#I just had to get it all down somewhere I'm sorry

[witherby]

The Littlest Wayne

Or, the one where Bruce brings home a baby, and your adorable little face wins the heart of your new, big brothers.

Platonic!Reader and Batfam

"Bruce."

"Don't freak out."

"Bruce."

"You're freaking out. I can see it in your eyes, but don't do it."

"This is a problem. This is an actual addiction and you need help."

"You're overreacting. I need everyone to take a deep breath, in and out, and not freak out."

Dick crossed his arms and glared at his father, narrowed eyes shifting up and down in an extremely pointed manner. Tim and Jason were wearing similar expressions, looking either at Bruce himself or the bundle in his arms.

Damian walked across the room and peered down at the bundle, expressionless.

"Father, come on."

Bruce carefully brushed the edge of the blanket away from your face. You scrunched your tiny nose, disturbed, then settled back down without issue. The billionaire had found you abandoned outside the garage doors of the Gotham Fire Station, left there by some overwhelmed mother no doubt. Unfortunately, that particular station was closed on the weekends, because of course this damned city couldn't staff a fire station 24/7, and if he hadn't found you on patrol, you would have frozen to death on the ground.

"They were in danger!" Bruce insisted firmly, but kept his voice soft so as not to frighten you. "Look — they don't have black hair or blue eyes. You can tell I didn't do it on purpose."

"Why not take the baby to the GCPD, then? Or a hospital?" Jason piped up, unamused. "B, cut the bullshit. You can't keep 'em."

"I brought them here first to ensure they didn't need any immediate medical attention."

"Which is something a hospital could do," Tim said.

"An overcrowded and understaffed hospital, that doesn't have the time to spare to give them direct and undivided attention?" Bruce argued. "The med ward in the Cave is just as efficient as an emergency room, if not more so."

"And the fact that you aren't down there with the baby — the baby you are not keeping," Dick chimed in, holding out his arms for you, "means that they're perfectly fine and can be transported safely somewhere else."

"They're sleeping right now," Bruce said, completely deadpan, and made no move to relinquish his hold over you. "We can't put them in a noisy car and upset them. We can drop the baby off in the morning."

"He's getting dangerously attached," Dick hissed to his brothers. "We need the big guns."

"I'll alert Pennyworth," Damian declared, already ducking out of the room. Bruce scowled, aware the battle was quickly turning against his favor. But he could play dirty, too.

He dropped his shoulders and the furrow of his brow turned slightly down, weary and forlorn. He stopped looking at his boys and instead studied all your tiny features, tracing a finger down the bridge of your nose, gently across your lashes, and over your plump little cheeks. You were absolutely adorable. He was already thinking of names for you in his mind.

"You know, I never got to raise any of you from infancy," he stated, not in any pointed manner, just as objective fact. Just quietly enough that they could think Bruce hadn't meant to say it out loud. "Not that I would've wanted to steal that experience from your birth parents. I would never. But...I don't even know what Damian looked like when he was this small."

Dick's eye twitched. The glare was still in place, but his frown was less severe. One down.

"I'm sorry, boys," he sighed, acting as though he were giving in. "The Mission has taken up so much of my time, it's hard not to wonder what I would have been like as a normal father. Just the formative things, like... like changing diapers, and doing Tummy Time, and helping you guys learn to walk."

Tim's eyes grew distant, likely thinking of his own parents and the loneliness he felt growing up in Drake Manor all by himself. He was no doubt recalling how much he wished his mom or dad had been around, to play or to talk to or just to physically be there with him, instead of off traveling the world and leaving him behind to fend for himself.

Two down.

But Jason, despite all that had happened over the years, despite the strain on his relationship with Bruce, had always been the most emotional of his children. He would not be hard to win over.

"This would be a mistake," Bruce stated, looking his second oldest right in the eyes. "They'd be happier somewhere else, somewhere normal. Maybe...maybe one of you could hold them and I can go start the car? I can feel myself starting to get attached, and that's not fair to you, boys. I didn't mean to stress you all out. I wasn't thinking."

Jason huffed, lowering his feet from where they'd been propped up on the coffee table, and stood from the couch to come take you from Bruce. His arms carefully held you to his broad chest, your weight settling against him pleasantly.

He made the mistake of watching you scrunch your face and whine softly, itty bitty hands poking out from your blanket and gripping onto his shirt sleeve with all the strength your small body could muster.

Jason's expression dropped immediately, and he practically melted as he tucked you closer.

Hook. Line. Sinker.

Damian and Alfred walked into the living room to find Bruce, Jason, Dick, and Tim all cooing and fawning over you, and the war was lost.

Welcome home, Littlest Wayne.

[melminli]

Ddakji Man

summery - you were always struggling to make ends meet, despite having three separate jobs and you doubted that that would ever change. it felt like you were working out of your own casket and it would probably be more sustainable to invest in one at this point.

pairing: (gong yoo/ji-cheol) the salesman x fem. reader

word count: 1,5k

contains: slight arguing, cursing but nothing too graphic tbh

"Are you sure that you don't want to come?" One of your friends asked you a little sadly since you were about to leave the group. They rarely got to see you anyway, did you have to leave so early? "You never come with us when we go out for a drink, we miss you there, you know?"

You smiled a little tiredly as you strolled casually through the streets. "I'm sorry guys, I just have to work tonight." you tried to explain. Besides, I'm fucking tired and just want to get some sleep before then. I miss my bed.

Your best friend pouted as she hugged you from the side and you welcomed it, even if it made walking a little more difficult. "It's always work this work that. Live a little for once, all this stress is not good for you. You need a break." she spoke up before a thought came into her mind that made her a little furious. "Don't tell me that you're using work as an excuse to cancel on us. We can do something else if you want to. I'll even invite you, come on!"

You took a tired breath. I don't have any energy for this. "Trust me, I'd love nothing more than to get drunk with you and I'm not being sarcastic or anything." you clarified. Besides, I wouldn't work this much if I didn't have to.

"All right." she gave in unhappy. "We'll catch you one of these days, I can feel it..."

You laughed softly. "Please do," you replied and stopped in front of the stairs that led to the subway. This was the place where you had to say goodbye to your friends and you did with a few more hugs. You enjoyed spending time with them and loved your friends with all your heart, but you were still happy to be a bit on your own now.

So you plugged in your cable headphones and played your current favorite song at the loudest volume before checking when the next train was going to arrive. Another twenty minutes? The last one must have just left. You decided to just sit down on a bench and wait while staring blankly around and quietly mumbling the lyrics to yourself.

A few minutes later, a person sat down next to you and you could see out of the corner of your eye that it was probably some kind of businessman or something. You didn't look closely out of politeness and turned your gaze somewhere else after checking the time on your phone.

"Excuse me." the unknown man tried to get your attention, but as expected, you could barely hear him over the booming music. He placed his briefcase in the space between you before leaning closer to your figure and looking towards you with a smile and finally, you seemed to notice his stare and turned in his direction. You took out one of your earbuds as you met his gaze. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

The man leaned back again. "I haven't said anything yet. I wanted to ask if I could talk to you, do you have a moment?"

You looked around a little uncomfortably as he maintained uninterrupted eye contact with you. "Ehm, well..." you stumbled slightly over your words. "I'm not religious or anything, sorry," you replied, having no patience for another discourse about Jesus and the church. This is the fourth time this week, lucky me. You thought to yourself as you were about to put your earplug back in.

The salesman held a hand in the air to stop you from doing that to keep your attention. You just looked at him uninterestedly and waited, it was going to be a while before your train arrived anyway. A smile graced his face after you were willing to listen to him again. "That's not what I wanted to talk about, I just want to offer you a chance."

Your face tightened a little in disgust and you were quite irritated by now. He seemed to be waiting for some kind of answer and didn't say anything else, so you had no choice but to interpret his words. He doesn't look like that kind of guy, but I guess it's always the ones who look the most decent. "Listen to me asshole," you said openly this time, all politeness gone as you pointed at his chest with your index finger. "I don't know you, maybe you're one of those men who try to talk in riddles to seem mysterious or something, but right now it just sounds like you're looking for someone cheap to fuck." you replied as you tapped his tie with each syllable and leaned a little closer to him as you whispered. "And I'm not cheap, so you might want to look elsewhere."

This time it was you who grinned as he looked at you in surprise and he let out a small grunt after you finished your sentence. The salesman straightened his tie while watching your figure before reaching for his briefcase and revealing its contents, "That's too bad, but also not what I was talking about," he replied as you looked at the money and colored paper in confusion. "Have you ever played Ddakji?" He asked you as he took out the red and blue paper. You just shook your head. "That's no problem at all, we can still play it if you're up for it." 

Your gaze alternated from his hand to his face. Oh, so he's crazy. You finally concluded. I guess he is too handsome to be just a normal guy, huh. You turned your head away from him, something about the whole thing just seemed perverse to you. "No thanks, I'll pass."

"You sure?" He asked again, knowing he'd convinced you as soon as he brought the money into it. These people are all the same, she'll snatch the paper right out of my hands after I start talking a language she understands. "Every time you win, you get 100,000 won from me." He began, watching the look on your face. "But if I win, you owe me 100,000 won and -"

You sighed and interrupted him. "Yes, I'm sure. I still don't want to play with you, okay?"

This time the man looked at you with a cold, icy stare. A few minutes passed like this and you just tried to ignore his gaze, but then he started talking again. "All right. 200,000 won." he finally said, but couldn't seem to get your attention back. He tried again. "Is it because you've never played the game before? We can have a practice round if that would make you feel more comfortable." he tried again and got irritated when you continued to ignore him. He looked around the area as he considered his next move. Is she waiting for me to increase the prize money further? These people usually jump up happily at the first amount since they're so desperate. He tried to collect himself again. "500,000 won." he finally said. "I've got the money right here, you just have to go for it."

When is this stupid train coming. "Look, I don't want your fucking money, understand? I'm not a gambling addict or -"

"You may not want it, but you need it," he said, annoyed. This has never happened before, is she stupid? He then spoke out your name and described your miserable living situation as if you didn't already know about it yourself. "You also have quite a lot of debt for someone who is still relatively young, are you seriously going to turn down the money I'm offering you? For what, to prove a point or something?"

