#I’m going to finish this even if it kills me.

[intersex-cpunk-wolfdog]

I’m begging people to consider the global impacts of this.

The US has so much cultural power. It will set a precedent for other countries.

The US will become an even bigger contributor to climate change. Enough people and animals are already killed by natural disasters and range shifts.

Harris may still support Isreal, but she wants a ceasefire. Like has been stated, Trump wants to “finish the job.” Which one do you think will cause more death?!

If you’re a leftist, especially if you’re not a democrat, VOTE! The only way to get democrats to care about your positions is if you vote. If you don’t vote, they’re going to instead target democrats and centrists as their voting demographic.

Voting has zero drawbacks unless you’re worried about some sort of weird idea of ideological purity. You can vote and get organised. You can vote and contact your representatives. You can vote and donate. You can vote and contribute to mutual aid initiatives. You can vote and spread awareness. You can vote and volunteer at local community centres.

50% of eligible adults didn’t vote in 2016. That’s how this all started. I want you to think about what the long term effects of that were on democratic candidates and what policies they have chosen to run under. To me, it seems like the best case scenario is that it had no impact. And the worst case scenario is that it led to democrats moving even further right in an effort to capture more votes.

Do you want to be part of that 50%?

Some of yall needed to hear this

Credits to @/mattxiv on Instagram

[cx-boxbox]

Might not finish this, so have a quick ~800 word landussy drabble:

Lando grimaces, shoving a hand down his race suit to pluck at his fireproof bottoms while cursing his biology.

Being an omega can be fun sometimes, but it’s so extremely inconvenient when he’s in pre-heat and meant to get in the car in less than ten minutes. His fireproofs are fucking glued to his pussy lips with slick.

Of course, Oscar notices.

“Don’t,” Lando grumbles, glaring at his mate as soon as he opens his mouth. “I can’t wait for this to be fucking over.”

When Oscar blessedly doesn’t say anything, only sending a comforting flare of pheromones his way, Lando wants nothing more than to cry. Damn these hormones. They’re fucking ruining everything.

The car is scorching hot, just two laps in, and it takes every bit of concentration and focus for Lando to drive it, all while his pre-heat brain is absolutely killing him. Not once has he ever taken a piss in the cockpit, but all the slick pooling between his legs is arguably worse.

If only he hadn’t forgotten to take his suppressants.

Social media is going to crucify him for finishing just shy of the podium when he started from third, but he can’t bring himself to care. He’s almost glad he doesn’t have to bother with podium celebrations as soon as he puts his car in parc ferm�� and jumps out to get weighed.

He doesn’t have to worry about being underweight when there has to be a kilo’s worth of slick in his suit.

“Just this and then media duties,” Oscar murmurs, putting a comforting hand on the small of his back and rubbing it. “Hold on for me?”

Lando nods, resisting the temptation to bury his nose in the crook of his mate’s neck and inhale his sweaty, musky scent. Oscar’s looking a bit flushed with his hair sticking to his forehead, and Lando wants to devour him whole.

“Alpha,” he purrs. “Fuck, I’m aching for your knot.”

“Half an hour, Lando,” Oscar promises.

Lando doesn’t want to wait half an hour. He wants Oscar’s knot now. “Fuck. Fuck. You didn’t end on the podium either. Was it my fault?”

Oscar waits for him to finish weighing before shaking his head and replying, “Don’t worry about it. Bad strategy calls.”

“Fuck.”

“That’s a lot of fucks,” he jokes. “Save some for after.”

Lando laughs incredulously. He can always trust his mate to distract him from the growing pains in his abdomen.

-

Finally back in their hotel room, Lando all but throws himself at his mate, moaning into his mouth as soon as the door shuts with a click.

Oscar catches him because he’s such a good alpha, hoisting him up and carrying him to the bed. Lando gasps as the jeans he hastily pulled on are tugged down his legs and tossed carelessly aside.

“God,” Oscar groans, staring at the apex of Lando’s thighs. He can see the shape of Lando’s wet cunt through his knickers where the near-translucent fabric is practically molded to his slick folds.

Lando wants to tell him to stop staring and do something, but all coherent thought leaves his mind, and all he can do is squeal and clamp his thighs around Oscar’s head at the first touch of his lips to the center of his body.

The noise that leaves Oscar’s mouth, vibrating against Lando’s clothed pussy, is almost feral in nature, and Lando gasps, realizing that Oscar is much better at hiding the symptoms of his pre-rut. He was so preoccupied by the hot flashes of arousal making it impossible for him to even stand upright that he didn’t notice the thick, luscious scent wafting off of his mate.

Oh, but Oscar’s mouth…

“Alpha!” Lando cries, trying to shove Oscar’s face away from his soaked knickers in vain. “You can’t- we can’t-”

Oscar hums in acknowledgement but continues to suck a hickey into his thigh.

“Oscar, I forgot to take my suppressants- oh!”

The last thing Lando’s heat-ridden brain wants is for Oscar to stop, even if there’s a significant risk of pregnancy if he knots him in rut.

But would pregnancy be the worst thing to happen to him?

Giving in, Lando spreads his legs a little more, moaning as Oscar peels his underwear away. The damp cotton sticks to his folds, and he has to bite his own fingers to muffle his scream at the first lap of Oscar’s tongue against him.

Oscar didn’t even wait to get rid of the rest of Lando’s clothes, but it makes Lando feel so much more insane knowing his mate was so eager to taste him that he didn’t even bother with foreplay or anything else.

The thought alone is enough to make him come, and the continued tease of Oscar's tongue against his clit, sending aftershocks of pleasure coursing through his body, makes his back arch clear off the bed.

[metallicames]

I wanted to write a fanfic about James and... this is the result. Thanks @nausicaamusiclover20 for the perfect translation❣️

Enjoy the first part.

Wild Things

Description: you and James are best friends (and lately friends with benefits), you went to the Seattle show in 1989 and then he invites you in his dressing room.

