstairs, he wouldn’t stop you, and he wouldn’t chastise you over it either.

You sat up and poked Joel’s thigh, prompting him to stand. When you swung your legs over the edge of the bed, you looked up to see Joel’s extended hand waiting for you. He smirked and wiggled his fingers, mimicking the gesture you gave him after his altercation with Nathan. You huffed a small laugh and knocked his hand away in feigned annoyance before quickly grabbing it back up.

“Oh, one more thing.”

You shot him a curious look. “What?”

“This?” he said, gingerly wrapping his hand around your wrist where you’d snapped the rubber band. “You’re not doin’ this anymore.”

Your cheeks burned. You’d already forgotten about it, too distracted to think about hiding it. “Joel, it’s not– I just do it to help me–”

“No.” He cut you off without hesitation. “You aren’t gonna do it anymore. You’re gonna find somethin’ else to help calm you down. You come to me in the meantime while we’re figurin’ out what you can do to replace that. Don’t care if it’s the middle of the night. You come see me. Is that understood?”

You gulped at the frankly enthralling way Joel commanded you to not mistreat your body, even if you only did it because it brought momentary calm. He raised his eyebrow in a persuasive, demanding motion, waiting for your acknowledgement.

“Okay,” you promise. You hug his arm for a moment and don’t pull away when he sweeps his knuckles down your back in a single, delicate pass.

“Let’s get goin’,” he says, and you think just maybe there was a hint of reluctance in his voice at the mention of ending the moment and going back downstairs with other people instead of staying up here alone.

You made it to the bottom of the stairs and were sad to let go of your hold of his warm, comforting hand, but you really didn’t want to reemerge with such a pointed, suggestive display before you could even smooth things over from your last faux pas.

“Ready?” Joel murmured lowly so everyone in the next room over couldn’t hear.

“Yeah, I’m ready,” you whisper back.

And you were. You could do hard things. You could handle the awkward social situation you had created. No one was going to send you away. You weren’t going to have to fend for yourself. No one blamed you for Joel’s choices in dealing with Nathan. You weren’t somebody that stirred up trouble. You were just learning how to be yourself again, and it had been a long time since you were yourself.

The "WHAT TTTOOOWWWNNNNN?!" side of Joel makes my pussy bottom out, sorry not sorry. If only it wouldn't be too upsetting for Feral Woman® to witness Joel get more violent, we might have seen Nathan get all of the ass whooping he deserved. Oh well. We'll just have to settle for what we can get, I suppose.

Also, I just know Susan would give Joel a run for his money if anyone actually tried to kick Feral Woman® out of Jackson. Some true mama bear shit 100%.

As always, ty ty ty for reading and for commenting/sharing/reblogging my work!

Catch ya later, ♥Puddles♥

#fic: feral woman #fw #joel miller #joel miller x reader #pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #tlou fic #tlou fanfiction #the last of us

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skaruresonic · 5 months

Note

what were your favorite things about starline before he was ruined

Oh, God, Starline. ;A; How I miss the poor bastard.

Beyond his design, my favorite things about him included his foppishness, his showmanship, his meticulousness, his (relative) calm demeanor, his "comedic intern" angle, and his devotion to licking egg-shaped boot.

Oh, and the most prominent aspect of his character, the linchpin on which all else rests: the simpery.

I will give credit where credit is due, his simpery of Eggman coupled with his more cautious and lowkey nature (at least, compared to Eggman) offered a genuinely new and refreshing dynamic at the time. It didn't seem to come with strings attached as it usually does.

I also used to like his penchant for unintentional comedy. It seemed to be the same flavor of comedy with which they tinge some of Eggman's character.

Granted, Starline was probably always meant to be something of a buttmonkey, but later issues had him ping-pong between being Better Than Eggman(tm) and a buffoon. The constant switch made it difficult to fully invest in him in either case, because one minute we were meant to consider him a srs bsns mastermind and laugh at his failures the next. And not in the balanced way Eggman's humor generates; there were times I genuinely couldn't tell whether we were supposed to root for him or not.

And then, of course, he got crushed under rocks. Big oofed.

Starline used to be funny. Watching him rant and rave? Cry tears of joy? Make an uwu face as Rough and Tumble embarrass him in front of his idol? Funny, because it subverted his otherwise suave Bond villain image, and because you knew that eventually Eggman would crush his windpipe like a squeaky toy. Selling your soul to the devil can only end in tragedy. It filled you with a morbid sort of joy and a dark anticipation as you waited to see how bright this dumpster fire would blaze.

This was one pathetic meow-meow of a man, strange yet oddly compelling. Shame his delusions of grandeur stole away the entertaining aspects of his personality for a more boring, straight-laced character. Even bigger shame that we were supposed to pretend he never meant anything to begin with.

That's not to say Starline could never have had character development, nor that he should have remained a static character. Just as Sonic exerts a positive influence on others, show us how Eggman exerts a twisted influence. Make Starline's devotion to Eggman even unhealthier and fucked-up than it already was. Not in a "I can fix you" kind of way, but in an "I will light myself on fire to keep you warm" kind of way. To the point of self-destruction. That seemed to be the logical direction for such a character, anyway.

But nah, they had to drag us along Starline's unimpressive journey to strike out on his own. Which, like... He stole 90% of Eggman's shit anyway, so how effective was he really? And even if the whole point was that Eggman made him and he's nothing without his idol, then why did the book give him two mini-series? Has he been mentioned even once in the book since his death? Somehow, I very much doubt it.

I don't want to get into it with his creation of Surge and Kit because I'd rather pretend they don't exist, thanks. Yes, I'm aware Starline was originally conceived as their creator, but I think Flynn should have caught on that his character had changed. Realized that trying to cram him back into the original mold would only break him.

And you know what. Even after having suffered 30 issues where Starline was fucking insufferable with his whole "I'll surpass Eggman" schtick, I still felt sad for his passing.

To make matters worse, I felt foolish for my emotional investment, because dammit, I guess I was hoping his story would have culminated in something more substantial than "his favorite flowers are forget-me-nots (snicker)."

Now that I've learned that IDW can drop even their most popular characters in a heartbeat, I'm never making the mistake of even accidentally becoming invested in them again. They're not going to bother developing them or even give them a proper sendoff, so why should I continue reading?

Fs in the chat for my boy. They did him so dirty.

#asks #rip simpline you are gone but not forgotten

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thegatesofsilverandbone · 1 month

Text

It was a quiet Wednesday evening when Danny and Marcus found themselves at Danny’s house for a mid-week sleepover. The two high school sophomores had been inseparable since the first day of ninth grade, finding solace in each other’s company. They spent most of their free time together, sharing secrets, dreams, and the occasional forbidden snack.

As they lay side by side in Danny's small bed, with the glow of the streetlights filtering through the curtains, they couldn't help but groan at the thought of waking up early the next morning for school.

"I wish we could just do whatever we wanted," Danny murmured, staring up at the ceiling.

"Yeah, like just go on adventures or something. I don't want to sit in class all day tomorrow," Marcus replied, turning on his side to face Danny. His dark brown eyes were serious, and Danny could see the same wishful thinking he felt reflected in them.

"What if we didn't have to go back? What if we could just... stay like this forever? Together," Danny said, his voice softening.

Marcus smiled at the thought, a wistful smile that soon turned into a yawn. "That would be the best," he mumbled, closing his eyes.

They both drifted off to sleep, their minds buzzing with fantasies of freedom, of a life where school and chores didn't exist, where they could explore the world together with nothing holding them back.

As they slept, their dreams intertwined, weaving a shared tapestry of vivid images and sensations. The boys found themselves standing on a rocky beach, the waves crashing rhythmically against the shore. They felt taller, stronger, their bodies broader and more powerful than before. As they looked down at themselves, they noticed thick hair covering their chests, arms, and legs, and their faces sported full beards, dark and well-kept. They were older—much older—no longer boys, but men.

