#Is he unable to be called in the core because of the distance or the light it produces?

[maxladcomics]

[charliemwrites]

Part 6 of SpecGru (former 141) reader; Simon’s perspective again.

Content: brief implication/mention of reader having idle suicidal ideation. In the way of “I don’t care if something happens to me” kind of way. Happens during a phone call between Price and reader’s new captain.

Please be careful and safe. If someone needs this part summarized, let me know. I love you all very much <3

Here’s the truth of it: Simon never meant for you to leave.

You were too close, that was true. He did everything short of actually hurting you to drive you away. Treated you like a plaything, took your kindness and patience and feelings for him for granted. Left you cold and alone in a hospital bed — unable to see you pale and half-dead all because you were so goddamn headstrong…

That had put it all in vicious perspective. That he couldn’t keep you safe; knowing him, following him, would surely end with you on a metal table rather than a clean hospital bed.

In hindsight, he knows it was as much for his own sake as yours, trying to force that emotional distance between you two. But he just… he can’t do it. Not again. Not you. You’d break him.

But he never meant for you to leave. Not really.

Maybe take an extended solo mission. Or just break off the romance of it all. Maybe you’d stay away for a while, give him time to sort out his feelings and shove the useless ones back into the pit they belong in.

He didn’t expect you to be gone as soon as you could stand.

“You said yourself, Simon, she’s too young and reckless. The 141 can’t afford to babysit her,” Price explained.

“She nearly got you killed, LT,” Soap pointed out. That was before he found out that you were gone for good, not just on disciplinary leave.

And when he did…

“No. No, she dinnae…” he wiped a hand down his face, eyes going a bit glassy. “Why? Why would she… didn’t we mean anythin’ to her? I know we were all a bit on the rocks but ‘s just cos she gave us a scare…”

Gaz took it the hardest, showing up most morning with red-rimmed, puffy eyes. He tried texting you a hundred times; they never went through.

He and Soap begged Price to reconsider, saying that he had no right to kick you out without consulting the rest of the squad.

“I just told her that she should consider transfer,” Price corrected, steely.

“Same fuckin’ thing, ain’t it?” Soap raged. “What else ‘s she gonna do when it’s her captain sayin’ it?”

And Price had finally crumbled, his stubbornness giving way to a clearer head and regret in the aftermath. Simon knew how he felt; had been haunted with the same gut-wrenching feeling for two weeks by that point.

“You’re right. I shouldn’t have…” he wiped a hand down his face. “I’ll call Laswell, see if she can put us through.”

As it turned out, your new team had deployed you almost immediately. You were gone, relying on teammates you barely knew, and there was no guarantee when (or even if) you’d be reachable again.

When Laswell put Price through to your new captain instead, he scoffed down the line.

“That how the great John Price sends off his own?” He gruffed.

“I take care of my own,” Price replied, narrow-eyed.

“That’s explains it then, doesn’t it?” A shifting on the other end. “Well, she’s one of mine now, at least; better off that way I think.”

He was on speaker phone with the SpecGru captain. Shouldn’t have been, but it wasn’t a confidential call. So the rest of the 141 was there, vibrating with the effort to stay quiet.

Simon balled his hands into fists, arms crossed. He didn’t trust anyone with one of theirs. No, you belonged right there with the rest of the 141. They could keep you safe, keep you alive.

“The hell is that supposed to mean?” Price growled.

“Let me just ask you this, Price. And only because I need to know how to take care of her.” A pause, shuffling of papers. Something heavy and almost… hesitant in the silence before- “Did she always have this DNR order?”

Price’s office turned to ice. Simon’s entire shuddered, cored out. The arm of the chair Soap was occupying cracked. Gaz’s hand was covering his mouth, blood draining from his face.

“No,” Price answered, voice little more than rust.

A grunt on the other end.

“Thanks for the insight,” your new captain replied, sounding nonplussed. “At least you were good for something.”

The line droned, dead.

—

You’re standing with the rest of SpecGru, beaming like each and every one of them hung a star just for you. They orbit like you’re the sun, even Nikto, holding you in his arms, letting you lean back against him.

(You used to look at Simon like that. Used to let him hug you like that on the occasion he was weak and gave into the temptation to hold you.)

Every time he looks at you, it’s like a stranger with your face all over again.

You hold your shoulders differently. Tilt your head different. Have a certain control over your facial features better than any mask Simon’s donned.

Today you’re dressed down from your tac uniform. Specifically, your long-sleeve thermal has been replaced by a sleeveless gym shirt. It reveals that tattoo he caught only a glimpse of before — a big, intricate thing from your shoulder down your wrist.

(He and Johnny were going to go with you for your first tattoo. You asked them for all sort of recommendations. Enjoyed tracing Simon’s sleeve when he let you.)

There are more scars too. Burns, bullet grazes, jagged knife marks and patches from bad scrapes.

Nova is finishing up the wrapping on your hand, the other already done. You’re listening to something Russ is spouting off about, whatever it is making you laugh loud enough to be heard where Simon is lurking.

“C’mon,” Johnny says, bumping shoulders with Simon. “Know we fucked up yesterday, but we can try again. Maybe letting her beat the shite out of us will help clear the air, aye?”

Simon forces himself to look away. He already knows you won’t be glancing over.

“Yeah,” he replies. “Maybe.”

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Masterlist

[itsthatmff]

New Years Kiss w The OPM Men

Included: Genos, Saitama, Zombieman, Metal bat

Fem!reader

Happy New year guys! Writing the dialogues was so fun here ~ i hope you enjoy

Genos

Preparations during New year’s Eve were going perfectly. Saitama was expecting the usual guests, even Dr. Kuseno was coming over. So it was Genos’ Job to have everything perfectly set. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t disappointed that you couldn’t come and spend new year’s together since you had a busy PR schedule as a high ranked S-class heroine. But he respected it since he knew how important work was to you.

As the blonde set the table he watched King and Saitama play a round of those street fighter games they liked. Fubuki arrived with Bang and his Brother only a little later. Genos wasn’t that pleased to see Fubuki but he wouldn’t comment on it. As Dr. Kuseno finally arrived with some premium meat as a thank-you gift they began to have dinner together, reminiscing of the last time they sat together having hotpot. The TV displayed the new years countdown with 30 minutes left and even though the ghost town of City Z was pretty much a dead corner, you could hear fireworks already being fired in the distance.

Genos was a pretty quiet guy, but on this evening he was even quieter than usual, which surprised Dr. Kuseno among the others.

“Yeah don’t mind him, he’s scowling because he can’t spend new year’s with his girl.” Saitama mentioned to dr. Kuseno as he grabbed some good meat with his chopsticks.

Genos eyes widened as his sensei exposed him, “Saitama Sensei!” He called out, attempting to somehow justify himself.

The old man smiled at the small banter. He was proud to see genos, who he treated like a son, to have found something besides his thrive for revenge to hold dear, “Who knows, maybe there’s a surprise waiting for you Genos.”

A surprise? What an usual thing to say. Was dr. Kuseno giving him a riddle? Before he could further dwell on it King next to him snatched away the expensive Enoki mushroom that was in front of him.

“First come first serve.”, King muttered with a full mouth and shrugged. Genos felt like blasting this tight one room apartment to pieces. Everyone was going on his nerves.

With about 5 minutes left to the countdown and the table having been completely devoured, the fireworks multiplying in the sky, Fubuki pointed towards the home telephone that started ringing. “Someone’s calling.”, she said as she sipped on some soda.

Genos eyes narrowed, a call this late at night? It couldn’t be from the association since they wouldn’t call from the home telephone. His guard was up, preparing for any threat that could arise. “I shall take it.”, the blonde said as he set the dishes down.

With quick steps he went to grab the call, his metal hand gripping around the telephone. “State your name. What business do you have this late at night?” A thousand different names came to his mind, and none of them were pleasant.

“Come down quick- You have 3 minutes left!!” A female voice rang. He could recognize that tone anywhere. But it couldn’t be- What was his girlfriend doing Downstairs? You said you were busy with schedules.

“(Y/N)?” Your name glided through his lips in an unsure voice. Before you could even reply he hung up and ran down the stairs. You had come to see him. You really did. His brain was working overtime, unable to process the facts.

And indeed, there you were standing in the middle of the dim lit street in front of the shabby apartment building. You greeted him with a big smile. “Didn’t expect to see me?”