WARNINGS: smut, explicit content, sex, oral sex, dirty talking

I give myself one last look in the mirror, unable to keep the grin off my face. I feel electric tonight, charged in a way I can barely describe. Usually, when I go to Metallica concerts, I’m in the VIP area, tucked away behind the stage. But tonight’s different. I’m about to dive headfirst into the crowd, right up front, where every beat hits like a punch, where every note vibrates through your body. Matt, my friend, is coming along for the ride, bringing a few of his friends.

The night air in Seattle is filled with that unmistakable sense of excitement, an almost electric hum that’s impossible to ignore. We’re just outside the arena, waiting, the crowd around us buzzing with anticipation. My black miniskirt skims the tops of my thighs, and I’m rocking my favorite pair of black combat boots. Paired with a vintage “Kill 'Em All” Metallica tee, I feel untouchable, ready to throw myself into this night.

The gates finally open, and the swarm of fans surges forward. Matt and I get right up front, surrounded by bodies and the sound of chaotic excitement as people push and shove. Part of me feels a wave of panic, but I remind myself why I’m here—to be a part of this, to feel it all. And then the lights go down, and "The Ecstasy of Gold" begins. The roar of the crowd is deafening, almost terrifying, but I’m here for it.

And then they’re there—James, Lars, Kirk, and Jason, larger than life. James is wild, primal, every movement commanding. His voice rips through the arena, gravelly and powerful, pulling everyone under his spell. He’s a force, and I can’t take my eyes off him. Each song flows into the next, and it feels like he’s pouring everything he has into this show. And there’s this moment—his gaze meets mine across the crowd. He gives me this smirk, so intense, so deliberate, that I can’t help but catch my breath even if he's my best friend, and sometimes friend with benefit, his stance and presence gives me chills, also this night feels like he’s singing just for me, and my pulse races in time with the beat.

The set finishes, and I realize I’ve just witnessed one of the best shows of my life. I’m exhausted but exhilarated, my skin still buzzing. Matt grabs my arm, and we make our way backstage, where I know most of the crew, and I’m allowed to bring him along. Jason’s there, and Matt, slightly tipsy and overly excited, bombards him with questions and requests for autographs. I laugh, shaking my head, and then a familiar, raspy voice reaches my ears.

“Hey, Y/N, I saw you out there!” James says, his voice a low rumble as he stands in the doorway. He’s still shirtless, a towel slung over his shoulder, his hair messy, his skin gleaming with the aftermath of the show. He gives me that same intense, knowing look, his blue eyes piercing right through me. Then he leans in close, so close his breath warms my skin, and in a voice that makes my stomach twist, he murmurs, “Head to my dressing room. I’ll be there soon...”

My heart is racing as I slip away and make my way to his room, unable to shake the thrill of what’s about to happen. I take a moment to catch my breath, freshen up, and settle into the leather armchair in the corner, sipping a beer as I wait, feeling the anticipation coil tighter.

Moments later, I hear voices and laughter outside, and then he steps in, looking at me with an intensity that makes my skin heat instantly. I can’t help but part my legs slightly, an unspoken invitation. He drops the towel, strides over, and pulls me into a searing kiss, his lips demanding, possessive. The taste of him—sweat, cologne, a hint of whiskey—overwhelms me, and I grip his shoulders, my hands sliding into his hair as I lose myself in him.

He pulls back just enough to press his forehead to mine, his eyes locked on mine as he murmurs, voice rough with desire, “I’m going to devour you!"

I swallow hard, already breathless, my pussy aching for his touch. 

He drops to his knees, his hands sliding up my thighs, and I shiver as he looks up at me, his gaze hungry and in a blink of an eye he pulls down my panties and throws them away. With one hand, he grips my thigh firmly, pulling me to the edge of the seat, and with the other, he massages my breast. Then leans in, his mouth hot against my skin as he trails kisses along my inner thigh, making me gasp. And then, he’s there, his mouth finding my clit, his tongue moving in ways that make my head spin, each stroke sending waves of pleasure through me.

“God… you taste so damn good,” he mutters between kisses, his voice thick with lust that it’s making me cum from the way he talks.  I’m lost, gripping his hair, my breaths coming faster, the sounds slipping from my lips impossible to control. His rhythm picks up, I feel my body spiraling toward the edge, my heart pounding wildly.

I barely hold back a scream, overcome as he pushes me right to the brink. It's so intense, overwhelming that I don’t want it to stop. 

The rhythm of his tongue quickens, and I feel his hand sliding toward my core. I can already tell I won’t last long; the sensations are overwhelming. He presses a finger at my entrance, and with a gentle yet determined movement, he slips it inside me. He knows exactly how to move—slowly, curling his finger just right, then pressing against that sensitive spot deep inside. I can’t help but grip his hair tightly, soft gasps escaping my lips as pleasure builds.

He looks up at me, a playful glint in his eyes, and the way he watches me only adds to my excitement. His finger picks up speed, and at some point, he adds another one. I arch my back, a shiver running through me that quickly turns into a moan. He holds my thigh firmly, fingers moving within me as he kisses me with an eagerness that makes me feel like he’s savoring every moment. I can feel myself getting closer, and breathlessly I whisper, “Wow… you’re incredible!” before I’m overtaken by a powerful wave of ecstasy. My legs tremble and wrap around him as the sensations wash over me, leaving me in blissful disbelief at the intensity of what just happened.

As my breathing steadies, I pull my hand from his hair and watch as he leans back, wiping his mouth with his arm, a satisfied smile lingering on his face.

I admire him as he stands before me, tall and imposing, his tousled hair framing a face filled with hungry desire. Through his tight black pants, I can see the outline of his impressive arousal.

Without breaking eye contact, he says: “Let’s move to the couch!” I feel like I'm in a trance as I stand up, slipping off my skirt for comfort. I position myself on top of him, and I can’t help but notice he’s already removed his pants, revealing himself.

I start to grind against him, still completely wet, kissing him hungrily, nibbling on his lower lip as I explore the firm muscles of his chest. I can hear his breath quicken, each inhale more erratic than the last. His strong hands grip my hips, and he whispers, “Fuck me now.”