You didn't know what this man's fucking problem was, he should be glad that you didn't want to take his money, and how did he even know all this? You got up from your seat next to him when the train finally arrived and turned to face him one last time. "Fuck you," you told him and then went to the doors. You even looked out of the window at him as soon as they closed before you, to show him your the middle finger.

The man in the suit watched your figure irritated until it was gone and then, took the little card out of the inside pocket of his suit, that was meant for you. He turned it over a few times in his hand before closing the open briefcase with his other one. He had already played and lost a few Ddakji games in his life, which was the point of the whole thing - to recruit players for the actual game. However, the thought of what awaited them there meant that he was still in control of the situation. He was always in control of the situation. "I didn't loose, we haven't even played." he tried to reassure himself.

And yet the whole conversation with you left him feeling like he was utterly defeated.

[d011zk1ll]

Soooo... New years appreciation post time!!

Honestly, Tumblr is one of the few places where I can just. THINK. And I'll find like-minded people. Like .. where are you all irl??? At the beginning of this year I had, what? 50 followers. And now I have 300 something. Please don't ACTUALLY follow me, especially home! From ASMP, to SBG, I've found brilliant, creative people on this app. I've made some amazing friends, and some moots that I sit and marvel at on a daily basis. How I got here, I'm not sure. But I know some people have seen the entire progression, like @easybakeovenn (I'm praying that's Koda's easybakeoven account, if not!! I'm sorry random person/gen!!)

There will be special mentions under the cut, obviously!!

@what-is-going-on-im-confused ah... Good old Meels. I still sit and stare at the art you've made of Mao and Scarabella daily, I don't think you know how much I SCREAMMMEDDD at Koda when you showed me it. It's, well, incredible. YOU'RE incredible. You're funny, and one of my best mates. Though we still need to restart that stardew farm at some point... This time with the chickens... Thank you for helping me with alyanette august, and I'm really happy you did, because else you'd have hidden away in a corner somewhere, and we wouldn't nearly be as close as we are now

@rot-decay-erosion @catladymasterofsqirl RAGHHHHH I LOVE YOU GUYS. you always find the best stuff to play, and although I wouldn't trust Rot to drive a car, I'd still trust you with my life if I came down to it. You're both such, well I've said It a lot already but, brilliant people. It's always fun to hang out with you, whether it's taking and texting about random things, or playing horror games on call, it's always a nice way to Brighten my day!!

@easybakeovenn @drac0line1nn1t ah.. We've been THROUGHHHHH it the past couple years, we'll have known eachother for 2 years this year. Fucking fascinating. I've seen you both grow and I'm so glad I have, you're amazing people. Even if I don't get the opportunity to talk to you, Draco, often due to my Tumblr DMS being broken half the time, I'm still glad we're friends. We need to do Brighton again sometime!!! And koda... Don't perish when you move like a fish in a fishtank....

@thurio-edau thank you, for attacking me in my DMS and SWARMING me with one of my first SBG posts. Else I'd not have known half the amazing people like @ohquail or @fly-in-amber or Kaz (who's tag ive forgotten... I'm GREATTTT at this, if you couldn't tell) you're funny and I'll never forget when you cut the chocolate with that dagger necklace

Special mentions than I can't write a paragraph for because my early onset probable arthritis is kicking in and my wrists are dying slowly: @low-senka @carpetbug @primalmagic @afrogwhocantdraw @sashaishere14 @cookiedough77 @pineapple-sbg-official (I'm @cimonofficial I just didn't know your main and honestly, you're pretty cool so you make it here too!! YIPPEE)

And all my other moots. Ily guys MWAH happy new year!!

[yanderes-galore]

Hi hope you’re doing ok ! Would it be alright if I request a Short story for yandere romance MK where the reader(if possible female if not gn is fine) finds out about his weird dark hobbies /thoughts. Reader tries to keep her distance only for it to backfire immediately. Now reader is trying to escape from MK only for the reader to bump into Mei, hoping to be helped the reader goes to her only for dragon girl to trick them and lead them back to MK much to the reader betrayal and MK joy 🌺anon 

Sure! Doesn't look like I added your anon name to my list... so I'll do that before this is posted :) Anyways, I hope I did well... Here's delusional MK having Mei help him keep you for himself.

Two Faced

Yandere! MK Oneshot (With Enabler! Mei)

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Female Darling, Obsession, Manipulation, Possessive behavior, Stalking, Mei enables MK, Implied kidnapping, Delusional behavior, Clingy behavior, Secret picture taking, Unwanted affection (Kisses and hugs), Consensual turned forced relationship.

It was hard to say 'no' when it came to your ex, MK. He didn't force you into anything... but it was hard to stand your ground when he gave you those damn puppy eyes. Unfortunately... you were going to hit your limit at some point.

MK had always been... clingy. Clingy to the point it began to cause problems in your life. You loved him, you really did...

But he could never leave his girlfriend alone if he tried.

You immediately knew something was wrong when you noticed MK's strange behavior. Normally you never suspected a thing, he was just clingy and overly attentive. He's such a sweetheart...

One who apparently stalks his girlfriend.

It was when you found his diary and secret photo album that you noticed MK's behavior. You had a feeling he was watching you. With all those powers of his, anything was possible...

Those items were your breaking point.

You had broken up with MK since you found out his behavior. It was a difficult process, MK didn't make it easy to leave him. Not with all his pleading and tears....

You had distanced yourself from MK after the breakup. You knew he wasn't taking it well. How could you not when he kept blowing up your phone or kept trying to follow you around?

Mei had been the one you usually go to in order to vent. You had told her all about MK's behavior. You worry about him, but at the same time, you're concerned about his unhealthy behavior.

Mei always smiles and nods, listening to your pleas. She's a good friend of MK's too, yet she knows he's been strange lately. It hurts you both to see him cry... but he'll get over it...

....

He never did.

"Baby, please! I miss you!" MK pleads as you run. His condition has only seemed to worsen since the last time you saw him. Has he even showered properly?

"You were supposed to be my girl! I'm sorry I messed up, baby... please come back! I'll be better!" MK yells while you run through the quickly darkening streets.

He had waited until after work to confront you. You had just gotten out of your own job, expecting to walk home like normal. Unfortunately, when you got home...

MK was there with a nervous smile, twitching eagerly as he tried to go in for a hug.

After that you had ditched. You needed to run. You needed to go find help... but who could you—?

Your eyes widen when you see the familiar green attire of your friend. You run down an alley, waiting for MK to pass, before approaching Mei. Tears are in your eyes... you're out of breath...

"Help...!" You plead, Mei giving you a surprised look.

"Hey, girl... what's wrong?" Mei asks, looking concerned with you being so out of breath.

"MK... He's lost it! You gotta help me... I don't know how to fix this...!" You plead, Mei nodding in thought.

"... alright, come on, let's fix this." Mei agrees, quietly taking your hand. You give a thankful smile and follow your friend gratefully.

You're led through the streets. You assume Mei might take you somewhere to get help, or maybe even let you rest at her home. Either way... you feel very comforted by your friend...

However...

After a few minutes you find yourself in front of MK.

"W-What are you doing!?" You plead, looking at Mei with hurt eyes. Her own gaze is conflicted... yet determined.

"You wanted to fix things... right?" Mei whispers, glancing at MK. "In order to do that... maybe you two should talk?"

You can't believe what you're hearing.

"Mei! You found her! You actually found her!" MK squeals, giddy over the fact he finally has his girlfriend back. "Yes! Come here, baby...."

You yelp when MK pulls you into a bone crushing hug, Mei awkwardly watching from the side. She feels horrible... you didn't deserve this. But at the same time...

She couldn't bear to watch MK cry over you anymore, it only made him more destructive....

You struggle but MK is stronger than you. He peppers you in kisses and hugs, whispering pet names as he clings to you. You can't tell if you want to cry... or scream....

"Thank you so much, Mei..." MK whispers, glancing up at his friend. "I'm going to take my baby home now, she and I have some... catching up to do."

Mei nods quietly, watching as MK drags you down the street. You're struggling, tears brimming your eyes as you look to Mei for help. Mei hesitates... but doesn't react.

MK needs you...

Hopefully things go back to normal after this since he has you... right?

[patchworkcuddlebug]

Unbecoming

The party was going great. There was a board game on the table, half-played as everyone got too caught up in their drunken conversations. You're happy that you brought your girlfriend too, she really seems like she's opening up. She's talking to new people, and she's had a drink, after insisting again and again that she really wanted to try for herself and wasn't being pressured.

Then you hear it. The friend who always raises his voice a little too high, saying that after having decals up for the holidays, the windows look weird with all that empty space.

You look over to your girlfriend. She looks too still.

You set your soda aside and hoist yourself out of your beanbag. You step just on the outskirts of a conversation circle, her with a friend and the friend's friend.

"Hey, Lorelei, are you okay?"

Docile and obedient, like a good doll. "Yes, m..." She cuts herself off, looking at the others with concern.

"Alright, maybe we should go somewhere quiet." You take her hand, and it obediently lets you lead it away. "Sorry, she's not used to drinking and I wanna make sure she's not overwhelmed by everything y'know?" You quickly explain to the people holding conversation with her, who nod respectfully, looking only a little surprised.

You lead it to the bathroom. You don't think anyone was watching, catching how her movements weren't as fluid as they should be. You close the door behind yourself and take her hands in yours, and she looks so... doll-like. Standing at attention, expression of a tool awaiting input. "Are you fully under?"

She shakes its head. "I'm... still a person. But it's hard. I can feel it. This one wants to be a good doll, Miss."

"Alright, I understand. Are you okay to go back out there?"

She looks down for a second, contemplating only for a moment before looking at you like a good doll. "No, Miss. This one... would feel embarrassed, Miss."

"Alright, let's just... stay in here for a bit."

"Yes, Miss. Thank you, Miss."

You sit on the toilet seat, and it sits on the rim of the bathtub. Her legs are together, hands balled on its lap, eyes forward.

"Is there anything I can do to ground you?"

"...Please use this one's name, Miss."

"Sure thing, Lorelei. Can I hold your hand?"

"Yes..." It catches herself. "...please."

There's a knock at the door. You raise your voice, asking for just a sec.

"Let's head home. I'll text the others and say you weren't feeling well. Do you want us to pretend you drank too much, Lorelei? I'll put my arm around your shoulders, and people will think your... dollhood is just from being drunk."

She takes a moment to think. "Yes, Mmm... yes. I would appreciate that very much."