Danny looked down at his hands, which seemed to shimmer and flicker between his familiar youthful form and something else—something more substantial. His fingers began to lengthen and broaden, the knuckles becoming more pronounced as the skin roughened, like those of a man who had lived a full life. Hair began to sprout along the backs of his hands, dark and thick, and as he looked down at his arms, he saw the same transformation taking place there as well. The boyish smoothness of his limbs gave way to sinewy muscles, covered in a dense layer of hair that marked him as undeniably male.

Marcus, standing beside him, was undergoing a similar change. His once-slender frame filled out, the narrow shoulders of his teenage years expanding into a broad, powerful chest. The awkward lankiness of youth was replaced with the solid bulk of a man in his prime. His jawline sharpened, growing more defined, and soon, a thick beard began to grow, covering his chin and cheeks with a rugged fullness that made him look distinguished and wise.

The two boys stared at each other in awe as their faces matured, the soft features of adolescence giving way to the hard edges and strong lines of adulthood. Their noses became more prominent, their brows heavier, casting shadows over eyes that now held the weight of countless experiences.

Danny could feel his body gaining strength and mass with each passing moment. His chest, once flat and boyish, now rose and fell with the steady breath of a man accustomed to physical exertion. Dark hair covered his pectorals, spreading in a thick trail down his stomach, which had grown firm and muscular. His legs, too, had thickened, the muscles taut and powerful beneath a new covering of dark, wiry hair.

As they continued to change, new memories flooded their minds—memories of lifting weights at the gym together, of sharing quiet mornings over coffee, and of nights spent in each other's arms, feeling safe and whole. The awkward fumblings of teenage romance were replaced by the deep, confident affection that only comes with time and familiarity.

Marcus watched as Danny’s face aged, fine lines appearing at the corners of his eyes, and his beard growing fuller and more defined. He felt his own face undergo the same transformation, and it thrilled him to see the evidence of a life well-lived etched into Danny’s skin. His heart swelled with love and pride as he saw not just the boy he had grown up with, but the man he had grown old with.

Their voices deepened, resonating with the timbre of maturity, and as they spoke to each other, the childish tones were replaced by the rich, soothing cadence of men who had known each other intimately for decades.

"I think this is who we were always meant to be," Marcus said, his voice a low, comforting rumble.

Danny nodded, a grin spreading across his now older, more chiseled face. "It feels right," he agreed, the last vestiges of his teenage self slipping away.

Their clothing had also changed, morphing from the casual sleepwear of boys into the comfortable, well-worn fabrics of men who had spent years together. The familiar scent of aftershave and warm skin filled the air, bringing with it a sense of comfort and belonging.

Finally, they stood before each other as fully grown men, their bodies heavy with the muscle and strength that came with years of dedication and care. They had transformed from boys on the cusp of adulthood into men who had lived full, rich lives.

As the dream world began to fade, they found themselves back in their bed, now much larger and more luxurious than before. The light of early morning filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over their newly aged faces.

When Danny opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Marcus, still holding his hand. But now, everything felt more real, more solid. The love he felt for Marcus was deeper, more profound, and as he reached out to touch his husband’s bearded cheek, he felt a rush of memories—memories of their wedding day, of the house they had built together, of the countless nights spent in each other's arms.

Marcus stirred, his eyes slowly opening to meet Danny’s. There was no confusion in his gaze, only recognition and affection. The dream had become reality, and with it, the knowledge that they had always been together.

"Good morning, love," Marcus murmured, his voice now the familiar, soothing baritone that Danny adored.

"Good morning," Danny replied, his heart swelling with happiness. He could hardly remember a time when he wasn’t this man, married to Marcus, sharing a life of adventure and love.

As they lay there, basking in the warmth of each other’s presence, the memories of their teenage years faded like a distant echo, leaving behind only the life they had now. And as they moved closer, their bodies tangling together in a comfortable embrace, they knew that this was the life they had always wanted, and always would have—together.

#transformation #ai art

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raccoon-eyed-rebel · 2 years

Text

Part 2

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Part 1 🟣 Part 3

A reverse harem vampire AU ft. Mikey, Marshall, August and Sherlock

Series summary: Somehow, you've managed to live with your boyfriend and his roommates for months before finding out they're vampires, but the real shock first comes when they find out you have a special quality. A quality the guys would love to make use of...

Warnings: Mentions of blood, biting, feeding, sex, some kinky shit, angst. Think that's it. It's pretty fluffy. It's Mikey, so there's boobs involved.

Word count: 1.4k

A/N: We're moving into kinky stuff territory. Still medium scared to post this.

@geralts-yenn I couldn't resist...

@deandoesthingstome @summersong69

“Are you still mad at me, Sweetcheeks?” You felt the mattress dip in the place where Mike sat down next to you. You wondered how you were supposed to answer that question. Were you mad? A little. At him? Not really. It was mostly at yourself, at this point. Of course you could blame your parents for this, but you always felt that their information was off… Why did you never look into it yourself? “No, just a little overwhelmed.” Overwhelmed and tired. And not completely comfortable with how this afternoon had gone down, if you were perfectly honest about it. You’d learned a lot, that’s for sure, but it wasn’t as if all your questions had been answered. Maybe some cuddles from Mike were exactly what you needed right now…

“Can I join you? I missed your arms around me today.” Instead of answering him, you lifted the blanket by means of an invitation. Mikey immediately crawled in beside you, sighing deeply as he laid his head against you and pulled you against his chest. “Hmm, my baby.” He nestled his face into the back of your head. “I love this.”

You decided then and there that he hadn't changed. The fact that you knew what he was made absolutely no difference: He was still the sweet, loveable idiot... who was absolutely inappropriately obsessed with your boobs.

“Mikey!” You squealed when both of his arms slipped around you and immediately grabbed your chest in a way that told you he wasn’t about to let go of you.

“Mine! My boobies.” There was no escaping the iron grip he had on them, and you could only pretend to hate what he was doing for so long before giving in to his touch. When his lips brushed past your neck, you shivered. You felt utterly humiliated when you realized there was a substantial part of you that wanted him to bite you, just to find out…

“You wanna know what it feels like, don't you?” How did he always know? You didn’t let the thought occupy you and turned your attention to denying his claim. Of course he didn’t buy it; you were a terrible liar and generally curious by nature.

“Baby, it's super normal to be curious about it,” Mike said softly. It sounded like he meant it, but you didn’t trust him to be sincere. For all you knew, he was just trying to get a bite out of you… Still, your curiosity won out once again.

“Does it hurt?” Let’s see, does it hurt when someone sinks their teeth into you hard enough to draw blood? What could the answer to that question possibly be?

“The general consensus is 'yes, it does',” Mike said – and you weren’t surprised, “but I wouldn't be me if I didn't know some kinky fuckers.” He laughed. In fact, you both did. You already knew that he did: Mikey was one of those kinky fuckers, and he'd been doing a really good job at having you join that club, too. “And they say it's no worse than a good spanking. God knows you enjoy those...” You felt your cheeks heat up. He wasn’t lying; you’d tried it out a few times and you definitely liked them, even though you doubted that what you’d been doing qualified as a ‘good spanking’ on the seriousness scale.

“Are you trying to convince me to try it out?”

“I'm telling you to allow yourself to be curious.” That was Mike for you, always down for trying new things, always telling you to push any feelings of shame you had aside and just go with it, enjoy things…

“And you're up for it?” The question was redundant; his eyes told you more than enough, but you still felt like asking. Mike was a ‘try most things once’ kind of guy, and he’d definitely agree to something he wasn’t one hundred percent up for, just to try it out. You’d mentioned before that that made you insanely uncomfortable, and that you were only willing to try new things if he was entirely on board with it.

“Oof, hell yeah!” His eagerness made you whip your head around to look at him. It was a rather uncomfortable position to be in, so you just decided to turn around in his arms. That was a fight he didn’t let you win, and you ended up on your back with Mike’s cheek on your chest.