His words send a thrill through me. I look into his eyes and take hold of him, marveling at how much I’ve missed this. I guide his dick toward my entrace, my body moving instinctively as I kiss his earlobe, savoring the moment. I lower myself slowly, feeling him stretch me as I take him inch by inch, holding my breath with each subtle movement.

Even though I’m petite, the way he fills me is intoxicating, and I can feel the heat building within me. As I sink down fully, I hear him gasp along with me, a shared breath of anticipation and excitement, as we both lose ourselves in the pleasure of the moment.

"Oh my god… you’re so tight!" he exclaims in that low, husky voice that drives me wild every time. I can feel his hands on my waist as he tilts his head back, guiding me with each movement. The rhythm begins to build, and I’m overwhelmed by how incredibly aroused I feel. Even though he fills me completely, it’s a delicious kind of ache that has me wanting more.

As we pick up the pace, our bodies draw closer together. He leans his head against the couch, and I can’t help but kiss his neck, whispering, Fuck... I feel it all!” followed by a breathy, “Oh god, James....” I hear him mutter curses under his breath, gritting his teeth, and I know he’s close, just as I am. Our movements synchronize perfectly, and in a moment of intensity, he places his hands on my head, gently holding me down while he stays deep inside me. His gaze locks onto mine, just inches apart, and he breathes out, “I love your pussy.” His eyes are wild and intense, sending me spiraling closer to the edge.

I gasp, “I - I’m so close!” He responds, “Me too, baby!” With a powerful thrust, he turns me onto my back, positioning himself above me. As he enters me deeply, a soft moan escapes my lips. He pulls my shirt off, and with my arms still raised, he holds my wrists above my head with one hand, thrusting into me with such force that I feel his dick in my stomach.

As he begins to tremble, his movements become irregular yet deeper, I know he's loosing control. “Jesus Christ…” he murmurs and I feel the waves of pleasure coursing through me. The warm sensation expands between us, an intoxicating mix of desire and connection that envelops us both.

I gasp, overwhelmed by the intensity of my orgasm. With every thrust, I writhe beneath him, instinctively pulling his hips closer with my legs, urging him to go deeper. James fills me completely, our moans harmonizing as we lose ourselves in this shared experience.

“Ffffuck!!!” he exclaims, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead, accentuating the strain and exhilaration etched across his face. I can feel his breath hot against my skin as he buries his head in the crook of my neck, breathing heavily. The heat radiating from him makes my heart race, and I sense his body trembling as he rides the crest of his own pleasure.

As we lie there, our breaths gradually steady, tangled up together, every inch of my body still humming from everything we’ve shared. We don’t speak for a few minutes, just enjoying the warmth of each other, savoring the moment. Finally, he lifts his head, one of his classic grins spreading across his face.

I can’t help it—I lean in and give the tip of his nose a quick, playful lick, laughing softly as I pull back.

“Damn, that was insane!” he mutters, still grinning.

I raise an eyebrow, unable to resist teasing. “The concert, or… this?” My voice carries a hint of laughter as I gesture between us.

He just gives me a mock-annoyed look, a bit cocky, crossing his arms. “Is that even a question? This was on another level,” he says, his tone dripping with playful arrogance.

I giggle, shaking my head. “You’re such a show-off. But I’ll take that as a compliment,” I tease, leaning back into the pillows, feeling the thrill of the moment wrap around us.

“Good, because it was both” he retorts, leaning down to kiss my forehead, a soft gesture that sends shivers down my spine. “But seriously, I’m glad we did this. I needed it.”

With that, the air between us buzzed with unspoken understanding, and eventually, we fell asleep , wrapped around each other, legs and arms intertwined, completely spent and blissfully content. His warmth against me is soothing, and soon we’re both out, lulled to sleep by the lingering excitement of the night.

Then, around 2 a.m., a loud knock jolts us awake. I glance at the clock, groggy, just as I hear a familiar voice from the other side of the door.

“Hey! You two! We’re heading to Rocket, the club next door,” Lars’s voice slurs through the door, obviously drunk—and probably a little high. “When you’re done, come by! Everyone’s losing their minds out here!”

I exchange a glance with him, and instantly, the thrill from earlier rushes back. We both feel it—the undeniable pull to keep this night going.

We scramble to get up, washing off quickly before pulling on fresh clothes. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, cheeks still flushed, hair tousled. But I’m ready. With a final grin, he grabs my hand, and we head out into the night, still feeling that electric connection between us as we step into whatever wildness awaits us next.

To be continued

𖥸

[stoically]

Hmm, I agree Rio doesn’t want to kill Agatha but I’ll take it in a separate direction. She wants Agatha to grieve and forgive her. That’s what this whole saunter down The Road was to Rio. That’s why she’s there. From the beginning.

“Do you remember why you hate me?”

Agatha, still deep in the throes of Wanda’s spell, discovers the burned books at the library (all the copies were destroyed) the very scene before Rio shows up.

”Get to the part I’m not going to like,” Agnes says.

“Here I am,” Rio replies.

The chief then makes a comment about how Rio is going to help ‘you’ get to the finish line faster. Which Agnes immediately makes clear she does not like. Rio starts off the conversation by saying it’s been a long time. Because, we find out later, Agatha’s been using the Dark Hold to hide herself. Even from Rio.

When Agnes asks what she’s doing there Rio says ‘my job’ but shows no interest in what Agnes assumes her job is (investigating). What is Rio’s job? As Death we see it’s to ferry souls across to the other side. We see her do her job with Nicky and with Alice. She says she was ‘just doing my job’ when she talks about her scar. But she’s clearly not there to ferry Agatha’s soul. She doesn’t even attack her. So what ‘job’ is Rio there for? (Maybe as a partner?)

Agnes suggests Rio’s there to ‘steal her case’. To which Rio says that line we all adore. “No. If you want to be in control, you can be.” There are so many layers packed in that. The flirting layer, the Agnes fantasy layer, the Wanda spell layer, and potentially the why Rio is really there layer. The Agnes fantasy layer allows Agnes to role with her little FBI/small town detective role play. The Wanda spell layer shows that Rio’s saying Agatha can take control of herself back from Wanda’s spell. The why Rio’s there layer. Why she spends hours trailing after Agatha’s coven and patiently waiting for something. Rio’s letting Agatha be in control, until she’s hurt and raw about Agatha not ever wanting to see her again and starts to poke and prod for what she’s really after.

