#I honestly don’t even remember what he did to those people beside tell people their fish would die and that their powers would grow

[dyinglikenarcissus]

I’ve seen encanto once and I know every word of we don’t talk about Bruno

[redisthenewblue]

TINKER-Twisted Wonderland x Tinkerbell!Yuu/Fem!Reader Part 3 Part 2 Part 4

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･You know, it’s easy to say that [Name] was really annoyed. She was clinging tightly to a rock, hovering above this monster, and let me tell you, she had been in this precarious position for what felt like ages. Now, don’t get me wrong—she’s not the type to be impatient, at least not by fairy standards. But honestly, if those guys didn’t get their act together soon, she was ready to kick them so far underground that they’d be greeting Hades himself. Maybe this was just karma for laughing at the very people she should have been helping. You know how it goes; they’d probably forget her the moment they got out of the mines.

“H-Hey, monster! I’m uh… I-I’m over here!” [Name] perked up at the sound of a familiar voice. Never in a million years did she think she’d feel relieved to hear Grim, but hey, tough times call for tough measures.

“Grrraaawrrr! BEGOOOOONE!” The monster’s booming roar made the entire mine tremble, and a startled yelp escaped the girl.

“Insect?!” The cat stared in disbelief at the girl dangling for dear life. The monster growled again, catching Gris’s attention. “He's coming our way! Yuuken!”

Yuuken glanced up at [Name] and exclaimed, “You have wings, remember?! You can fly!”

“Oh right!” [Name]’s wings sprang to life, keeping her aloft. “Watch out!” she called out to the cat and the boy. With a powerful flap of her wings, she dove down, swooping up Grim and Yuuken in one smooth motion.

“Right over here, monster!” the black-haired boy taunted, waving his hand at the creature.

“Grrurgh? Thieeef thiiis waaay tooooo... Neeevvva giiive stooones! Neeevvvaaa!” The monster growled, chasing after the teens as they scrambled to escape the cave.

“Eep! If it lands one of those punches, we’re toast!” Grim squeaked as [Name] skillfully dodged the monster’s attacks.

“Aieee! I’m scared!” Yuuken slapped a hand over his mouth, bashfully glancing at [Name].

“Really, Yuuken?” Was [Name] now the knight in shining armor? She could’ve sworn she was just the damsel in distress a moment ago.

“Begooone! BEGOOOOOOONE!”

“Ugh, this guy’s breath is horrendous,” [Name] muttered. Soon enough, they caught sight of a glimmer of light emerging from outside the cave. Once they had distanced themselves enough from the mine, she unceremoniously dropped Grim and Yuuken on the grass and then landed gracefully beside them.

“We got him a good distance away from the mine!” Grim exclaimed, clearly relieved.

“Now’s our chance!” Yuuken urged as Ace and Deuce took up defensive positions back to back.

“You bet! I’m ready! One extra-large gust of wind, coming right up!” Ace flicked his magic pen at the monster.

“And I’ll add my blazing-hot fire to that! MYAAAH!”

Ace grinned, “How’s that for a combo?! With my winds fanning them, even Grim’s flames can turn into a raging inferno!”

“Whaddaya mean ‘feeble’?! You really don’t know when to keep your mouth shut, do you?” Grim shot back at Ace.

Yuuken’s eyes widened as realization dawned on him. “The monster’s afraid of our flaming tornado!”

“Just stay calm, aim carefully… and pull out the biggest, heaviest thing I can think of… Get ‘em, cauldron!” Deuce shouted, brandishing his cauldron.

“Nailed it! The plan’s working! Look, Yuuken! That monster got smashed flat by a falling cauldron, just like Ace did!” Grim teased, taking a jab at the orange-haired boy.

“Could’ve done without the reminder, thanks! This has been one drag after another,” Ace rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed.

“Quick! While it’s distracted, we need to grab that magestone!”

“Guh?! Waaait! Nooooooo!”

“That’s it! That’s a magestone!” 

“Dooon’t tooouch thaaaaat!”

“Uh-oh! Looks like it’s almost wriggled free!” Ace took a step back, clearly on edge.

“I’ll help, I guess,” [Name] said as she took to the air, fairy dust swirling around her like a gentle snowstorm. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small circular device and tossed it at the creature, which expanded into a net that wrapped around its body.

“Wait, you could’ve helped back in the cave?!” Ace exclaimed, a hint of offense in his voice.

“I’m helping now, aren’t I?!” she shot back. “Besides, you guys left me back there,” she said, crossing her arms defiantly.

“I told you we forgot something!” Deuce argued with Ace, who had accused him of being ridiculous.

“Nnngaaaah!”

“We got the magestone! Now let’s get out of here!” Grim and Yuuken rushed up to join the group.

“Roger that!” Ace grabbed [Name]’s wrist and pulled her along with him.

“MYYY STOOOOOOONE!”

“Are you kidding me?! It’s still coming! It broke all the nets?!” Ace tightened his grip on the fairy, causing her to wince and poke him with her other hand.

“Ooooooooogh...! Giiive it baaaaack...!”

“It’s too fast! It’s about to catch us!” Deuce started to panic.

“Then it’s kill or be killed!” Yuuken shouted, a hint of fear creeping into his voice.

“Easy for you to say, Yuuken! You don’t have to fight it!” [Name] exclaimed, pulling out her magic pen with a sigh as she held it close.

“Aw, fine! Let’s just smash the thing. Try not to wet yourself, Deucey!” Ace quipped, using the hand that had been around [Name]’s wrist to retrieve his magic pen.

“Same goes for you, Ace!” Deuce replied, following suit.

“I’m gonna show you why they call me Grim the Great!”

“Shut up and help,” [Name] said, her annoyance evident as her wings jingled.

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Deuce was panting, leaning against a tree for support. 

“Is it... over?” Ace whined, collapsing onto his back in sheer exhaustion.

“Yes, I mean, I guess watching it disappear right in front of your eyes doesn’t mean anything,” [Name] shot back with a playful sass.

“Even after that intense battle, you still find room for attitude?” Ace questioned, raising an eyebrow.

[Name] laughed, “We?”

Yuuken glanced over at the girl, who was still cackling. Even though he had only known her for less than a day, he was already getting used to her quirks.

“I think... we won? I think we really did it!” Grim exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.

“All right!”

“Woohoo!”

“Give me a victory high-five!”

“I’m not doing that,” [Name] said, turning onto her side. Grim grunted but raised his paw anyway.

“Shared adversity really brings people together, huh?” the black-haired boy said, a satisfied grin spreading across his face.

“Uh... I don’t think that has anything to do with it,” [Name] replied.

“Yeah! Spare us the clichés, Yuuken!” Ace chimed in.

“There’s no ‘together’ here! We won because of me! This is all thanks to my magical genius!” Grim declared proudly.

“Magical genius, my a—” [Name] was cut off mid-sentence.

“You know... I hate to admit it, but we mostly won because of your plan,” Ace said, smiling at Yuuken.

“Right? If you hadn’t kept your cool and directed us, we never would’ve snagged this magestone. I can’t believe it—now I won’t get expelled! What a relief!” Deuce scratched the back of his neck, glancing down at his feet.

“I’m just glad nobody got hurt,” Yuuken shrugged, brushing it off.

“Yeah, yeah, lessons learned and all that. Can we just go home already? I’m wiped,” Ace said, clearly drained.

“Using all that magic made me hungry! Huh? What’s this?” Grim’s eyes widened as he spotted something.

“Is that... a part of the monster we just beat? It looks like... a magestone? But it’s as black as coal! I’ve never seen one like that before,” Deuce pointed out.

Grim sniffed at the black stone, “What IS this? It smells amazing!”

“Are you out of your mind?” Ace stared at the cat, utterly dumbfounded.

“It must be some kind of fancy monster candy that it was hiding from us!”

“Why don’t you just eat it then? I bet it tastes delicious.” The boys looked at [Name] as if she had just sprouted three heads. Did she really just suggest that? Before they knew it, Grim plopped the stone into his mouth and started munching on it.

“Wait!” A look of horror washed over [Name]. “I didn’t actually think you’d eat it?!”

“Did you seriously just eat that?!” Yuuken rushed over to Grim in disbelief.

“MYAAAH!”

“Are you okay?!” Deuce asked, panic creeping into his voice.

“That’s what you get for eating trash!” Ace laughed, unable to contain himself.

“Oooooogh... Urrrgggh... That... was AMAZING!”

“What?!” the group exclaimed in unison.

“Rich in flavor and full-bodied... It’s like sweet, fragrant flowers bursting into bloom on my tongue. A whole field of them! Right in my mouth!”

“What are you? Are you even real?” [Name] looked at the cat, a mix of confusion and disgust on her face.

“Gross. Monsters must have some seriously weird tastes,” Ace recoiled, grimacing.

“You might be onto something there... Most humans don’t just pick up random stuff off the ground and pop it into their mouths,” the dark blue-haired boy added.

“Monsters really will eat anything, I guess.”

They turned to [Name], waiting expectantly for her to explain. “Wha—oh, I dunno,” she shrugged, tapping her foot against the ground, clearly uninterested.

“Myah ha ha ha! Man, that was fantastic! Don’t worry about me. I don’t have a weak stomach like you humans do,” Grim boasted with pride.

“Hmph. We’ll see if you’re still so smug when you’re sick later tonight,” Ace retorted, ever the snark.

“Okay, let’s get it together. We need to deliver this magestone to the headmage!” 

[Name] dramatically fell to the ground. “Deuceeee,” she dragged out, “Carry me there, I’m exhausted,” she curled up into a small ball. Deuce blushed, flustered by the request from a pretty (albeit sassy) girl. Slowly, he picked her up and settled her on his shoulder. Ace scoffed at the boy’s red cheeks while Yuuken sweat-dropped at the girl’s antics.

“Come on!” Grim beckoned, and off they went.

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[Name] was peacefully snoozing away, her soft snoring confirming she was in dreamland. Meanwhile, Deuce was on edge, tensing up every time she shifted in her sleep. Suddenly, a wave of ugly sobs filled the air, pulling her from her slumber. She lifted her head, squinting through her blurry vision, and was stunned to see none other than Headmage Crowley in tears. Seriously? What’s up with him crying like a baby at his age?

“What’s this guy’s problem? Crying in public like that? At his age?!” Grim exclaimed, his jaw dropping in disbelief.

“In all my years at this school, today marks a monumental moment! The students of Night Raven College have finally united to confront a common enemy!” Crowley dabbed at his tears with a handkerchief, clearly overwhelmed.

“Whoa! No way am I joining hands with that guy!” Deuce protested.

“First off, there was no hand-holding involved. Gross. And second, just how old are you, Headmage?” Ace chimed in, echoing [Name]’s thoughts.

“Right now, I’m just too moved to express myself. This moment has validated my hopes. Yuuken, my doubts have vanished! You hold the talents of a beastmaster!” Crowley declared dramatically.

“What talents are those?” Yuuken asked, tilting his head in confusion.

“My students have been chosen by the Dark Mirror for their exceptional abilities. But with great talent comes great pride and huge egos. Most of them are so self-reliant, they wouldn’t even think of working with others,” Crowley admitted, looking down in shame.

“You make it sound like that’s a bad thing,” Yuuken replied.

“But you, Yuuken, you have no magic. Yet, in spite of that—or maybe because of it—you managed to rally those who do have magic to work together for a shared goal. Your ordinary, everyday vibe might just be what Night Raven College needs!” Crowley continued passionately.

“But... none of that sounds good?” Ace responded, unimpressed.

“Yuuken, I genuinely believe that people like you are essential for the future of this school. My instincts as an educator tell me so. Trappola, Spade—I’m revoking your expulsions! And you, Yuuken, I’m granting you the qualifications you need to officially attend Night Raven College!”

[Name] shot upright, eyes wide. “WHAT?!”

“You remember I can’t use magic, right?” Yuuken said, confusion evident on his face.