You had never seen him this surprised before. He simply shook his head. “No, I did not. Aren’t you supposed to be working?”

“Yeah. I got invited to some flashy new year’s party. I sneaked outta there tho.”, you went to grab his cold metallic hand. “Was the dinner nice?”

His core felt like jumping out of his chest as he tightened his hand around yours. “Yes. You should come upstairs. I can make you something to eat.”, he muttered in a low voice, his eyes were glued to yours as golden fireworks sizzled in the dark sky.

You let out a short laugh, “And have the bunch bother and tease us? Hell no.” This was a special moment for you. You wanted to spend it preciously with him alone. With a glance at your phone you could see that there was one minute left. In the end you were able to slide into a new year together with your most loved one.

Genos felt the heat rise to his ears. What was this feeling? He tried to overplay it by just talking, “Dr. Kuseno brought some premium Meat. Unfortunately the others greedily devoured them leaving not a single piece aside.”

“15…14..13..” you counted down loudly as you listened to him talk. Why were you counting down?? Was there something he was missing out on?

He carried on, still looking into your eyes, “Especially Hellish blizzard was not shy of stuffing herself full. My facts still stand, she’s a she-devil-“

“..9…8…7..”, you continued to count down with a wide smirk on your face which only irritated him more.

He carefully spoke with a raised eyebrow, were you planning on attacking him? Did you want to train at this moment? “And king dared to take away my Enoki mushroom that I have saved for last. These people have no manners at all-“

“3..2..1! Times up!” You interrupted him as you suddenly pressed your lips onto his and Fireworks erupted in the background.

Genos eyes widened. A kiss of all things? He felt like melting right at that spot. With gentleness he went to hold the back of your head and kissed you back as his eyes closed.

So this was what a New years kiss meant.

Saitama

New Years Eve meant a bunch of sales at the supermarkets! Saitama didn’t really care for fireworks or big partying.

As he returned to his apartment though, he was surprised by you and Genos having decorated his small one room apartment. There were balloons on the ceiling and the round table was filled with snacks and whatnot.

“So y’all decided to throw a party without asking me first?” Saitama simply sighed as he set down the groceries.

“It was (Y/N)’s Idea Saitama Sensei.” Genos mentioned hoping that saitama would tolerate it more if genos mentioned your name.

“Who else did you guys invite hm?” , saitama asked as he took off his hero suit.

“Well..a party isn’t fun without enough guests.” You said with a smirk as you poured yourself a drink.

And thats how Saitama’s New years eve ended up being spent with 7 Other People in his tiny apartment. But the Food was good, the mood was great and so were the conversations. Saitama couldn’t complain.

After everyone finished eating and Genos went to clean the table, you slipped away from the others at a few minutes left on the countdown to watch the fireworks from the balcony.

Saitama quickly noticed your face missing and followed you to the balcony. This was better, at least you’d have some privacy here. You both leaned towards the railing and watched the sky.

“How did you like your own party?” Saitama asked you as he nudged your arm.

“It’s my first time Celebrating New Year’s like this.”, you replied as you looked towards your boyfriends face. “That firework over there looks like you. Egg shaped.” You pointed towards the oddly shaped firework with a laugh to loosen the tension. You wanted this night to be held with nice memories, not depressing ones.

“Hey- No It doesnt!” Saitama stubbornly responded and nudged your arm again. But his mind was still stuck towards your previous words. “It’s my first time as well. Celebrating New Year’s like this. Before that I was concerned about having no heater and loosing hair.” Saitama added and you could’ve sworn that he had moved a bit closer.

“You still have no heater. And You look through hair growth shampoos when you’re shopping.” You teased with a smirk and looked back towards the room, The TV showed that one minute was left on the counter, Somehow Bang and Bomb were playing shogi? You had no idea how that board appeared. King was watching Genos and Fubuki bickering with eachother. You finally felt like you belonged somewhere, even if it was in a state of mess.

“Hey- I’ll kick em out soon enough. You’re staying over tho right?” Saitama leaned into you and spoke a bit quieter.

“I don’t know. Depends.”

“Depends on what?”

“On what you’ll do once the counter reaches zero.” You were getting what you wanted one way or the other.

Saitama gave you the most confused look. After a bit of pondering it finally came to him. 5 seconds left. “You can hit me if I’m wrong but..” He went to cover your eyes gently in case He really was wrong. He didn’t want to see your upset face.

With a deep breath he leaned in and went to kiss your lips. He had never been this gentle with you before. You didn’t know if it was your heart pounding or the Fireworks going off. You felt his warm hand on the bridge of your nose and your eyes. The kiss only lasted a few seconds but it felt like centuries. When he pulled away you could tell that he was a bit nervous. What if you hit him right this moment? Even though he didn’t need to worry about that since he was the strongest guy on earth. Even the universe probably.

Your face felt so warm that the January breeze was nothing in your skin.

“I’m staying over.”

Zombieman

Believe it or not Zombieman wasn’t a big fan of fireworks. It was way too loud and noisy for him. He’d rather be smoking or having a good meal during such an evening. But his mortal girlfriend had other ideas for New year’s Eve. You insisted on spending it together doing something meaningful. And what his darling wanted she would get.

You both had a late night Dinner at a steak house where Zombieman proceeded to tell you about different weapon models and his favorite cigarette brands.

“Between the Seven stars with charcoal filter and American spirit blacks I’d have to choose the Seven stars. American spirit blacks are when I’m really feeling it you know? They’re too precious to pop out during a fight.”

You loved listening to his rants, you really did. But you wanted more out of this date today. It was New Year’s Eve after all! “Any cigarettes that you’d like to smoke right now?” You asked him, trying to lure him out for a smoke break. There were a few minutes left till New year’s and you planned on watching the fireworks from here out through the wide panoramic window’s.

He looked at you a bit startled. He had not planned on smoking any during this date at all, thinking it might be disrespectful towards you. “None really. Why?”

“I know you want a sweet treat. Just say which ones.” You replied steadfast.

He thought for a bit. “American spirit blacks. They’re in my trenchcoat and this seems like a moment I can cherish.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” You said as you got up.

Zombieman really had no idea where you were going with this. “But we will miss out on the fireworks.” He said as he grabbed his coat and followed you out.

With an eyeroll you retorted, “We can watch them outside as well!”

And there he was, smoking a cigarette right outside of the Steakhouse. A situation he wanted to avoid for your sake. “You really are weird you know that?” Zombieman took a puff and looked up to the sky. He had to admit that the cigarette did make him feel more relaxed though.

Meanwhile you admired him smoking in his trench coat. Well you had to drag him outside. You didn’t want to kiss him with all those people watching. “Am I?”

Your words had him look down towards you, “What are you planning?” There wasn’t anger behind his tone but genuine intrigue.

“Kiss me in 10 seconds.” You didn’t care about being sleek anymore. There was no time left!

“What?”

“You heard me.”

This guy really couldn’t understand you. But if it was your wish then he’d comply. He threw the cigarette on the ground and stomped on it with his boot before turning towards you. 10 seconds should have passed right about now. With that he leaned in and gave you a tender kiss.

Usually the taste of cigarettes on his mouth bothered you. But you didn’t care. before you could intensify the kiss he had pulled away to glance at the fireworks setting off.

A smug smile was plastered on his lips.

“Is that the ‘Happy New Year’s’ you wanted?”

Metal bat

For Badd New Years Eve was a big event considering that his little Sister loved fireworks. He reluctantly agreed to go set off some fireworks in front of their home. Nothing too big, just a few firecrackers and whatever else the markets sold specifically for young children. And of course Zenko had persisted on having you there as well.

“I’m surprised Zenko’s not tired yet even though its so late.” You said to Badd as you watched him light up fire crackers for the small girl.

“Said she wanted to stay up till New Year’s this time. Last time she fell asleep around 8.” He replied whilst watching Zenko’s eyes light up at all the ‘mini fireworks’

Badd got up to stand next to you and let zenko have her own fun. “But seriously thanks for coming over. You really didn’t have to.”

You went to grab his hand. Of course you would come over! Being with your boyfriend and his little sister felt like being with family. “You know I love spending time with you two.”

He looked at you with a small smile. He felt guilty. Other couples probably went out on proper dates during New year’s eve. “Next time we’ll do something alone.”

Suddenly Zenko ran over to you both as she watched you two hold hands with a smug face. “Are you two gonna kiss at 12? Like you kissed under the mistletoe?”