Agnes stutters a bit but immediately pulls the conversation back to the investigation. Rio asks “is this really how you see yourself?” with a look around Detective Agnes’ ‘office’. But she asks about the case, about Agnes’ theories regarding it. Agnes rattles one off about the perp carrying the body. “Seems logical, but you don’t really believe that.” Then shows a picture that Agatha made up. A picture we know from Billy’s POV episode is just of her neighbours yard. Which is when Agnes says “if there’s one thing we can agree on these cases are always about the place, the history of it, the people in it, the secrets buried beneath it. That’s where the answers lie.”

And ‘lo that’s exactly what this show is about. The place (The Road). The history of it. The people on it. The secrets buried beneath it. There’s mysteries here and Rio wants ‘Agnes’ to solve them.

The second time Rio shows up she interrupts Agnes staring at her son’s room, full of a life he did not live, to feed her and stare at her longingly (because it’s a universally acknowledged truth a lady cop can’t be good at her job *and* have a good home life and we already know Agnes sees herself as a lady cop whose good at her job). When Agnes says she has a lead in the case Rio replies “that’s not why I came over”. If we accept that the case is a metaphor for Wanda’s spell that adds a whole new layer to the response. They talk about it for a bit before Rio leans in and says “can I ask you something?” Agnes agrees and the question Rio asks, the reason she came over, is “Do you remember why you hate me?”

“No,” Agnes says.

“Are you hiding evidence?” Rio quickly asks.

“No,” Agnes lies.

“Well,” Rio says softly, “you’re only lying to yourself.”

Again we have the in spell layer of understanding (Agent Rio knows), the about the spell layer (Rio is poking at where Agnes and Agatha divide) and maybe that third layer. The why is Rio here layer. Why does Rio care if she’s Agnes or Agatha. Why did she show up the moment Agatha knew Wanda died? Fast forward a scene to Billy getting caught breaking in and ‘questioned’. When asked what he was after he says “The Road.”

“What road?” Agnes asks.

“You of all people should know,” Agnes’ imagination of Billy says. Agnes looks immediately to where Rio is hidden (or she imagine she’s hidden) watching. Agnes sees the dark stain on Billy’s fingers which ‘he’ explains away as ink from the finger printing (definitely no Darkhold here).

Finally she responds with “I was on a road this morning. It led to something pretty awful.”

What’s so interesting about this scene in particular is that we get to see it from another perspective. But we’ll come back to it. Because the very next scene is the morgue scene where Agatha starts clawing her way out of the spell. All while Rio encourages her. “But you don’t have to stay there, do you?” Rio asks. “Yes. Claw your way out.” Rio demands. Then she says almost softly “good.”

“There are two Jane Does in this case,” Rio explains. “And you know her name now. So, what’s yours?” She asks almost gently before mysteriously disappearing as though she was never physically there at all. Now if all Rio wanted was for Agatha to shake off the spell in order to kill her Rio would have no reason to be so gentle and proud of her for doing so. Then when Agatha was figuring out people were real and not just a figment of her imprisoned mind Rio blows down the door. Literally. To lunge at Agatha with bared knives and giggle about how she missed her. “I missed you.”

”I hate you,” Agatha denies.

“How long has it been, Agatha?” Rio asks.

“Not sure,” Agatha lies.

“Since you acquired the Darkhold,” Rio says and her voice is trembling. “You hid behind all that dark magic,” she sneers. “But then you lost it. And now,” she raises her eyebrows with excitement, “touch.” Rio forces her blade into Agatha’s neck just deep enough to draw a drop of blood. “You’re vulnerable.” Rio almost laughs.

“Only physically,” Agatha says. They fight a bit with Rio using, as OP said, only knives and fists.

“Do you remember pain,” Rio asks almost happily. “Kind of tickles, doesn’t it.” This is the second time Rio asks Agatha about remembering. The repetition raises the question, for me, if the first time was truly just about breaking Agatha out of Wanda’s curse.

They fight some more before Agatha gets Rio in a choke she’s in no hurry to get out of given how she holds Agatha’s hand to her neck. “You can’t kill me,” Rio taunts.

“You can’t kill me. It’s not allowed.” Agatha returns and the almost light hearted feel to the fight disappears. Rio kicks Agatha off her and raises to her feet with magic alone. She’s not smiling any more. She’s not playing either. She blasts Agatha for the first time since she said she missed her. At first glance it’s easy to read this as Rio wanting to kill Agatha and being upset she can’t. But that’s not it. She knows she can’t kill Agatha. What she’s truly upset about is the mocking “it’s not allowed”. The call back to those same rules which saw Nicky taken from Agatha and led to Agatha hiding from Rio with dark magic.

”Maybe I can’t kill you, but I can make you wish you were dead.” Rio threatens. Which is an odd call back given the previous exchange. Agatha can’t kill her, but she can make her wish she was dead.

”Wait, wait, wait. This isn’t what you want,” Agatha says. She talks about how Rio wants to see her at her best. Which Agatha takes to mean powerful, formidable. With her purple back. But Rio’s quick to offer Agatha ‘so take my power’. Then smiles when Agatha says that’s cute. And I think there’s truths hidden in these lies Agatha tells herself. That Rio does want to see her at the best but that doesn’t just mean magically powerful. It means being able to see Agatha. Or, as per episode 4 when Agatha asks what happens next and Rio says “I get the pleasure of watching you do what you do best.”

Agatha suggests Rio let her get her power back then come find her. Rio then talks about how she’s not the only one who wants to see Agatha dead.

“I could just sit back and watch,” Rio suggests easily.