“That was some unprecedented enthusiasm, Mike, explain.” You couldn’t help but laugh when he snuggled tightly against you. All your life, your parents had been telling you vampires were vicious monsters, but Mikey was just about the most adorable thing you had ever run into.

“Oh, oops. Sorry!” Mike laughed, too. “It can be really... eh… hot.” Now that didn’t sound like the word you’d use to describe biting someone, but you obviously weren’t the expert here. Then again, the conversation with the boys hadn’t exactly made it sound like it was a fantastic experience, either.

“Yeah, so…” Mike sounded uneasy. You weren't used to that; he was usually very sure of his idiot self. He hummed softly as you gently pulled your fingers through his dark curls, your touch seemingly putting him at ease. When he spoke again, you had to put in some serious effort to catch some of what he was saying, as part of it almost got lost in your cleavage. “Alright, cards on the table, I guess. It’s a thing, in like… a sexual way… and it happens to be something I'm into. It's intimate and it can feel pretty awesome.”

“Awesome for you or awesome for me?” It was a good thing you blurted that question out before thinking it through, because otherwise you probably wouldn’t have dared to ask him. Mike thought about his answer for a minute.

“Well, it’s obviously awesome for me, I mean… God, how do I explain this?” He returned to his pondering, taking a little longer this time before he continued: “I wouldn’t suggest that to, like, a one-night stand. But with someone I trust… It’s just awesome. There’s lots of closeness involved, lots of care. The pain aspect makes it kinda kinky, and you know me… Let’s bring back the comparison with spanking, okay? You like that, even though it kinda hurts, and I like that you like it… But like I said, it’s a really intimate thing, and just generally another sensation to add to everything else. This isn’t a very coherent story, I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay,” you said before kissing him on the top of his head.

“Oh, and there’s the fact that every time I bite you in like a playful, sexy kinda way, I’m holding back, and sometimes it can be really nice to not have to,” he added. “There are a few risks to it though.” You shot him a quizzical look, and it wasn’t long before he continued.

“Alright, first one would be the pain. And you not liking it. Which means – hypothetically, if we were to ever… y’know – you would just tell me to knock it off, I would, and you would obviously never have to try again. I mean... If you don't want to. And the second one would be that technically you could die.”

“Mike! That sounds like the one you start with, you moron!” You laughed, because – again – this was so incredibly typical for him.

“Well, no. I said: technically.” You secretly hated how entirely à la Mike it was to really dispute the seriousness of a possibly deadly situation on the basis of technicalities. That being said; you were fairly – but only fairly – sure he wouldn’t have so much as suggested it if the risk of dying was significant. Or genuinely present, even.

“I'm sorry, could you stop discussing technicalities when talking about a situation that might kill me?” Maybe by now you were just playing with him a little…

“Sweetcheeks, ease up, would you? And let me finish,” Mike said. “Alright. Yes, technically you could die. If I decide to drain you.”

“Wait, couldn't you technically decide to do that any time?”

“There we go: technically.”

#mike hellraiser fic #mike x ofc #mike hellraiser #mike (hellraiser)#hellraiser mike #mike hellraiser fanfiction #henrycavill fanfic #henry cavill characters #henry cavill fanfiction #henry cavill

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gi-nathlam-hi · 21 days

Note

After watching the new episodes of rings of power, I was honestly a bit… disappointed. Don’t get me wrong I liked it! (and have high hopes for the rest of the season) But I also liked the last season and it felt like they had improved on some things and other things (cough writing cough pacing) not at all. HOWEVER, a huge improvement for me was Gil Galad and I am now completely sold on him. I’m not even sure what the change is, maybe simply just more screen time, but he feels like a new character, and I’m super excited to see him through the next seasons!! Nothing substantial to say here just wanted to rant about rings of power lol

Also Adar is the sexiest character on the show…

Take my opinions with a grain of salt because I have only seen ep 1-2 so far, but I do agree. I raised my expectations a bit for season 2 (and I'm still holding out tentative hope and my expectations remain high for the eregion plot, because it seems like the strongest one out of all of them. Partially just for Charlie and Charlie's performances and chemistry!), but I lowered them right back down. I love the show! It's enjoyable to watch. But really I enjoy it the way I enjoy some soft-serve ice cream or a light novel, you know? I'm pretty gentle with it. The trouble with it is that when it's good, it's really good, but when it's bad it's really bad and there's no in-between.

That being said there have been some noticeable improvements! I'm really happy to see that the worldbuilding has filled out, and that the costuming and hair/makeup departments seem to have gotten more time and budget. The costumes are fire this season! It also seems they consulted some language experts in between seasons (ignoring the Mirdania name kerfuffle...), because the elves are now speaking Sindarin, which is a massive fix which just should not have even been a problem in the first place. And yeah, Gil-Galad is much more dynamic and complex. I think part of that is that Ben seems a little less stiff in his performance. For some reason more of his natural charisma is coming through that I felt was missing in S1. It helps, I think, that we have more scenes with him -- and especially more scenes of him interacting with Galadriel. Ben and Morfydd have such great screen chemistry, and it felt like their scenes together had some of the best script writing overall (aside from the Charlie and Charlie scenes -- but honestly Charlie and Charlie could carry even an incredibly disastrous script on their backs and make it enjoyable, I think).

Adar was a character I was very fond with in S1, but I'm insane about him in S2. He's so fucking good. I love what they're doing with him.

#rings of power critical #rings of power for me is in the frustrating category of 'it would be SO GOOD if it was GOOD'#love the show. will happily support it. it's good fun. but I do not think it's 'good' -- and that's okay! not everything has to be #as long as they continue to get Elrond and Celebrimbor right I'm content #i'm so grateful it has such an amazing cast because they really do carry it so far #it would be unwatchable if the cast was mid imo

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tinkasthoughts · 30 days

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Part 6 of my fanfiction: IzuToga: Shades of Red And Green

Check it out on wattpad <3

Location: U.A. Dormitory Grounds

It had been a month since Izuku Midoriya last heard from Himiko Toga. A month since their first—and his first—kiss. The memory of it lingered in his mind, a constant distraction, and a source of deep concern. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t forget the warmth of her lips, the way her voice trembled when she told him she cared about him, or the promise she made to come back to him.

But that promise was beginning to feel like a distant dream.

The League of Villains had sent a chilling public message just a day after she left. They offered a substantial cash reward for Toga—dead or alive. The reason for the bounty was unclear to everyone else, but the message was crystal to Izuku. Clear enough to send Izuku into a spiral of worry and frustration. For a month, he had been searching, quietly gathering information while trying to focus on his training and stabilize his quirk. But every lead turned into a dead end, and each passing day only deepened his anxiety.

He tried to throw himself into his hero work, giving everything he had to his training, but his friends noticed the change. He wasn’t his usual self. The worry was gnawing at him, and it was getting harder to hide.

Location: U.A. Dormitory – Training Grounds

Izuku was training alone, sweat dripping down his brow as he pushed himself harder than ever. The rhythmic sound of his fists pounding against the training dummies echoed in the quiet night air. His mind was racing, filled with thoughts of Toga—where she could be, whether she was safe, and if she still felt the same way about him.

“Deku?”

Ochako’s voice broke through his thoughts, and he turned to see her standing with Todoroki and Iida, all of them looking at him with concern. He quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead and forced a smile. “Oh, hey, guys. What are you doing out here?”

Ochako frowned, stepping closer. “We should be asking you that. You’ve been out here for hours. Are you okay?”

Izuku hesitated, glancing away. He didn’t want to worry them, but the truth was becoming harder to hide. “Yeah, I’m fine… just needed to blow off some steam.”

Todoroki’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if he could see right through Izuku’s facade. “You’ve been working yourself to the bone lately. It’s not like you to be so distant.”

Iida nodded, adjusting his glasses. “Midoriya, if there’s something bothering you, you should talk to us. We’re your friends.”