Badd’s face immediately turned red at his sisters words. “Hey! Don’t say such things. These are grown up matters anyways.”

“I don’t want to disturb you two kiss. The neighbor auntie said that if a new year’s kiss gets disturbed the couple will get bad luck throughout the year!” Zenko enthusiastically said. Usually spending time with her brother was more important but she liked you a lot.

With that she went to hide behind the door. She was obviously waiting for you two to finish so that she could crawl back and spend New years together.

You sighed and faced badd, “She won’t stop till we do it no?”

“Yeah. Looks like it.” He scratched the back of his neck and avoided eye contact. Shit. He felt like his heart was going to burst any second.

When the counter reached zero you two awkwardly looked at each other and then away. Someone had to take the first step. You decided to gather all your courage and pressed your lips against his. Metal Bat stood frozen until he closed his eyes and relaxed into the kiss. Fireworks and laughter could be heard through the streets.

When you both pulled away Zenko Came to hug you two. “Happy new year!”

[jazeswhbhaven]

The Encounter of Two Flames | React | Spoilers

SO LOVELIES I REALLY ENJOYED THESE TWO PARTS LEMME TELL YA

Like...especially when part 6 came about???? Ahhhhh anyways let's goooo

We start with Satan rollin' and tusslin' with Sitri (who isn't being called Sitri just yet, just a devil with no name) and I'm just like damn so it's like that huh?

But I mean...why wouldn't it be? Hell is pretty much a place where anything goes so this isn't really above that with random devils being feral and attackin' folks lol

But...why did they have to say "he pinned his arms on the ground" because my brain did not see that innocently.

ANYWAYS

I know he's pretty much all instinct and no brain cells, but feral Sitri is giving me what I need. A devil at his core without direction. The thrill, the danger, all of datttt.

BUT again, I digress....(over here simpin' for feral sitri like i'm s t a r v i n g)

So it seems Satan has found this rumored devil beast and tries to talk with him, but to his surprise he is unable to speak to him in words just growls.

I like how Satan just casually comments that devils are just fucking made without proper thought. I'm sure early on he meant God and not necessarily Lilith (or honestly he could have meant both of them who knows)

So he tries to test Sitri, and was even like "should I kill you?" and Sitri ofc responds very aggressively, indicating that he can't speak but he can understand Satan. I really want to know his thought process and how he processes Satan's words though.

I know that the devil's have their own language, because it's been brought up a couple times in the side stories with Ppyong and Minhyeok with Ppyong complaining that he can't read Minhyeok's language but he can still understand him. So if Sitri can't read or talk...I wonder how it is he can understand his native tongue? Perhaps body language, that sort of thing.

Satan indirectly telling Sitri he has big D energy lolololololololol

Seriously though, he asks for Sitri to be his subordinate but he just straight up BITES him lmao

flashback to me writing about my fankid Cain biting Satan's arm too...it seems that Satan is used to this kind of reaction after all. This also was by chance I had no idea they were going to have this happen for them lol

So he's just out here chewin' and munching on his arms and then....

Apparently by drinking Satan's blood you can also see his memories. And that's an interesting fact that I shall use in my future writing later....

So it turns out that he saw a lot through Satan's blood, making it to where he even backs away from him and tries to keep his distance, Satan is just over here like "haha told you so, you can't beat me." and well he would be right. At this point he could very much get rid of Sitri in a second.

Buttt not so fast.

So Satan thanks him for killing off angels in Gehenna, and Sitri tries AGAIN to attack him and gets a swift kick in the gut. It seems our feral boi just won't let up just yet. Satan even brings up the fact that Sitri may be pissed that he saw that there are other devils he simply can't defeat.

He even calls him out by saying Sitri does like him he just doesn't know how to process everything at the moment. He offers to show him more.

Oh my.

So Satan does the craziest thing (his poor red lump friends are freaking out this entire time btw) and pulls out his fucking heart! So ya'll who guessed that it was Satan's heart were in fact correct. It appears that devil's hearts are just smaller versions of themselves, which is a cool concept instead of looking like a human heart. Which I mean yes that would make sense a devil's heart would be different.

The reason Satan even did this though, is because Sitri has to see and accept his blood properly, straight from the source of his heart/core. And I'm just like this is so badass when you really think about it because I imagine if the other Kings had found Sitri first it would go very different and Satan is just like "yah drink my blood it's all good, we're bonding"

also this cg is very pretty like sunset/sunrise in the backgroun, satan's pretty pink hair, that little fang...ahhhhhhhhh

He's makin' us fall in love with him all over again ain't he?

Feral Sitri is thinking very deeply about taking the offer of biting into Satan's heart...it's really just wild to me though that this was his life prior to what we're seeing now. Just living off the land, killing, with raw power??? I mean...just from this lore alone we know that Sitri is really fucking strong, and I wonder if he's the strongest noble out of all the countries. That's something to think about. (i mean he did fucking set all of gehenna on fire from being depressed so...)

So Feral Sitri takes a bite, and well...it's a night and day difference when he does!!

The information processes so much I think I would personally go mad from having to do that but Sitri is doing well. He learns about the Kings, Hell, how it all ties together, Satan being the one to run front and center of it all.

He calls him "Master" and even starts crying and stuff.

Ya'll this entire time I could only think about this....

Also the scene where he and Lestat first exchange blood.

Phew....like Sitri being all submissive and level headed just gives me vibes from this movie (and show)

I'm sorry ya'll I'll stop LMAO (the music in the background in the event didn't help)

But yes, Sitri is totally tamed now after seeing Satan's full self, memories, and that he is going to forever be his devil. His right hand, ride or die, basically everything. And thus why we see that he has so much devotion for Satan and values his opinion.

OH SO SATAN NAMED HIM SITRI

And Sitri says it back to which the red lump devils blush when hearing him say it. (I love these little guys they are adorable)

Satan goes to say that he liked him upon first meeting him and that he wants him to stay by his side, learn to read and fight, and he mentions for Levi to raise him???

And me and the devils and Sitri are like???? Satan what? who?

LOL NOT LEVI COMIN' IN WITH THE INSULT

and Satan is like "You can't call me that unless you're Mammon"

w h

a t

Turns out Mammon is there too.

there goes my theory that he was trapped.....

So I was way off, it seems that this happened after Mammon's origin story which would have me believe that it's possible that Mammon is older than Satan, and possibly older than Levi, but not older than Beel and Lucifer. And technically since Belphie is still asleep, who knows how old he is. Me trying to figure out this timeline has me running in circles lol

So Levi and Mammon are there because they were trying to get Sitri first...perhaps Leviathan just wanted Sitri for his own reasons, and Mammon wanted him just because and I assume Bimet wasn't an adult just yet to be his right hand devil at this time.

Satan is feeling dizzy and requested a healing devil, Mammon is just like "ah hell you're cute I'll help you."

screaming because this is pretty much why i love their dynamic and why Astra is in a polyship with them...

Levi was just gonna let his ass pass out. lmao Instead he's bitching about how Satan is requesting him to "raise this filthy beast" and not hand him over (Levi calls Sitri an "it" but that's to be expected with his rude ass lol)

And Satan is like "I'll invade Hades if you don't" and I'm laughing my ass off because that's such a Satan thing to say.

And Levi just kinda scruffs Sitri like a cat and is like "Ugh he stinks" and Mammon is happy that Levi is listening to Satan and wants to pat his head and Levi ofc is pissed and saying for Mammon to back the fuck up.

Even back then Leviathan is just taking names and dishing out the heat. He's only listening because he finds it annoying if he lets Satan just raid out Hades like that.

The red lumps assume that it's because Satan is strong and would win, but-

Levi. Bro. Sir. P L E A S E lmaoooooo

I'm crying.

But Satan tells a struggling Sitri that since he found him first to make sure he comes back and stays strong while under Levi.

Levi is just out here having the time of his life though just scruffin' Sitri, and treating him like some object or weapon which okay I guess Levi go off.

"I may invade Gehenna to get my hands on this thing once I unlock its abilities"

*EYE ROLL*

Don't say that about Sitri. I'll box you.

The babies. Mammon probably was just holding him like :)))) look at this cute devil that I own. So small, so delicate...

I love them your honor.

Then some time later....Foras is doing his whole thing and saying that a devil wants to request an audience with Levi.

Ya'll do you see how annoyed he is already like goddamn what were you doing that was so important?

But he knows it's Sitri that wants to see him....and well it seems that we will learn on part 7 what he wants!!!