She threatens to tell them where Agatha is but proceeds to tell Agatha who and when to expect her enemies. Enemies she hasn’t yet had a chance to inform. But somehow already knows Agatha should expect by sundown. Exactly as you would if you were setting someone up. Oh, wait. And because Rio totally hates Agatha she follows that up with telling her that her black heart beats for her and licks her hand to heal her. This is sarcasm by the way. Rio totally did this just to tell Agatha that her enemies are coming now that she’s no longer hidden and Rio isn’t allowed to kill. “You can’t kill… it’s not allowed.”

Hmm, now that I think about it I wonder how much that line pissed Rio off because she knows that means she can’t protect Agatha from the Salem Seven. And Agatha hates her so a polite or well meaning warning might very well be ignored. Or not acted upon with the haste Agatha needs to act. As it as she nearly didn’t gather the ‘coven’ quick enough to protect herself before Billy hijacked her trick. And how exasperated must Agatha have been to get not even 24 hours free from a Maximoff’s spell before descending into another one?

Then we jump to episode 4 interestingly titled “if I can’t reach you/let my song teach you”. When Billy is injured and Agatha’s trying to figure out “what else can we do?” Lilia tries to reassure her with “he’s young, he’s strong”.

“Don’t.” Agatha tells Lilia. “Don’t.” Agatha begs Rio. Rio sits back and watches. In another heartbreaking parallel Agatha’s helped in her efforts to save the boy she cares about (this time) by a protection witch, a potions witch, and a divination witch. The three things she tells Nicky in a later flashback she can’t do for him. Billy lives but Rio’s still watching Agatha’s reaction.

While Agatha’s watching over a sleeping Billy (and now we get why she didn’t trust him to heal while he slept without overseeing it) the rest of the coven talks around the fire. Lilia, whose job is to see, says to Alice “sad is better than angry” about grieving her dead mom.

Then we cut to Billy waking up. An interesting call back to Rio asking what Agnes’ name is in the form of Agatha saying you don’t need to know someone’s name to know who they are. And Billy dropping the question. “Agatha, what really happened to your son?” (A question she ignores). She walks away to go sit beside Rio and talk about scars.

When Agatha flees (again) Rio follows her and they hug. Tight. Before Agatha cups her face and leans in (which seems to be Agatha’s go to ‘kiss me’ move). And Rio interrupts her. Stops their moment to say “that boy isn’t yours.” Causing Agatha to physically step back. There’s a beat where Agatha gives the smallest nod and Rio waits. Before Agatha smiles politely (falsely) and walk away. Rio closes her eyes for a moment too long and the episode ends. Rio cockblocked herself in order to say this, waited for a response, and was disappointed when it was (still) Agatha putting her mask back on. Sad may be better than angry but Agatha’s definitely not ready for it yet. And Rio’s disappointed by that. Because Agatha’s anger about Nicky’s death is directed at Rio.

Now we go to Billy’s POV of his ‘interrogation’.

”What were you after?” Agnes asks.

“The Witches Road,” Billy says excitedly.

“What road?” Agnes demands.

“Oh my god,” Billy says with a new understanding of how deep Agatha is under the spell. Then it moves on. No ‘you of all people should know’. No dark fingers. No ‘I was on a road this morning’. No ‘it led to something pretty awful’. No Rio sitting back and watching.

Now follow me my friend, to glory at the end. The Road is over, Agatha said she never wants to see Rio again after having a very internalized panic attack interrupted by Rio figuring out Agatha was trying to hide Billy from her.

”I want my prize!” Agatha screams.

“So. Do. I.” Rio says slowly. They talk about how the agreement of getting Billy was/wasn’t met. And since he’s not there “that means you’re coming wth me.” Honestly Rio doesn’t seem to care Billy’s not there. She doesn’t care about actually killing Agatha. She’s way more interested in being upset, and sad, Agatha’s calling her evil. In making Agatha hurt physically because (back to their first fight) it’s the only way she’s vulnerable and Agatha just hurt her (if not physically). In calling out Agatha for being a coward because she loves Rio but doesn’t want her. And very noticeably none of Agatha’s cuts are deeper than Rio has already shown she can heal.

Billy shows up, Agatha gets her purple back, and Rio (whose unavoidable job supposedly demands she off the boy who isn’t Agatha’s) gives them the choice about who goes with her between them. Which tells us everything about what Rio’s truly after. Let me reframe the ‘choice’ Rio just offered. ‘Willingly give up, nay, convince the boy you care about who is doomed to Death to, of his own free will, embrace dying or willingly return to your estranged partner you’ve been displacing your anger on and running away from’. Well. I suppose Rio did say that Agatha could be in control if she wanted. She just didn’t say that either way there’s only one thing she really wants. She wants Agatha to forgive her. Because this is what the options boil down to. Stand in my shoes when I did my job for Nicky or come back to me.

We see this in the fight with Agatha’s magic back too. Rio’s opening move is to yeet Billy away. Then these two prove they match each others freak by flirting while they fight.

“Power looks good on you,” Rio says admiringly.

“Honey, everything looks good on me,” Agatha agrees.

”Seems like you’re having fun.” Rio comments.

“Who, me?” Agatha cackles (with joy?). They’re smiling at each other. Before Billy returns the yeet so Agatha and Billy can share a bonding moment and decide fighting Death is futile (but only physically apparently, Agatha still hasn’t given up the emotional fight).

Rio returns and Billy tells her to take him. Agatha agrees, as promised, she offers him up. And Rio chuckles and shakes her head. Not in disbelief. Not in happiness. More with a familiar disappointment. Agatha saunters away, smiles that polite fake smile she uses as a mask, and Rio does what she says she would. She sits back and watches. She makes no move toward Billy. No move to stop Agatha. No cheer for having ‘won’ because this isn’t a win. Agatha ducked out the choice Rio offered by pretending she doesn’t care about ‘the boy’. It’s Billy who does something. Who asks, again, if this is how Nicky died.

This time when Agatha leans in for a kiss, Rio kisses back. Not prepared at all to let her go. Not now. Not if there’s a hope of forgiveness.

If Rio had truly wanted Agatha’s death she wouldn’t respond to it by wrapping herself up in her cloak so she could hug herself and taking off her human face. Something she only ever did around Agatha (in the show) when she was distraught that Agatha said she never wanted to see her again.