“Of course, and this is incredibly generous of me. However, there’s one condition. Your lack of magic is unacceptable for a mage. You wouldn’t be able to keep up with the curriculum! And Grim... your actions today show you have enough talent to become a mage. Considering everything, you and Yuuken will share a single enrollment at Night Raven College.”

“Ughhh,” [Name] sunk deeper into Deuce’s shoulder, “Does Grim really have to go to school?”

“Silence, insect! I... I get to be a student? Not a janitor?!” Grim exclaimed, excitement bubbling over.

“Exactly. But! There can’t be any more incidents like today. Clear?” 

[Name] couldn’t help but chuckle; she knew Grim wouldn’t last a day without causing chaos.

“It’ll be a pleasure working with you,” Yuuken said, smiling down at the cat.

“Don’t lie,” Grim retorted.

“MYAAAAAH! I FINALLY DID IT!” he shouted, jumping in joy.

“Now, I’ll present Grim with the magestone issued to every student here,” Crowley announced.

“Heh! A magestone, huh?!” Grim said, eyes gleaming.

“Just don’t eat it…” [Name] cautioned, watching Grim slump at her words.

“It usually attaches to the ‘magic pen’ each student uses, but I doubt your paws can handle that. So, I’ve got a custom solution for you. Am I too kind or what?” 

“Ah, sweet! A magestone collar, fit only for the legendary archmage, Grim!” Grim beamed.

“Are you even listening? Yuuken. As you can see, Grim is completely clueless about human customs. You need to keep him in check and make sure there are no more incidents! And you, [Name], will be placed in the ramshackle dorm until a room in Diasomnia opens up. I’ve already put your uniform by the door,” Crowley explained.

“Wow, that’s quite the upgrade. From janitor to student to prefect—all in one day,” Ace said, clapping playfully.

“Oh, I see. So if your dorm is just you three, and the headmage himself is putting you, Yuuken, in charge of Grim, that makes you... Yuuken the dorm prefect and [Name] the vice-prefect.”

[Name]’s jaw dropped. She had magic, so why wasn’t she the Prefect? She shot an angry eyebrow at Crowley but eventually lowered it in defeat.

“Well, that’s gotta be a Night Raven first! A magic-less prefect and a girl in one dorm? Sure, why not? Whatever works!” she said, rolling her eyes.

“I’ll do my best!” Yuuken declared, determination shining in his eyes.

“Heh heh heh. Good luck, Magic-less Prefect!” Ace chuckled.

“Ah, yes. I suppose that makes you a prefect. And I just so happen to have a job for you, which will make it much easier to... uh, I mean, congratulations! I have something for you. Behold, the ghost camera!” Crowley showcased the camera proudly.

“Camera?” [Name] and Yuuken echoed, intrigued.

“Ooh, my grandma mentioned those! They’re like, super old magic items, right?” Ace snapped his fingers in recognition.

“I wouldn’t say ‘super old’… ahem. But it might have been invented when your great or great-great-grandmother was a child. It’s a camera enchanted with a special kind of magic that allows the user to photograph not just the subject’s physical form but parts of their soul too,” Crowley explained.

“Wait, that sounds... sketchy,” Deuce said, narrowing his eyes skeptically.

“Right…” [Name] agreed.

“They’re called Memories. Here’s the catch: when the soul bond between the photographer and subject grows stronger, the Memories captured in the photos can come to life!” Crowley continued.

“Soul bond? Jumping out?” [Name] and Yuuken exclaimed in unison.

“When the photographer and subject get closer, their photos become animated like videos... and sometimes the photographs even take on a physical form and leap out. Isn’t that what you kids would call ‘wicked cool’?” 

“That sounds like ghost photography!” Deuce commented.

“Very observant. That’s why it’s called a ‘ghost camera’. It was created as a more vivid way to capture moments before video existed. As Spade noted, back in Back in the day, people would freak out when they saw their memories literally jumping out of photos, yelling things like, "Ghost!" I’ve heard so many stories about folks who were absolutely terrified of being snapped by those kinds of cameras.”

“Honestly, this whole tech situation seems like it could cause more headaches than it’s worth.” Ace stretched.

“Luckily,it’s not you handling the camera,”[Name] said as blunt as ever.

“Yuuken, I need you to grab this camera and take some pictures of Grim and the other students, documenting your campus life,”Crowley said.

Grim chuckled, puffing out his chest, “Myah ha haaa! That sounds like the perfect way to capture all my greatest moments!”

“Ahem... Just make sure to focus especially on the little antics of certain students who might have a hard time controlling their impulses. Trust me, keeping a photo journal is way less of a hassle than writing me those long reports, don’t you think? As a prefect, it’s your responsibility to keep an eye on things and document them. Plus, just look at how generous I’m being by letting you use this rare magical item that even someone like you can handle. Isn’t my kindness just off the charts?”

“I’ll give it my all,” Yuuken replied, determination shining in his eyes.

“Alright, it’s getting late, so we’ll have to dive into the details tomorrow. You’re all dismissed, so head back to your dorms!”

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“Wow, Yuuken,” [Name] wrinkled her nose as she looked around the inside of Ramshackle, “Let’s tackle this mess tomorrow. Oh, and remind me to grab a mop and duster too. Got it, Prefect?”

Yuuken and Grim exchanged shocked glances. Was she really going to lend them a hand?

“Thank y—” But before he could finish, a fairy wing swooped in and covered his mouth.

“Don’t thank me,” she said, lifting the wing away and watching as he coughed up a cloud of fairy dust. “I’m just doing this because I want a clean space.”

“At least we’re making some progress around here,” the black-haired boy chimed in, brushing off her comments.

“Yeah, yeah. And just so you know, I’m calling dibs on the bed!”

Taglist: @itwaszzmoon

[theclownghoul]

Gratuitous

Opinion piece & analysis

I really hate how Jinx’s suicidality is portrayed in S2, largely in Act lll but we’ll talk about all of it.

In S1 we have about three moments (by my count) that show Jinx harming herself or trying to end her life. Hitting herself in episode 3, being careless with the staples in episode 7 and pulling the pin on the bridge also in episode 7. There is also a line she says to Vi “You’re the reason I’m still alive” in episode 9 which given other things she says in that moment could be interpreted as other ideations.

What makes these moments different from S2 episode 9? Well none of the three main writers were credited to those episodes other than the dialogue in S1 episode 9. Most of them are communicated through animation only. They also just feel different, they’re vulnerable, other things are the focus and her doing these things is just a reaction to those feelings. There was something to get from the scene besides a showcase of her pain.

Episode 9 of S2 is not that. It’s gratuitous, it’s a spectacle, it’s gory and somehow losing all its impact. There’s the music which is not what I’d call tasteful or subtle. It’s making an impression, wants to force a feeling or reaction. Make you sad or horrified and oh, I was horrified but not the way they wanted.

Even the way she digs her nails into her cuticles in S2 episode 8 isn’t really meant to show us anything about her. It’s meant to affect the audience.

In comparison I almost appreciate how people have read her pulling the pin in S1 episode 7 as trying to manipulate or take Ekko out too instead of being a completely clear cut attempt. Because it at least shows that there is enough going on with the character’s mindset that we can speculate on her motivations and how she’s reacting to all the emotions that came from fighting her old friend. If you look at her face it’s sadness and regret (S1 is also better at story through facial expressions since there was forethought). You’re free to have your own reaction, not the one that’s set out for you.

I have mixed feelings about her fight with Vi now and telling Vi that she’s okay to go out by her hand. It feels closer to the moments in S1 than later in episode 9. There’s more going on, we’re meant to consider multiple layers of both her and Vi’s feelings in the moment. It’s a non explicit parallel to the Bridge and does show a pattern of behaviour. It’s also not credited to any of the main writers.

The scene from the opening of episode 9 as a whole, is it romanticization? Heard differing opinions on this and I honestly don’t know where I stand. One one hand it shows how empty she feels and how everything has come crashing down despite trying and it communicates her emotions through the images and music. On the other the scene is meant to be visually appealing while also showing her detonating the bomb very explicitly, like you see her blood. I’m sorry but this is some 13 reasons shit. None of this is helped by the fact that Isha was killed purposely to get her in this state.

I had way more emotions about the actual story in the scene with Ekko in S1 and the scene with Vi in episode 3. Originally I liked this scene but I just can’t really remember why exactly, especially when compared to the earlier ones. The other scenes aren’t lacking in any way when it comes to showing her despair so I’m lead to believe it’s a stylistic choice in line with S2’s music video focus.

Then there’s Ekko… what did he do to deserve this? I’ve said before that if he had to he would save her but the reason he had to was because this scene sounded like a good idea. Saw someone say why is it his responsibility to save her and yeah why? He’s her romantic interest? Not from her perspective at this point and that’s a terrible reason anyway. Not only are we shown her blowing herself up in detail, being inflicted with it but he also has to see that, multiple times. Please don’t make me think too long about it… then we don’t see what actually changes her mind and actually see their bond. That also doesn’t give me a lot of faith is what they think is important to show.

Then she sacrifices herself at the end to “break the cycle” which no one is actually clear on what is meant by that and the same damn song is playing. It’s weird.

I’d like to compare it to the Poison sequence from Hazbin Hotel since that scene faced backlash for romanticizing abuse specifically in that scene. If I can describe what makes Poison not exploitative and what makes Wasteland so then I can safely say they are different and there is something deeply sinister about Jinx’s scene.

Poison benefits internally, inside the context of the story from being visually appealing and pretty. That tells part of the story in and of itself and eventually it cracks, mirroring how Angel feels in the scene and in his situation.

Wasteland benefits externally, it’s done for the audience as I’ve been saying. There is nothing about Jinx’s mindset or actions that we get a better insight into from the stylistic choices. We know “she loves a spectacle” but that’s the only internal explanation that I could make. Even if they wanted the cutting of her hair and the burning on the last drop but the framing could have easily been different.

Think about the staple scene for contrast, it has no interest in being something other than what it is, brutal and disorienting, just as she is feeling in that moment. Jinx would behave that way whether there were “eyes” on her or not. Poison is the same, Angel “performs” to keep his thoughts at bay regardless of an audience. Wasteland only exists in its current form to entertain.

The final “sacrifice” also falls into this, solely focusing on eliciting a reaction from the audience and making a spectacle of sadness. There is no resolution to Jinx’s earlier conversation with Ekko, we don’t see her reflect, we don’t see a change. We have no reason to believe she’s in any way in a better place. Her decision to give her life for Vi’s isn’t particularly fleshed out and this as a conclusion to her arc is bizarre at best and offensive at worst, suggesting she had to remove herself from her loved ones lives, something she simultaneously feared and was tempted by.

I probably shouldn’t feel the need to make such a caveat but I am aware that the could be a matter of preference when it comes to how scenes like this are portrayed but the way this scene was done continues to strike me as odd. I can’t help but think it maybe intentionally or unintentionally is playing into the “sacrifice” message where, it may be a sad thing but Jinx had to die. And that’s a horrible thing to say.