Nobody says a word to you, some people look at you, and presumably make just the assumption you expected. You lead her to the passenger seat before getting in. After you've driven about a block away, you notice she seems... distracted, not still.

"Hey, uh, now that we're alone... do you want me to keep trying to bring you up?"

She's silent for a bit. "I... want to be a good doll very much."

You take your eyes off the road just long enough to smile at her.

"Empty space."

Finally, it looks still.

[dwntwn-strnlo]

ELEVATE. 01 {stuck}

── ⟡˙ ̟ business!matt x ceo!reader

↳ synopsis. — all good rivalry starts in an elevator.

↳ a/n. — YES for the chapter reader has a name, but it's only going to be for the 3rd person chapters. all first person chapters reader will go by a nickname or nothing at all

↳ cw. — 3rd person, crude language throughout, fear

slamming the door open, lizzie hannah stumbled into the large lobby in a desperate attempt to run. but her pace quickly faded as she looked around, getting lost in the architecture of the building.

it was extravagant, really. the gold trim on the ceiling, the black velvet couches, even the mints in a pristine bowl on the service counter. it was the most insane thing she had ever seen. and that's saying something.

the room itself was so wonderful that she almost forgot that she was running late to a meeting. her meeting. it was her first meeting ever at this new company. and it was all for her arrival. only thing is, it starts at three.

looking down at her watch, she finds the clock ticking. it's 2:58. 

"fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck-" she mumbled under her breath, fixing her skirt and readjusting her bag before making an utter break for it towards the elevator.

she pays no mind to the suited man in there, staring down at his phone. that is until her internal clock starts ticking, and the doors start to shut.

frantically, the girl waves her hands, almost falling straight to her knees once again. "hey, hey! wait!" she gasps, clutching her purse like her life depended on it.

the man looks up from his phone, locking eyes with the frantic girl. she looked absolutely crazy. "uhh" he spits out, trying to figure out what to do.

run? maybe. scream? no...

hold the door?

oh.

he quickly steps out to stop the retracting elevator door, putting a foot and hand in front of the steel.

lizzie runs in, breathless. "thank you-" she gasps, stepping into the elevator with relief. "thank you."

"careful there, might break a heel." the man smiles, chuckling lightly. he steps back to exactly where he stood before, pulling his phone back out. "also might wanna button that up before the boss sees."

she stares at him confused before looking down at her shirt. finding the top 4 buttons unclasped. "oh shit." she mumbled, growing embarrassed.

buttoning the shirt back up is a struggle. her face turns hot and her fingers become useless as they shake.

the door closes, and they both check the time. 2:59.

standing restlessly, lizzie shifts back in forth between her feet as the elevator starts to move upward. "thank you, for holding the door open, i appreciate-"

her words are cut off when the elevator comes to a screeching halt, and the beaming lights flicker off one by one.

the man's eyes fly open as he looks up from his phone. "oh no, oh no-" he exasperated, stepping up to the door. trying to shove it open. trying to pull it apart. trying everything he can to not possibly be stuck in here. "i knew i should've taken the stairs, oh my god- oh my god-"

"are you kidding me?" the girl groans, stepping up to the elevator door, trying to help pull it open. "open the door! come on open it I have somewhere to be." 

the tall brunette flicks his hardened gaze in her direction, but only momentarily when he remembers how absolutely terrified he is. trying to get the door open just like she had demanded.

"i'm gonna die, i'm gonna die, i'm gonna die." he whispers frantically, now at this point having given up on opening it, bangs his fists on the stainless steel.

she laughs. she laughs. the man snaps his head back to look at her. his piercing eyes staring right through the girl. 

immediately as if being scolded by a parent, she stops laughing.

"why are you laughing." he huffs, giving up completely on escape.

again, her face flushes. skin growing uncomfortably hot. "sorry." she giggles again. throwing a hand up to her mouth to stop herself. "it's just-" she snickers, having to look away. "you don't seem like you'd be scared of elevators."

he looks her up and down with a harsh stare. thinking of what to say. he readjusts the prada bag on his shoulder. unsure of what to do in this situation. a pretty girl laughing at him, and being stuck in an elevator? every rich white boys worst nightmare.

only now as he looks at her with such disdain fear, lizzie gets to admire him. she smiles weakly, "hey i mean we're all scared of something," she rubs at her chin. "i'm scared of butterflies."

his eyes widen and he bursts out into laughter. he nearly doubles over, putting his hands on his chest to try and bring his breath back. the brunette laughs, tears brimming his eyes. "butter-butterflies?" he giggles, wiping at his eyes.

"yeah, so what?" she furrows her brows, crossing her arms over her chest. too, readjusting her bag. her brand? dior.

"you seem a little... sleezy to be an assistant." he says, poking her white bag. eyes flicking up to hers. his reflection darkened in the sunglasses atop of her head.

she scoffs, "assistant?" her grip on her bag tightens. "what makes you think that's what i am?"

he smiles softly, "just a guess, was hoping you'd bring me some coffee. would you like my order now... or?"

"you're a real dick, you know that?" she looks him up and down. almost forgetting about what's going on as she drinks in his tall, dark figure.

his teasing grin drops as the words fall past her lips. "yeah." he frowns. glaring down at her. "you know, i have a real important meeting with the new ceo that i'm already late too, and your not putting me at ease."

the girl looks up at him, raising a brow. "really." she scoffs, "what's you're name?"

furrowing his brows, he ignores the sound of the breaker turning on, and the doors scratching open. "matthew," he smiles, "matthew sturniolo."

"good to know," she smiles back, stepping around him and off the elevator just in time for the doors to close again. 

"what's your name?" he calls after her, turning around to step off the elevator.

"lizzie hannah." she calls out. not glancing back until the door is almost closed.

only then it hits him that the new girl, started the same day as the ceo. and there is no assistant. it's just lizzie, the ceo.

he stares at her in shock as the doors start to close, forgetting that this is his floor.

"i like white mochas, by the way."

xoxo HARLEY . . .

----- guys this one's not gonna flop i swear im not a flop

[redsrooftopprincess]

Hey so can I possibly get a scenario with Raphael. You know cuz he’s tall. S/o can’t reach the top shelf and she’s like “the universe is humiliating me. Can you get that for me?” It normally happens at the boys house or if they happen to be at a public place. If they can’t see over a fence or they can’t get into the attic even with the ladder. S/o is all pouty and looks at raph and is like “can you lift me?” Raphael can’t fit through their attic cuz he’s too big width wise. S/o is small to where they can get into small places he can’t reach on the flip side? How’s he deal with this?

As someone who is quite short, I'm sure you can imagine how much I enjoyed this. 😈

...

Poetic Justice

"Oh, come on, really???"

You stand there, arms crossed, smirk firmly planted on your features. Somewhere in the ether there's a crash as a table flips upside down. Your smirk becomes a grin.

Tall. He's tall. And when you say "tall," you don't mean tall you mean TALL. And, and I will not apologize for this, he holds it over your head every chance he gets (fight me, I earned that pun).

"Hey, shorty," anytime you show up at the lair, but he means it literally. Purposely putting your coffee mug on the shelf just above where you can reach. It's like it's his job. He lives to torment you.

But now, it's your turn.

You'd arrived just as training was ending, 20 minutes ago. They'd been practicing projectiles, and after the others had cleared out, he dragged you inside to show you this "cool new trick," he learned with a shuriken, which promptly backfired, resulting in said shuriken ending up under the dais which held their Kamidama.

Leo had been giving him grief earlier about losing a shuriken, so there was no way in hell he can ask his brothers for help. You are his only hope.

"Say. It. Again." You demand, grinning.

He sighs heavily, "...This is stupid."

"You're welcome to go ask someone else for help." You say, smugly.

He growls at you. Actually growls. You raise an eyebrow, otherwise unmoved. He groans, "Fine."

You wait patiently.

"Will you please help me..." He says, painfully, "... I can't reach it."

...

What's up my darlings??? I'm back on my bullshit (kind of). The holiday burnout is still strong, but I'm working my way back into writing and whatnot. It'll be sporadic, probably be more vignettes and drabbles than actual fics/chapters, and asks are closed until I can catch up (sorry, I love you, and thank you for your patience to everyone waiting), but I'm HERE DAMNIT!!! 🤘🏻

....

Tag list

@thelaundrybitch @the-cauldron-witch @fyreball66 @ninnosaurus @tmntngl @thegirlwiththeninjaturtletattoos @zagreustomb @ramielll @silverwatergalaxy @gornackeaterofworlds @daedric-sorceress @sophiacloud28 @iridescentflamingo @milykins

[dc-gotham-instincts-wild]

Guys I don't know what to name this fic so gimme ideas and I'll change the title

Summary: At one point when everyone is at Jason's apartment for no reason, Jason, Cass, and Dick are faced with the challenge of getting their younger siblings to sleep (Bruce promised them money) while Bruce is away on a case.

Notes:

I don't ship any of the Batkids, they're all siblings to me.

In my mind, Dick is the oldest, Cassandra is about seven months older than Jason, Tim and Steph are about 4 months apart, Duke is about 2-4 years younger than them, and Damian is obviously the youngest.

Dick, Cass, and Jason form the older trio, Tim and Steph are the middle, Duke and Dami are the youngest, but it's basically oldest three vs youngest four.

Yes Bruce has/did have legal custody of all seven. Tim? he stole it. Was pretty easy for him too.

The next door neighbor part is because..... I didn't exactly know how to start it so i started it that way.

THE ENDING WAS INSPIRED BY THIS FIC, SO UHHH CREDIT FOR THAT PART GOES TO THEM!

----------------

The Batkids all basically lived at Wayne Manor, but Dick, Cass, and Jason, being the oldest three, and the legal adults, all had their own apartments that they did use, just they liked breaking back into WM because it was more home than their apartments.

But every now and then the whole gang just kind of.... went and rolled down to any of the apartments, chilled, fooled around, watched something, even stayed the night etc, etc. 

Case in point, once when Bruce was off on a larger case, but Tim, Steph, Duke, and Damian had school the next day and Cass had a broken arm, so he left Jason, Dick, and Cass in charge and for no reason they kind of just rolled over to Jason's. 

-

The next door neighbor, Owen, knocked on the door, wanting to know about the sudden influx of noise. He didn't mind, he was just curious. 