And that’s why I believe the reason Rio’s there has been about her wanting Agatha back. Ideally by Agatha forgiving Rio and allowing herself to grieve Nicky but honestly by any means possible.

Re: “Rio's goal is to kill Agatha so she can be with her forever”

My brother in Christ, if Rio's ultimate goal this series was to kill Agatha we wouldn't have gotten past the first episode.

Okay okay, I get how it can be confusing because Rio literally says she wants to see Agatha dead in episode one and tells Agatha she'll let the Salem Seven (who do want Agatha dead) know where she is.

But it is noteworthy that Rio tells Agatha what she is going to do and when the Salem Seven are expected to arrive. Rio is usually surprisingly fair in how she deals with Agatha.

Rio has always met Agatha at her power level

In episode one, even assuming Agatha was protected by Wanda's spell and Rio couldn't harm her there, once it was broken Rio went "full analog" – to quote Hahn – with her knife, the only magic she used being the wind blasts.

Guys, that's not a serious murder attempt, that's foreplay to them. Violent, bloody, sexy foreplay.

Also Rio has healing powers. That's a thing they have very clearly shown.

To be clear, my read is that Rio can't actually kill anyone before their time ("You can't kill me, it's not allowed") just hurt them really really badly until they maybe choose to die ("I can make you wish you were dead"). Which you could argue equals killing I suppose, just slower.

But this is Agatha Harkness: all she really needs to survive is a bit of time to scheme and manipulate and do her usual girlbossing, gatekeeping, and gaslighting – and I think Rio also knows this. Agatha keeps surprising her, for better and worse.

Yes, Rio gets BIG MAD in episode 8 because Agatha says possibly The Worst Thing to her but the first part of their confrontation is technically physical torture, not murder attempts.

I know it sounds like I'm splitting hairs here but my point is that having Agatha dead isn't Rio's ultimate #1 goal. It's not so clean and easy.

There's something to be said about how the wounds Rio inflicts speak to how Rio sees herself hurt by Agatha emotionally in the relationship i.e. death by a thousand cuts, the severing of her Achilles tendon.

There’s probably something also be said about the relationship a being like Rio has with physical pain. Trees feel pain. Everything living does. Rio mocks Agatha for dulling herself to it using dark magic.

But I digress.

Anyway, note: it's only after Agatha gets magic back that Rio starts throwing magic blasts – and even then she seems to be holding back.

These two are possibly the worst two witches to fight each other directly like this because Agatha can't absorb Rio's magic or she'll die. She has to actively block or avoid all hits. And I bet this isn't something Agatha is used to dealing with considering she had no issues taking Wanda's magic.

And Rio is aware of this because she’s just lobbing quick little green blasts Agatha's way. It's not a torrent of magic like what Agatha is gleefully unleashing.

It's also the Watsonian (in-universe) explanation as to why this fight is so short. Because you literally can't straight up fight Death. Rio is a hard counter to Agatha's special siphoning ability just like how Agatha was a hard counter to Wanda's magic (insert your scissors-paper-stone visual of choice).

Rio doesn't want Agatha dead, she wants Agatha to want her

It's clear that Rio is grieving when Agatha dies. This isn't the outcome she wants. They're also both crying during the kiss it's great.

Rio wants what Agatha specifically tries to deny in the deal Agatha proposes: she wants to keep pursuing Agatha, to keep seeing her, provoking her, to be shocked and surprised by her. To keep loving her but also, to keep hurting her.

Because Agatha also hurts her right back. And Agatha knows she has Rio constantly on the emotional backfoot, that Rio – despite centuries of hatred thrown her way – still humours her more often than not and what levers to push.

I don't think this can happen with Agatha dead and gone.

To be fair, we don't know what the rules are in this world's afterlife. The only insight we get into Rio's job is her scene with Alice and that still leaves a lot of things unanswered: Does Rio just escort souls to a destination or does she have more control beyond that, like a domain? Can souls refuse to go with Rio? How do ghosts happen?

I had previously assumed Rio needed to allow it but Schaeffer says that her vision in that moment has Agatha's using an evolved form of the power to take Rio's magic by touch.

And with that, it's telling that it's Agatha who ultimately ensures that she dies (with the "calculated risk" of becoming a ghost), siphoning Rio's death magic energy.

Agatha embraces death, embraces Rio, but she also doesn't – Rio's clever witch got away again.

[struwberrii]

chapter 1 : the usual ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪

masterlist

another day goes by, same old same old. you wake up, get ready for work, then head down to the bakery and get things ready for opening. there are some good parts about owning my a bakery though, like being able to look out your stores window and seeing your new friend, osamu miya. you watch as he wipes down tables at his place.

you must’ve been staring for too long because you’re suddenly snapped out of your trance when you see him look up and wave over in your direction, to which you return. before you know it, it’s already time to open.

the day goes by fairly quick, some of your employees come and go, you make some of your signature deserts and making small talk with some of your regulars. honestly, your job wasn’t bad, it had always been a dream of yours to be the owner of a cute little bakery in tokyo, and now you’re finally fulfilling those dreams, you couldn’t be happier, sometimes you just wish you could push opening back a little later, but then you wouldn’t be able to see all your favorite customers who come in for a morning coffee and biscuit or slice of cake before they head of to work.

before you know it, lunch time rolls around, for lunch you usually head out to grab food or go cook at your apartment down the block, but today you decided to go visit osamu. when you first opened up your bakery,“dreamy desserts”, osamu was the first business owner to come welcome you to the strip, he also dropped off some of his famous onigiri, ever since that first bite you found yourself sneaking off across the street to grab an onigiri or 2, sometimes even bringing a few back to the bakery for your workers.

‘ring ring’

that familiar sound of the bells on the onigiri miya doors rang as you pushed the door open.

“ahhh y/n! nice to see ya’ round’ again!” osamu exclaims throwing his arms up in celebration. there were a few people in the store, waiting for their food or just eating at the bars, but you decided to make your way over to the cash register osamu was handling.