[absentlurker]

Have a little Ficlet!!!

~~~~~~

Wayne sighs heavily as he walks into the trailer after a long night shift. The lights were off in the living room except for a small Coca Cola night light plugged in above the kitchen counter. He locks the door before dumping his keys on the kitchen table before taking off his jacket. He kicked off his boots after hanging his jacket on the back on the table chair.

Wayne grabs his boots and placed them against the wall beside the front door before walking down the short hall to Eddie’s bedroom door.

He paused before the cracked door when he heard voices softly talking. Eddie and Steve, Wayne thought to himself and started to walk away but paused when their voices started to rise a little in the bedroom.

Nosey old man, Wayne chuckles at himself as he turns his head so he can hear better.

“I know you’re scared to get hurt again, baby,” He hears Eddie say. Wayne’s brows furrowed, “but you can’t let that stop you from letting people in, Steve.”

Wayne hears Steve huff and it’s quiet for a moment before Steve says weakly, ��You don’t understand. I think about if we don’t make it and I’m just sick to my stomach.” Wayne hears some movement and Eddie’s bed squeaking as he moves.

“Honey, what’s the alternative?” Eddie questions with a hum, “are you going to let us go because of a maybe? Baby, I can’t see the future but you gotta take risks sometimes.”

Steve doesn’t say anything which worries Wayne because god, Eddie would beside himself if Steve were to break up with him. He’s so gone on that boy.

He’s surprised how calm Eddie sounds when he says, “You know, I’ve been there.”

“Huh?” Steve questions, “what do you mean ‘you’ve been there’?”

Eddie takes a deep breath and says, “When I moved in with Wayne, I had convinced myself I wasn’t gonna trust him.” Wayne stops the noise that threatens to escape at the confession. What?

“What? Wayne?” Steve asks and he hears Eddie’s voice crack as he laughs at Steve’s surprise.

“Yeah, man. I was terrified to let anyone in again. After my dad-“ Wayne’s heart aches as Eddie’s voice breaks, “Well, you know…I didn’t want to let anyone in or love anyone because what’s the point, you know? They’re just going to hurt me and they didn’t understand me anyway.” Eddie snorts softly, “Did you know I didn’t even speak to Wayne for about six months when I first showed up?”

“Really?” Steve asks softly. Wayne remembers those days. God, they were so difficult. Wayne constantly felt like he was doing everything wrong back then.

“Yeah, I honestly don’t know how he managed. I was such an asshole to him for no reason back in the beginning.”

No, Wayne thought, you were a grieving little boy who lost everything he knew.

“He didn’t give up though. God, I still remember when I came home from school when I was like eleven. I had a black eye because I got in a fight over something I don’t remember and I was just angry all the time. I refused to tell him what happened and honestly, I was trying to start a fight with him.” Eddie admitted distantly, “I guess I wanted him to yell at me and prove he was just like everyone else and you know what he did?”

“What?” Steve whispers, he sounds as invested in his story as Wayne is even though he was there.

“He grabbed me and hugged me so tight,” Eddie sounds choked up and honestly, so is Wayne. “He-he said, ‘boy, I understand you’re angry and you miss your old life but I’m going to be here even if you build concrete walls around yourself. And I’m going to love you and care for you and if you think for one second I won’t go down to that school and raise hell because of your face, you gotta thing comin’” Eddie laughs to himself, “and he did! He stomped down to that middle school and told off the principal for not expelling that boy who hit me.” Eddie snickers softly, “Jesus, that was great.” He hears Steve laughing quietly.

“I knew I loved him then,” Eddie continues, “and I wasn’t even mad about it. It was a risk because it was still in the beginning and he could still hurt me one day but you know what?” Eddie sounds content, “He hasn’t. He probably doesn’t understand everything I do and say because dude, I can be so weird sometimes,”

Steve interrupts with a laugh before saying, “True.” Wayne nods in agreement.

“Rude. But he doesn’t care and he loves me anyway.”

Wayne hears Eddie move around before he says, “Stevie, I’m asking you to take a risk with me. I know you’ve been hurt and it’s made you doubt yourself about love and relationships but the planet is going to keep spinning with or without me and don’t you wanna see where it goes?”

Steve sounds on the edge of tears when he says, “Yeah, yeah, I do.”

“Yeah?”

Steve laughs, “Yeah, you goof.” Wayne smiles to himself when he hears the obvious sound of lips smacking together.

“You won’t regret it, Stevie, I’ve got a good feeling.” Eddie tells him playfully.

Wayne turns away from Eddie’s door to walk back down the hall with a smile on his face.

Maybe he didn’t mess up that much trying to raise that little ten year old who showed up at his door all those years ago.

~~~~~~~

(inspiration for this was from the song the alternative by Lyn Lapid)

[alejandro-ask]

hiya major, a lil rookie here

wanted to ask if you know the name of this one lieutenant I've been trying to name? during training they looked very scary and sometimes deranged, but they use little emojis on their blogs too I think. I forgot their name lol. And I think they have this pet wombat too, because I see it often with with that certain lieutenant too

they're in the 141, and maybe you're not the right person to ask, but I have nobody else to turn to so yeah

thanks, mj , you da best :)

— rookie boy anon (hehe)

Hola, little rookie! I always love when you show up around here.

Sorry, I don’t remember exactly who is this exact lieutenant are... hay tantos del 141 que aparecen aquí that it’s hard to keep track. Pero déjame decirte sobre los que gusto

First, there’s Lieutenant Judas @judas-askblog . He’s a chill guy, súper tranquilo, and if I’m not wrong, he’s got some pets too. Bien buena persona.

Then there’s Spirit, or Donna @justradiospirit. She’s a Navy lieutenant, not from the 141, pero she’s really cool. No sé mucho de ella, but definitely someone you’d want to have around.

Sgt. Reaper @sgt-reaper is next. He’s more serious, ¿sabes? A bit less frequent por aquí because he’s always super busy. High demand, workaholic, pero es muy confiable and gets the job done.

Now, Treble Trouble @callsign-trebletrouble. She’s not officially from the 141, pero tiene un trabajo increíble. She’s contracted to help with surveillance and intelligence for high-risk ops. A real badass, y siempre está aquí. She’s súper nice, really funny, and honestly, she makes me laugh so hard I cry. Love her.

Then we have Jeanz, or Whisper @jeanzoriley-cod. ¡Dios mío, esta mujer es increíble! She’s amazing at what she does and honestly the best. She’s got some romantic stuff going on if you like gossip (with Rudy jajajajaj) . But let me tell you, she’s terrifying when she needs to be—so good at sneaking up on people that you’d be dead before you even knew she was there. She also LOVES to drink, so if you want to get on her good side, bring the good stuff. (prupru:(pru pru: she also writes fanfictions that make me gliggle and sway my feet, curl my hair when i read, is really so good is just ksjsjghudahguewgb) "

Private 141, or Bunny, or Ari @ask-private-141. She’s a private who also does medic work. Súper cute, really active, and so fun to interact with. Neta, I adore her.

And then there’s Sunshine Medic @ask-sunshine-medic. What can I say? She’s amazing. Really fun, super cool, and just a ray of sunshine. We always have so much fun together. She’s from the 141 too, and honestly, she’s one of my favorite people here, heard she's scaring on the field and really experiente, but never got to see it.

Finally, my brother in everything but blood, my right hand, @las-almas-border-patrol. ¡Este sí es el mero mero! This is the guy I’d die for, kill for, stalk for, kidnap for, and maybe even do drugs for. Be nice to him, ¿okay? He’s always here, loves to hang out, and seriously, give him all the love you can. ( pru pru: plus, Teebs IS SUCH A NICE PERSON, MAN GIVE THEM LOVE PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE)

So, rookie, any chance the person estás procurando és one of these legends? Let me know, porque todos ellos son pura calidad. (Hey! prupru here, i wanted to give this ask a little bit more attention, because im really happy and proud that i can Rp and share annon, and in character with these amazing people, those are only the ones im more close with, but there are SO MUCH MORE is amazing i would like to especially thank @ghost-askblog for re-starting this trend, i followed them ever since day 3 and in only 2 weeks this rpg comunity IS SO HUGE and so funny, i love you all i did not mention it because is kinda obvious but all the non oc characters (besides Teebs, because i HAD to mention them, 80% of my rp is with them, lol thank you all very much and if you would like to share an rp i would love to know who is this person you talked about and about you too! sorry for the LOOOOOOOONG text, took me my two lunch breaks (1 from school and the other in my 8 hour shift TwT)

[batsyforyou]

Random Pet Peeves: Feanorians Edition

Tags: Pet peeves (things that annoy people)

Pairings: None

Author's Note: I have Eonwe coming up as well as the pokémon one. Just thought to post this while I was at it.

Taglist: @asianbutnotjapanese

Curufin 

Fidgeting. He hates it, between the noise it can bring and the constant movement it drives him insane and causes him to lose focus. Like when you're on your last nerve and someone keeps making McDonald straw music insane. Like just stop already! 

Maedhros

Jokes about his height and comments about his missing hand. The 'How's the weather up there?’ jokes and the constant questions about his hand from those less informed drives him crazy. I mean honestly, how many times can you hear the same thing before it gets old? Now imagine being an elf with centuries of experience with these things. 

Celegorm 

Open mouth chewing. Most of the time Celegorm doesn’t care about anything anyone does but when it comes to eating and everyone is at the dinner table it's gross and noisy and he is sometimes convinced that their saliva food spatter somehow got in his food. Which he will promptly make a scene for and refuse to eat. 

Even worse is when he is feeling overwhelmed and stressed and chewing noises begin to drive him nuts like, oh my word, I’ve been there.  

Caranthir 

Mud and dirt tracked all over the floor. Especially if Celegorm is the one who couldn’t be bothered to take his shoes off before coming inside. 

Maglor 

When someone touches his stuff. Most of the time he can handle it with grace and be completely chill with finding his harp being moved into a different room. Because while it is annoying it isn’t world ending. So he’ll just roll his eyes, sigh and politely remind the culprit *coughs* Celegorm *Cough cough* to not move his things around. 

But if you really want to get his goat do what parents (and some absent minded friends) do best. 

When he goes to show you a journal with his music notes and ideas, flip into the area he didn’t show you. Like when you show someone a photo and they start SCROLLING THROUGH EVERYTHING. 

That will get him raging mad lol. 

Amrod and Amras

They both hate it when they get called by the other's name. And I don’t mean like when a stranger, like a servant, just makes a mistake (they are very understanding about this) I mean when they’ve known this person for literal years and they still can’t tell them apart. 

They also can’t stand it when family members confuse their hobbies with the other twins. While it isn’t big it doesn’t really feel good and can really upset them on days they aren’t doing well mentally. 

Celebrimbor 

When someone refers to his family as the monsters under the bed and uses them as scary ghost stories. Yeah, his family did kinda do it to themselves but that doesn’t mean it isn’t annoying. Especially when they get the details wrong like, “No, Maedhros didn’t have dark hair. His hair was red and curly.” Like if you're gonna try and scare people using real life people at least get the basics right. 

It also sucks because people will also turn him into a story character as well. Coming up with different assumptions and making weird rumors about him eating worms or something. It can be really bothersome and isolating. 

Besides all that he still loves his family and remembers them more as people with troubled pasts rather than monsters that hide under beds.

His Uncles and Atar are way too big to hide under beds anyway. 

Feanor

When someone questions his work and decisions. Not just once out of curiosity but over and over again. It grates on his sanity. 

Nerdanel

When someone talks about her children and husband leaving and doing all those horrible things. Like honestly can’t they have some class and not shove it in her face? Or even when someone asks her how she didn’t see Feanor’s behavior change or why she didn’t try to stop him sooner or the classic, “What did you ever see in that elf?” 

She loves her family very much and hates when people act all snotty about things.

masterlist

[moutainrusing]

metamorphmagus

They (or he or she) were born to Remus and Nymphadora Lupin (better known as Tonks). They were born as Edward Remus Lupin, because when they were born, they had a boy’s body, except could they really be considered a boy when their body could shift between sexes?

Regardless, they were always referred to as ‘Teddy,’ and they quite liked that name, because people said it with such love and affection, and, not to be a complete sap, but sue them for internally beaming at it. Honestly, they couldn’t care less if their given name was typically used for boys, because names were names, and guess what? They could be used for any person on the planet. Of course, Teddy understood that some people preferred to change their names, but Teddy didn’t, and that was also fine.

Additionally, Edward was the name of their late grandfather, who died at the hands of Snatchers during the hunts for Muggle-borns. Their grandfather had been brave, and kind, and loyal, constantly choosing to trust and believe the people he loved. So yeah, Teddy was proud to bear his name. And their middle name?

Well, Teddy was beyond proud to bear the name of their late father. A werewolf who proved all the negative stereotypes wrong. He fought for justice, with his calm, generally easy-going temperance, and he cared deeply for all those surrounding him. Life had dealt their father incredibly shitty cards, yet Remus had remained brave, strong, and determined.