Izuku felt a lump form in his throat. He wanted to tell them everything, but how could he explain the complicated feelings he had for Toga? How could he confess that the villain they had all fought against was now someone he cared about deeply?

Before he could say anything, Ochako asked the question he had been dreading. “Have you… heard anything from Toga?”

The air around them grew tense, and Izuku’s face flushed with embarrassment. He couldn’t help but think back to their kiss, the way it had felt so right and so wrong at the same time. “N-No, I haven’t,” he stammered, trying to brush off the question. “I don’t know where she is…”

The conversation grew awkward, and Izuku quickly made an excuse to leave, not wanting to dwell on the topic any longer. His friends exchanged worried glances as they watched him walk away, their concern for him only deepening.

Location: U.A. High – Teacher’s Lounge

The next day, Izuku couldn’t push his worries aside any longer. He found himself in the teacher’s lounge, sitting across from All Might, who was listening intently as Izuku poured out his heart.

“All Might… I can’t stop thinking about her,” Izuku admitted, his voice trembling. “I need to find her. She promised she would come back to me, but it’s been so long… I’m scared something’s happened to her.”

All Might’s expression softened with understanding. “Young Midoriya, it’s natural to be concerned for someone you care about. But you must remember, Toga has made choices that led her down a dark path. Bringing her back won’t be easy.”

Izuku nodded, his eyes filled with determination. “I know… but what if she could be forgiven? What if she could change? Could she… could she become a student at U.A.?”

All Might paused, considering the question. “It’s not impossible, but it would be a difficult road. She would have to atone for her crimes and prove that she truly wants to change. The path to redemption is long and uncertain, but it’s not out of reach.”

Izuku’s heart lifted slightly with hope, but the uncertainty still gnawed at him. “I have to find her, All Might. I have to save her.”

All Might placed a hand on Izuku’s shoulder, his voice gentle but firm. “I understand, young Midoriya. I’ll do what I can to help. I have some old contacts at the investigation center—retired villains who might have information. I’ll ask around.”

Location: U.A. Dormitory Grounds

A few days later, All Might returned with troubling news. The retired villains had heard rumors that Toga had been captured by a group of low-level thugs who were after the reward money. They didn’t know if she was alive or dead, but the news sent Izuku into a panic.

“All Might, I have to go to her!” Izuku pleaded, his eyes wide with desperation. “She could be hurt—or worse! Please, let me go save her!”

All Might hesitated, knowing the risks involved. “Young Midoriya, this is dangerous. We don’t know what we’re walking into. I can’t let you go alone.”

“I won’t be alone!” Izuku argued. “Send a pro hero with me, but please… I can’t just sit here and do nothing. I have to protect her!”

Seeing the resolve in Izuku’s eyes, All Might reluctantly agreed. He arranged for a pro hero to accompany Izuku and gave him the location—an abandoned casino where the villains were rumored to be hiding out.

Izuku wasted no time, rushing to the location with a heart full of fear and determination. The thought of Toga being hurt or worse drove him forward, faster than he’d ever run before.

When he arrived at the casino, it was eerily quiet. The dilapidated building loomed before him, its windows shattered, and the paint peeling off the walls. Izuku’s heart raced as he carefully made his way inside.

Location: Abandoned Casino – Main Floor

Inside, the air was thick with tension. Izuku’s eyes scanned the darkened room, and his heart sank when he saw her. Toga was tied to a chair, her body bruised and bleeding, her usual lively demeanor replaced by exhaustion and pain. Three large men, each with weak but intimidating quirks, stood around her, their eyes glinting with malice.

“Toga!” Izuku shouted, his voice filled with concern as he tried to rush toward her. But the villains stepped in his path, blocking his way.

“If you want her, you’ll have to fight us for her,” one of them sneered, cracking his knuckles. “She’s our ticket to a big payday.”

Izuku’s anger flared, his fists clenching as One for All surged through him. “She’s not a prize! She’s a person—a person I care about deeply! And if I have to fight you to save her, I will!”

Toga, weak and beaten, looked up at Izuku with tear-filled eyes. “Izuzu… don’t risk your life for me… If something happens to you, I won’t want to live anymore…”

Izuku’s heart ached at her words, and he fought back the tears threatening to spill over. “Toga, don’t worry. Nothing’s going to happen to me. I’m going to save you and protect you, just like you did for me. I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again.”

The villains laughed, clearly underestimating Izuku. But they had no idea what they were up against. With a roar of determination, Izuku charged at them, unleashing the power of One for All.

Location: Abandoned Casino – Main Floor

The fight was intense but brief. The first villain, who could manipulate small objects telekinetically, tried to hurl debris at Izuku, but he easily dodged and countered with a powerful punch, sending the villain crashing into a wall.

The second villain, who could create small explosions with his hands, charged at Izuku, but Izuku anticipated his move, using his speed to outmaneuver him. With a swift kick, Izuku disarmed the villain, knocking him out cold.

The third and largest villain, who had enhanced strength, was the toughest. He grabbed Izuku, lifting him off the ground, but Izuku didn’t hesitate. Channeling all his power, he delivered a devastating Detroit Smash, breaking free and sending the villain flying across the room.

When the dust settled, the villains were defeated, lying unconscious around the room. Izuku rushed to Toga’s side, his heart pounding with worry.

“Toga!” he cried, quickly untying her and catching her as she slumped forward into his arms. She looked up at him, her eyes bright with tears and relief.

“Izuzu… I missed you so much,” she whispered, her voice filled with a mix of relief and exhaustion. Despite her usual cheerful tone, it was clear that the past month had taken a heavy toll on her. She leaned heavily against him, her body weakened from the ordeal.

Izuku’s heart ached as he held her close, his arms wrapping around her protectively. “You promised you would come back to me,” he murmured, his voice trembling with emotion. “I couldn’t let you break that promise.”

Toga’s eyes softened as she looked up at him, her usual mischievous glint replaced by something deeper, something more sincere. “I did want to… but I couldn’t find my way back… until now.”

Izuku’s grip tightened around her as he fought back the tears threatening to spill over. He had been so worried, so scared that he might lose her before he had the chance to truly help her. “You don’t have to worry anymore, Toga. I’m here now, and I’m going to protect you. No one’s going to hurt you ever again.”

Toga smiled weakly, the pain in her expression clear as she tried to stay conscious. “Izuzu… you really are the best hero… I’ve ever met…”

As she spoke, her body finally gave in to the exhaustion and injuries she had sustained. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she collapsed into Izuku’s arms, unconscious.

“No… Toga, stay with me!” Izuku’s voice was filled with panic as he gently shook her, trying to keep her awake. But she didn’t respond, her breathing shallow and uneven. “Toga… please… don’t leave me…”

At that moment, the pro hero that All Might had sent arrived, rushing into the room. The hero quickly assessed the situation, his gaze hardening as he took in Toga’s injuries and the defeated villains around them.

“We need to get her medical attention immediately,” the pro hero said, his tone serious as he approached them. “She’s lost a lot of blood.”

Izuku nodded, his heart racing as he carefully lifted Toga into his arms, cradling her against his chest. “We need to get her to Recovery Girl… she’ll know what to do…”

The pro hero placed a hand on Izuku’s shoulder, his expression stern but understanding. “We will, but we need to move quickly. She’s in critical condition.”

Izuku didn’t waste any time. With the pro hero leading the way, he carried Toga out of the abandoned casino, his mind racing with fear and determination. He couldn’t lose her—not now, not after everything they had been through. He would do whatever it took to save her, to keep her safe.

As they made their way to safety, the only sound that filled the night air was the frantic beating of Izuku’s heart and the faint, fragile breaths of the girl in his arms.