Jason opened the door, looking a bit tired, his hair messy and a bit sweaty, but there was a spark in his greenish-blue eyes that Owen hadn't seen before in their earlier interactions. 

"...What?" The young man asked. Owen hesitated, hearing voices from behind his strange neighbor.

"Just, uh, heard more noise than usual and got curious. Not annoyed, just curious."

Jason blinked, then seemed to realize.  "Oh, that's just my siblings. They're over." Owen blinked in surprise. "You- you have siblings?"

"Yeah, there's seven of us!" Yelled a girl's voice behind Jason.  "Adopted!" Added a young male voice. 

Jason rolled his eyes, though a hint of fondness was there in his eyes.

"Yeah. Me and my older bro and sis are the oldest three, so as thus-"

"We are left in charge while Dad is away." finished another young man, appearing behind Jason. He seemed to be a bit older than his brother. "I'm Dick. Oldest of seven insane siblings. Jay here is the third oldest."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Our sister Cass is between us. Anyway, sorry about the noise, we're trying to wrangle the little ones to bed since they have school tomorrow and Dad ain't here. We're here at my apartment instead of the main house for no reason other than pure randomness."

Owen blinked. Looking over The twos' shoulders he could see two girls, one seeming between Dick and Jason in age, the other somewhere in high school, plus three boys, one the same age as the younger girl, the other two younger than that but still apart. 

"It's fine," He decided. "Hope they sleep though." He added with a wry grin.

Jason actually laughed. "Yeah, Dad promised us money if we manage to get them to bed, so..."

Dick grinned. "Yup!" He turned around to the room. "So you four better get to bed real fast!"

Owen nodded and grinned as the door closed. 

It was nice to know his neighbor had a good family.

-

Jason turned around to his younger siblings. "You heard Dick, hit the hay!"

Steph rolled her eyes. "Do we have to?"  Cass tapped her sister on the shoulder and silently pointed to one of the other extra rooms.  'Go,' her eyes said. Cass was like that. Her siblings didn't even need her to sign to understand. Just her presence was enough.

"Steph....." Dick warned. "School is next morning, sis." Steph sighed and finally slipped off to bed. 

Next was Damian. 

"Demon Brat, you heard us. You have school tomorrow and besides, it's almost past your bedtime, little one." "I am too old for such restrictions." Damian answered stubbornly, crossing his arms.

Jason sighed, running a hand through his hair. 

"Damian...... You do know that I'm saying this on Bruce's orders, right?"

A stubborn glare.

Dick tried. "Hey Dami, if you don't go to bed then you'll be tired during school. Me and Jason can manage patrol and like Jay said, you usually go to bed on this time when you're not on patrol. You want me to call Alfred?" 

That worked. Damian sighed, and went into one of the extra rooms, grumbling. 

Alfred card always worked.

Jason slipped over to the table where Duke was hunched over his math book. "You done with your homework, bro?"

Duke sighed. "Nope. I literally can't get this last one."

Jason looked at the problem and sighed. "Lemme guess- Ms. Rue is the teacher for your math class. Duke blinked at him in surprise. 

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

Jason smirked. "Oh, I had her. She's infamous for being the worst teacher ever." 

Duke groaned. "Tell me about It!"

Jason grabbed the pencil and started telling him how to do it properly. 

Meanwhile Dick had wrangled Tim off the couch and was gently guiding him to another room with an arm slung across his shoulders. It had taken Tim trying to bolt and getting scruffed for that to happen. 

Dick managed to get the younger male to bed and smirked at Tim's glare. 

"Hey, it's not so bad, little brother. You have school tomorrow anyhow."

Tim groaned but reluctantly settled down and pulled the blanket over himself. Dick chuckled fondly and ran a hand through the younger one's hair. 

"Tell you what- you go to sleep right now and tomorrow after school I'll take you and the others to get some hot chocolate, deal?" 

Tim brightened at the prospect of that. "Okay!" 

Dick smiled and knelt to nuzzle him a bit before leaving. 

Meanwhile Jason had gotten Duke to bed, and made sure Damian hadn't tried escaping, while Cass cleaned up the living room. 

Jason sighed big and flopped down on the couch.  "Damn, why'd Dad put us in charge?"

Dick grinned and ruffled his hair, earning a halfhearted swat. "Probably 'cause we're the oldest." Cass rolled her eyes. 

After a bit Jason stood up and grabbed his leather jacket and his Red Hood helmet, while Dick went to a room to find his Nightwing suit. 

"You'll be fine watching the little ones?" Dick asked Cass, whose arm was broken. She nodded and pointed at the window. 

Red Hood and Nightwing clambered out, shot out their grapple lines, and went off on patrol. 

-

Commissioner Gordon raised an eyebrow at the two near the end of patrol when they showed up on his roof with some of Penguin's henchmen tied up. 

"Just you two tonight?" He asked. Nightwing grinned.

"Batman has a larger case on some traffickers, it's a school night for Red Robin, Robin, Spoiler, and Signal, and Black Bat's arm was broken the other night so she's watching the little ones to make sure they don't sneak out."

"Yup, so it's just the two oldest sons tonight, Uncle Jim." Red Hood smirked. 

Gordon sighed, shaking his head as the two grappled off.  "Oh, they are the Bat's sons alright," He muttered.

 -

Bruce, finished up with his case, slipped into the Batcave and took off his cowl and all, slipping into a light grey T-shirt and pants with a black jacket (it was winter).

He knew from a text Dick had sent him that his brood was at Jason's apartment, so he got into his normal car and drove off after briefing Alfred. 

He found the apartment easily, unlocked the door (So, he had one of the keys to his son's apartment, sue him), and slipped inside.

It was dark and quiet. He checked each room, finding one or two of his kids fast asleep in each.

Dick was curled around Damian, Cass was asleep in the bed next to Steph's (Why did Jason's apartment have more than one two-bed room?), Duke had somehow gotten into the same room as Tim.

Finally he found Jason, conked out on his bed, looking relaxed and happy for once. 

"Oh," Bruce sighed. It was so long that he'd seen his son like this, ever since everything fell apart but somehow came back together again. He and Jason were working it out, gettin over the awkwardness and slowly healing their bond. 

“Dad?” Jason mumbled, fist rubbed harshly against his sleep-squinted eyes. 

Bruce ignored the ache that filled his chest at the word, knowing, relieved that his son was... okay. Not mad at him anymore, Here.

Safe. 

“Just me, Jaylad,” He sighed, and pulled the blanket over his third oldest. 

“The case?” Jason mumbled. His voice was deep, rough with sleep, but it was still Bruce’s kid, sleepy but safe, checking in with Bruce after every patrol. 

“Everything was fine,” Bruce whispered soothingly, reaching out to tuck the cowlick of white hair away from Jason’s eyes. He blinked at Bruce, eyes more blue than green. He didn’t push him away.

“You can go back to sleep,” Bruce told him softly. “It’s late, little one.”

And Jason, with the same tiredness as the rest of them, didn’t argue. His eyelids slowly closed, his body finally relaxing.

“Stay?” Jason murmured.

Bruce almost said 'maybe', almost turned to let the younger ones sleep in peace, worried he'd disturb his kids, but Jason’s hand reached out, found the knee of Bruce’s pants and clutched the fabric in a grip so reflexive and old and instinctual. 

And there was a question when he asked Bruce to stay, instead of knowledge that Bruce would do anything he needed, anything he wanted.

So Bruce gave in to what he wanted, sitting down and wrapping one arm around his son, hugging the younger male's head to his chest.

“I’ll stay,” Bruce heard himself say, exhaustion already entangling him. “Love you, kiddo.” Jason mumbled an agreement. 

Bruce ran a hand through Jason's hair and closed his eyes. 

[clubsmarties]

He rolled his eyes playfully at her which he knew she wasn't even going to see. "Sorry, you're one of not the biggest. The biggest are out there somewhere. Probably in the world record or something." He knew this would end up being something he'd tease her about but for now he was enjoying pulling her leg.

Humming she had just brought a good point. "I didn't. I took a guess. It was going to be fifty fifty so I just took it. Also, I fear I've learned entirely too much from married couples who think aren't loud but truly are when they're banging like rabbits. Hmm never said I was a master at it. Far from it honestly. But this has been a nightly routine in this hotel for the past week so all I've heard is them go at it and miss. I've got a huge patience threshold but that dwindles when I'm running on 2 hours of sleep a night. Averaging." Like the family saying went, don't fuck with a sleep deprived Wally. Whatever he held back being his normal self, he had no minced words when sleep was elusive.

"I'm extra glad she didn't end up being one of them. She's too good for them. You're right. Now she gets to snuggle you and pretty much clocking you in as her favorite." Not that he minded. He loved seeing Dolly so close to Liz. "Also, did you just quote a Disney movie? Well, well."

Wally laughed and put his pillow over his head as requested. "Your wish is my command." His voice came out muffled. It was in their childish moments that reminded him of her inner child. Which then brought up all the ideas to get her to shake her loose. "You wish that I'd end the call. What if I want to fall asleep with you on call? What if you help me sleep?"

"Pfft please. Those bunny teeth are a hell of a sight to miss." he retorted easily. "Right okay yeah sure you don't pay attention to what I leave behind. Sure." Wally laughed not believing her. "If you see it. Put it in the box I'll get it later. Unless you wanna keep it to sleep. Just tell me and don't pull a Meli and take it."

He chuckled into his pillow making his left hand roll down his side. "Dolly will come with us. Of course. You really think I'd take you out and leave her at home. She's part of our crew. Yes, you bail if you want to. I will never force you into anything and that still stands from the first time I told you. Everything is your choice. Aside from the lights? I guess the wishes people leave there. It is said to give people hope when they need it." Shrugging his shoulders a little since he didn't have a clue. "Adding art museum to Wednesday. It's free admission for book club readers." He was one of them. "Lighthouses are already on the list. Adventure week would not be complete without lighthouses, lila. Mhmm a bunch more. We could go see the Maui one. The Honolulu one is pretty busy but could go in the early morning to beat the crowds. Monday is Sunset Tour on the lucky lady. Wear your most comfortable clothes."

"Ah, so you admit you just try to be the opposite of other guys to show that 'you're not like other guys'. Noted." It was a joke as she shook her head. "Knew you'd slip up sooner or later." It was her turn to scoff. "One of the biggest? I should be the biggest." Perhaps if she kept it up she would be one of the things that annoyed him so much that he'd eventually tire of her.