Teddy Remus Lupin wouldn’t change their name for the world. (Although honestly, ‘Remus’ sounded kinda gender-neutral, like it could be used for girls too. They wondered what their father would think of that. Would he be mad?)

They really wanted to know more about their parents. They knew a lot about their mother, Nymphadora ‘don’t call me that!’ Tonks from her mother, Andromeda Tonks, their grandmother and the widowed wife of Edward Tonks. But they didn’t know much about Remus. And, they didn’t even know if their parents would accept them for being… whatever they were. Not a boy, not a girl, but sometimes a boy and sometimes a girl. Shit.

And Andromeda Tonks was one of those no-nonsense women, someone you could tell had been born into a well-to-do, upper-class family. She exuded luxury and elegance, and who knew what she would say? But then again, she had been disowned by that family, forced to live a humbler life with her Muggle-born husband because she’d betrayed the purebloods’ standards. So maybe she’d be accepting.

If they were disowned, they could always run off to their godfather Harry’s house. Sometimes, when Andromeda was being too strict, they did it anyway. Harry was the type of person who had too much of his own shit to really care about anyone else’s. He was chill about everything, because he was stressed about everything. A paradox.

With this in mind, they decided to tell their grandmother.

“Hi,” they stepped into the living room, where she was sitting on the sofa with her evening cup of coffee.

“Hello,” she emphasised, and Teddy snorted. She was always trying to instil formality into every conversation, even ones between friends.

“Hello, grandmother,” they decided to be respectful, which was worth it, seeing their grandmother smile.

“Hello, my Teddy. Come, sit,” she patted the space beside her. Teddy grinned and flopped down on the sofa, ignoring her tutting.

Before she could further try to instil manners into them, they quickly turned to face her and blurted, “I want to tell you something.”

She hummed, motioned for them to continue.

“I— So, do you remember how I was a child?”

She gave them a flat look. “I couldn’t forget even if I wanted to.”

They laughed. “But you don’t want to, so it’s all good.”

She smiled, “Where are you going with this?”

“Uh, yes, so when I was a kid, do you remember how sometimes I would use my Metamorphmagus abilities to change my features to look more like a girl? Like, I’d give myself really long hair, and tie it in braids and all sorts of pretty hairstyles.” They elaborately gestured to their hair thanks to the anxious fidgeting their hands were doing, and their body also seemed pretty agitated, because their hair went ahead and whizzed through a bunch of crazy hairstyles.

Their grandmother eyed the movement with a small smirk. “Of course. You were beautiful. And I was honoured, really, because you’d copy my hairstyles. I’m simply inspirational.”

Teddy laughed. Then they awkwardly added, “But, uh, sometimes I’d prefer to look really masculine?”

Their grandmother made a face. “Can’t see the appeal. But you do you.”

“So… sometimes I’d wear dresses and skirts?”

“You still do, love. If you’re asking for permission to steal my clothes, you’re a bit late.”

“And heels.”

“Honestly, you really don’t need to be taller, you inherited your father’s height. He was one lanky man, that Remus.”

“What… what would he think about my clothing choices?”

“He wouldn’t bat an eye. In fact, his old boyfriend used to dress a bit like you.”

Teddy’s eyes almost popped out of their brain. “What?! Boyfriend?!”

Their grandmother turned to face them, softening her gaze. “Teddy, what did you want to tell me?”

“I’m— I’m genderfluid.”

She grinned triumphantly. “I knew it. Metamorphmagi my arse, you’re just a bunch of non-binary mages.”

“What?”

“Your mother — even though she called herself your mother and went by she/her pronouns — was also genderfluid.”

Teddy blinked at her. She smiled, and continued, “There was a reason she didn’t like being called ‘Nymphadora.’ I didn’t understand it, at first, because I believed it was an elegant, classy name. I thought she was simply being rebellious, and I’ve had much experience with rebels. We’ll come to that later. But soon I realised that it was because it didn’t suit her. She wasn’t Nymphadora, she was Tonks, or Dora, a name she only approved of if it was spoken to her with affection to make her feel loved. Nymphadora had no meaning to her, didn’t represent her.”

“I— Oh. I… like being called Teddy.”

“I know. With you, I realised much sooner. You’re so much like her, my Teddy,” she stroked their hair fondly.

“How?” They leaned eagerly into her palm.

“The way you use your abilities to change your appearance to your comfort each day. Sometimes she’d swagger in with stubble on her chin, and make me burst out laughing, ‘cause she looked so much like her father. Or sometimes she’d be curvy and soft, and wear my old gowns with joy in her step. But either way, she was always beautiful. Like you.”

“So she would accept me then?”

“You don’t need to be accepted for being yourself, Teddy. But yes. She would be so proud of you.”

“What about Muggles who feel the way I do? They can’t just… change their body however they like. How do they… cope with it? How do they feel being stuck, even though sometimes they feel like they’re not supposed to have the features they’re stuck with, or that they want to behave in ways that don’t conform…?”

Their grandmother frowned. “As best they can, probably. Do you… want to support them or something?”

“Can I?”

“Well, clearly you know how it feels.”

“I don’t, I think it’s a different experience for everyone.”

“And there you go. You’re already open-minded and willing to listen to a whole range of standpoints. Of course you’d be good at supporting people.”

Teddy pinched their eyebrows together. “So… we just listen?”

“Yes. We listen, and let people feel the way that they want.”

“You’re good at this.”

Softly, she confessed, “They were your mother’s words. I’m glad she can still bring us comfort, even from the other side.”

Teddy snuggled into her arms. “I wish I knew her.”

“I bet she wishes she knew you too. But all we can do is be happy with the people who do know us.”

“Okay. But… what would my father say?”

Their grandmother burst out laughing. “Oh, that’s a long tale.”

They gave her a horrified expression, but she waved a hand, “He’d be proud of you too.”

“Okay, but what’s the tale? And you said he had a boyfriend?”

“Mhm,” she hummed happily. “My cousin, Sirius Black. Remember how I’ve much experience with rebels? Well, Sirius was the biggest rebel I knew. All I did was fall in love with one Muggle-born when I was seventeen. But Sirius? He was arguing with the whole family from the moment he could speak. At first, I think he only did it to be rebellious. But then he started to believe it. He defied the family’s views; ranted about Muggle rights. And yeah, he’d dress to defy stereotypes, maybe to piss people off, but also because it made him comfortable. He genuinely liked makeup and skirts, but he also liked leather jackets and boots. He just proved that boys could like and do whatever they wanted. And he fell in love with a half-blood werewolf, his best friend, and your father.”

“Woah. Woah. Did he get along with you? And did dad love him back? And how did dad marry mum?”

“Urgh, told you this was a long story. Honestly, I don’t know where to start. The closest person in my old ex-family I had was Sirius, yes. I used to try to keep him in line, he would outright disobey, and I shared his opinions, but I was better at hiding it. Then I went and eloped and got disowned, and I sent an owl to him at Hogwarts. And after a couple years, maybe in his fifth year, he told me how sickeningly in love he was with his werewolf best mate, Remus Lupin. And I think in his seventh year, they finally confessed they were soppily enamoured and got to dating. I think your father was opposed to the idea at first, but he came around to it.”

“Why was he opposed?”

“Multiple reasons. He was a werewolf, already facing stigma for something he couldn’t help. He couldn’t love a boy on top of that, because the stigma would only multiply. He also didn’t want to burden Sirius, keep him stuck with a werewolf, and stuck with another boy.”

“So he’d give everything up just for Sirius to be… what, unburdened?”

“Yeah. He really did love Sirius in that all-consuming, self-sacrificing way.”

“Wow. He was good at self-restraint, then. How did he marry mum if he was so in love with Sirius?”

“Sirius died.”

“Oh. Was dad okay?”

“Not really. But Dora picked him up again. Your mother. She— she looked after him and forced him to accept care from another human, pestered him out of his self-loathing spirals and whatnot. And then she fell in love with him. Remus was the type of man to say he was very unloveable, yet so many people loved him simply for existing.”

“Did he… love her back?”

“Yes, or I wouldn’t have allowed their marriage.”

“How did he love her? As much as he loved Sirius?”

“No. You can’t hold a candle to the love Sirius and Remus shared. They loved each other like two galaxies on a collision path. But Remus did love Dora, and he always put her first, and there was a war on, so I thought, why shouldn’t they co-exist in their small pocket of happiness? They made each other happy, and they loved each other like friends and spouses. It was good, and it was still everything.”

“His… I’m glad he had love. Because his life sounds so sad.”

“If you asked him,” his grandmother thought for a moment, “I think he’d say he was the luckiest man alive. That’s how much he felt loved.”

“I’m happy I have his middle name.”

“Not too manly for you?”

“Uh— about that. Do you think he’d be offended if I said his name is slightly not-manly?”

Their grandmother roared. “Oh, his fragile fifteen-year-old masculinity would be punching walls! But as an adult, I don’t think he could give a flying fuck, Teddy. I think Sirius and Dora taught him a few things about gender. That no one else decides your gender, only you. And Remus would love to know you share that ideology, because he thought it was inspirational. Like how Dora pestered him, he pestered her to start writing books and making quotes. He was adorable about it.”

“Then I’ll spread the message for them. For me. And for the people like me,” Teddy replied, with a determined nod of their head.

[ant1quar1an]

Dust Sans Headcanons

Both x Reader and just general headcanons. ( Dust Sans belongs to Ask-Dusttale! )

To me, Dust is a very… quiet, aloof character– but he’s also incredibly intelligent and observant

Fanonically, in my mind, he does feel emotions, he just feels them through a kind of static. One thing he is incapable of feeling, though, is guilt.

I also headcanon that he has “hypervigilance”– a constant state of awareness, where he’s constantly assessing potential threats around him.

This also mean he does not sleep. He can’t remember the last time he slept, and in my mind, this also means that Visage ( His Papyrus ) is both a hallucination from going insane… and sleep deprivation. (Though, I do like to think as Visage being a literal ghost, instead of a hallucination as he is canonically– I think )

I also headcanon that Dust’s hood over his head acts as a sort of security blanket? It provides him a sense of calmness, at least.

Signs that he likes you

Because Dust doesn’t talk a massive amount, he’ll often just turn up and… sit beside you. Or he’ll randomly come up to you, grab you by the hand, and take you on a walk ( or just bring you somewhere )

It’s not obvious he’s starting to fall for you if you don’t pay attention to the subtle things.

How he slightly turns to you when you enter the room. How he slightly shuffles over on the couch in order to make room for you, even if he’s mid-conversation with someone else and doesn’t even spare a glance at you.

Unless Killer or Axe is there to point it out, you likely won’t notice– unless he’s been an absolute asshole to you in the past.

I like the thought of Dust beginning to pun more around you (because he does enjoy them!) just to see you either groan, smile, or giggle.

He may initiate small amounts of physical contact. Brushing your hand with his when he wants your attention, or is just walking next to you. Sometimes when you’re both sitting down, he’ll rest his knee on yours.

I… honestly can’t see Dust being a massive fan of PDA? Like he doesn’t… exactly… care that much, but he prefers it in small amounts?

I feel like he’s the type to take comfort in the slightest of touches, and I feel like hugging you and being that close to your SOUL can overwhelm him sometimes.

( This stems from my headcanon that will be put at the end of this )

But when he gets more used to you having such a powerful SOUL (in comparison to his own SOUL), he’ll be much happier with long times of physical contact.

When he finally fully trusts you and knows you won’t run away, he’ll start putting his hood down when he’s around you. At this point, he is fully smitten with you, and couldn’t possibly put the amount of adoration he has for you into words.

It just means he feels safe around you

Also, once he loves you, you’ll be able to catch him off-guard. Like you toss a thing at him, and instead of dodging, it sorta just slaps him in the face and leaves him very confused because he dIdN’T DODGE??

I feel like Dust is also prone to… bouts of violence. And lets be real here, it’s not going to be a “everyone but you” thing, because you can most definitely get caught up in it by accident

That being said, he’d never intentionally hurt you, and if he did hurt you, it’d probably be the first time you ever saw him tear up. ( Not that he’d let you see for long– tugging his hood back over his head and furiously wiping his sockets. )

Just because he can’t feel guilt, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t know when he’s in the wrong, and it also doesn’t mean he can’t feel sad because of what he did.