“hi osamu! i haven’t seen you in forever, what’s it been like 2 days now” you joked lightly pushing his shoulder. he brushed it off with a smiled and run you up for your usual. as you’re taking your card out you hear the entrance bell ringing again, you think nothing of it until you hear loud conversation between 2 men. then you pause again when you look up and see osamus once lit up face dressed in a smile, now rocking a frown so low you were taken aback.

you turned around to see what all the commotion was, only to see a blonde osamu looking straight through your head at osamu with a sly smirk, and a taller, foxy eyed boy stood next to him, you accidentally locked eyes with him, and it looks could kill, you’d be reduced to a pile of ash by now.

you whipped your head back around embarrassing quick and finished up paying for your onigiri while the two customers made their way to the bar next to you.

“heeeyyyy samu, got anything new fer me and sunarin to try?” the blonde laughed while nudging his darker haired friend in the arm “yeah how bout’ you try getting out of my restaurant”. osamu snapped back, yet his tone still sounded lighthearted.

after you paid for your food you made your way to another corner of the store to wait for your food to be made. scrolling on your phone a bit only to be interrupted by your name being called. you looked up only to see osamu and the 2 guys he was talking to staring back at you

“y/n! you’ve never met my brother, have you?” osamu questioned. “i honestly didn’t even know you had a brother” you laughed in return. “oh… whups”. osamu laughed back “whaattt!!! samu you don’t tell yer friends you’ve got a handsome older brother!?” the blonde snapped back at osamu. “why would i lie to my friends bout' having a handsome older brother?” this little encounter led to a short argument between the two brothers.

“well anyhow;” the blonde said looking back over to you, “i’m atsumu, samus brother, it’s a pleasure to meet you, and who might you be gorgeous” he said holding a hand out, giving you a sly grin. “i’m y/n, nice to meet you too” you say hesitantly shaking his hand in return. "and this guy here behind me is suna, hes actin' all shy" atsumu laughed, his friend looked up from his phone only to give atsumu a distasteful look before looking over to you. "suna, nice to meet you" he says nodding his head at you. such a short interaction and you already felt butterflies in your stomach.

he was so tall and toned, and his voice was so deep, you could have sworn you felt it in your chest. while you were fawning over him in your head you didn't even realize he had turned back to his phone, not even taking a second to wait for you to introduce yourself. oh god, he probably thinks your'e so rude now, just staring him down instead of properly introducing yourself. your'e definitely going to beat yourself up over this later.

"sorry for the wait y/n, heres yer food" osamu hands a paper bag to you over the counter. "wow, yer actually handing her the bag instead of smacking her on the side of the head with it, must be nice" atsumu says frowning at his twin. "maybe im nice to her cause' she isn't a pain in my ass" osamu snaps back. "tch, whatever" atsumu crosses his arms as a response. "see ya 'round y/n!" osamu waves as you make your way out "bye y/n" atsumu says after his brother, to which you wave in response.

on your way back to the bakery all you can think about is your interaction with suna. you thought about texing osamu about him, but decided on waiting until after the lunch rush died down in his store, and of course until after suna left, just incase osamu said something about it to him.

geez, this whole interaction has fully thrown you off your game, all you can think about it what youre going to text osamu tonight.

[straw-hat-nakama-22]

Snipits from fics I'll never finish part 3

“Sanji?”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re lying. You said you wouldn’t do that anymore.” Luffy said. Sanji felt his stomach drop and guilt roll through him.

What, suddenly you can’t be a liar anymore? You’ve never been anything else. You’ve been lying to the crew since you met them and now you have the gall to feel bad about it?

“I’m fine.”

“Tell the truth.”

“You don’t want the truth.” He said, slamming down the frying pan and throwing aside his dishcloth. It was the most disrespect he’d ever shown kitchen tools but he was so full of feelings that he couldn’t actually identify any of them. “You want a lie that’s easier to believe.”

He said it with vitriol but none of it was directed at Luffy. Had he ever been fully honest with them? Aside from the one time it’d been beaten out of him?

Zoro growled,

“You’ve got no right talking to the Captain like that. Especially not after everything you’ve pulled.”

I know.

“Swordsman...” Robin cautioned.

“You weren’t even there. You have no idea what happened.” Sanji grit. And maybe that hurt a little. Even though part of him wished no one from the crew had come for him, the fact that some of them hadn’t... How selfish and hypocritical was that? The ones that didn’t come, that had judged something else was more important than his freedom and his life, were the ones that were right. And the one’s he’d fooled into thinking his life was worth something, he’d rewarded with violence and condescension.

“How could I?! You haven’t told us anything! Are we Nakama or not!?”

“Please stop it.” Chopper warbled. Nami stayed silent, holding her arm and looking away.

“Zoro.” Robin repeated.

“You don’t want to kn-”

“We deserve to know!”

“Fine! How much truth are you entitled to exactly!? The truth is my rotten old family was going to wipe you and the Baratie off the face of the map if I didn’t go along with a marriage to a stranger who, by the way, was planning to kill me! Or the truth that saving me from being an unfeeling monster like my brothers killed my mother. That I was trained to kill from birth?! That I shamed and disappointed my father so much by being a weak, useless human that he faked my death and locked me away when I was seven?! What about how the second they got me back out was into a lab to poke around and see if they could fix me! How about this truth?! From here on out I’m nothing but a liability to this crew! Anywhere we go, the stain of my infamous family name is going to follow! Or what about this? Luffy never should have saved me. I should have just died there. I should have died in the cradle before I could do any damage to anyone. There’s your truth, second mate.” Sanji turned to look at them, eyes glassy, face red, chest heaving. Chopper was sobbing behind his hooves. Robin and Nami were muffling there sobs as well. Luffy was crying and furious at the same time and Sanji hated it. Hated all of it. Hated the way brook was sat in the corner of the room leaning on his cane and looking away. Hated how Franky and Jimbe looked ready to kill somebody. Hated that Usopp looked so lost and small. He glared at Zoro, whose eyes were wide with shock and disbelief. “Well? Is this what they deserved? Do feel satisfied, now.” Zoro’s expression didn’t change. He was still looking at Sanji like he’d been impaled.