For a moment she thought he'd finally give in to sleep until he banged on the wall. Laughing at the words that came from his mouth, slightly awakening Dolly who just readjusted before closing her eyes again, she said. "How would you know if that was right or not, what if they were just like, lets pretend and get this over with? What makes you the master of other peoples sex lives?" Moving to lay on her side with one arm around Dolly, she propped her phone against a book on her nightstand and resumed absentmindedly petting and scratching behind the dogs ear. "It's okay, she was too good for them anyway. She'd be like Dug from Up, being bullied by the dogs that take themselves to seriously." Another movie that she had recently watched with her nephew over an app that they had found to be able to watch movies together. "Ugg, fjandans," she muttered rolling her eyes. "Forget I said anything, put your face under the pillow instead. I don't want to see any piece of your face. In fact end this video call." Her hands came up, one to cover Dolly's face and one over hers, it was childish but she was also tired.

The irritation didn't last long, softening at his words. "You're looking at it right now. There's not much to miss. Ah, just say you're just waiting to see me be scared of an animal." Blue. 55. "Hmm, I'll have to look over where I keep your stuff. I usually don't pay attention to the things you leave behind, just make sure its clean and put it on the shelf in the hallway for you to take later. And if it is lost, then it's on you for not keeping better track of it. Can't help it if the dryers in the laundromat down the street have a tendency of eating clothes." She was teasing, she remembered the exact sweater, she had laughed as she folded it.

A cave was still not her idea of an adventure, but she was sure that once she showed what a bore she was with the animal thing, that he would cancel the cave thing too. "Sure," she covered up a yawn. "Why the hell not." Snuggling closer to Dolly, she gave a small shrug of her shoulders. "Dolly will come with us right? If she comes I'll be fine." That was a lie but focusing on something else would help. "And I bail when I want. No promise of sticking the thing out. I don't like caves. What makes it so special anyway? Caves are caves, unless you're talking about a cenote, then I'm out. I don't mess with that." Jennifer's tales of Chaak lurking in them, along with some used as burial places and deemed sacred kept her out of them as a kid and stuck with her into adult hood. As much as she didn't believe in a religion of a kind, she respected what people deemed sacred.

"You know what we should do," she offered up. "Go to the Art Museum. I think they have a new exhibit." Then she perked up slightly. "Or see a lighthouse!" But even then it was a small exclamation, having Dolly around to keep her still gave her no other choice but to give in to the ache inside and sleep instead of wander around. After stifling another yawn, she added. "You said there were more around here right?"

[ribbonbite]

I WISH YOU ROSES ₊♡₊˚ [FOLLY X READER]

she misses them so dearly

♡ gender neutral reader, hurt no comfort, song fic sort of?, poor folly can't catch a break, no happy ending sorry!, really vague cause of death ♡

notes!・₊✧ : made a fic for my beautiful girl because i rarely see them ooouu... anyways sorry if she's incredibly out of character 😔 i tried my best (also i know i put the reader as gn, however this MIGHT be doomed yuri...)

based off : "I Wish you Roses" by Kali Uchis

She despised when people would throw those awful red petals at her. The annoying players around her often threw them to be nice, but Folly always reacted negatively, even more than before. It was like these petals were greatly offensive to her. She would threaten to harm those who even dare to get close with the cone.

Folly would never explain why, though. She never stated the reason why these harmless red flowers made her so upset. Not until one day, when all of the people that once boarded the elevator left. All except for Wallter.

They were the only ones in the elevator at this point. The humming of the lift made everything worse, filling Folly's head with more agony. She started rubbing her forehead as to get the awful noise out of her mind.

"Folly?"

Wallter had interrupted the god awful noise, thank the lord. "Are you doing alright?"

He already knew the question he asked was useless. it was clear to him that she wasn't doing good at all. Her behavior had been so different recently.

As Folly continued to massage her temples, she took a deep breath, then sighed. "I'm alright." She replied, her voice shaking subtly. She normally looked into Wallter's eyes as they spoke, but this time, she was looking away as if ashamed.

"Hm, but it's very obvious you aren't okay." Wallter pointed out. "You seem to hate when others toss those pretty petals around. You're more violent then ever, I would say."

"I..." The mention of the petals made her stop. Folly removed her hand from her head, her expression unreadable. "I don't need to explain anything to you, Wallter." The concrete man frowned at her words. Crossing his arms, he spoke again.

"This isn't like you at all. What has happened?"

₊♡₊˚ ( ╥﹏╥ )・₊✧

"Hey Folly! Do you like flowers?"

The said woman looked over, a cheesy grin plastered across your face. It looked like you were planning something.

The both of you were relaxing in a forest, somewhere in the world where no one would bother you two. A strong smell of roses from the bushes nearby wafted through the air. Folly squinted her eye before looking back up at the bright red and blue sunset.

"They're weak. One swift of the hand and they're gone," She said. "Just like that."

"Hm, well you're gonna hate my gift then." You mumbled before sitting up from your laying position. You turned your back to her, fumbling around in the bag you brought along. "Where is it..."

She seemed confused at your actions but didn't say anything. Suddenly, with a loud 'Aha!', you turned to face her.

You were holding a flower crown made out of the roses that were nearby. "These flowers reminded me a lot of you so I thought I could make something out of them!"

Without warning, you placed it on the top of her beret. Or rather attempted to, as the crown was threatening to slip off. You giggled at the sight of Folly with a sloppily placed rose crown on her head. "You look nice with it!" You exclaimed.

She looked very unimpressed by both your gift and laughter. Deep down, however, she was grateful for all of it. It made her chest feel warm, her heart was pounding. Guess even a figure of hatred and malice could feel these emotions too.

"Hm..." Folly hummed, grabbing onto the crown gently yet firmly to inspect it. She glided her fingers across the soft petals. The vines still adorned a few leftover thorns you seemingly forgot to pluck off. The rose petals were a similar color to her, a bright crimson red. The crown was large enough to fit her head too. 'They put thought into this', she pondered. She began to get lost into the details.

"Do you like it?"

Your voice brought her back to reality. She looked at you for a moment before letting out her usual sinister laugh. "It's pretty, mortal... but its useless to me." She responded.

"So you DON'T like it?" You pouted slightly, a bit sad at her words. "Well, I guess if you don't like it, you can hand it ba-"

"No." The mere thought of handing the flower crown back when all of your hard work went into making it made Folly feel even more inclined to keep your gift. "I'll keep it... For now..."

With a big sigh of relief, you smiled. "I'm glad..." You grabbed the crown from her and set it aside before going in to wrap your arms around her larger frame.

"Please keep it forever." You muttered into her sweater. "Promise."

Folly normally hated when people hugged her, but you? You were the only person allowed to hold her. Your touch was soft and gentle, like a warm blanket.

With the sun setting even further into the horizon, this moment felt like a dream. She wanted it to last forever.

So then, how did it come to this?

Folly cursed whatever higher being was up there when she saw your lifeless body laying in that same spot just days later. You passed so suddenly. No one else knew what happened, it was so out of nowhere. It was like someone was playing a sick joke on her.

Weeks had passed since you were gone from this world. She stared at the rose crown in her hands, the last thing you gave her. "Please keep it forever" echoed in her head over and over again, your voice sounding so happy that she accepted your gift. Oh how she missed the sound of your voice.

Suddenly, a single tear had fallen onto one of the petals which deepened the color. Another tear came, then another, then more droplets. Folly rarely ever cried, and yet here she was, silently crying over the only thing she had of you. She missed you so immensely, it hurt.

From then on, the sight of red roses and petals made her sick. Her thoughts were only of you whenever she saw them, the sight of your body laying cold and still on the ground.

But even with her grief, Folly fulfilled her promise of keeping the roses forever. Occasionally, when no one else is in the elevator, she'll take it out of her pocket and inspect it. Though, one day she noticed the flowers starting to wilt, but she didn't care. All she could think of was you.

Folly never did moved past the mourning period, even years later with the dead flowers still in her pocket. But inside, she secretly wished that you were well, wherever you were.

[blazingblorbos]

Okay Genshin 4.1 thoughts dump because if I don't compile my thoughts somewhere I will literally implode. Anyways, spoilers for the Fontaine Archon Quest so far (as of Chapter 4, the Version 4.1 update) under the Read More (a couple paragraphs under, but you catch my drift)

So. Something I have always absolutely adored about Genshin's storytelling is the way it goes about presenting its gods as "Human too"...

At first, it was seen painfully obvious through Ei and her incredibly human response to grief and trauma (a lot of people thought she was being unreasonable, and yeah for a ruler of an entire nation, closing yourself off to the outside world certainly seems - and is - irresponsible. And then... you consider how easily any other normal person would have done the same thing, if not worse, if they had lost nearly everyone they loved in quick succession, while also being personally responsible for a handful of those deaths).

And upon further reflection on the topic, you can see blatant traces of it present in every archon. And I don't just mean their trying to blend into/ further their understanding of humans, human society, and human nature.

I mean, Venti is kinda hedonistic and aloof; Zhongli wasn't always as wise and so intricately-versed in his knowledge about so many things - before the Archon War, he was more of a brute who preferred to solve things head-on (literally) as opposed to thinking things through; Nahida- oh don't even get me started on Nahida. Her self-doubt and insecurity as a result of facing constant beratement and feelings of inferiority to Rukkhadevata; her constant desire to learn more (both for her namesake as the God of Wisdom, to prove herself, and for her own curiosity's sake); her child-like nature (as a result of her research and human observation ofc!!! but still adorable none-the-less; I mean "dook-dook" !?! come on!)...

But now with Furina, oh. I think we've entered a BRAND NEW level and it's part of the reason why I absolutely love her so much.

In classic good-story-telling practice, Genshin achieves all of this through "show-not-tell" and it's world-class ability of characterizing its characters (IN MY OPINION ! I love them so much, okay?). And from the second I MET this girl to the very last line of 4.1's archon quest, it has been made painfully abundant to me that

Furina is just a child.

She has. NO IDEA what she's doing!!! Now, the underlying reasons for this have yet to be seen, and will most likely be tackled in the very next Archon Quest chapter, but if you'll allow me to speculate right now... Knowing that Egeria also conducted trials for citizens who broke the law (meaning she should have also been a God of Justice), I believe whole-heartedly that it was her who built the entire system Furina and Neuvillette are running right now. Meaning, I'm confident Furina has absolutely nothing to do with it. The ONLY (and I think I truly mean ONLY) thing Furina did in the time since she inherited the role was: change the perception of what justice and its deliverance should be into something a lot more akin to a dramatic play, only enacted for people's enjoyment.