#anime #ships #a ship i love #bnha #my hero academia #deku #izuku midoriya #izutoga #toga x deku #bnha fanfiction #mha fanfiction #himiko toga #toga love

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lemmetreatya · 2 years

Note

BLACK Y/N WITH HIGH LIFE GOJO BUT SHES NOT IMPRESSED BY HIS EXPENSIVE GIFTS BUT HY HIS HEART! YEAH!

Gojo x Black!fem Reader

happy 1001 day seal baby boi!

“Evening, baby.” The white haired male took your much smaller hand in his, plush lips already pressed lightly to the warm skin of your hand.

“Hey GJ. Thanks for picking me up.”

You gave him a soft smile in return as you shut your front door behind you, ready to set out for the night. You didn’t forget to slink your hand around Gojo’s arm.

As you both walked down the steps from your door, you could feel the hot stare of Gojo’s ice white eyes pierce you down from behind his sunglasses. Of course he would; you know you looked good and knew your fit would warrant this reaction. He was sickeningly predictable in that way. Almost too predictable.

“Looking wonderful as ever.” He gleamed, teeth full on display. He moved his head to the side so that he could watch you better, eyes dancing over your body.

“Thank you.” You cheesed, voice saccharine.

Gojo’s compliments were never scarce when it came to showering you in them but you don’t believe you could ever get tired of them either.

Unlocking the car and opening the passage side door for you, Gojo helped you to lower into your seat. You folded in, the seat already adjusted to your liking. Once he made sure you were in okay, he shut the door for you.

In your mind, you doubt he always kept the chair like this. You knew many other people piled into this car throughout the week so you didn’t expect it to be kept the same each time — but each time, it was. You’re not sure how but Gojo was definitely consistent. The only other alternative is that he probably changed it back to how you liked it every time he came to see you.

Gojo came to the other side of the car, slipping in next to you. He adjusted his rear view mirror and himself before making a short ‘oh’ sound. You gave him a look for an answer.

“I got you something.” He clarified.

Reaching his hand backwards into the chairs behind him, Gojo’s hands briefly fumbled around before pulling out a small red bag and passing it onto you.

You received the bag from him but you were already well aware of it’s contents without taking a peak inside.

Great. Another Cartier.

You didn’t dare give yourself room to react negatively. Your mouth was already pulling into a sweet smile for the man but you felt else wise.

“Thank you, GJ.” You cooed, trying your best to sound enlightened, but even Gojo knew else wise.

He placed his arm around the back seat of your chair, his eyes undetectable with his sunglasses on and the lack of light.

“What, you don’t want it?”

You were caught off guard by his question, surprised that he was aware of your disscontempt. You didn’t know whether you should be honest or not as your mouth twisted and turned in thought.

“I… It’s not that I don’t want it? I dunno, I just…” You sighed aloud, your hands fiddling with the red drawstring of the bag. “These stuff aren’t doing it no more.”

As soon as the words left your mouth, you worried that it’d piss the man off. Gojo didn’t get angry much, he was actually quite civilised with how he channelled his emotions. However, you didn’t want yourself to come across as ungrateful or for him to think you were switching up on him.

Because of his glasses, Gojo’s face was protected from you being able to see his emotions on his face live. It was substantially quiet for a while before he replied.

“Do you want something more expensive?”

Audibly, your voice caught in your throat.

It definitely wasn’t the answer you were expecting but you’d be lying if you said you weren’t surprised by the offer.

“Oh! No, no it’s nothing to do with the price or anything— I… I just think gifts aren’t doing it for me anymore.”

Gojo’s hand ghosted over the steering wheel.

“In what way?” He inquired.

You blew a flurry of air out of your nose, a hum leaving your mouth once you finished it.

“Well, you absolutely spoil me, Gojo. Like stupid spoil me. But I value you so much more than I do these gifts. And it’s not that you don’t treat me good — You treat me so well but I dunno, I think I’d rather spend time with you than receive gifts from you, if that makes sense?”

The white haired male pursed his lips in thought. You can tell he was trying to gauge his head around it but you didn’t have to guess much longer as the man took his glasses off of his face, folded them and hung it over his collar.

“Kinda?”

He definitely did not think it made sense. With a strained face you shook your head over at him.

“Sorry, if it’s confusing. You do spend time with me when you give me gifts so I get that it sounds weird.”

“No, I think I get it.” His eyes lifted upwards as he paused to think. “It’s like love bombing with presents.” He finished.

With a look of surprise you clicked your fingers and pointed at him, gracious that he understood it what you were trying to say.

“Right! Love bombing. So what I’m saying really is that I’d rather be love bombed with your time and affection. Which — I know, might be a hard ask regarding your time is very scarce nowadays but…”

The man shook his head, eyes determined.

“I can make more time for you if it’s what you’re asking. I’m prepared to do that.”

Gojo’s voice was velvet smooth when he cut you off but you didn’t mind. Especially with the words he was saying.

‘I can make more time for you’.

To have anyone tell you such a thing was exchanging an immense proclamation of adoration to you. For Gojo to speak these words, and you knew this man was busy, it meant he was ready to please you regardless of what it took.

You bent your head to the side so that you could give him a pouted look, eyes doe and bottom lip jutted outwards.

“Baby, I’m not saying you gotta go out of your way to see me more during the day, I know you’re busy. What I am saying though is that you don’t have to buy me gifts all the time. I’m okay with just having you pull up and not bring me anything.”

You could see the warm sly smile of understanding glitter Gojo’s face. He nodded whilst turning the engine of the car on.

“I hear you.” He quickly plugged his seatbelt in. “I won’t buy you as many gifts although I meant it when I said I’ll make more time for you.”

You opened and closed your mouth twice before trying to reason with the man.

“But I said you don’t have to.”

“I don’t care. I’m telling you that I will be making time during the day to come and see you.” Gojo finished.

His voice wasn’t loud but he was stern with his words. There wasn’t much you could say in reply to that. When Gojo decided he wanted to commit to something, there wasn’t much anyone could do or say to change that.

With a shrug, you sat back, eyes momentarily checking outside of the window.

“M’kay. I’m cool with that.” You breathed.

“Yeah?” Gojo’s eyes briefly washed over you.

“Yeah.”

There was an uneasy silence that came after your reply. You weren’t sure why and so you looked over towards the white haired male to gauge his reaction. It’s when you saw how his eyes were boring into you that you decided to question him.

“What?” You half smiled.

Teal eyes narrowed at you before opening properly again. Gojo had a playful smirk on his own lips but he was trying his best not to show it.

“C’mere.” He mumbled.

You gave him a suspicious glance. Something seemed up but you weren’t sure what exactly and so you also narrowed your eyes at him, head cocking to the side in question.

“Why?”

“Because I said so.” He near enough whined.

With a perplexed expression, you bent towards him, unsure what he was going to do. However, you didn’t have to wonder for long as for when you got close enough, Gojo took a hold of both your cheeks with one hand and then pulled you towards him. Softly, the man laid his lips on yours, the kiss undoubtedly hungry.

Once you realised his gimmick, you kissed him back just as dutifully, one of your own hands coming up to support yourself on his cheek.

Gojo leaned into you, active in his approach as his lips moved against yours with vigor.

You would have continued the kiss a lot longer had it not been you remembering the lip gloss you had just applied before you left the house.

“Mm. My gloss…” You mumbled against the man’s lips.

“Mm?” Gojo drunkenly pulled back, nose caressing against yours once he registered you had something to say.

“My gloss, GJ. It’ll smudge.” You whined out, your fingers already coming up to dab at it.

With a snort, Gojo shrugged as he went in to kiss you again although this time, the kiss was short and kept one-sided. He pulled back with a sly smile.

“You still look sexy, gloss smudged and all.” He witted, his back now pressed against the driver’s chair.

“That’s not the point though.” You softly smiled at his comment, head down as you rummaged your purse for your lip gloss. “I don’t wanna go round looking like a papisho.”

Gojo blinked several times before asking:

“What’s that?”

You pulled down the sun visor mirror as you reapplied your gloss, lips smacking in order to even it out.