He truly does love you, even if it’s hard for people to pick up on sometimes, and they tell you that it’s a very “toxic, one-sided relationship.”

Because it isn’t. He has a fuck ton of trauma, the inability to sleep, LOVE 20, and a weird… under-the-surface fear of humans. But he loves you, despite it all, and you love him, too.

The Headcanon

Those with LV are very sensitive to intent. Not physically, of course, because they get more DEF and ATK when their LV climbs higher, but rather... emotionally?

They can tell what you're feeling more acutely, and so it can become overwhelming for them.

[anxiousnerdwritings]

Hiya Sugar,

You’re the newest goodey-goodey in town, aren’t ya? What am I sayin’, of course ya are! I already knew that! In fact I know a lot about’cha, you’d be real surprised.

At first, I didn’t think too much about there being another vigilante running amuck. To me it was the usual same ol’, same ol’ in Gotham. It wasn’t until we had our very first run in that had me wanting to take a real good look into ya. I had been with my former crappy Puddin’ at the time and we were planning to cause some havoc for B-man, but you showed up first. That didn’t stop us from causin’ you some trouble too but you were really somethin’. A good kinda somethin’! You surpassed both mine and my ex-Puddin’s expectations by a long shot, putting us in our place real quick before B-man even made an appearance. But when he did finally roll around, my shitty ex had the audacity to use me as a distraction so he could getaway, puttin’ me in peril.

I’ll be honest I was worried there for a bit. Sure I was all laughs about it until it set in that my Puddin wasn’t gonna save me then the panic came. I mean hanging off a 70 story building by the tippy tips of ya fingers will do that to ya, ya’know? (To be honest, I don’t even know if it really was 70 stories but it sure as hell felt like it.) But then the most marvelous thing happened! My grip gave way and I was startin’ to fall only for an arm to shoot out and catch me!

Now, I was fully expecting B-man or one of his little birdies being the one who got to me but imagine my surprise when I was met with a new face. A really nice lookin’ face too! (At least from what I could tell.) Your grip on me was real strong and firm but it felt gentle all the same. Ya pulled me up and looked me all over for any serious damage, askin’ if I was alright. You didn’t manhandle or be too rough with me whatsoever. In fact you were real gingerly in checking me over. You also weren’t yellin’ or shoutin’ at me either, instead you were speaking slow and soft to me. I remember your voice bein’ real nice to listen to too. In that moment I realized you truly were somethin’ different, a breath of fresh air compared to the rest of the heroes coming out of the woodworks in Gotham.

You were just so nice to me, even though we tried to kill ya and cause some psychological damage along the way (sort bout that by the way😅), but you were still worried about little ol’ me. I don’t even think B-man has ever been really genuinely concerned about my well-being before, at least not like you were, when my Puddin’s used me like a meat shield. If it weren’t for his no killing hangup he probably would have let me die plenty of times before. But you actually cared! I don’t know what exactly it was but somethin’ about ya that night made me feel all tingly and warm inside and I liked it. Then the next thing I knew you were gone chasing after B-man and my ex-Puddin’ leavin’ me feelin’ cold and alone. Ever since then I’ve been keepin’ a close eye on ya. Hell, I even dumped my Puddin’ right after that incident. Ya should have seen his face, thinkin’ I wasn’t serious only for him to come mopin’ around wantin’ me back. But I stood my ground. Besides, I already had my eye on somethin’ better. Or rather someone better.

Like I said before, I’ve been keepin’ my eye on ya since then and I’m so glad I did. Sure some people would call it “stalking” but I prefer to call it “closely admiring from a reasonable and legal distance”. Except those few times I did let myself into your place and took a peek around. I didn’t take anything though, at least nothing you’d notice but that’s not what’s important. What is important though is how much you’ve opened my eyes to new horizons beyond just stupid ol’ Joker and everything that has to do with him. I still do the odd crime here and there but they’re no way near the same extremes like they used to be. I only really do somethin’ bad when I know you’re on patrol and will for sure be the one to stop my shenanigans. Honestly, I just want the chance to see and talk to ya again. Don’t even get me started about all the times when I have caused mischief only for B-man or one of his birdies to be the one to show up instead of you. I’ve never felt so disappointed and upset before. All that time and effort only for some other big baddie or even a small petty criminal to take up your attention away from me. It really gets under my skin. Would I say I’m jealous though? Not really. Okay maybe a little but can ya blame me? After all this time I finally have somethin’ good in my life that’s gettin’ me to change perspective only to have to share it with others who have no intention on changin’ for anybody! They’re a waste of your time but I get that you gotta stick to your goodey-goodey schtick, that’s who ya are after all. But still it gets me feelin’ some type of way, and not in a good way either.

I can’t help that you’ve become something so prominent to me in such a short amount of time, although I know ya don’t know just how much ya truly mean to me. I’ve even started focusing on doing more good than bad, little by little ya’ know? Baby steps. You’re a good part of why I started leaning more towards being good but it was also due to another incident I got in. I won’t go into it but let’s just say it involved a lower criminal who just wouldn’t stop runnin’ his mouth about ya and I wasn’t havin’ any of it. I admit I may have gone a little overboard with getting my a point across but he deserved it. He had no right talkin’ about ya like that! Sure, he’ll probably never wake up from his coma and is in a permanent vegetative state but you can’t say he isn’t technically still alive. So at least I didn’t kill him kill him, right? Hey, what can I say this goodey stuff is still pretty new to me. At least I’m tryin’ my best. There was also some other stuff involved besides him bad mouthin’ ya but I can’t for the life of me remember what it was but I’m sure it also was well deserving of an ass kickin’.

Oh goodness gracious, look at me ramblin’ away as usual! Ya got that kind of affect on me, ya’know? But anyhoo, I should really end this letter before I start spillin’ all my beans. I need to keep some secrets to myself after all. But maybe I’ll get around to tellin’ ya those ones too when we’re much more acquainted. But don’t worry ya little ol’ head though, sugar, everythin’ will come to fruition in due time and the two of us will be together! I just gotta get a few of my duckies in a row before we take the plunge but it’ll all be worth it in the end and you’ll finally be all mine!

See ya soon, sugar! Don’t miss me too much though~ Before ya know it we’ll be makin’ up for all our lost time and really gettin’ to know each other! But until then I’ll leave ya with this and a few gifts I left behind for ya too!

Lots of lovin’,

Harley<3<3<3

P.s

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxooxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxooxoxoxoxooxoxoxxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxxxoxox~~~~

[son-of-a-top-gun]

Sky's The Limit Part 3

we're back baby and things are getting spicy (ish)

Warnings: alcohol consumption, mention of strippers/lapdancing, two horny people who desperately need to get off, shameless flirting, Bradley being a babe as usual, continuation of the bob fucks agenda

Sky's The Limit Part 3

Bradley could tell you were starting to get a little down. As one of the only people who actually knew about the book, he was also one of the only people you can tell about how it was really going. You had been giving hints that it was not going well, but after he catches you lying face down in one of the Hard Deck boothes, he decides that’s enough. It was time for you to have a bit of fun, even just for one night.

“Bradley, it wasn’t what it looked like.”

“I know.” He keeps staring ahead, hands still on the wheel. He had offered to give you a lift to his house, where you were supposed to be having a few ‘casual drinks’. You took one look of the bag of balloons and had known exactly what that meant.

“You don’t have to throw me a stupid party.”

“But this isn’t just any party, baby girl. This is a Bradshaw party, which only get offered to the creme de la creme. Besides, you haven’t even been given a proper welcome to San Diego. There’s no way you can stay here one more day without an official welcome.”

You smile at him. Bradley truly was one of the best friends a girl could wish for. Losing his parents only meant he loved people harder and you loved that about him. You couldn’t have imagined anyone more perfect for your sister, you just wanted them to hurry up and realise they were in love with each other so he could legally become part of the family.

“Ugh fine, But you best make -

“Those biscuits you like. Honestly what do you take me for Ladybug? I’ve already got the ingredients in the back.”

You turn around. Of course he did.

******

Of course the party is perfect. Bradley had cued all your favourite songs, supplied all your favourite snacks (as well as some supposed San Diego delicacies) and invited all your new pilot friends, who you had really become quite fond of. They’d all been extra nice to you lately, which made you wonder what sort of desperate vibes you were giving off. Even Jake had been less annoying the last week, perhaps sensing your stress, making less sassy comments, leaving you well alone when you were trying to write and even occasionally letting you rant about the inaccessibility of online archives. The most surprising thing was that your favourite coffee had been turning up at the Hard Deck every morning before you arrived with a little ladybug drawn on it, along with anonymous notes that had literary motivational quotes on it. You had initially attributed it to Bradley, but he denied it and no one else at the party would fess up either.

The party is in full swing, and you are a couple of drinks in, starting to feel relaxed for the first time in weeks.  You were listening to Phoenix tell everyone about her new girlfriend, which was nauseatingly adorable. You couldn’t remember the last time you felt like that about someone. The last guy you went on a date with tried to give you his manuscript to read over the minute you said you were a writer, and after that you swore off casual dating. Which was lucky, because it seemed all the men here were Navy men, which you had sworn off a long time ago.

Without thinking, you find yourself scanning the room. 

Everyone is here, except one particular blonde pilot. You don’t know why you are looking for him. It was just wherever the pilots were, so was he. You had to admit, It was sort of odd for him not to be there. You find yourself wondering if he finally got that hot date he seemed to be begging for. From what the other pilots told you, Jake had always been a massive flirt and had been known to get around most of the women of San Diego. You hated that you were thinking about this so much and took another hefty swig of your drink.

“Hope you didn’t miss me, darlin’.” A familiar voice leans into your ear.

You almost leap out of your skin. “Jesus Christ, Bagman you can’t sneak up on people like that! You nearly scared the pants off me.” He looks down on you with that annoying smile of his and you suddenly feel very cold in your little strappy vest top.

He leans down. “Trust me,  don’t need to scare you to get you out of your pants sweetheart.”

You roll your eyes at him and are about to come back with a witty retort when you see out of the corner of your eye Bradley brandishing an empty bottle. He claps his hands and everyone turns around.

“I think it’s time for a game guys.”

“Really Bradley?” You raise an eyebrow. “Spin the bottle?”

“What, are you scared?” Jake immediately chimes in. You shoot him daggers.

“Only of having to touch you.” You smile sweetly at him as he mimes an arrow going through his chest.

“Can it lovebirds!” Bradley announces, rubbing his hands with glee, “We’re not so basic to play Spin the bottle.” Bradley looks at you and grins. You know this means trouble. “It’s time to play Truth or Dare!”

There is a chorus of cheers across the room.

“Bradley, you are in your thirties.” You tut under your breath, but he ignores it.

He spins the bottle first. It lands on Fanboy first, who chooses truth. 

“Which superhero would you bang?” Bradley asks

“It’s got to be Catwoman right?” Jake is indignant.

Fanboy takes a moment to really think it through, “I dunno, I like to think about what Wonder Woman could do. The lasso could come in handy. What about you guys?”

“I like Batgirl.” Bob offers.

Coyote suggests “Mystique, you know, for roleplaying. It’s basically like having infinite wishes. Also love me a bad girl.” Payback sagely nods.

“How much have you guys all been thinking about this?” You turn to Natasha, who shrugs.

“Jean Grey does it for me.” This made sense, having seen the pictures of her new ginger girlfriend.

They spin the bottle again, this time landing on Bob. He says Truth and you can see Jake already brewing the question, so you jump in.

“How many hookups have you had in the last year?”

“That’s not fair, I was going to ask!”

“Quit your whining.” You turn to Bob, whose cheeks have tinged pink. “Go on.”

“Oh, er, I don’t know, maybe” He starts counting in his head. “Twenty, twenty-five” He looks up. “Are we counting repeat incidents?”