Which includes her lack of knowledge on the Oratrice. Furina didn't create it. How could she? She's so utterly ignorant on what it is, how it works, and dare I say what it's truly even for.

The moment I read this statement I convinced myself that it had to have been the previous Hydro Archon. And while I concede that: looking back on the wording of this statement now, it seems like its existence would only be beneficial under someone like Furina's ruling… But, I'm willing to just chalk that up to "Egeria had great future-sight" (or something more along the lines of: she trusted the machine to help keep her in check so false charges were less likely; and it just so happens that its decision making is carrying the court system now under Furina’s rule).

Like many things related to Fontaine's history, it would seem, Egeria being solely responsible for the creation of all these staple facilities and aspects of the nation's inner workings would shed light on why Furina is so unknowing. She had nothing to do with it. And while I'm no envoy from Celestia, so I have no insight as to what the hell happens when a new Archon is born to fill in the void that was left, I think that whatever that process is (IF THERE EVEN IS ONE) went completely awry for Furina. She probably didn't even inherit the Gnosis - ever ! I'm thinking it's stuffed into the Oratrice somehow/somewhere. I'm thinking the "curse" Arlecchino sensed has something to do with that process of inheritance (or... lack thereof) going so wrong.

It’s obvious that Furina is running from something. Ignoring something. Distracting herself from the realities of the world with the “spectacle of the courtroom” (as Dain put it). And it’d be easy to just chalk it up to her being a little bitch with no deeper meaning but I don’t think that’s it.

Genshin doesn’t make it gods “just human”. They spend their time trying to prove that they’re “Human too”.

The underlying reasons for it have to lie in whatever happened when Furina was born. Cursed. Whether it was a curse to end up alone (as per the prophecy), or to never obtain the powers becoming of a god in this world... Whatever happened, it overwhelmed Furina to an unbearable degree, and naturally, like any Human would... she resorted to escapism. She found entertainment in the trials headed at the court room, realized she could make people like her by being this mascot of justice, and upon learning that it's only a matter of time before all of her subjects turn into puddles and she'll be left all alone… she decided to just- NOT think about it!! Who would?! That is a horrifying! revelation.

THAT is why she's so scared to fight - literally anyone!! She doesn’t have the power (and if she does she’s never had to use it).

THAT is why she’s turned out this way - a brat with very little humility, never knowing when to stop the act - because for centuries she’s lived in this little Lala-Land of a bubble denying the inevitable. A fate she was cursed with from the moment she inherited the title of “God”. She wasn’t really given powers, she wasn’t given dominion, and she most certainly hasn’t received instruction, or… ANY!?! HELP!! it seems, in understanding what it means to be an Archon (perhaps even in spite of those other perks she was “supposed” to receive.)

Born to be a god, yet being set up to suffer the loss of your entire people with almost no power to change it? That would fuck anyone up, even an Archon.

And it’s the way that they’ve shown how it’s fucked with Furina that blows my mind.

She’s so disconnected that Arle’s assassination attempt shocked her to her core. She’s a GOD!! Who would try to assassinate her (aside from the Fatui)!? She’s never had to even perceive the notion of being a target of something like that. Stack that on top of her general sense of helplessness in the greater context of what’s happening to her nation, and it makes sense that she broke down crying later that night... :(

Girlie just needs some help </3

[sunnybunnybabs]

FTFO Chapter 34, spoilers

OhhhhhHhh I LOVE THE DOODLE SPHERE SM. It's doing it's damned best since it had such bad influence from the multiverse's inhabitants

Look at that, Ink was right, stop resorting to murder and hostility Cus now we got a very hostile Doodle Sphere

Doodle Sphere got the "Ive only had Ink for a day and a half but if anyone hurts him I'll kill everyone in the multiverse and then myself" ...except the DS likes both Healer and Prism lmao I love it

The amount of times I've called shit like I KNEW Fell Gaster was working with XGaster godDAMNIT

A bit of my live reaction ramblings (Most of it was cursing Fell Gaster don't worry)

I'm calling it that Ink will lose a leg I'm sorry there's just no way he isn't with how much it's talked about

Also the bit about Stretch saying XGaster going out into the Omega Timeline with a disguise I feel like...the disguise is the Undertale Gaster but don't quote me on that

I'm also very excited for Healer getting Broomie I CANNOT WAIT something did always feel off about Healer n it's Cus he's missing BROOMIE

And AND THE DOODLE SPHERE CREATED, IT WAS BEING TAUGHT MURDER AND DESTRUCTION BUT SINCE ITS BEEN FOLLOWING INK ITS SLOWLY BEEN LEARNING TO PROTECT AND C R EA TE THATS H UGE I LOVE IT

[please-read-the-manga]

It's all good man, just offering a few caveats before I start:

1.) I never read and have very little interest in Itachi Shinden as it's a light novel (maybe that will change someday, though). That being said I think I (roughly) know about some of the elements you're hinting at (between Fugaku and Itachi) from the novel but not any specifics. I know some people hold them as absolute canon while others completely disregard them, etc. For me, I see them as somewhere in-between, but like I said I fully admit I'm unfamiliar with them. The original manga is where it is at with me.

2.) I literally say in the post/disclaimer that Fugaku is not infallible. This isn't a post to glaze him lol and I even critique how he handled Itachi outside of the moment shown AND criticize Madara as well. It's mostly intended as an examination comparing two perspectives that were striking to me (Fugaku's and Hashirama's) that, again, to me, appear contradictory in an intriguing way. If that means it shouldn't exist in the Itachi tag, I can always remove that so as to not bother his fans here (I just thought since he was mentioned I should tag it that way).

3.) I'm never going to grant that the Uchiha genocide was in anyway necessary or justified. Full stop. So, if there's some element of trying to get me to see 'why' it was done 1.) I already understand the varying character perspectives on it (namely those from Itachi and Danzo), but 2.) I will personally never view those as legitimate/justifiable. I feel very strongly over how events like these are portrayed in media. That being said, again... everything is complex. We can examine (as I'm open to do) the dimensions that exist within the clan politics we're shown in the manga as well as the actions of complicated/contradictory characters like Madara, I just draw the line at ever seeing genocide as a solution to those layered problems. The massacre of every single Uchiha (including civilians, children not named Sasuke, and those likely not even involved in the coup plans) is unjust and I will firmly stand by that. Sorry.

This comes before Hiruzen shoots down Danzo's claim that the 'Uchiha will not be dissuaded' as Hiruzen hasn't even tried diplomacy yet, nor does he get the chance. Danzo makes it clear that his decision to unjustly (I stand by that word) indiscriminately slaughter an entire group of people through Itachi is preemptive. Actions by the Uchiha have not been taken yet, diplomacy has not yet been pursued and Danzo ensures it never will once he presents Itachi with his horrific 'choices'.

Okay, so hopefully that clarifies a bit right off the bat, and I apologize for not being well-versed on Itachi Shinden - my analysis here is restricted to the manga.

(Hopefully this is the correct formatting for replies. This got... really long lol, so I'll cut it up here).

Criticising Fugaku for his terrible parenting is not the same as portraying him as a "demon of hatred and cruelty." It's not even a prevelent opinion in the fandom. Itachi gets way more hate, is demonised way more than Fugaku, even if Fugaku was the one who shaped him, abandoned him, and became one of the biggest reasons why the massacre even happened in the first place. The man could have stopped it all by paying more attention to Itachi after Shisui's death. But nope. He had in fact sent Shisui to spy on his own son.

I guess it's impossible to measure who gets more hate (or I wouldn't know how to do that anyway) but this write-up was never meant to be a comparison between Fugaku and Itachi? Other than their interactions with one another, that is. In my experience, I have more commonly seen portrays of Fugaku being this caricature of an evil villain who lives to ruin Sasuke's life... I actually think the fan works that present Fugaku as a more complex character with honest looks into his parenting difficulties are really refreshing.

Fugaku is awkward. That's something Mikoto outright states and that's something Sasuke acknowledges/agrees with enough to find comfort in following her pointing it out. He doesn't know the right thing to say all the time, but I absolutely do not think this negates his love for his sons.

When Itachi is being wrongly criticized by other clan members over the death of Shisui and his own commitment to the clan's cause, Fugaku defends Itachi and adds weight to Itachi's reasoning for his behavior.

Again, I'm not sure if Itachi Shinden negates these flashbacks, and we can maybe examine the fact they're from Sasuke's POV (these are Sasuke's memories and he was very obviously a child here), but I re-read them and see a father struggling to understand the conflict his son is navigating through but still standing by his child in a way that he can. We can say that it's 'not enough' but to me, here, I don't believe Fugaku is abandoning him. I know we can likely agree too, that too much responsibility was put onto to Itachi - he was far too young to be navigating politics at this level and being used not just as a pipeline from the clan to the village, but the reverse as well through Hiruzen, Danzon and the Elders' own machinations.

So, maybe we'll just have to agree to disagree that Itachi gets more hate, as you say. Really the only measure I could think of is that Fugaku is a MUCH smaller character compared to Itachi and his impact on general fan opinion may be a lot smaller as a result? But, in my opinion, Itachi frequently gets a lot of fan support and is a very popular character, to the extent many don't criticize his actions at all (though there is, of course, some good critical analysis out there). As a fan of certain characters like Madara (whew and isn't he an interesting mess lol) and Sasuke, who certainly have their fair share of awesome fans/positive reception, I know what it's like to see those negative opinions/write-ups slip through that I feel are major misinterpretations haha, and it can be so hard to ignore them sometimes lol. So I get it.

"Unjustly" even if it happened due to the bad decisions made by Fugaku himself, for years, throwing his son to the wolves, preparing him as a weapon so he would be useful for war against the village while having no idea of the future afterwards. Fugaku only realised he had been wrong and destroyed Itachi's life. If he had known this before, he wouldn't have thought of the coup as the only solution to their plight. And even if he had, he wouldn't have dragged his child into this mess to turn him into a killing machine. He was more excited about Itachi's Anbu mission than Sasuke's Academy.