“What, a papisho?” You asked.

The white haired man hummed in confirmation.

You shrugged, slapping up the sun visor and packing your lip gloss away.

“Oh, it’s like an idiot or a clown.”

Gojo made a small ah sound to signal he understood. However, it’s only after a few seconds had passed where you realised your mistake and lack of caution. You turned to the man, eyes wise.

“But don’t be going round using—“

“—You can be a papisho for me anyday.” The man cut in.

“—that word— Gojo!” You cried, noticing that you were too late to intervene.

Gojo let out a mischievous laugh, knowing what he’d done, as he set the car into gear and pulled off from the curb.

#gojo x reader #gojo x you #gojo saturo #gojo scenario #gojo x black reader #gojo x black yn #gojo hcs #jujutsu kaisen

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wolfsbanemanor · 9 months

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So, how did they become vampires anyway? (Part 4)

Part One

Part Two

Part Three "Help us?!" shouted Caleb. He started to feel dizzy again, and Vlad and Lilith guided him to the couch. "You must be Caleb," said Vlad. "Your sister told me all about you. She said something bad happened to you, and you haven't been well since." Caleb looked at Vlad and Lilith skeptically. "You know," Vlad went on. "I haven't properly welcomed you to The Community." "What community?" asked Caleb. "The community of vampires," replied Vlad. Caleb scoffed. "Vampires don't exist," he said. "They're just something Watcherian pastors bring up to keep people in line." "Show me your neck," said Vlad. Caleb recoiled away from Vlad's touch, but Vlad persisted. Oddly, he didn't perceive it as cold, like that woman had been. "Hmm...yes, it looks like you've been bitten by a vampire, though your wounds are healing nicely." He held up a mirror, but Caleb couldn't see himself. "I know this is a big adjustment for you," said Vlad. "But I can teach you to adapt to your new life. Your sister will be there, too." Vlad went on to tell the two of them about how powerful they would be once he'd trained them. Lilith actually seemed rather excited. Caleb wasn't so sure...but what choice did he have now? Then, Vlad's watch beeped. "It's getting close to sunrise. I have to go. I will be back tomorrow night."

As the next few days wore on, Lilith underwent her own transformation. Hers wasn't as difficult as Caleb's, in the sense that she hadn't been reeling from the trauma of a violent attack in a public restroom. But she felt sick. Caleb was still troubled by memories of that night, though he did the best he could to help his sister. Lily was still at the house, and was starting to become suspicious. What had Lilith done this time?

In time, Lilith's transformation was complete. She was a vampire now, too. And true to his word, Vlad stopped by in those days to check up on the two of them. "You know, Caleb," he said. "You'd stop having those dizzy spells if you ate something." There was some food in the fridge, but none of it seemed to help. "You know what vampires eat, don't you?" Caleb looked at him. "I think it's time for your first lesson. Your sister, too. Come with me." They followed Vlad outside, into the night. It was chilly out; the leaves had turned, and had all but fallen from the trees, and a thin coating of frost formed on the grass. But they didn't feel cold. They followed Vlad to a diner that stayed open late at night. Many people filed in and out. The woman behind the counter knew Caleb and Lilith, but she did find it odd that they were so pale, and who was that with them? She poured them each a cup of coffee. "I know this place," Caleb said. "And I know the owners. They're nice people. They make some amazing omelettes." "Indeed," said Vlad, watching a beautiful blonde woman walk by. "But we aren't here for omelettes. Lesson one: scope your surroundings." Vlad never took his eyes off the woman. Caleb knew her. She lived down the street. When he was a Worshipper of the Watcher, they attended worship together. She had sent a sympathy card when his parents passed away, along with a beautiful floral arrangement. "Stay here, just watch," said Vlad. He followed her and introduced himself. She seemed interested. He led her someplace off to the side. Someplace where people wouldn't see them, and he motioned for Caleb and Lilith to follow. He changed into his dark form, and plunged his fangs into the woman's neck, drinking deeply from her. When he was done, he let her go, leaving her unceremoniously passed out. "This," he said, "Is what you have to do from now on, if you want to survive." Caleb was horrified. "I-isn't there another way?" he asked. "No," replied Vlad. "Not anything substantial enough, anyway." Caleb looked at Lilith. She wasn't exactly enthusiastic about biting friends, neighbors, people she knew. But if this was the only way, she could make it work. And she wanted to get stronger. She wanted to be powerful like Vlad. She wanted to find the woman who'd done the unthinkable to her brother and make her pay. She wanted to be in control. She wanted to protect her brother from being hurt again. "Now, it's your turn." Lilith found herself a man. She knew him from the funeral parlor. Nice man; he wasn't the funeral director, but he was like an assistant or something, she guessed. He'd helped her, Lily, and Caleb into the limo. She walked up to him.

"Well, Caleb?" asked Vlad "What about you? See anyone you like?" But Caleb was outside. He pulled his wool-trimmed jacket (an identical copy to the one he'd been wearing when he was attacked) tighter around him. He thought about all the people he saw in there. Willow Creek was a small town, and he knew most of these people in some way or another. He didn't really want to bite...well, anyone, really. But especially not people he knew. He sat down on the stoop. He thought about Miss Hell (though he did not know her name, or know who she was. He had never met her before that night, and hadn't seen her since.) He thought about what she had done to him (something his father had, when it was time for the Woohoo Talk, warned him never to do). He thought about what she'd done to him after that, too. How she bit him a second time (the first time had been while she was forcing herself on him), in order to change him so she'd be able to see him again. (What she meant by that, he wasn't quite sure. Did Vlad know her? Would he do the same to him?) Did Vlad want him to be willing to go that far? Was Vlad willing to go that far? Just the thought made Caleb sick, and he ducked into the nearest alley and retched.

Vlad peeked outside and witnessed this. He shook his head. Some new vampires took to their new status like ducks to water. Like Lilith. She had done quite well. Others...well, others took longer to get used to it. But he was confident that he could train Caleb in the art of being a vampire. He had other stubborn pupils in the past; it just took a bit of time with them. He went outside. Caleb wiped his mouth and staggered out of the alleyway. Vlad met him outside. "Okay," he said. "I can see that you're not quite ready right now. I understand." Caleb looked at him. How could he possibly understand? "But you'll have to do it sooner or later." He got the two of them home. "Where were you?" asked Lily. "I was training with Vlad," replied Lilith. It was technically true. Caleb said nothing. But Lily could tell he was upset. His jaw was clenched, and his eyebrow furrowed. Something was up, and she was determined to find out what that something was. She was due to leave the next morning, but she was considering staying a few extra days. She wanted to make sure her cousins were alright. They looked different, and Lilith was acting strangely. The next night, Vlad returned to the house. He had sensed that there was someone else in the house, and he was thirsty. He went up to the guest room and found Lily. Caleb and Lilith followed Vlad, but they didn't know where he'd gone. Until they heard Lily scream. They raced down the hall, and Lily had jumped out the window. Vlad changed into his bat form and chased after her. He could tell her blood was going to be delicious. "Lily, wait!" called Lilith. But Lily did not respond. She left her suitcase behind, and ran off into the night, clad only in her pajamas. Vlad returned to the house, unfazed. He figured she'd be back eventually. Lilith decided she'd better tell Lily about him. Maybe she could even convince Lily to let Vlad turn her, too. Caleb scowled at Vlad. "Get. Out." he said. Lilith's eyes went wide. It was very rare that Caleb got angry. "Alright," said Vlad. "But I'll be back." Lily ran and ran and ran. She was exhausted. What had happened to her cousins?! Were they in danger? She hid in an underground tunnel. It was dark, but as far as she could tell, that creepy guy who'd transformed into a bat before her very eyes was gone. Was he the Vlad that Lilith had told her about? Just then, she heard an ominous growl behind her. She turned around and saw two glowing, angry, red, beastly eyes.