“As in you had sex with them more than once?”

“Uh, yes, I guess.”

“Sure.”

“Because that would bring it up to sixty, seventy- “ You watch as everyone’s jaws go slack. 

“Are you joking?” Jake is stunned. Bradley turns his head. “How?”

“I don’t know, I just like helping people, and I tend to run into women who need help with their coffee, or taking things to their car, or need something tall fixing around the house…” As Bob rambles, it’s cute to see how unaware he is. You lock eyes with Jake, raising your eyebrows to say I told you. Bob fucks.

Third time around, the bottle lands on you. 

“Truth.”

“Oh come on, not everyone can say truth or we are all going to die of boredom.” Jake folds his arms.

“Firstly, I don’t think Bob’s truth was boring at all. In fact I found it very interesting.” You say, throwing a wink to Bob. “But fine, have it your way. Dare.”

This time, Reuben, who has been very quiet, pops up. 

“You have to give Jake a lapdance.”

“What the hell Javy? I thought we were friends.” He shrugs. 

“Just for one minute.

“No way.”

“Hey, I wouldn’t worry too much about it.” Jake sits back.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean Bagman?” There is a chorus of oos from around the room.

“Nothing, it means nothing!” 

“I get it that I’m not your usual type Seresin, but you think you wouldn’t enjoy it?”

“No, just… I mean you seem like the sort who would hate strip clubs.”

You go to speak but bite your tongue.

What Jake didn’t know was that for your last book you had a whole plot involving strippers which meant you spent several days with dancers researching their life. One of them, Brandy, became one of your best friends in New York and had given you many a lesson in lapdancing (to make your writing accurate, of course). But you figured this was a fact best left unsaid. Besides, this was a rare chance to get Jake to eat some humble pie.

“Yeah…But a dare is a dare. Javy…put on Pony.”

You were grateful that the hot weather had meant you had put on a vest and a fairly cute pair of daisy dukes. If you had been wearing a dress there was no way this would be happening. You make a show of stretching while they set the room up, Jake sat on a chair on the middle. You wink at him as you bend over and you see him flush just a little. 

Javy gives the signal for the music. You are kneeling on the floor in front of Jake,.

“Hope you’re ready to have your world rocked Bagman. Bradley, look away.”

“Yes ma’am.” Bradley, seeing you as his honorary younger sister, did what he was told. “You took a deep breath and then a large swig of whisky.

You sat on your knees and let your hair down, slowing rolling your neck as the music starts to play. You try to ignore the hand shaking and slowly look up towards Jake. You expected him to be smug but he’s looking at you with such a look of confusion and pity that you suddenly realise. He genuinely doesn’t think you can do it.  You are suddenly filled with a devilish combination of spite and rage and power. You close your eyes, slowly rolling your body and feeling all the way up yourself, grinding up on some imaginary guy until you flash your eyes open and send him one cautionary wink before slowly licking your fingers. 

You crawl towards Jake and push his knees apart, slowly rising up between them. It’s a good thing he’s wearing shorts right now, his thighs exposed, so you can feel how his skin burns under yours. The look of pity has turned into something else, both fear and astonishment and something darker, but you have no time for this. Your nails dig slightly into his flesh as you rise up slowly between his legs until you are eye to eye. You slowly wrap your legs to the outside of his thighs and slowly start grinding down on his crotch until. 

Oh. 

At least Jake’s arrogance was starting to make sense if all of what you were feeling was true. With this realisation you look up and lock eyes. Jake’s look burns through you like he could devour you whole and you feel him grip onto your thigh, just a little squeeze, and then you suddenly have a terrible physical urge between your legs, when the music suddenly stops.

“That’s one minute!” Reuben calls out. For a moment, neither of the two of you move.

“Guys? You can get off each other you know?” Phoenix interjects. You both leap away from each other. “Although I should say that was phenomenal.” You croak out a thanks before heading to the kitchen.

What the hell was that? You wonder as you pour yourself a glass of water. I guess it really had been a while. Your heart is racing and you steady yourself against the counter, closing your eyes.

“What the hell are they teaching you on that pHD of yours?” Your eyes open to see Jake standing in the door with his arm leaning against the frame. He must know how his arm looks when he does that. You hate how much you like it.

You take a moment and reassume your confidence, laughing a little. “Oh that? Just a little something I picked up back in New York.”

He walks towards you until he’s right next to you on the counter before leaning in. You can feel his hot breath in your ear. “I knew there was something fishy about this pHD stuff. And now I know.” Your breath hitches. Surely there was no way he could have figured it out, could he? Your lapdance scene wasn’t that similar in the book. He looks away from you. “I thought you reminded me of someone and now I know it’s JLo in Hustlers.” He looks over you with a slightly more sincere look. “So are you..you know?” He waves his hand. You can’t believe that out of all the things, the subject of strippers would make Jake Seresin awkward.

“And what if I was?”

But much to your surprise, Jake shrugs. “Everyone has to pay their bills somehow.” He turns back towards you.  “It’s just if you’re not, I think you should seriously consider it. I think you would earn a lot of money.”

“Would you come to my club then?” The alcohol is making you overconfident, so you gently stroke your index finger down his chest.

“Baby.” He now leans his arm on the kitchen cabinet behind you. His face is so close, just above you. You could smell his cologne again and you find yourself wishing you could lick it off his neck.  “I would be there every damn day.” You felt a flutter in your stomach. This was dangerous territory, but it was too late. What would it be like to kiss Jake Seresin, you wondered, leaning forward just a little -

“There you are Ladybug!” Bradley’s voice booms and the two of you pull apart once again. “Hangman, I hope you’re not trying to get seconds.”

The two of you return to the party. You don’t see Hangman for the rest of the party except once where you catch eyes across you the room. You smile at him and he smiles back, before you are pulled back into conversation. When you go to find him again, he is gone.  Weird that he left without saying goodbye. 

When you finally get home and get to bed, you find yourself instinctively reaching your hand between your legs when it happens. Who flashes into your head but a certain blond, handsome and potentially well-hung pilot.

You were fucked.

---

hope you all enjoyed! Let me know if you want to be tagged in part four!

Tagged:

@dizzybee03 @mrsroosterbradshaw @tgmreader @dgs8891 @alldaysdreamer @eloquentdreamer @ravenwtfbro @dempy @milkbummm @memoriesat30 @yourfavouritecitizen @burningwitchprincess @il0vebeingdelulu

[synthapostate]

@lastdaysofwar, Day 20: Photographs/Media (Raleigh Becket, Mako Mori)

Author’s Note: This one is a day late because I might have had a little bit of a meltdown and convinced myself I wasn’t allowed to write it? Imposter syndrome is real.

With the world saved and their work done, Mako and Raleigh don’t have much to do besides hang out in each other’s rooms, just kind of—being friends. Getting to know each other. Talking. Watching martial arts movies, and then Three Stooges shorts, and then some vintage Ultraman. Eating junk food. Not worrying about the fate of the world.

It’s been a long damn time since Raleigh had a real friend. Even as a teenager, before Trespasser shook the foundations of everything he knew—well, he wasn’t exactly a popular guy in high school. No close friends. He wasn’t a great student, he wasn’t a jock, he didn’t know much about people and he knew even less about himself. Mostly, he just bummed around in his big brother’s castoff hoodies, smoking weed behind the gym and waiting for the day when life would make sense. Even his sister didn’t much understand him in those days. Yancy was the only one he had.

And now he has Mako, the coolest girl he’s ever met, and she’s moving him on from old movies to modern music.

“I can’t believe you’ve never heard this song,” she says, unconsciously echoing the words of a different girl, one he knew a million years ago as a high school freshman. He hasn’t thought about that classmate in years, memory faded into obscurity in a way he’s positive Mako never will, but he does remember the song, which, months later, was repurposed as a sort of unofficial memorial song for San Francisco.

(And if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing’s changed at all?)

The song Mako wants him to hear will be less momentous than that, he hopes.

“I’m not really a music guy,” Raleigh warns as Mako hands over her tablet. Not that he hates it or anything, but he doesn’t listen to enough to have a clear idea of what his own taste is. He won’t be able to tell her much more than, “Cool.”

“It’s not a test,” Mako says with a smile. “It’s just a song.” She bounces up from the bed and wanders over to the wall, where he’s tacked up all the photos he keeps around to remind him where he came from. “May I look at these?”

“Sure, if you want. They’re nothing special. Just snapshots I’ve taken over the years.”

“And that’s not special?” She leans in to get a closer look at the pictures while Raleigh presses play.

The song is cool, that’s all he can say. Kind of a throwback to the Kate Bush, Tori Amos kind of thing his mom used to listen to, so he has some kind of frame of reference for it. And there’s a part of Mako that’s bled into him like watercolors in the drift; he probably couldn’t hate the things she loves even if he tried. And he doesn’t want to hate it anyway. Mako is happy, bobbing her head and humming along as she looks at his pictures, and he’s happy, too. Really, honestly happy, for the first time in too many years.

“Did you take all of these?” Mako asks.

“Yeah, most of them.” He likes being behind the camera, getting lots of nature shots and cool architectural details of the various places he’s lived, but there are a few pictures of people. Pictures of Raleigh, even, that other people have taken. He really likes the one Tendo snapped of him and Yancy back in Anchorage, the one where you can see in their eyes that both of them were planning to live forever.

“Is this your sister?” Mako asks. Raleigh looks over to see that she’s found the picture of a bunch of girls in ballet class, lined up at the barre. He has to laugh.

“Jazmine’s the one on the end, with her arm up,” he says. “That blond showing off a grand plié is me.”

“Oh!” Mako looks from the picture to Raleigh and back again. “But, you looked like…” She realizes what she’s about to say, and shakes her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

“It’s okay. I looked different in the drift.” Mako has never known him as anything but the man he is now, and she’s never seen his past except through his own eyes. It’s not surprising there’s some cognitive dissonance now, seeing the camera’s objective view of how he used to be.

It’s just as weird as his first drift with Yancy, when they had to reconcile his memories of being a boy with Yancy’s memories of having a sister. And it’s not like Yancy wasn’t the first to accept him when he came out, but he had fifteen years of not knowing. Memories are hard to change. But by their third drift, Yancy was remembering Raleigh like Raleigh remembered himself.

“How strange, to be so—mismatched,” Mako says. “To see the wrong face every time you look in the mirror. Does it hurt you to look at this?”

“No, not really. It’s like that girl is just someone I used to know. I don’t hate her or anything. She’s just not me.” It could have been different, he knows. He’s been lucky in a lot of ways. He could feel a lot worse than this persistent mental disconnect when he looks at old pictures of himself. But he doesn’t, and maybe that has something to do with Yancy—and now Mako—getting into his head and seeing him for who he really is.

“I am glad I get to know you now. But I wish you had told me you were a dancer,” Mako says with a mischievous smile. “Were you any good?”

“No, I was awful! At least as a sugarplum fairy. I kicked ass at the Russian dance, though.” He hadn’t realized back then how heavily gendered ballet was. The female parts were all grace and beauty, movements that required both phenomenal strength and the ability to make it all look effortless. The visible athleticism of the male roles always did suit him better. “I guess I’m lucky I was too tall to partner. They gave up and just let me dance the boy roles. It actually helped me figure some things out. But I still quit as soon as my mom would let me.”

“And never danced again?” Mako asks with mock-solemnity.

“Not quite. I’ve been known to Charleston.”

Mako laughs, but Raleigh’s not joking. He jumps up, feet hitting the floor like a bag of rocks—no, he never could have been a sugarplum fairy—and holds out a hand to her. The song ends and moves on to something else, something with a beat fast enough to dance to. Raleigh takes two steps toward her and two steps back, twisting to kick out his heels on each beat. Mako watches him long enough to catch the rhythm, then, still laughing, takes his hand and joins in.

Mako has a beautiful laugh, so he exaggerates his movements to make her do it more, elbows swinging, free hand up in the air like an old cartoon. Mako follows him through this dance, a century out of date, matching him beat for beat and laughing so hard she snorts and goes red in the face. It makes him want to grab his camera and get a picture.