I've kind of belabored this point already, but yes... unjustly. Placing the blame for his family's genocide solely on Fugaku is an interesting take. Again, maybe Itachi Shinden has some revelations I've never heard of, but I think we may be reaching with the 'no idea of the future afterwards' when we literally are not privy to any of those exact conversations. We just don't know (and there's so much we don't know). We don't know what the Uchiha had actually prepared in regards to the coup... how far along they were (though some characters with their own distinct biases have opinions on this, I'd argue we still don't objectively know). We never get a chance to see if diplomacy may have played out, but enough characters do speculate that the massacre may not have been so inevitable (Minato mentions the UCM being his fault for passing away, Itachi literally wonders before he is released from the edo tensei if Sasuke could have changed things, etc)... all that speculation, to me, reveals that it was never so black and white.

I do agree that Fugaku likely had many regrets. Again, he's a realistically flawed parent (to me) in what I observe in these panels. He's, as pointed out, incredibly awkward and when Itachi does point out to him how badly Sasuke wants his father at his attendance ceremony, he acquiesces. I feel the need to stress that I'm not really going out of my way to defend him here, but I am pointing out there are layers to his character that likely influence his actions (even if we are not told so explicitly)... he is the clan head, his clan is being discriminated against (and this has occurred for decades now), his clan is rightfully upset at this mistreatment, and it's all coming to a head. Further, as clan head, there is an expectation (right or wrong) that his heir will inherit his responsibilities and duties one day. I agree that's a lot to put onto a child (especially one who is also being hounded after by the village higher-ups for their own gain), but I do think it's worthwhile to remember that this is what Fugaku is dealing with...

I, personally, don't think he was setting out to ruin his son while laughing manically as he planned new ways to overwhelm Itachi and give him more crushing responsibilities lol - I jest a bit, sorry. If that were the case, I don't think he would encourage Itachi to stand by his convictions in the end, nor do I think he would defend his son to the clan even as said son lowkey showcased some alarming behavior (just to clarify here so nothing gets misconstrued, the POV here is that of other members of the clan who are already suspicious of him - it's not my opinion, we the reader know why Itachi is acting that way).

To dive in further, this scene, where Itachi refuses to explain his mission to his father and is going to take the mission in lieu of the clan meeting, is one where we see a very stern Fugaku who is exerting his authority in the parent-child relationship and reiterating what he expects of Itachi (this difficult balance between clan and village responsibilities when tensions are at an all-time high). It is negative, it is harsh. We still see him later, however, (as mentioned earlier) defending Itachi's decision not to attend and standing by his son when the other clan members confront him. Again, not an infallible guy, but hardly this 'evil' father he gets painted as.

Fugaku did not stand by Itachi's side. Not when it was needed. So this moment only serves to make a 12-year-old Itachi feel more guilty.

Here, I think you are referring to the aftermath of Shisui's suicide? As far as I know, I don't think there was anything specifically mentioned about Fugaku's response or absence of a response to the suicide, but I'll re-read Fugaku's manga panels and see if there's something to add here. If it gets addressed, I don't remember it being in the manga. But like I said, I'll check, I'm unfamiliar on this.

Not exactly sure why this is always used as a criticism towards Hashirama. Once you're a leader of the people, they're your responsibility. And if your family/friends cause any trouble and put the lives of thousands others you're responsible for on risk, you must choose. I don't remember Hashirama saying he'd kill a child, but that if it were his own child. Again, this is Shinobi world, and some kids can be more dangerous than the adults. Madara was involving innocent people in his mess. Hashirama had every right to protect the people who had put their faith in him.

In reference to this line:

It's never stated directly in these Hashirama flashbacks, but we eventually learn that Madara came back to the village with the Nine-Tails solely to challenge him with the (as we, the reader, know) hidden intent of harvesting some of Hashirama's DNA (biting his flesh) for his new 'dream' plan. Madara also doesn't deny it, though, when Hashirama asks if Madara intends to destroy everything they've built together. As much as I enjoy Madara, I have no delusions that he can be a horrendous communicator lol. He is capable of opening up just a bit, like when he shows Hashirama the secret tablet that no other outsider has ever been permitted to see (ie. a big deal) after his doubts are beginning to mount about the village and its future. He literally reveals his doubts and uncertainties, opening up, only to then immediately clam up again (very confusingly, to Hashirama) when Hashirama asks for more clarification. Ah, in some ways this is making me want to examine the two of them as a struggle between show-don't-tell and the reverse, where Madara seems to prefer grand, revealing gestures but Hashirama appreciates more direct words - but alas, that's a post idea for another day.

Now, I can agree with you reminding us that it's the shinobi world and we know they operate with different principles and values... but on the level of examining what I consider Fugaku's unconditional love and Hashirama's implication here (and I interpret that line as him implying he would absolutely take the same actions he's taking with Madara, even if it were his son/brother/etc doing it) my personal take on it and what I relate to more is Fugaku standing by his son and refusing to battle him. I think you may see that as Fugaku foisting more guilt onto Itachi (I also don't want to put words in your mouth though), but I read it more as Fugaku trying to impart one final lesson that is encouraging Itachi to be prepared now that he will walk this new path alone. Similarly, I couldn't fathom killing my own child even if I knew they were doing wrong - so my interpretation of Hashirama's words here are to view them as cruel and cold. That doesn't mean you wouldn't remove said child from being able to cause harm in some way (you absolutely should) but to kill them is a step I can't imagine taking. In such a circumstance (though I imagine I'd hopefully never be in one lol) I think I'd take Fugaku's approach.

All of that, at the end of the day, is pure personal opinion and perspective influenced by diverging values and life experiences. It's absolutely okay for others to disagree here, this post is merely my interpretation of what we have in the manga along with critique regarding fan portrayals that I believe fail to offer nuance to Fugaku/Hashirama regarding these perspectives. I haven't been around long enough in this tumblr space to know why it's 'always' used, but I'd be eager to see other interpretations/sentiments on it. That moment has always stayed with me.

100% Fugaku's fault. He wasn't supposed to use his son as a weapon. He should have talked to the Hokage instead of using Itachi. The oppression was wrong but Fugaku took his vulnerable child and exposed him to extreme violence. Leave aside the fact that he didn't even think of the consequences of the coup.

So, again, I'm a bit lost regarding the 'consequences of the coup' and which panels he mentions he's just going in blind, full-speed ahead everything else be damned? The truth is we never get to see (at least in the manga) if they were ready to ahead with the coup. Danzo, an incredibly biased voice, believes they could take out the Uchiha easily and preemptively. Perhaps they could, but we don't know because Danzo violated the Hiruzen's call for diplomacy, gave Itachi a ridiculous choice, set his own immediate timetable, and went for it anyway.

I really don't vibe with the implication that Fugaku is solely at-fault for his people's own genocide... especially with the oppression and discrimination they were facing. In the panels (and sadly we only really get Sasuke's, Itachi's, and a bit of Obito's POV on the night of the massacre - all of whom are likely, in some way, biased), I don't see anything where Danzo's preemptive rush against the clan was warranted. Planning is not doing - oh, it's still a crime in the eyes of the government, but we were never past the point of no return (ie. actual action) regarding this supposed coup.

Also, if we're granting more weight to the shinobi world and its structure (which I think makes sense, you're right) then we need to acknowledge that Itachi was always going to, unfortunately, take part in the system of violence. Kakashi is also extremely young when he is thrust into the shinobi world and bogged down with horrific responsibilities. The case of Itachi and Kakashi being far too young for the violence expected of them is actually revealing of how flawed Konoha is and how bastardized it became from Hashirama/Madara's initial dream. To them, Konoha was meant to be a place where their younger brothers wouldn't have to fight, where kids could be kids... yet more wars continued where child soldiers were demanded, children were tasked to contend with deadly engagements (including the state-sanctioned chunin exams), even in Boruto (lol) this shit is STILL not fixed. Throughout the story we repeatedly see that the village is a hypocritical mess built on a faulty foundation that constantly fuels the 'cycle of hatred' it claims to fight against. It's a broken state that creates tragedies like Itachi and Sasuke. It destroys people like Kakashi. Their world is a very cruel one.

Now, I think you're really going to dislike this comparison but I think it's interesting that this concept of 'Fugaku taking a vulnerable child and exposing him to extreme violence' in an effort to prepare him for the harshness of the world and make him 'stronger' is quite literally what Itachi tries to do to Sasuke. So, if we grant that Fugaku is also a product of this corrupt, violent state and he knows said state discriminates against people like him and we also task him with being both a clan head that must operate for the village (Chief of Police) and for his clan (the Uchiha who are being oppressed) while additionally traumatizing him with wars and baggage of his own (that we don't quite know the details of, but is implied) and then, after all that, ask him to be a 'good' father and raise his sons so they can survive in such a world... idk, it's a pretty tall order, right? And now let's go a step further, we then have Itachi who similarly mimics these difficult circumstances (bearing multiple, very heavy responsibilities to diverging entities), is also traumatized and mentally unwell, wants desperately to protect his younger brother out of love but doesn't really have a 'healthy' (or what we could consider healthy in our world) example to pull from beyond what he personally endured/experienced... we then finally come to the case of Sasuke who is forced to bear Itachi's torture that mentally and emotionally scars him for life.

We know that Itachi believes this was the right decision, that Sasuke had to become strong to survive and THIS is how Itachi understands survival. The torture that sought to change Sasuke from what he was at his core (an innocent, kind child) came from Itachi's perception of love and the tools/knowledge he had at his disposal within his limited circumstances (though if we can play with the idea that Fugaku could have found a way to stop the coup, maybe, I think we can also play with the idea that Itachi could have found a way to not violently torture Sasuke and utterly devastate his life). I've never said that Itachi isn't also traumatized and a victim of the shinobi system, he absolutely is, but in some ways I believe there is a cycle of violence being passed down that is framed (by the characters) as a way to 'prepare them for the reality of their world' and they do so out of a sense of love... and, in that, Itach is both a victim and a perpetrator of grave harm.

To us, the reader, this is all very nasty on every level. Again, I never said Fugaku was perfect (not by any means) and I don't think Itachi is evil or anything, I really like his scenes with Sasuke and the layers of tragedy they hold - I think they're all (Fugaku included) victims of the corrupt rot that runs through Konoha and began at its foundation.