So the reason that part 6 was my favorite is obvious, because ya'll saw me going ham on those gifs and enjoying the interaction with the Kings once again meeting up in one area. It really just has me knowing that their "friendships" are that far back...and their dynamics will always stay the same. Levi always giving empty threats, Satan being headstrong, Mammon in the back just being casual and observing while patronizing his peers without knowing that's a bad thing to do lol

But I'm one step closer to figuring out this timeline ya'll...it's still far but I'm getting there slowly...this is one of the times I actually care about lore timelines even though my fic doesn't really follow it anyways. (it's important though for my fankid au)

But yeesss I'll see ya'll on the next react! I'm stacking 'em up again so it will be day 7 and 8 the next go around.

[flowervolcano]

I’ll never get over the fact that Deadpool once couldn’t even remember Taskmaster’s name, he called him Barney Toastmaster around the second time he met Tasky.

Yet, after all that time he cannot get Tony’s name out of his mouth.

In almost every issue of Deadpool (2024) he’s almost exclusively called Taskmaster Tony, before this series he really only called him Tasky if given a nickname at all (think there were a few Tony’s here and there, my memory is a tad spotty).

Then he even called him Anthony… which is HIS FULL NAME. And basically nobody calls Taskmaster Anthony, and why should they?

Most everyone refers to him as Taskmaster, Tasky or Tony. Never Anthony, and he doesn’t seem to have an issue with this at all, in fact I was always under this assumption he only wanted to be referred to as The Taskmaster

But there’s Wade calling him ANTHONY and Tony doesn’t complain about it. I find that so interesting…

It just shows how much their relationship has evolved from first not even saying the right name to being unable to just call him Taskmaster. They are wayyy beyond the “professionalism” that the two used to share in their respective careers, from what seemed to begin as a rivalry has become more of a partnership and it is much more personal now.

You can see it a lot in this new Deadpool run, the way they are around each other, it’s way more casual, it’s friendlier; yes we can say “well it’s just the writers” but I really do think their relationship HAS evolved over the years.

There were times neither of them would even refer to each other as friends, but I think it’s always been more than that. I’d argue a lot of the reason neither would admit this is because having friends in the mercenary business can get you and others in trouble, especially with their reputations; friends with Deadpool? Gonna get Taskmaster in a LOT of trouble with guys who hate him. And the same for Deadpool being friends with Taskmaster, they keep the distance, the appearances. It’s always been professional.

But you could always tell that was some fondness between them no matter what happened, even when they double cross each other, trying to kill one another because they were paid to do so. In a way through all of this you can see how much they do work well together and get along while still having their differences, and still having that capability to be angry at the other person.

They have a wonderful dynamic that can be complicated, but at its core it’s just because of who they are.

It’s an unorthodox relationship because of their professions, their personalities, all of it. But they still love each other even if they may not openly admit this fact for countless reasons.

(Yes. I think it does embarrass Taskmaster to have ANY attachments, it would be even more embarrassing to admit that person is Deadpool.)

So let’s not forget that Tony called Wade, Wadey! I repeat, WADEY!!!

Usually Taskmaster has addressed him by names like ‘Pool, Wilson, and of course Wade on certain occasions… but Wadey? A whole nickname he’s never once used before…

THEY ARE IN LOVE AT THIS POINT AND NO ONE WILL PROVE ME OTHERWISE!!!

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. Just keeps playing in my head “Wadey” “Anthony” since when did they get on those terms?

I really love it. Like this is probably something that isn’t even that big of a deal, but to me it’s everything.

[mxrcusflint]

some old flintwood wip

i know where home is flintwood my beloved

Marcus had spent the better part of the past six years making up for the brunt of his father’s sins, and then the added weight of his own. It was a thankless job. It didn’t matter that he’d never cast an Unforgivable, or that he’d kept his head down — people still cut a wide berth around him, and he preferred it that way. If he barely said ten sentences a day, if he retreated back to his flat after every day, ate a dinner hastily cobbled together, and spent the night with his knuckles wrapped, then it was for the best.

He’d cut everything off with Wood a year before the brunt of the war, before the worst of his moral failings. It was hard, at the end of it all, not to look at Wood and detest his goodness, his rising star, the naive innocence of an unburdened bloodline. At twenty-one, Wood had been summoned to first string and the pitch had fallen in love. Scotland had made it a known bet that they’d be knocking on Wood’s window for the regional team once the World Cup came back around. It was on the eve of that dinner meeting that Marcus had called everything off. He’d justified it — they’d been contentious bed mates at most, sparring rivals at best, meeting with no particular cadence to fall into bed together. 

Marcus was smart enough to know that whatever similarities they had, the core shade of their beings was different. 

And so. The war. 

He had nightmares often — of blue-black woods, of snaps and running so hard his chest hurt. There was a small subset of people Marcus had ever held in high esteem, and they’d splintered, one by one. Bole, Higgs, Warrington, Derrick, Urqhart: Snatcher, casualty, marked, killed in action, marked. It had become a horribly easy list to recite. Slytherins of their age didn’t make it out often.

The Flint name had long fallen from grace, that much was clear. His father, his older brother — two marked wizards who’d died in the war. Marcus couldn’t hold space for that. He had a business to run, and that was all he could think about without losing it. 

If it weren’t for Montague, he’d have never come to a Puddlemere game. They were the last two strongholds of their old team, and he’d conceded because he’d seen the empty space over Montague’s shoulder where Cassius should’ve been, and after that he’d been unable to say no.

He hadn’t thought all of it through, to be frank. He couldn’t pay attention to anything else; not the roar of the crowd, nor the referee’s contentious calls — Wood was glowing, brilliant in front of the hoops. Marcus couldn’t tell what was worse: the deep, deep jealousy for the first stringers, or the ache of watching Oliver at his best. 

The quaffle finally flew from a Ballycastle player’s hand to get past Wood’s outstretched fingers. 

“Good contenders for the cup, yeah?”

Marcus merely nodded at Montague’s statement, too occupied with how the familiar stubborn, frustrating tilt to Wood’s mouth made him claustrophobic.

Wood had gotten better since the last time Marcus had seen him play — a scrimmage between Puddlemere and Falmouth that still surfaced in his memory no matter how much he steeled himself against it.

“They’re probably going to get beaten out by Tutshill,” Montague continued, voice filled with longing, “But their chaser line is looking strong.”

Montague could no longer play, not after war injuries and a trip down a Vanishing cabinet, but he was an avid enough watcher that they traded observations and statistics over a meal on occasion. Marcus kept an arms-distance between himself and most people who’d known him, but it was hard to say no to Graham, not when he still struggled with recalling memories, things that Marcus knew he should’ve remembered cold.

(Winning the Quidditch cup, being made Prefect, the odd crushing disappointment that plagued them all when Warrington hadn’t been selected for the Triwizard’s cup.)

Puddlemere won in a landslide, which they needed. They were trailing Tutshill and Ballycastle by 100 points and the season was drawing to a close. Marcus allowed himself a moment to appreciate the sight of Wood in the middle of a dogpile of happy Puddlemere players, before excusing himself from Montague. There was no point in lingering in the stands, and both men knew that they would see each other at some point anyways — pureblood circles ran small nowadays. No point in causing public concern over gatherings when it was easier to lay low.

The impulse to dive into the inner labyrinth of the pitch grounds was one that Marcus didn’t try hard to fight. He rarely got energy like this where he lived. The sheer amount of adrenaline was enough to make anyone dizzy. Post-matches were a gaggle of players, of staff and press junkets, and he was one of many, many bodies weaving in and out. He allowed himself to drink in the bustle, the hum of excitement from Puddlemere supporters, and it was a nice contrast to the quiet of the shop.  

It was, in hindsight, an idiotic idea, because —

“Flint?”

It was a voice that plagued him in his sleep, one he’d held onto during the deepest, darkest winter months during the war. Marcus would know it anywhere. He had never wanted to hear it again. 

Wood had the trained reflexes of a professional Keeper, and so his hand was already on Marcus’ shoulder by the time he’d made up his mind to walk away. There was nothing else to do but turn around and face the man. 

“Good game,” Marcus said, and he shut his mouth before anything else could escape. There was likely nothing coherent he had to say, because this was the closest he’d been to Wood in three years, and he’d never been able to rid himself of this weak spot. 