But, hey, it’s not like they’re going anywhere. He has plenty of time for pictures. And he’ll have plenty of time with her.

[edendawg]

So, I've been teasing the Bullville writing stuff for far too long, and the only way I'm gonna get the gumption to start the second chapter might just be to post the first already. when I set up my ao3 more I'll add this there, but, here it is! I'm not asking for critique, as I plan on running more edits before I post it on ao3 but you will at least get the gist

CW: mentions of su*c*de, substance use, childhood neglect

Eden and Indigo at the skatepark (untitled as of rn)

It’s autumn, the dried up leaves coat much of the skatepark in Bullville, but most of them have been swept into the field by wind and what’s left on the concrete is all ripped and crinkled. The clouds tell of a rainy overnight ahead, but the sun is high in the sky right now.

The skatepark is empty except for two backpacks, a dog, his skateboard, a ferret, and their rollerskates. “So what are we still doing here?” questions the ferret, Indigo, to Eden, a twiggy, fluffy malamute.

“The hell you mean dawg? You’re not thinking of ending it are you?” he replies, concerned.

“Nah dude, I’m just talking about Bullville, like, what’s wrong with us? Why’re we still choosing to live here?”

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with us, people get stuck here, it’s like a curse,” Eden chuckles out, and crosses his arms, “If you were raised here, you’re fucked. If even one of your parents was raised here? You’re completely doomed.”

“Eden, I don’t remember, were your parents raised here?”

“Yeah, they both went to the tech school, so my mom is from Bullville and my dad is from Smithfield.”

“Shit man, well, my parents are both from Massachusetts and moved to Bullville cause it was cheap to buy a house when they got married, it’s a reasonable commute from both their main spots.”

“Yeah no, I didn’t leave this valley for the first 15 years of my life besides to go up to Boston for two Sox games. I don’t even like baseball! My dad just seriously thought it would fix our relationship or something. That’s what my last therapist said at least.” Eden quickly shakes his rolled up long sleeves down his arms and then crosses them tight around his chest. “I only started branching out more because of when I started making friends with people older than me. Most of them really did just want me to have a better childhood even though I was a little too far gone to save.”

“I’m glad some of those people were good for you, and I remember the baseball game stories. He drove you home in the dark while plastered that first time, right? He would’ve the second time too if it wasn’t for your mom secretly following you to the stadium.” Indigo squints a little to see Eden’s eyes going glassy.

“Yeah, and we picked up the other car the next day while my parents were screaming. Y’know, I’m convinced the friend of his he always met there was one of his dealers. Something about him. It was too long ago for me to remember some of the details now though.”

“I can see you getting all stressed thinking about him, let’s circle back, why do you think you’re still here?”

“Well, I know I could probably afford to move elsewhere at this point, or at least save up to in a reasonable amount of time, but I just feel a connection to a lot of the other things here besides my family. The local nature spots, the good cities aren’t that far away, I know a lot of other good people here obviously. What about you?”

“The people and nature for sure… I dunno, I feel like a lot of the folks we still know in town would say similar stuff to you honestly. Like, it’s just convenient really. My friends, my job, my happy places, they’re basically all here. But since you mentioned the city, any ideas of stuff to do in Providence soon?”

“I’m not really sure. I really am trying to save money so I might just hit up a coffee shop and hang out for a few hours… Try to get some writing done or something. Just to get out of the normal cycle.”

“I knew it. You couldn’t swear off the pen! … That’s it, that’s why we’re all still here! Eden, you and I have been in some form of creative writing club together since I was a sixth grader. It’s the author and poet in all of us. I dunno, we just can’t stop writing. Especially about our love/ hate relationship with this place”

“You really think that’s it?”

“Okay, hear me out, what’s better to write about than a shitty hometown in a beautiful often melancholic manner? I mean, sure we could be off living some better life, but we can just write that too.”

“You’ve seen my work, it’s all just whatever, sometimes it’s about my dreams. Like my actual dreams and also my goals and aspirations? Or it’ll be just a really mediocre but piercingly toned heart stab of a poem. Nothing to write home about, it just makes me feel better.”

“I like when you read the ones about your hopes and dreams and stuff!” Indigo pauses to watch as Eden starts fiddling with his skateboard, rolling it back and forth like he’s itching to skip out on whatever endeavors his friend is going to dare suggest he pursue. “I do really think you could do pro skating, I watch YouTube and you’re just as good if not better than some of those skaters. Still, I don’t think that diminishes your worth as a writer either dude. You write some crazy stuff that sticks with me, heavy, I hope you’ll read again in the next meeting now that you’re actually hitting pen to pad for real!”

“I'm glad you and some of the others have been enjoying my work and helping me workshop it. I definitely feel a lot more confident than I did, it's just hard to grasp that I'm good at stuff that's all. And while I know I'm pretty not bad at skateboarding, I'm just not sure if I'm good enough to try and work towards going pro. I feel like I'm late to the game anyhow.”

“I don't think that really matters, you've got a lot of talent. I love skating with you not only for spending time doing something we like together, but watching you is so fun. I don't even know what the names of half those tricks you do are.”

“If I'm being honest I don't know the names of some of the tricks either. I just do what I think will look cool a lot of the time.”

“I'd say at least try and figure out how you could start showing off your skills. Like do you have those skate clips we've been taking? you could put those online and see if people get into it.”

“Hmm,” Eden sighed, “I don't know if anyone will really care that much, but maybe.”

“I think it's worth a shot Eden, seriously.”

...

plastered my name

in graffiti, made

skid marks on

concrete, pulled

myself back from

the dead and

flipped in the air

on my board.

i’ll make it some day

i’ll be someone,

some way; the life

i lead now is in

search of something

bigger, brighter

only trying smarter,

harder every time i

drop in

- Eden

[jasongotdrip]

FREAKING YAP ALERT 🚨

hyperfixation is so weird like. finish a show (in this case, arcane) and think about it until you finish a game (mouthwashing) and you think about that until you think about a show you used to watch (hxh) and you think about that until you’re thinking about those finished shows and games at the same time and you’re just buzzing. buzzing. just brrr like an overwhelmed calculator that’s doing multiple problems at once. BECAUSE I WANNA MAKE ARCANE ART LIKE I SAID I WOULD. I WANNA MAKE MOUTHWASHING ART BUT I’VE ONLY MADE ONE VIDEO. AND NOW HXH IS COMING BACK TO ME😭😭 ALONG WITH EVERY OTHER FANDOM/INTEREST I HAVE???🙏

IM SORRY THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HYPERFIXATION BUT I NEED TO YAP.

this is a vent that’s been building up since like October👍

I HAAATE HAVING “RIZZ” IM SORRY BUT WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP LIKING ME. I DIDNT EVEN DO ANYTHING MAN. I LITERALLY JUST EXIST. IM A FILLER FRIEND WHO KEEPS EVERYONE HAPPY.

feelings are completely valid, of course. i respect everyone. it’s hard for me to develop feelings without like.. idk. I might be demiromantic or something on that spectrum. But that’s besides the point.

I make it my goal to stay on good terms with everyone. I just want to make people happy, that’s all i’m here for. if you have feelings, shoot your shot!

but please, PLEASE. You don’t confess your love to someone you’d met 3 months ago. You DONT, confess to someone you’d met 3 months ago,who you KNEW was in New Orleans, SEEING THEIR GRANDFATHER. FOR THE LAST TIME.

if any year of my life were a test, 2024 would have been it. I moved houses, schools, lost people physically and mentally, gained people, and matured. well i had to, of course.

on Tuesday October 22, 2024. 2 days after getting home from visiting my grandfather. my world went silent in the parking lot of my sister’s college. I stood there staring at the ground after being told he passed away. I can’t even remember how long I stood there. I felt my phone slip out of my hand onto the ground and I felt my sister’s arms around me but I didn’t move. The drive home with my mom was silent. Then the phone calls and texts rolled in from my family, but I was still silent. I was angry. Grateful that he wasn’t in pain but angry that he had to suffer in the first place. I didn’t tell any of my friends until the next day, at school, after breaking down in class. Some still don’t even know. My voice stayed quiet for a while after that. I saw my dad for the first time in months. I saw family and friends and I realized as much as it hurts, I’ll always be grateful to have people that care.

honestly something in me wants to believe he’s still in new orleans. not in the hospital, dancing and singing at restaurants. i tried convincing myself at the funeral too. but as i walked out that church I realized I can’t live my life the way i have been.

I stepped up and i started making friends. Me, the introverted quiet kid, talked to people. I visited my dad, and my family more than ever. I broke the mould i put myself into. I reached out to some old friends from old schools. Most of all, I started appreciating little things about myself. I used to absolutely hate my freckles and my curly hair, and while i can’t say i LOVE myself, i don’t hate myself… as much. And that’s huge for me. I can’t say my sh habits have gotten better.. but i’ll work on that. :)

i realized i changed in confidence mentally but also physically— this isn’t the best example, so i’ll be vague. when my mom and stepdad fight i always feel words bubbling up in my throat like lava. I want to tell them to stop, that my siblings shouldn’t hear it. And guess what? That’s what i did!! When things get out of hand i don’t even care I’ll literally speak up. …sometimes they’ll tell me to shut the hell up or go away. But sometimes they listen. I think they noticed how much risk I take now. Hit me I literally do not give a freak. And then i’ll clean the entire house, loudly or quietly because i clean when I’m absolutely seeing red.

for sure , music helps. when I’m buzzing angrily or i’m feeling horrible or anxious, i put on my headphones and I manipulate myself into feeling the happiness from a song. I learned how to literally make myself happy, even if it’s just a cover up lol

another thing i realized? I can’t live my life without doing something to help this curse of a disease. I want to help people and families with cancer. Any type. I’ve never felt so strongly about my future. Whether it’s full time or not, I want to work in the medical field as a nurse, oncologist or something like that. A dream hit me then, if i started some kind of organization to donate and help families travel to their patients, to visit them and remind them that they’re loved, and that they have things to live for. That’s a huge stretch and i have no idea how I’d accomplish it, but it’s worth thinking about.

because too much of my family has been lost to cancer. cancer eats away at families and no one deserves to go through it. i want to help. whether it’s helping families, patients themselves, researching, or anything.

I’m only a teenager so this career/life dream is probably gonna warp or change, but I’ll always want to help somehow.

now i uh.. don’t remember why I’m saying all this on a tumblr post. It was supposed to be about hyperfixation but now im feeling inspired? I might have gone through every emotion writing this.😭

[3-2-whump]

The New Intern

<prev next>

A shorter chapter, set three months after Escape Attempt Last

Heckin' big shoutout to @whumped-by-glitter for helping me talk out some plot points and develop my OCs' struggles a little better, you're awesome for that!

TW/CW: minor whump, pet whump, physical abuse towards a minor (mentioned)

“So, I come home today,” Thomas began, drinking and playing pool with his underboss, consigliere, and capos late at night. “Exhausted from negotiating with that upstart gang on the East Side, stressing about our loss of gambling revenue from our partners, and generally just on edge, and what do I come home to find?” The billiard balls clattered discordantly across the table, rolling around on their haphazard trajectories. “Khaled, that little shit, had left all the taps on! Every last one! My apartment, flooded!” He threw back another shot as he let Luca have a turn at the pool table. “And after I finished beating him black and blue, the only excuse the boy could give was ‘I was bored!’ Can you believe that? Bored?!” he complained.

The rest of the guys exchanged terse glances between themselves.

“Well,” the Boss snapped, “I know you want to say something, so say it! We’re all friends here, aren’t we?”

“Fine then, friend,” Consigliere Michael answered, “You’re an idiot if you didn’t see this coming!”

“I agree,” Jaime chimed as he threw back his shot. “The poor kid has been cooped up in your home, by himself, all day, for the past fifteen months; we’re all honestly surprised something like this hasn’t happen sooner!”