#rape tw #vomiting tw #sims lore #headcanons #caleb vatore #lilith vatore #vladislaus straud #ts4 vampires #lily zhu #greggorius lunvik

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glassmarcus · 8 months

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The Rogue Lite Mexican Stand Off

*All games played in January 2023, Written in November 2023

I've had a backlog of Rogue Lites I planned on checking out for years now. This list keeps growing and I've accepted that I'll never reach the bottom. So I decided to knock out the three I felt were at the top of the genre at the very least. First I played Hades, a title I wasn't super psyched to try because I'm not a huge fan of isometric angles in games. But word of mouth overcame that doubt and I gave it a shot anyway. And yea, the game is aces. I was not led astray. Second on the docket was Rogue Legacy 2. I knew I was going to love this game because of how much I loved the first. To zero shock, I loved Rogue Legacy 2. Last was Dead Cells. A game I was interested in because I heard it be compared to Dark Souls at one point. What got me to finally buy it was the Castlevania DLC which I had to purchase because I'm a huge shill. By the way this game is also pretty good.

I see why this gallery of Rogue Likes are praised so highly and I enjoyed my time with them immensely... But which one is the best? I tried to place them all on the same level in my mind, but that's not how I operate. There needs to be a clear pecking order. A hierarchy must be established and that's exactly what I will do here. I'm going to pit these three Rouge Lites against each other and see who comes out on top. And no, I will not stop using the terms Rogue Lite and Rogue Like interchangeably. I know they are technically different things, but they sound far too similar for me to care. All games that expect you to complete their procedurally generated adventure in a single run are Rogue Likes/ Rogue Lites. That's the definition I'm using here.

In one corner of this Rogue Like Mexican stand off is Hades. Hades is a mechanically efficient masterwork of roguish progression. Not a single aspect is wasted and unpolished. You look at the weapons you get and might think "oh, there's only six of them" only to realize that they only made six because you only need six. Every weapon is completely fleshed out and has its own advantages over others. Swords deal high damage and take out a lot of enemies at once, but require putting yourself in risky situations. The Bow is weaker but safer as you can attack from anywhere in the screen. The Spear is somewhat of a jack of all trades, not as much range as a bow, not as much power as a sword, but enough of both to be worth using. Shields take a different approach in being a middle man by having its normal attack be melee and it's special long range. Fist and Guns act as the gambling man's version of the sword and bow. With Fist, you can get a lot of damage in when you're close, but it's harder to gauge when you should retreat. With Guns you can get way more hits than with the Bow, but you also have to manage your ammo and if you lose count you'll be shit out of luck.

I gotta say, there is no clear best weapon to use. I like the fist the best because obviously I'm gonna gravitate towards the punchy one the most, but I can't say it's strictly better than the others. And I came to this conclusion by naturally trying out every weapon. Hades attributes a point bonus for a random weapon in each run. These points can be used to permanently upgrade yourself between runs. So you have to decide if you want consistency with the weapons you are used to, or invest in the future by trying something new and getting potentially more points. Its a great way to incentivize variety and exploration of the mechanics of the game. The weapon options don't even end there as you get the ability to permanently upgrade your weapons after you've probably found a favorite. And these upgrades can substantially change the way you play as they aren't merely damage increases, but diverse effects that you can take advantage of to great result.

This game could just have these weapons and be perfectly great, but what takes it to the next level are the mid run upgrades you'd expect from any rogue like. Boons, the power gifted from the gods, are what really counts in getting you strong enough to claw your way out of hell. When you understand the advantages of your weapon, the permanent abilities you've acquired, and the effects boons can have, you can figure out which boons cynergize with you the best. As I stated prior, I was a Fist Aficionado. A weapon that hits fast and requires you to get in and out of enemy range. So when I picked boons that worked well with that, I got outstanding results. Abilities that decreased enemy attacks were my go to, because I knew I was going to get hit so I thought I might as well make it hurt less. And figuring out that build myself was when I really started to mesh with Hades. At first I wasn't getting any of the mechanics, flailing around with my standard attack until I dodged. But as I progressed it only kept feeling better to me. They introduce new combat options and improve the old ones. I think the game went from decent to incredible once I got a second Cast.

Cast are such a beautiful mechanic. Somehow both great for single target damage and Area of Effect depending on what boon you choose. But no matter which you choose, it changes the flow of combat due to the fact you have to pick that shit up. Keeping your rhythm despite cast not recharging automatically is the heart of why combat feels so good to me. Calls and Specials are great, but the real heroes are Cast, Attacks, and Dashes. In my experience, that’s actually the order I prioritize these moves. Your cast always have some effect that influences how you attack so that comes first. Then you attack to take advantage of what the cast does. While attacking you are dodging to stay alive. And then the cast wears off and they are left on the ground. And now you must use your attack and dash to navigate through enemies and pick up your cast so you can start the whole thing over again. Once you get into that flow state and start incorporating specials and calls into the equation, the combat of Hades becomes something truly special.

On a gameplay level this is brilliant. And you know what? The story ain't too bad either. Most Rogue Lite stories aren't something to write home about as far as I've experienced. After all, they are kind of the junk food of video games. Short and sweet experiences that don't have time to make an interesting story. Hades is built a bit different. Every run you do progresses the story and everything you do is canon. Games have been explaining away respawning for decades now, but I think this is on a different level. Characters acknowledge the things you did in prior runs. Story lines are moved through both success and failure so there's a palpable sense of progressing delivered in multiple ways. There's dating sim elements. And every character is hot. The story of Hades doesn't just work well, it works in a uniquely video game way. The setting of Hades is roguish in both thematics and mechanics. It's all about taking failure on the chin and accepting any help you can. It drove me to play it even more than I normally would have and made each run unique. It drove me to play it even after I beat it. This game’s story doesn't conclude until you beat it 10 times and I’m not upset about it one bit. You can customized each run's difficulty in a variety of ways after you beat it to add new rewards and content.

It really is a near perfectly crafted game in its genre. The only thing it drops the ball in is music which is a bit underwhelming. Don't remember a damn thing from it. And I've heard praise for the OST too, but it appears to not be my bag. It worked for what the game was going for and it matched the environments well, but it didn't stick with me the way I'd prefer an OST to stick with me. That's really is the only issue about the game I can conjure...but if it was clearly the best one of the three, I wouldn't be writing this.

In the second corner we have Rogue Legacy 2. Rogue Legacy is the inverse of Hades. Its narrative foil in a way. They are both games about overcoming impossible odds with the help from your family and end up being equally powerful despite going separate routes with this premise. Hades is based around Nepotism. You get to know your uncles and cousins throughout the game and your bonds with them push you forward. As such Hades is a more character driven narrative due to how large and important the supporting cast is. The cast in Rogue Legacy 2 is potentially bigger, but they're mostly all the same character. The Premise of Rogue Legacy 2 is that each run follows the latest heir of a family sworn to conquer an evil castle. When you die, you play as your offspring in the next push through the castle. It's a different character technically, with a different class and unique attributes. But one thing is maintained between the end of your last journey and the beginning of your new one: Your Bank Account.

If Hades is about Nepotism, Rogue Legacy is about Inheritance. Your character is given every advantage their predecessors were given and then some, assuring the next generation grows up stronger. Rather than death being equated to a minor setback, it's given real narrative consequence in a way. Every failed run is an echo of your past self. And it's cool that their efforts aren't going to waste. You are carrying the weight of your entire bloodline on your shoulders and it makes it all the more gratifying when you get to your points of respite. It's not as interesting as the standard well written game story, but it's just as powerful as one. When I beat the game and saw 100+ ancestors given their due credit, I felt that shit.

None of this is authentic by the way. Every bit of this was executed in Rogue Legacy 1 prior. The thing is, the sequel is better than that game in every conceivable way that it overwrites its very existence. I'm not exaggerating one bit when I say that there is zero reason to play the first game anymore. I get that it would be embarrassing for a game about improving over generations to not be way better than it's predecessor, but Junior didn't have to go this hard. I'd go as far to say that the first area of Rogue Legacy 2 completely encapsulates the experience of the first game. Everything beyond that point feels fresh and new. So for the remainder of this essay, Rogue Legacy only refers to the second game. It's such a large improvement to an already good game.