“Thanks,” Wood said in a carefully neutral tone, “I never expected to see you at a Puddlemere game.” 

It wasn’t a direct attack, but Wood’s eyes were cool, appraising. Even when they weren’t strangers, Marcus made it a point not to attend, albeit for different reasons. 

“Montague wanted to,” Marcus replied. He didn’t elaborate; Wood didn’t need to know that for some odd reason, Warrington had had a soft spot for the middling team. 

“I see,” Wood said, though his tone of voice indicated that he didn’t, not really. “Well. What did you think?”

Marcus shrugged and made a non-commital noise. 

Wood stared at him for a beat, before scoffing. “Man of few words still, huh?”

“I’ll be heading out then,” Marcus said, though it came out more harshly than he’d wanted it to, on account of his words getting stuck in his throat. 

“Sure,” Wood said, and he released his hold on Marcus’ shoulder. Marcus took the opportunity to hightail out of the stadium, and though he managed to apparate back to his flat without splinching himself, he didn’t manage to shake off the phantom touch of Oliver’s hand for the rest of the night.

[winchestermylove]

Can I please ask for a huge list of fics with Sam calling Dean mummy. Just weird maternal shit is absolutely ideal. I just need it in my life 🙏🏻

of course!! all the ones i've found are from ao3, so i'll link them!

these first three are explicitly mommy kink, and they are also very popular so sorry if you've already read them!

the ones with an asterisk (*) are my favorites (even though these are all technically my favorites)

---

*i do believe his mouth is heaven by orphan_account

6,996 words

in which dean realizes that his whole damn life has revolved around his love for his baby brother, and nothing could ever change that. not even an accidental mommy kink.

road snack by cherrysnobs

1,819 words

Sam gets hungry while they’re driving to a new case. Dean’s got his favorite snack on tap.

mother is pretending by hathfrozen

19,936 words

Sam and Dean get reckless about how they're handling the pain of season 2, and whoops! slowly develop a Mommy kink along the way.

---

these next ones are kind of honorable mentions, because they don't include a specific mommy kink but do have parent/caretaker!dean or kind of a mommy-esque vibe.

---

me and you together together together by according2thelore

5,443 words

Teenage Dean loses Sam in a mall. He does not take it well.

*Feeling Small by ladygizarme

1,385 words

Sam longs to close the distance between them and burrow into Dean, but he hesitates. He’s almost seventeen and logically he knows it’s weird to still be seeking his brother’s reassurance just because he had a nightmare.

also its counterpart (same story but dean's pov) Baby Brother by ladygizarme 2,130 words Sometimes it kinda pisses him off that Sam is going to be taller than him any day now. It also makes him proud, though. Somehow, despite all the odds against him, he managed to raise this kid up big and healthy. But right now, it just makes him kind of heartsick for the days when his little brother was, well, actually little.

*Good by lovetheirloves

7,167 words

This, Dean knows – Sam is, at his core, more than anything else, good.

Baby Blue by Edwardina

12,817 words

Sam touches a cursed pacifier and is compelled to suck on it non-stop. At first, Dean thinks it's hilarious and Sam is humiliated, but the way Dean treats Sam is actually a turn-on for them both.

Couldn't take care of you by StellaRasu

6,857 words

Dean never gets over wanting to breastfeed Sam and being unable to do it. It escalates when Sam finds out.

The Nature of Reality by Ferrera

19,510 words

After Mary and Dean manage to get Sam out of the basement where Toni trapped and tortured him, Dean takes care of Sam.

*Cradle Our Desire by shir_hashirim

9,155 words

Dean bites his lip, hesitating for a moment before continuing. Sam was open with him, so now it’s his turn. “Besides, I like taking care of you. Wish you’d let me do it more often, if I’m being honest.”

He walks over to where Sam is sitting on the bed, still gripping the little stuffed animal tightly. Dean reaches over and smoothes down the front of Sam’s hair gently. For a minute, he worries if he’s gone too far, said too much.

[brighttears]

Let Go

Joel Miller x reader

No physical description, gender neutral, no use of y/n

Summary: When Joel starts to doubt your journey to find his brother, all of his fear and grief crashes down on him, and he finally accepts you as a safe harbor.

Word count: 2.8k

Warnings: Angst!, pet names (baby), language 

A/n: Here's something dramatic as fuck lol. I’m getting repetitive with Joel because like he has these few core fears and motives so i need to work on that … anyways here's some that-one-scene-from-a -marriage-story type shit (but not the angry part i just mean the like last 30 seconds…. and like waaay more wholesome. I am unable to end angst on an angsty note. If they won’t give Joel any happy endings I will just have to do it for them)

—

When you begin to enter consciousness, the arm you reach out for the body next to you only falls onto the mattress. It wakes you up instantly and you react faster than your body has time to wake up itself, almost falling forward as you hobble to your feet, you yell out for Joel, throat coated in sleep. You swallow, cough, and call for him again. 

“I’m here.”

The sound of his voice soothes your heart rate and you breathe deeply, walking from the bedroom into the dining room. Joel leans against the crooked, dust-caked table, back to you, staring out the near translucent front windows. 

“...What's up?” it isn’t unusual for Joel to wake up first, but normally he’d stay in bed and wait for you. His demeanor is worryingly off. He doesn't turn to face you but you see his head bow. Walking slowly into the dining room and sliding next to him at the table, you read him with ease—observing the rigidness of his body, the lack of response, and then the disheartenment over his face. You sigh. “Look, we’ve been out here for a long time, it starts to wear on you, but it’s just that. You’re tired, of course you are, Joel. But we’re getting close! We’ll find Tommy and then we’ll… well I don’t know but you’re gonna feel so much better once we find Tommy.”

“If we find Tommy.”

His words shock you completely. If he’s ever had any doubt, he’s never expressed it. Honestly, you saw him as drunk on hope sometimes. The more time you spent with him though, the more you learned about the inner workings of his brain, it isn't naivety, it's that Tommy is his brother, and at the very least, the search is a necessity. He needs an answer, and even if it’s not the one he wants, he needs to at least know that he tried, that he did everything he could. 

You’re scared that if Tommy’s dead it’ll break him. You’ve imagined it before, what Joel would be like empty. Even if he decided to stay alive, having lost another family member, the repercussions of that despair would be the death of him. You’d imagined how the acceptance that he never, ever surrendered to would look in his eyes as he gave in to being bitten or shot or stabbed. You simply wouldn’t be enough, and you’re not offended by it. You can’t outweigh the burden of Sarah and Tommy’s death, along with the countless others, many of whom you never met, who live only as ghosts in Joel’s head. Yes, you know loss well and have plenty of heavy ghosts yourself, but that’s only more to why you understand that you just wouldn’t be enough. Tommy would be the straw that broke the camel’s back. But that was all imagination; the contradiction of his behavior and his words were your solace, but now, for the first time, he’s straying from that. And he does it with his back to you, which he never does. 

Keeping your voice soft but firmer, “When we find Tommy.” you reassure him. 

Joel does not respond, only sighs, keeping his eyes forward. You detect a slight downturn in his lips, distance in his eyes and rare relaxation of his brow. He’s scared. He’s very scared. 

“Joel…”

Before you can add anything or your lifted hand can touch his arm, he says, still to the window, “I shouldn'ta brought you with me. I should'a left you in Boston.”

Taken aback, you physically recede. “What?” Is all that comes out of you.

He looks down and blinks a few times before speaking again, and the words march out from his throat—this was planned. While you were asleep, he was running this conversation over and over in his head. “If I was gonna do this I should'a done it alone. You shouldn’t be here.” His tone is perfectly even. Your heart sinks. 

“Joel what are you talking about? Why are you saying this?” your voice comes out at almost a whisper, throat and chest constricted by anxious dejection. 

“It was selfish.” There's a bite now and you see it’s twinge at the corner of his lip. His eyes become stoney, closed off, and he grinds his teeth together. “That’s all it was. N’ I’m sorry. You don’t belong out here.”

The last sentence pricks you with irritation. “I hate it when you patronize me like this, Joel—” you start, but he interrupts by talking over you.

“It was selfish because I’m putin’ you in more danger than you need to be, then you would’a been in in Boston.”

“I agreed to—” you try to interject but he bars you again.