“Nobody would keep a dog in a cage all day,” Michael added, striking the cue ball into his intended targets. Thomas winced at the blunt comparison. He’s not wrong, though, he realized.

“Tom, buddy, we’ve known you your whole life, practically,” Luca appealed. “Some of us even knew you in those years, and we still stuck by you. We know you got him as a sort of penitence exercise, but we think you’re smart enough to know it is not enough for you to just keep him alive.” Meanwhile, Jaime chalked up the tip of his cue, then leaned over to make his shot. “The boy needs to see other people, to have structure, to be surrounded by English-speakers if his language proficiency is ever going to improve!”

Jaime sent the billiard balls clacking across the table. Thomas sighed, realizing (a little too late) that they were completely right. “Well, what do you suppose I do? It’s not like I can just bring him to work with me, right?”

-

“Gentlemen, this is Khal, my new intern. He is going to be working closely with me for the foreseeable future.”

Khaled bristled beside him, feeling uncomfortable in the stiffly pressed black dress shirt and black slacks. Every eye in his master’s conference room was on him. Those that knew who he was arched their brows as they gave their Boss sly smiles of approval. Those that did not know who he was pared him down with their scrutinizing glares. He gave a curt nod, acknowledging the crowd of high-ranking members of the Organization. He replayed the Rules in his head as he tuned out the rest of the meeting. Lucky for me, Master only has a few: one, when invited to sit, sit on the floor, preferably at Master’s feet. He briefly paused his recitation to wonder just how much Rule One would be enforced while at work, with other people watching. Two, speak only when spoken to, especially at work. Three, speak English only. And the new Rules, he remembered, made specifically for their new circumstances: only refer to Master as ‘Boss’ or ‘Sir’ while I’m at work with him, and tell no one what I truly am. As far as they know, I am his intern, I was hired through a temp agency, and that is all they need to know.

“Khal…Khaled!”

He snapped back into the present, only to see Master –Boss, he meant –staring at him expectantly. His heartbeat quickened as he realized he zoned out longer than he intended to. Of course, there was the ever-present unspoken Rule, the Rule above all other Rules:

‘Don’t embarrass me.’

He gulped down the dryness in his throat. “S-sir?”

“Come on, I need to show you the rest of the office,” Boss said. Khaled looked around the conference room; nearly everyone had filed out at this point, leaving him dumbly standing on the far end of the room as the Boss gestured impatiently out the door. Wordlessly, he offered a quick nod and hung his head as he followed him.

Le Tag List: @kabie-whump @rainydaywhump @whumped-by-glitter

[nerdylizj]

18 for the ask game????? #curious about fiakom

18. if you keep them, share a deleted sentence or paragraph from a published fic

sorry about not answering this sooner! i keep all of the deleted scenes! 90% of them are from later chapters so it took a while to decide on what to share. here's part of a deleted scene from the first version of chapter 12 (before I figured out the tone I wanted for that chap!)

fic ask game :)

After a silent dinner, the only sounds reverberating through the echoing courtyard are the sounds of Momo chittering and Akio’s quiet mumblings and the crackling of the fire. Sokka makes a promise to begin hunting the following day. Zuko dresses a wiggling, overtired baby into sleep clothes and manages to avoid a massive temper tantrum by rocking him to sleep – narrowly. 

“So, Zuko,” Sokka comments once silence descends upon them. “Which one of you can we blame the temper on?”

Katara glowers at her brother, visibly exhausted. “Sokka –”

“I used to blame Katara,” Zuko answers honestly. “But he probably gets it from me.”

Now that he remembers his banishment and his treatment of Iroh and his behavior toward them – well. Maybe Katara can’t claim the worse temper between them. Besides, this late at night, riling Sokka up is just as bad as riling up the actual child.

Sokka’s jaw drops before he chuckles. “That… makes sense. You’re an angry guy.”

Katara’s nose scrunches. “No, he’s not.”

Her brother snorts. “Are you kidding?” He points at Zuko. “Zuko, angry firebender who chased us across the world –”

“He’s not angry anymore,” she snaps. Katara looks around the campfire at everyone before she settles back on her brother. “Did you think we’d turn back into the people we were five years ago?”

Sokka gives her a baffled look. Katara’s eyes flicker to and from where Toph and Aang sit before she can Sokka share some sort of exchange that Zuko can’t comprehend. Her brother’s face contorts with his own anger. 

“Don’t tell me –”

“I’m still kinda angry,” Zuko admits, eager to disrupt their bickering. It’s been a long fucking day. “Just – less angry than I was before.”

Toph cackles. “For now.” 

Zuko narrows his eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Sokka and Katara’s heads whip toward Toph, matching looks of annoyance on their faces. 

“Toph,” Sokka says with a warning tone.

Toph remains unbothered. The earthbender leans back on her palms. “You’ll find out soon enough, Zuko.” 

Uselessly, he scowls at the earthbender. Her nonchalance usually amuses him but not at this moment. It wouldn’t do good to rise to her bait with his son in his arms and the weight of the day’s failure weighing on all of them, so Zuko bites his tongue. 

Silence descends on them again, the firelight dancing over their tired faces. Aang’s eyes flicker between the Water Tribe siblings, his face reddening. Katara pointedly gazes into the fire, avoiding Aang’s gaze, and Sokka isn’t hiding his anger as he stares at the airbender. Toph is the only one who looks relaxed. Even Haru, who was lying by the fire with his eyes closed, opens his eyes to look around carefully. 

“Zuko,” Katara finally says, her voice wobbling as she breaks the tense silence. 

There was a time when he would know what his wife was trying to say with his name alone, what the tremor in her voice indicates. But those parts of them are shedding away like layers of skin, leaving them flayed and vulnerable. He wants to guess what she means, but he isn’t sure he can handle another failure after today.

“Katara.”

She stands abruptly, squeezing her hands tightly, and gives him a serious look. “Did you tell Azula about us?”

Zuko gives her a bewildered look. “What?”

“Maybe you should talk in private,” Toph suddenly sits up and frowns, all of her earlier mirth gone. “Share your secrets.”

“What secrets?” Sokka asks, eyes narrowing at Aang.

Zuko ignores them, focusing on Katara pacing in front of the fire now. She must be losing it after today. Azula already knows about them. She orchestrated all of it. Why would Katara –

“Our time in Ba Sing Se,” she clarifies, barely looking up and he understands more but not enough. “Did you –”

“Tell her we were –”

“Did you?” Katara suddenly stops pacing and meets his gaze. She looks beyond troubled – nearly manic in the firelight. It would frighten him on her behalf if he wasn’t so dumbfounded by her question. 

“Not that I remember,” he answers slowly and meaningfully. Her eyes rove over his face for a moment – looking for the truth no doubt – before she nods, continuing to pace and returning to her thoughts. And for some fucking reason unbeknownst to him, Zuko confesses, “I confronted my father today.”

She freezes again, her eyes widening and lips parting. “You did?”

“I think,” Sokka says weakly, looking between them both. “I would like to know more about what happened in Ba Sing Se.”

“I did,” Zuko replies to Katara, ignoring Sokka again.

[im-out-of-it]

part 24 (I will fucking scream if this turns into 50 parts lmao) of season 2, episode 18 “awake, arise, and be forever fallen” continued jace being dumb as fuck

170. CAN I HUG MAIA NOW

171. doing a happy one of Maia + Simon (they deserve all the happiness)

172. I don’t like seeing my girl sad

173. I’m not sure what story Simon was expecting but he definitely wasn’t expecting my girlfriend got abused by her possessive insane psycho ex who turned her into a werewolf and left her alone to deal with her transformations without any support kind of story

174. our favorite they really aren’t dating but want them to date friends bonding

175. Clary: I’m solving this by myself bitches

176. I’m not saying I needed Izzy and clary to date but they have some chemistry and it would’ve been nice for the show to take some fucking risks for once. but I guess they did that by making Malec the stars lmao

177. ugh fuck, he’s back. Jonathon is like he thinks he can kill me lmao

jonathon: OH CUTE HE THINKS HE CAN EASILY TAKE ME IN HIS CHILDISH DREAMS

178. I’m not saying that jace can’t kill jonathon but what it comes down to is looking at things fairly. over here at let’s bond over show Malec and hate clace discussion lists bitchfest and shitposting LLC, I try to be fair on all counts. I look at each and every side as much as possible. so in order to do that, you have to be willing to admit everyone’s strengths and weaknesses

179. Jonathon was trained in Hell. LITERALLY FUCKING HELL. he was also trained by valentine, a mass murderer who cares for no one but his own visions. (no one ever gave jonathon good positive role models. he was only trained to use his strength for killing) Jace was trained by valentine but also the lightwoods aka hodge for a time. yeah he has talent but jace doesn’t use his brain. he’s so quick to think that he’s the best because that’s what’s everyone tells him. I doubt growing up with Alec and Izzy besides Alec, no one ever told him “hey Jace you’re actually not that great and the only reason you still live is because Alec had to babysit your risky ass” like I seriously doubt it and I’m sure Alec joked with him but I sincerely doubt anyone ever meant it

180. so while I do think jace could beat Jonathan, he’s so quick in thinking he doesn’t have any weaknesses unless you count clary. everyone acts as if he’s the best soldier even though we all know he would be dead if Alec didn’t exist or care. but jonathon can be cocky as well. but I wouldn’t say he’s as cocky as jace is. he didn’t really have people in his ear telling him he’s the best or constantly saving his ass. I do think jonathon thinks he’s also the best but it doesn’t come off as aggressive as when jace does it. Jonathon saves himself unless you count Lilith in season three. and these two psycho men have so much in common but act like the other is completely different. you have to admit that jace and jonathon have similarities which shine more in the books

181. also speaking about the books, it’s been years since I’ve read them and I honestly can’t remember if Maia talks much about Jordan but I do remember the whole thing being kind of swept over. I also remember Izzy being great there. but it’s still done a bit better in the show- I still can’t sand the lets redeem Jordan because frankly, he doesn’t deserve it (I think she more doesn’t want to date him in the books so I may have this switched but I blocked those traumatic ass books from my memory for a reason)

182. the funny thing about this discussion with jonathon and jace is the fact that jace thinks out of all the millions in the world that only he can kill jonathon. does nobody remember when Alec killed a greater demon???????? A FUCKING PRINCE OF HELL????? someone who even jonathon said was extremely impossible to do SOMETHING Alec accomplished without difficulty

183. Jace clearly thinks he’s the best and a lot of the times he acts like Alec doesn’t exist. we all know he wants to kill jonathon mainly so he can have clary to himself and so he can be out of clary’s life

184. but let’s not forget when Alec killed a prince of hell who ranks higher than a demonic shadowhunter. princes of hell are on the highest levels of demons. we all love Magnus but he’s a son of a prince of hell. I would imagine Magnus is slightly more powerful than a shadowhunter who has demon blood

185. but of course leave it up to everyone to make jace feel as he’s the strongest more capable shadowhunter out there. yes he lived with Valentine for 10 years but jace is incapable of following orders and does what he wants in the moment. even if Alec said don’t do this, jace is still going to do what HE WANTS. and HE THINKS he’s the only one capable of killing jonathon. motherfucker couldn’t even kill Valentine in season one (which I get he thought valentine was his father) but point is, he’s not as great as he seems to think he is

186. AND THE FUNNIEST PART FOR ME IS HE FALLS FOR THE DUMBEST SHIT

186. A TEXT MESSAGE. he could’ve called Alec and asked hey is max really dead but he falls for the dumbest shit possible. I get why he’s scared (even though he couldn’t give two shits about max before any of this) but it’s just another example of how jace doesn’t think, he just acts

so I’m stopping at 188 and I think that’s all the completed parts I can get today with 15 minutes remaining and we still have a lot of ground to cover. mainly Malecs breakup but I’m going to at least start another one and then do more tomorrow. hopefully y’all are having fun and aren’t mad at me for doing too much but if you are, I’m not saying sorry because now you got to see more content so you’re welcome 😇 (I lowkey am sorry) see y’all soon 🥹