Oy, but I've probably gone on too long now. I felt these points were worth clarifying. Apologies again for not being well-versed on Itachi-Shinden... if it really is so revealing, I wish those scenes you're alluding to had been included in the OG manga so we'd know about them!

I guess I'll grant that some of this may have been a bit of 'Fugaku defense squad' lol, but I am really just trying to help frame him based on what we see in the manga. This also isn't meant to dog on Itachi or Hashirama... they're both good, complicated characters in my opinion. Ultimately, I personally think Fugaku's final moments with Itachi are filled with compassion and what I view as unconditional love from a parent. Others might not see it that way and I think that's fine. As for Hashirama, I think weighing the state over your closest friends and own family is pretty damn cold and not something I agree with morally, but again... it's individual. This is how I take these scenes.

Hm, been contemplating these panels lately and thinking about which character is constantly demonized within the fandom/fan works involving them and which is frequently viewed as the ultimate loving and moral person...

And:

One is a man bearing the supposed 'Curse of Hatred' who loves his children so much that he is continuing to parent and offer unconditional love to his son even after said son has already participated in the brutal state-sanctioned genocide of their people/culture and is about to end his (and his wife's - who, btw, is on the same page as him) life.

The other is a man from the supposed 'Clan of Love' who boldly holds the conviction that he would cease his compassion towards even his own child if they stood against him and his dream (the village), regardless of the fact his dream (the village) is a corruptible entity that does not maintain personhood.

Interestingly, I think there is something to be said for the fact both Fugaku and Hashirama are also shown struggling to understand Itachi and Madara (respectively).

Fugaku is actually quite honest regarding his issues in relating to Itachi and while we're not always privy to all the conversations they've had about the state of the clan/sentiment of the Leaf village towards their people, it's clear that those discussions have been had. While the panels where we do see more explicit conversations taking place show Fugaku reiterating to Itachi that his role in ANBU is to serve as a pipeline between the clan/village (which could be argued as an unfair burden foisted onto a child, in my opinion) there are also moments that indicate Fugaku is willing to defer to Itachi (at least on some topics) when his son offers a contradictory viewpoint (like attendance at Sasuke's entrance ceremony, for example).

Side note... this also reminds me of the very short (unfortunately) interactions we see between Madara and his father, Tajima. Tajima clearly respects his son as well and defers to him when Madara insists that they not fight Hashirama and his family on the river - Tajima accepts this from his son without pause.

Alternatively, we also see Madara trying to explain his perspective to a skeptical Hashirama before he commits to taking more drastic actions. Madara is trying to articulate his frustrations with what is happening in the village/how it is progressing with regards to his clan and (even though we never really get Madara's own unfiltered perspective on this time period) we are shown instances of Madara's grievances holding water (ie. Tobirama advocating for Madara not to be made Hokage, but instead pushing randomly for a democratic system that never seems to actually be cemented or made precedent within the village afterwards but absolutely benefits Hashirama/the Senju in the short-run, Madara 'overhearing' Tobirama's continued bias against the Uchiha in private conversations between the brothers, Hashirama continuing to scold his brother -someone who had ample power within the system of governance since its inception- for his bias against the clan even when they're brought back via the edo tensei, etc). Hashirama tries to (weakly, in my opinion) defend the village status quo/way it is progressing and seems to want to better understand Madara, but isn't willing or is unable to go that extra mile for his friend - and, perhaps in some ways, Madara too was unwilling/unable to articulate himself in a more digestible way once their divergence of opinion on their shared village came to this new crux.

Ultimately, I just find it interesting that Fugaku, this character who is often portrayed by fans as a demon of hatred and cruelty, would (in reality) stand by his son even in his darkest hour, even as he is unjustly slaughtering their family, and continue to reaffirm that he is proud of Itachi/loves him - and this is directly counter to Hashirama who asserts he would absolutely kill anyone (including a child) that stood between him protecting that which he loves the most (the village).

And, of course, we also have this to chew on lol...

Sasuke explaining to edo Hashirama that Itachi inherited his 'Will of Fire' jingoism.

Mandatory disclaimer that Fugaku is not infallible and all the characters here (but Fugaku and Hashirama in particular) are their own people/the circumstances do vary (especially as one relationship is framed in the context of father-son and the other as two friends/peers)... I should also note that I still enjoy Hashirama as a character, I just think his flaws are often under-examined and that the hypocrisy inherent to the 'Will of Fire' philosophy/the Leaf Village (and by extension the shinobi world) is equally neglected especially when it comes to this fandom's love of tearing down the Uchiha to their worst traits/moments. But, man, something about these two panels and character portrayals in particular have just been eating at me the past few days, so I figured I'd try to work out some thoughts on them.

[emile-hides]

Big buncha Mario Characters in my style + Headcanons

[oliapfel]

Culinary school is to a real service line the same way College prep in High School is to College

Gives you a false impression on how the "real world" works. The moment you step foot on the line the whole "you have to do everything alone" mindset becomes more a hindrance than culinary school leads you to believe.

Don't get me wrong, I get the need to learn all the individual skills yourself to be more prepared, but they pretend like you have to do a whole menu of varying items completely alone when that's just not the case. You are a team that works together and if one falls behind, the rest are there to help pick up the slack. If the person in charge of omelets is overwhelmed, you take some tasks off their hands.

[lostfracturess]

seven minutes of misunderstanding — satoru gojo

of all the ridiculous situations you've found yourself in, being trapped in a closet with satoru gojo has to top the list. especially when you're convinced he's dating his best friend.

Of all the places you expected to end up tonight, being crammed in a tiny closet with Satoru Gojo wasn't one of them.

A stupid campus party game had somehow led to this moment—you, him, and about fifteen winter coats in a space barely big enough for one person, let alone two.

You're painfully aware of every point where your bodies touch — your back against his chest as you try to avoid the hanging coats, his breath tickling your neck, his hand awkwardly hovering somewhere near your waist like he's not sure where to put it.

The closet is so small that when you attempt to turn around to face him (because somehow facing him seems less intimate than having his breath on your neck), your chest brushes against his.

You hear his sharp intake of breath, feel the way his body tenses against yours. You're so close to him in a way it makes your skin tingle, and you're grateful for the darkness hiding your blush.

"So..." Satoru drawls. "Come here often?"

"Did you seriously just—" You try to gesture incredulously and end up elbowing him in the ribs with enough force to make him grunt. "Shit, sorry!"

You try to put some distance between you but that only results in you stepping on his foot. "Oh god, I'm so sorry! Again!"

"Just—don't move," he says, his hands finally finding your shoulders to hold you still. You feel the warmth of his palms through your shirt as he clears his throat. "We could just... not do anything. Nothing has to happen if you don't want it to. We can just wait it out."

The consideration in his voice surprises you. You try to see his face in the darkness and end up with a mouthful of fuzzy coat. After spitting out what you hope isn't synthetic fur, you say, "That's really sweet of you. And like, I get it. This must be super awkward for you too."

"Awkward?" He sounds puzzled.

"Yeah, I mean... being stuck in here with a girl when you're..."

"When I'm what?"

"You know..." You wave your hand vaguely in the narrow space. "I just meant, like, with you and Geto..."

There's a moment of complete silence, and then Satoru starts laughing so hard you can feel him shaking against you. "You think— me and Suguru? Oh my god, is that why you turned me down for lunch last month?"

"Wait, what? I thought you were just being nice! You're always hanging all over Geto—"

"Because he's my best friend."

"And that time I saw you feeding him—"

"He had a broken arm!"

"The couples' costume at Halloween—"

"We were Mario and Luigi! They are brothers."

Every explanation makes you want to dissolve into the floor more. "Oh my god," you say. "You know everyone on campus thinks you're gay—not that there's anything wrong with that! I totally support you two, you're so cute together and—"

"Can you please stop," he interrupts, pressing a finger to your lips to silence you. "I am very, very interested in women."

Your heart skips. "Oh, really?"

"Yes." His voice drops lower as he removes his finger from your lips. "One woman in particular, actually." You can feel him lean closer. "And she's currently pressed up against me in a very small closet."

"Oh," is all you can manage, your brain short-circuiting as you process his words. You try to lean back slightly, but there's nowhere to go, and suddenly his face is very close to yours.

Then he asks a question you never thought Satoru Gojo would ever ask you. "Can I kiss you?"

The question is soft, almost vulnerable—so unlike the usual Satoru you know. When you don't immediately respond, too shocked to form words, his hand comes up to gently cup your chin, tilting your face up to meet his gaze in the darkness. "Can I kiss you?" he asks again, his thumb brushing across your lower lip.

A breathless "yes" escapes your lips before you can overthink it.

The first brush of his lips against yours is gentle, questioning, like he's afraid you might change your mind.

Then you grab his shirt and pull him closer, and gentle goes right out the window. He kisses like he's trying to prove a point, like he's been thinking about this for ages, and oh — maybe he has been.

His hands slide from your face to your waist, pulling you flush against him as he deepens the kiss. You gasp against his mouth, and he takes the opportunity to sweep his tongue against yours, drawing a small sound from your throat that makes him grip you tighter.

"Still think I'm gay?" he says against your jaw, trailing kisses down your neck that make your knees weak.

"Not sure," you tease him, even as your head tilts back to give him better access. "Might need more convincing."

You feel him smile against your neck. "More convincing, huh?"

In one fluid motion, he presses you more firmly against the wall, his body completely flush against yours. One of his hands slides into your hair while the other grips your hip, thumb stroking the strip of skin where your shirt has ridden up.

"Let me be very clear then." He punctuates each word with a kiss. "I am very—" kiss "—very—" kiss "—interested—" kiss "—in you."

His hand tightens in your hair as his tongue sweeps against yours, drawing a small whimper from your throat that makes him groan in response.

"God," he breathes against your lips, pulling back just enough to speak. "Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to do this?"

You can't form a coherent response because he's already kissing you again, harder this time, more desperate. Something falls off a nearby shelf as you shift against him, but neither of you care.

You're so lost in each other that you don't hear the warning knock. The door flies open, flooding the space with light and the sounds of party chaos.

"God, finally!" Geto's voice breaks through the stunned silence. "Do you know how long I've had to watch him pine over you?"

"Suguru, I will literally murder you," Satoru growls, but he doesn't let go of you. Instead, he leans down, his lips brushing against your ear. "Wanna leave this party?"

And oh, you do.

© lostfracturess. do not repost, translate, or modify my work.

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