“Jus’ let me finish this.” His tone is serious. “That’s all true. No matter how shit it is, it’s safer there. You know I care about you, I—I love you,” he still struggles with those words, only recently relearning how to pronounce them, “and I want you safe, I need you safe, and that would’a been the smart option. But I’m stupid and I’m fuckin’ selfish.” your brows knit in a micro expression, head tilted, watching him as he speaks, “N' I need you. Look,” he leans forward and closes his eyes before he continues, “I haven’t seen Tommy in a long, long time. All I have is… a loose idea of where he might have been, shit, whenever the fuck it was when we left. The closer we get, the more… lost I feel.” Joel’s voice is beginning to shake and you can't help but slump a little towards him. “I don’t know if Tommy’s out there. I don’t. I don’t. I want him to be but…” his mouth opens, closes, then opens again, but all that gets out is “I—” and then he opens his eyes and turns away from the table, pacing to the other side of the room, sounding frustrated, “Look, I don’t know if Tommy’s out there. I don’t know if he’s” you can hear his bottom lip wobbling and he cracks at the word, “dead. That’s the honest truth. And the farther we fuckin’ go, the more and more shit we run into, fuckin’ Infected, raiders, people—eveyrthin’. The more and more times I think I might be about t’… that you might die, the more I… I think maybe we never should'a left Boston.”

“Joel—”

“At least there I could protect you.” he begins to raise his voice, “I could get cards, I could trade, I had an in with the guards, we had food, somewhere to fuckin’ sleep everynight. I could come home to you, I wasn’t fuckin’ terrified every time you were outta my sight. Yeah, it was shit, and I didn’t think so then—I couldn’t see it then, but it was safe. We weren’t riskin’ our lives every fuckin’ day like we are out here. An’ winter’s comin’ and I barely know where the fuck we are, I don’t know how I’ll—we’ll—I—” he lets out a sharp breath and leans a hand onto the wall he faces.

“Joel, you’re just tired. You’re underfed and underslept. We’re gonna be fine.”

“Stop fuckin’ sayin’ we’re gonna be fine.” he snaps, whiping back to you, “You don’t know that! Every fuckin’ day we…” whatever look he sees on your face interrupts his train of thought and he strides towards you and puts his hands on your shoulders, “I’m not tryna be mean, baby, I just—” he searches your eyes and turns back. This time he turns, passing the head of the table and walking towards the open kitchen. “This was stupid and reckless. I went out n’ risked the only thing I have left. It was stupid.” he hits his head with the heel of his hand and you rush over, grabbing his arm to turn him around.

“Joel, stop it. I understand, you’re scared—”

“I’m not scared—” he glances away from you.

“Yes you are.” you tell him sternly. “And it’s fair. You don’t know where your brother is. And it’s fucking scary out here. I get scared! But I keep going, we keep going. And we’re in Wyoming now! We’re so close! We are going to find him.”

“Well we might fuckin’ not, and then we’ll be stranded here in the middle a fuckin’ nowhere Wyoming, in fuckin’ winter, no protection, not from raiders, Infected, we could starve—shit” his pitch heightens, “I am scared. I’ve started havin’ dreams about…” he digs your eyes again and rips away from you, making a sound and running a hand through his hair. Then his voice is loud and shuddering, “If you get bit, I’m—I’m gonna have to shoot you. I see it every goddamn night. Clear as day.” At that, he cracks, his shoulders jolt once and he stops a sob right before it leaves his mouth. 

The sound startles you. “Joel, baby,” You move towards him once again to rub your hand up his back. He lets you for a moment but then pulls away.

“I can’t—no, I, I c…” he trails off again. “Should’a never taken you with me. Should’a never fuckin’ left, because, becau…” he struggles with himself. When he turns and finally looks to you, Joel’s eyes are wet. “I can’t fuckin’ do this without you.” Joel rakes both his hands through his hair, “And I don’t want to fuck up n’ it gets you killed, and I will fuck up, and I just–” he spins back, then rips his hands away to swing to his sides, “I can’t lose you, I can’t.” when he turns back to you the tears are barely hanging onto his waterline and he raises his voice, “I don’t know what to do, because I–Jesus fuck.” turning again, he takes a few steps forward and then reverses them. His breathing is heavy and he’s sniffling. “I fuckin’ hate this.” His voice is low now, “I hate–I hate carin’ about people, cause I'll just lose ‘em. I just lose ‘em. I just lose ‘em.” he trails off, near whispering. “I can’t fuckin’ lose you. Not you.” he speaks up, shaking his head, “Not you.” He finally turns to look at you but then swings his head down to try to hide the tears that have begun streaming down his face, “Fuck. I’m sorry. I should’t be sayin’ all this. Fuck, I’m sorry.”

“Joel,” in an instant, you've wrapped your arms around him, holding him to you by his neck. He falls into the embrace, wrapping his arms around you and pressing his brow to your neck. You hold him tightly as he starts to shake, you know that he’s trying to hold back the tears. “It’s ok.” You reassure him quietly, sweeping a hand up and down his back. After a moment Joel complies and his body begins to tremble as he weeps in your arms. You hold him tighter, more securely to you. Losing control, Joel starts wailing, grabbing at you. He slides down to the floor, pressing his face into your belly with his arms still wrapped tightly around you, you lower yourself slowly with him, and on the ground, he crumbles in your arms.

It’s frightening. You’ve never seen him like this. You’ve seen him shed tears, get emotional, you’ve had him vulnerable, you’ve seen him even completely relaxed one or twice, but you’ve never seen him torn open like this. You’ve never heard these sounds. His body is shaking uncontrollably, not like you know it to be. His hands grip the fabric of your clothes tightly. The dam has finally broken. It’s heart wrenching. He must have been holding this in for years. 

You hold him for a long time. He keeps trying to stop the crying but the current floods everything in him, and the only way to stop himself from drowning is to let it break and release it out into your body, wearing you like a lifejacket. Once he quiets some it still takes awhile for his body to quit shaking through sob-like breaths. When his breathing slows, you can’t tell if he’s fallen asleep, completely lax in your arms, face weighing into your shoulder. But then he moves, pulling himself up to sit, his head hanging. His voice is quiet and hoarse and he sniffles, “I’m sorry.”

“You have no reason to be sorry.” you move to hug him now with your arms around his neck, “I love you.”

Joel wraps his arms around your back, pulling you closer to him, basically onto his lap, and murmurs, “I love you so much.” After a few deep, slow breaths, he pulls away, removing you from his lap, he rubs his hands over his face, mindlessly searching the floor. “I shouldn’t be putin’ all this on you. I’m sorry. I don’t want y’ to… think of me like this, shakin’ on the ground.” he sniffles hard and then looks up, only to your clothes, “Shit, did I fuck up your clothes? Fuck.” he goes to flatten out where his hands as gripped them, brushing over the wet spots from his face, nose, and mouth. “Fuck.” he mumbles. 

His face is blank and he won’t look in your eyes—he’s trying to cover himself back up. You don’t think he remembers how to not anymore; you’ve seen it so many times, when he really opens up, spreading open his skin so you can really look inside, it never lasts long enough for you to be able to reach into him. But you can tell he’s so desperate for it, to be seen, to let go. You can tell by the way he’ll hold onto you sometimes, when he doesn’t want to let your hand go, squeezes you in this certain way, and this look in his eyes sometimes, there's such a deep longing, and desolation, but then he blinks, looks away, and it's gone. It’s not something for you to bring up. You just try your best when you see it to somehow communicate to him that it's okay, he’s safe with you. You think he knows that, he’s never done anything to show disagreement, he’s let you in much further than he has anyone else, but there's parts of himself you can see him still hiding away. And now, he has just completely broken down before you. And this is not his role—Joel is a protector, he thinks he needs to be armored all the time, that he’s the one to comfort, not to be comforted. He’s the one to hold onto, to crawl into, to be safe in his arms with. It’s not hard to see through him and past it, though. You wonder often if, before all this, did he already have all this concrete stuck on him, or is there’s a version of him you never got to see? Right now, Joel is completely raw, and you want to hold him here, because you need to tell him—

“Joel, it’s ok. You can relax. You’re safe with me. You can let go with me. You can be soft with me. I’m not going to hurt you. I love you, I want you, I need you to know that you're safe, you can let go with me.” You tilt your head to try to get under his eyes and gently pull a hand over his cheek and towards you to lift his face to look at you. He follows your touch but struggles to meet your gaze; and you are patient with him. Always. God, his eyes are devastating when you finally see them, you swear they're going to be the death of you. Unable to help yourself, you start kissing his lips softly. He only lets you—kisses you back, but there's none of the usual zeal. He really did just drain himself. He makes little noises when your lips meet his, but they’re more like chirps than anything else, another sound you’ve never heard from him. These are some of the sweetest, most innocent kisses you’ve ever shared. They need not be rushed, hungry, desperate. They’re basic, simple, candid. 