Rogue Legacy works because it's unabashedly brutal. Your hit boxes are so small and the enemy hit boxes are so big. Damage values are obscene. Enemies are around every corner and are relentless. Conquering this game is supposed to be difficult so it is designed around failure. It's not fair, but doesn't pretend to be. Your goal is rarely about accomplishing shit on your own and is more about fostering a new generation. Sewing seeds for the future. This game has six areas you need to conquer before gaining access to the final boss. Areas that you can access in a non linear way. It's essentially six separate Rogue Likes glued together. After you beat one area, you can still revisit that area in future runs, only the boss is permanently dead now. Once you've built an heir capable enough, you have the freedom to make short runs where you B-line to the boss or long runs where you scrape each prior area before the showdown. The draw of Rogue Legacy lies in how unlikely it is that you beat it in under a few dozen runs, but because every single run you failed in built towards your eventual victory, it is all the more satisfying.

Rogue Legacy is a game with an insane number of mechanics. Classes, armor, seals, equipment load, bank interest, skill trees, artifacts, upgrades and the list keeps going. Rogue Legacy takes Search Action gameplay and implements systems with the breadth and complexity of a 60 hours long RPG. And it functions perfectly because this is going to be a very looooong game, so the player has time to understand how the systems interact. Unlocking a class you can vibe with and figuring out which abilities and equipment optimize well with it is one of the many joys of Rogue Legacy 2.

Classes define your initial weapons, skills, and spells and additional stats. Class skills and stats basically determine how you're going to play. Weapons are important too, but the skills and stats can't be swapped out the same way weapons and spells can. And much like any craft, they can be improved. You can level up classes by playing them and defeating enemies. This incentivizes focusing on a single class that you've grown fond of so that their base stats will improve. But the random character generation limits your choice in the matter. It forces you to choose different classes. You're always making the best with the hands you are dealt, similar actual genetics. Classes aren't the only thing randomly generated in character creation. Each heir has a genetic trait that has a benefit and drawback. You can be born as a dwarf with shorter weapon range, but makes more money per chest. You can start off with a character who falls slowly, making some sections easier and some a nightmare. Every aspect of build creation of this game has a push and pull.

The armor you buy in this game increases your defense but the set bonus combination for said armors can give you extra stat or ability modifications. Seals are exclusively ability modifications guaranteed to make the game more fun to play with reliable effects. Artifacts fulfill the same purpose a lot of the time, but they are objects you find within the castle runs themselves. Having the right class, armor set, artifacts, and seals can make for a devastating build that will get you far in your adventure. But it's never that simple. Everything in this game has a cost. Armor cost money and ore to make and their weight fills up your maximum armor equip limit. Seals cost money and blood stones and have their own equip limit as well. Artifacts cost resolve and maybe re-rolls to get the best ones, and your resolve lowers if you have too much armor. The lower your resolve gets, the lower your Hit Point Maximum gets, making the character’s stats themselves a form of currency. Nothing in this game is simply handed to you and you have to do everything yourself with the small loan of 1 million gold your dead father gave you.

These systems and how they interact push this to being a phenomenal game, but they wouldn't mean anything without fun gameplay and that is something Rogue Legacy has in spades. Movement is the best part of this game I feel. It really leaned into the Metroidvania aspect. You get powers throughout the game that make world traversal delightful, and become even more fun when you have seals to build off of. Not many games let you do a quintuple jump into a triple air dash, but Rogue Legacy is one of those games. No mechanic you are given is that complicated as they are simply extensions of what you can already do. Attack, Magic, Skill, Dash, and Jump are basically the whole of the gameplay. Just fine tuning those things makes it satisfying to master. But there is one aspect added in this sequel that felt so natural I forgot to list it.

The Spin Kick. The spin kick is essentially a Duck Tales pogo. But you don't get that much height from it. But what it loses in height, it makes up for in surface area. You can spin kick basically any thing in this game so long as long as it's physical or electrical matter. Enemies, projectiles, weird candelabras, are all spin kick approved. Think Cup Head parry, but exclusively down ward, which doesn't seem that great, but it's a platformer essentially. You are jumping a lot. It's really not that different from attacks coming from the side when you are in mid air so much of the time any way. This platformer parry is utilized throughout the whole game to making interesting level obstacles and boss patterns. It is the unsung hero of this game and 3 playthroughs later, I'm still finding joy in executing it.

It's very hard for things in Rogue Legacy to overstay their welcome. Even the procedural level design remains fresh. Lots of variety in the rooms. It's not only a series of corridors where you have to kill enemies in a generated mini level. Some rooms are puzzles. Some are platforming challenges. Some are gauntlets and mini bosses. Some are purely story related. Also the 6 level motifs are distinct both visually and how they are designed. Level 2 almost entirely horizontal while the last area feels like a true dungeon crawler due to how dark and dangerous it is. I wasn't kidding before. Rogue Legacy 2 is 6 Rogue Legacy sequels stuffed into 1 game. And the post game adds another layer to that variety. One of the best parts about a long dev cycle is that entire trends go by in the middle of it. And because of that the creators can be given new ideas. Rogue Legacy blatantly takes the same post game ideas displayed in Dark Souls and Hades and injects it into itself. Rogue Legacy waited until the last moment to turn in its homework and then unabashedly copied off its classmates for an easy A. And god bless it for doing so. With the scaling and customizable difficulty, expansion of rewards and enemies, and completely unique bonus challenges, I'm gonna be playing this one for a long time.

So clearly I enjoy these two games a lot. But what about Dead Cells? What does it bring to the table? What can it do to stand up to these titans. Well. Honestly not much. If Hades is Angel Eyes, and Rogue Legacy is Blondie, then Dead Cells is Tuco stuck in the stand off with an unloaded gun.

Dead Cells is a good game. It looks better than Rogue Legacy. I might enjoy the gameplay more than Hades. But that's where the advantages end. And I'll be honest I haven't spent enough time with this game to truly have scholars opinion on it, thus I can’t write paragraph about its design. But that's kind of the problem. I beat this game in 4 runs. I'm no god at gaming. I'm slightly above average on a good day. The fact that I stumbled upon the ending of this game so early is disappointing. Rogue Legacy, I died a hundred deaths before reaching credits. Hades took me around 14 to beat the first time. Dead Cells gave it away and it was so deflating. I didn't work towards anything. I just sort of won. I never even died to a single boss. Once I upgraded how many estus I could hold, the only thing that mattered was the pick ups I got during the run. I'm sure if I go back there is way more to the game, but after seeing the credits I kind lost all motivation to play it. It's not fair to the game that I did that, but that's how I feel and I got other things to do with my time. It’s too bad I had the idea of comparing these three games before playing all of them.

So it all comes down to Rogue Legacy 2 and Hades. Hades has untouchable presentation and succeeds in everything it attempts with grace in a way that Rogue Legacy 2 doesn't. I can't really break down why, there's an air about it that makes it feel more thought out and seamless. But...I value what Rogue Legacy 2 is more as a game and more over, as a Rogue Like. Sure I like 2D games more than isometric games, but even beyond that, Rogue Legacy has a layer of exploration that pushes it over for me. I find it far more replayable. Hades likely has more condensed quality, but the quantity of Rogue Legacy makes up for it, and quantity is a bit more important for the genre honestly. The depth in content for Hades lies more in the story after you've beaten it, while Rogue Legacy is more in the gameplay. There are more things to do and experience, so it has more value to me. It was likely obvious what my preference was due to how I wrote more about it and made that spot on Dollars Trilogy Reference, but I couldn't really hide it. It's just that damn good.

#dead cells #rogue legacy 2 #hades game

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