Sanji felt his shoulder’s drop. What did it matter if they knew anyway? I was going to change anything. They didn’t want him around before, they wouldn’t want him around now. It might even be for the best. Now they’d convince Luffy to let him go. He turned and left the galley. 

His legs, arms, and torso still ached, but he needed a cold plunge. He leapt over the edge of the Sunny, away from the warm, phantom arms trying to pull him back, and dove into the water. This time, no matter how long he swam, the pain in his body never surpassed the pain in his heart.

[suburbonlegends]

I'm redoing an entire chapter of my "Grab My Hand and Don't Ever Drop It" fic so here's the original draft lol. It's basically it's own ficlet, where Peter rescues Neal after Neal goes missing. About 800 words.

It was just out of practicality that Peter kept being in situations where he needed to hold Neal Caffrey’s hands. The third time hardly even counted as holding.

It started when his heart fell through his stomach when Mozzie called him one night. “Neal is with you, right?”

“No? He left work around six, I haven’t seen or heard from him since.” It was now going on eleven, Peter had just been finishing up going over the paperwork for the undercover mission they’d done that day. A lawyer had come in accusing the bosses at her attorney’s office of money laundering, and Neal had been sent undercover as her new assistant to do some poking around, track down the trail.

“I just came over, a long day of- nothing actually, but he’s not here. June says he hasn’t come home yet. She also thought he was with you.”

“Damnit. Damnit.” Peter hung up the phone without another word and dialed Diana as he pulled up Neal’s tracking anklet. “Listen Diana, something’s gone wrong for Neal. I’m pulling his tracking data up now, since we didn’t get a call from the marshal’s he must still be inside his radius. I want you to call for backup and send them to this address.” Thank god he put Neal’s tracker back on him when they’d debriefed after the work day. Peter had almost let him go home without it, just in case, but he’d thought there would be less risk in Neal wearing it than not. He thought the lawyers weren’t going to ask him to meet up in the middle of the night, but other people might jump on the opportunity to talk while Neal was off his radius, so keeping tabs on Neal off the clock was supposed to be an overly cautious risk.

Peter was right in one aspect. Neal wasn’t asked.

Peter and his back up found Neal in an abandoned warehouse in Hell’s Kitchen, because of course that’s where it was. The two managing partners for the law office had him gagged and held at gunpoint, watching as Neal made the dye for their printing press and fed it through the machine. The bastards stood there in coats, gloves, and hats while Neal worked in only his suit in the late January cold.

“I knew y-you’d check my t-tracker eventually.” Neal’s teeth chattered as he spoke once Peter pulled the gag from his mouth. “Was j-just killing t-time unt-til then.”

“Mozzie called, told me you weren’t home, that’s when I checked.” Peter said, untying the knotted cloth. “Would’ve been another hour or two before I checked on my way to bed.”

“Always burning the m-midnight oil. Speaking of, I’m r-r-really cold.”

Peter unzipped his coat and wrapped it around Neal’s shoulders before ushering him to his car outside. He cranked the heat on high, pointing the vents at Neal, then taking one of Neal’s shaking hands in his own to hold it up to the heater while also examining it.

Neal hissed at first, instinctively trying to pull his hand away, but Peter held firm to it, rubbing his palm over the back. “Need to warm them up before you get fucking frostbite.”

“Not gonna get frostbi-bite.” Neal argued, shifting in his seat. “Wool suit at least k-kept me from getting hy-hypothermia. Just f-fucking cold.”

“Being fucking cold is the first step to both frostbite and hypothermia.” Peter kept rubbing Neal’s hand between his own, then grabbed the other and repeated the process. “Maybe I should take you to the ER, get you checked out.”

“No. Peter I’m f-fine. Just-just give me ten m-minutes to warm up.”

So, Peter did just that, watching the car clock closely as he switched from rubbing Neal’s left hand to his right and back again. Slowly but surely, Neal’s teeth stopped, he stopped shivering, and his hands went from painfully white to slowly regaining their pink. By the time the ten minutes were up, Peter was satisfied that Neal wasn’t in immediate danger, but like hell he was going to let him out of his sight.

“Call Mozzie, tell him you’re staying at El and mine’s place tonight. You need somewhere warm.”

“June’s is warm Peter,” Neal said, but soft and laced with exhaustion. “I have a bed with blankets and everything.”

“You have fucking grandiose antique windows that I know keep that room ten degrees colder than whatever the thermostat is set to.” Peter gave one last squeeze to Neal’s left hand before letting it go. “I’ll call Elizabeth while you call Mozzie to let him know you're okay. She’ll have soup ready for you. She even has some fresh sourdough from the bakery.”

Neal watched him hesitantly, eyeing Peter over, before softly, “Can you ask her to toast the bread?”

[gdn7-dollopole]

I should find another hobby

Anyway, if Merlin was set in modern times, Arthur would have called Merlin his “gay awakening”.

[sweetandglovelyart]

Knightfall in Dream Land - Page 13

Meta Knight starts fighting Whispy as his friends watch.

[blueskittlesart]

oh so THAT’S what you guys meant about persona 4.

[ifwebefriends]

Trying to fight off the Magnus Archive obsession brain worms for the time being because that show and the characters Do Things to my brain

[bibleofficial]

i’ve been up like 3hrs & 2/3 of each hour has been me shitting & suffering like

[tsuchinokoroyale]

Was soooooo happy with this phase 1 which is what made it so much funnier that I was immediately clapped by his phase 2 😂

[chilapis]

WE’RE SO FUCKING BACK WE’RE SO FUCKING BACK WE’RE SO FUCKING BACK

[kitkatsgalore]

Happy birthday, Yechan! 🥳

[queenreynaofnewrome]

in honor of the rwrb sequel (!!!) being announced, here’s my firstprince demigod AU

series: and I want you now, wanna need you forever

status: ongoing (currently 2 parts) (part one) (part two)

featuring: Greek son of Aphrodite Alex, Roman son of Apollo Henry