And then you just breathe with each other, lips still almost touching, and then he pulls you into another tight hug, arms around your neck with you back in his lap, burying himself into your collar. He’s held you like this countless times, but this has a new, full tenderness. He finally surrenders and lets it flush him. His breaths are deep, slow, and even; they feel like his lungs can expand fuller than before. You feel it warm on your skin, under his nose in the dip of your collarbone and his brow against your neck. He’s heavy, resting his weight on you, not holding it back. Never has he been this unwound, the only comparison being sometimes in his sleep, but his sleep is not a safe place for him. This is. 

He takes a deep breath and he doesn’t have to speak for you to hear the I love you. You rub a hand up and down his back, turn your head to kiss his head and then bring him closer to say it back. 

[synnamonroll666]

On Your Knees

Prompt 14: Authority Kink & Oral Pairing: Syzoth X Fem!Reader Description: You always found it hard to be attracted to men of the same rank as you or higher. But when you and your emissary share a moment of passion on one lonely night, you quickly realize why those men weren't up to your standards... Warnings: Authority kink, Oral (Female Receiving), Dom!Reader, Sub!Syzoth, Hair Pulling, Praise... Word Count: 1k Main MasterList: 🖤 Kinktober MasterList: 🖤 Synny's Angels: @lorebite, @mornandil, @queenkhepri, @bihansthot, and @mmeerraa.

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Being queen of Outworld comes with plenty of responsibility. I don't have control over just one country like the royals of Earthrealm may have—I have control of an entire realm. Their safety means the world to me, so I work hard to ensure my realm and my people stay out of harm's way.

Unfortunately, this had given me no time to look for a decent suiter to stay by my side. My mother had graciously offered arranged marriages throughout the past, but it never felt right. None of the men had ever attracted me in any way. And it took a long time to realize that it was because once married, they would become king.

I suppose I have a need to rule—a need to be in a higher position than someone else at all times. And I didn't realize that until one lonely night, when I crossed paths with my emissary after dark.

"Hello, Syzoth!" I greeted the man kindly as I approached him outside of my castle. I had been going for a walk at the time, unable to settle down for the night and relax for a peaceful slumber.

The man was startled by my sudden appearance at first, but then responded to my words with a pleasant smile and a softened gaze.

"Hello, empress. Having trouble getting to sleep?" He asked as his smile then fell into a concerned frown.

"I am afraid so," I sighed heavily. It wasn't usual for royals to interact with their help on a more personal level, but I felt so lonely, and he was willing to listen. "Nights like these, I feel so alone—so lost in this big world; I'd do anything to change that."

"I suppose I understand." His words faded into a more somber chuckle, and I gave him a sympathetic look. I was more than aware of Syzoth's past, and the fact that he had struggled so much in life saddened me greatly.

"I know you do, Syzoth." I expressed while I gently placed my hand upon his shoulder, rubbing the bare skin in soothing circles with my thumb. "Perhaps we are more alike than we think."

"Well, we are both lonely in a world of people who do not understand us." Syzoth acknowledged. "But I understand you."

"Really?" I asked, and the man nodded. Clearing my throat, I continued, "Then... Maybe we should stick by each other? Or... Get to know each other better?"

"I think I would like that, empress."

Suddenly, a chill went down my spine as those words were spoken. I had been called "empress" many times by many people, but there was just something about the way that he said it that caused my eyes to instinctively flutter shut as I enjoyed the forbidden arousal circulating within my core. 

"Are you ok, empress?" He questioned, and my eyes shot open to see him staring at me with concern. I simply smiled before stepping closer towards him to close the distance between us.

"Oh, I am now." I murmured in a sultry and hushed tone as I brought my hand up to gently run it through his surprisingly soft hair. I was even more astonished when he didn't move away—barely even flinched when my hand made contact with him in a more intimate way.

It was all downhill from there.

The next thing I knew, I had him in my room, ordering him onto his knees. It didn't take long for me to have my pants undone and around my ankles. And soon after, his lips were clashing against my mound.

I bit my lip hard to fight back a moan, terrified to make a sound that the guards outside my door could hear. It was difficult enough to sneak him through my window, but we managed to succeed without bringing any attention to us once. So fighting back every noise that dared escape me was crucial if we wanted to keep this little play date undercover. 

But even then, I couldn't fight the inevitable forever. Because I knew that once my climax had arrived, there would be no keeping my mouth shut. Besides, keeping silent while he ate me out like I was his first meal in months was possibly one of the most difficult tasks I had ever tried to fulfill.

He turned his head slightly to get more access, and I couldn't refrain from letting a strained whimper from my lips. My fingers submerged within his dark hair and I held him firmly against me, muffling his moans against my mound as he savored my taste.

The vibrations of his voice worked wonders for me, and my eyes quickly lolled into the back of my head as I finally gave into the everlasting temptation of letting my voice free. I parted my lips to sing my songs of pleasure as the arousal within surged through my veins and straight to my core. It felt so good, and it made the desire stirring within grow even stronger.

"Good boy! Good little boy!" I keened as I buckled my hips into his face, to which he responded with a cute little growl.

I groaned at the way his tongue swirled around my clit, festering up butterflies to flutter around within my stomach. And soon after, I finally released into his mouth, crying out as my fingers clenched into fists and twisting his hair in my grasp. I rode out my orgasm on his tongue while he gazed up at me with awe from between my thighs; it was a magical moment.

Once I fell from my high, I glanced down at my lover with pride glimmering in my eyes. I released my firm grip on his hair and began running my hands through it slowly to soothe the sting my grasp must had caused him.

"You did so well for me, my perfect little sweetheart." I cooed sweetly, and he smiled once he pulled away from my mound. My chest puffed out as I was filled with even more pride once I saw the mess I had made of him—how my slick glistened on his lips and chin, while more dripped down his throat.

It was from then on that I only craved what was below me, and a small part of me still craves that same emissary—that helped me discover a large part of myself—to this day.

⭒⛥⭒⛥⭒⛥⭒⛥⭒⛥⭒⛥⭒⛥⭒⛥⭒⛥⭒⛥⭒⛥⭒⛥⭒⛥⭒⛥⭒⛥⭒⛥⭒⛥⭒⛥⭒

[twig-tea]

Lady Boy Friend Is Getting Interesting (at ep 7/16)

Nobody should take this as an endorsement to watch the show, because I think it is really hard to watch for most people and for good reason (it's also hard for me to watch at points). But Lady Boy Friend the Series is doing some really interesting things, and I have to talk about it. It took several episodes before I could get the sense of the overarching plot but now that I do understand what it's doing I'm really curious about where it's going. Spoilers for plot points through to ep7 follow from here.

The core plot of this show is about a class of high school students. The main character is Jeedny, who shows up on the first day of what I think would be equivalent to North American high school (~Grade 10) out of the closet as kathoey, but all of the other kids who are kathoey don't trust her because they've all been out for years and already have their own cliques. So they treat her cattily (they also treat each other cattily, to be fair), and she responds badly by pranking them. She starts desperately grabbing for attention; first by trying to fit in, and when she's rejected, she tries for attention by standing out, and it's not taken well by her peers. Finally in this episode it got to a point where the other kathoeys in her grade have banded together across clique lines to ostracize Jeedny, and it all comes to a head when she finally admits that she's been shitty to them but that it was in response to being rejected in the first place. Everyone apologizes to her but says they'll just stay out of her business, and she's left alone again which is the opposite of what she wanted.

Meanwhile the boys in the class have their own drama. There is a playboy (Jet) who starts flirting with another boy (New) who is cautious but enjoying the attention. It takes a few episodes of concerted flirting to get through that Jet is seriously interested and not just teasing him, and New starts to believe that maybe this could be real. They have sex, and then Jet ghosts New. When New tries to confront him, Jet acts totally disinterested and says he's just not into him like that. New is heartbroken and Jet is clearly discomforted by that; when New starts emotionally distancing himself from Jet and showing disinterest, that discomforts Jet even more. Jet keeps trying to get New's attention back but New's not having it, and he calls Jet out on his bullshit. Jet's own friends also call him out on how his actions differ from his words and how he seems to be leading people on, both New and the girls he dates, and how uncool that is. Jet seems to be unable to leave New alone.

I appreciate that this series is wrestling with in-fighting, cliques, how difficult it can be to get past queer gatekeeping, and how we band together against what we see as a threat. I also love how it's getting in how isolating that can feel if you're on the other side of it, and how difficult it is to come at your queerness at a different age than your peers (even though Jeedny is still so young!). I love that this show has a plotline around "straight" fuckboys and the very real games they play. I appreciate that in the conflict between the kathoey characters, nobody is in the right.

We're only just about halfway through the series, and I still don't have a a sense of what the back half of the show is going to be about (it could all still fall apart), but for now, now that the first half has crystallized into a plot I'm enjoying it. Even when these characters are being awful to one another it feels very familiar and...comforting, in a way. Sometimes I miss being in queer spaces and need to hear people insult one another for five minutes and then offer to throw hands at any outsiders who so much as look at the person they were just insulting with their whole chest.

So why am I not shouting for people to go give this show a try? There is a lot of Thai humour (more specifically the brand of Thai humour that reminds me of older series like Make it Right and Diary of Tootsies) in this show that doesn't necessarily land well, because it's based in puns which just don't translate, fatphobia, colourism, toilet humour, sexual aggression against men as comedy, etc. There are parts that I find hard to watch, and parts that I find boring. There are some scenes that I just don't know what to do with, e.g. when one of the boys is asked to provide a sperm sample for their science class to look at under a microscope. The acting is very uneven, quality of the cinematography, colour grading, sound, and other production elements are low budget. The translation is also lacking, which makes watching all that much harder.

A lot of the comments on MDL are about how this show feels transphobic and I can see why they'd say that, especially in the early episodes. The kathoey characters can come across like caricatures rather than people, especially at first (some of this I chalk up to these characters being young and trying to establish their identities; this does also improve as the show goes on), and the joke seems to consistently be that none of them are attractive or likeable to the male characters (possibly also improving as the show goes on, we'll see). There are many ways in which it's not a good show. It is about the ways we can be terrible to each other even as it's also about how we can hold each other up, which is understandably not something people necessarily want to watch. I really struggled at first, and even as it's become more clear what the show is doing, there hasn't yet been enough of a turn to get fully away from the parts that are difficult, and I'm not expecting the show to ever fully stop being difficult for me at times (it would be unrealistic to expect this show to become something completely different from what it is).

But even with all of that, I'm tentatively excited by the themes it's exploring and wanted to share.

[danothan]

hi i’d like to deconstruct one of the jason todd songs ever (ft. the bipolar jason agenda)

“It's fucking sad that we need a tragedy to occur to gain a fresh perspective in our lives. Nothing happens for a reason, there's no point even pretending, you know the sad truth as well as I.”

jason’s death had no purpose. he wasn’t a hero, he wasn’t a martyr, it was a pointless death in a long line of many. the tragedy of it was that it didn’t have to happen, and that’s why he blames batman for not killing the joker. it wasn’t his dying that he was upset abt, it’s that batman let the joker continue that long line of death

“Oh god, the morning light sun rays bring my paranoia. I can't function unless I'm the only one awake.”

jason works alone, puts himself at a distance. this line frames it less as a choice tho, as if it’s other ppl that are unpredictable factors, as if he’s unable to put his trust in ppl again

“Rancor of our last conversation, that forbidden word you deform to handicap me, then abuse your advantage.”

the forbidden word here is probably “love.” bruce’s problem is that he isn’t much of a talker, he doesn’t express his love in a way that jason needs. the incongruence between his actions and his words “handicaps” jason, puts him at a disadvantage as he reaches out for bruce’s approval. it speaks volumes that the narrator doesn’t say “the forbidden word” either

“Because your eyes are an agent of darkness. There's nothing to fight. It's just a bit of fait accompli.”

going off from that last line, talking to bruce is like talking to a wall. jason sees nothing left in bruce’s eyes; to him, there is no more grief or hope. the “fait accompli” is that bruce has moved on, but even beyond that, it’s jason’s death as a whole. there’s no option left but to accept that everything has changed

“I spend my waking hours haunting my life. I made the one I love start crying tonight, and it felt good. Still there must be a more elegant solution. Lately I'm rotted in the filth of self-offered agonies that really should fill me with shame, but all I have is this manic energy.”

tbh i don’t rly have anything to add here, i just love the death imagery of ghosts and rot, as well as the mania and self-sabotage of it all. very jasoncore

“I lost my page in being the black stamped disciple in your heart collage. Just want to celebrate me. Need to suffer more.”

robin status revoked! he knows he had his flaws, but he was devoted not only to batman but also to bruce. it’s a mix of feeling like he wasn’t enough as well as doing all that he could. at the emotional core of jason’s motives, he wants to be understood and appreciated. his suffering is a fruitless search for closure, smth he puts himself thru bc he thinks he deserves it. he suffers to make up for himself

“Face our puerility. Converts officiate. Divides new stratagems to disembowel our quotidien characters.”

good lord listening to any of montreal song forces you to pull out the dictionary. i Think what this line is saying is that they have to face their pasts to learn and destroy who they know themselves to be, and only then can they move on. jason saying this to bruce doubles as a taunt: “i’m not the kid you remember anymore.”

“I know I'm upside down about you. Your kindness feels like blasphemy or some sick education on the limits of humanity, so I profane the laws of some Victorian garbage.”

jason and batman have the same goals: they want what’s best for gotham. he feels “upside down” abt bruce bc they were in it together as batman and robin, he taught him everything he knew. but the closer the goals, the bigger the differences feel. that’s why it feels especially blasphemous that batman’s no-kill rule is for the sake of humanity. jason views bruce’s sense of justice as smth sick, ineffective, old-school. it’s “victorian garbage.” his so-called mercy is what got jason killed

to be clear, this is all in jason’s pov. i don’t think he’s as spiteful or cruel as this song makes him out to be, but i think it carries the kind of self-deprecation that he Does view himself thru. and the bitterness definitely reflects his emotions, as well as the back-and-forth between his smug call-outs vs desperate attempts at closure/vindication. i would even say they’re one and the same

tldr; jason todd is bipolar, of montreal diagnosed him

[feedingtheflockministry]

10 Sins Jesus Condemns Most Harshly in Scripture

Throughout Jesus’ life and ministry, He called listeners’ attention to various sins as he taught about His Father’s will, and guided believers in what it truly means to love God, and to walk with Him. But during His ministry, did Jesus call out some sins more than others?

As God’s children, we are to pay attention, not just to Jesus’ words, but what they reveal about His heart for us. Wherever He calls out sin, he points the way to something far greater than what the sin promises us. This is why it is so crucial to listen closely and respond to what Jesus emphasized in His teachings.

Here are 10 sins Jesus spoke about most fervently in the Gospels:

Selfishness

Jesus ministered with an attitude of humility. He is quoted as saying, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”(Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45). Jesus warned his disciples against using their status to dominate others. Rather, they were to be servants to all (Matthew 20:25-28).

The story of the rich man and Lazarus displays the severity of punishment for selfishness (Luke 16:19-31). When we allow our own needs to blind us from meeting the needs of others, we harden our hearts to one of the core missions of Christ.

Pride

Jesus often warned those struggling with pride of its impending consequences. In Luke 20:45-47, Jesus warned his listeners to beware of the teachers of the law who prided themselves in their religiosity, yet failed to show hospitality to those in need.

The parable of the Pharisee and tax collector illustrates how God sees spiritual pride (Luke 18:9-14). When the Pharisee prayed, in his pride he thanked God that he was not like other people, who he thought were less spiritual. At the same time, the tax collector bowed in humility from a distance and mourned his condition as a sinner. Jesus declared that it was the tax collector who would be justified before God because of his humility.

". . .For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)

Unbelief

Jesus often marveled at and convicts his disciples, as well as bystanders, for their lack of faith. In His hometown, He was unable to perform miracles because of the peoples’ unbelief. The Pharisees and Sadducees tested Jesus by asking His for a sign from heaven that He was the Christ (Matthew 16:1-4). In response to their unbelief, Jesus called them a wicked and adulterous generation and told them that no sign would be given except for the sign of Jonah.

When we think about how the Son of God was unable to perform miracles due to people’s lack of faith in His hometown, we must ask ourselves how much we miss out on the Holy Spirit working through our own lives simply because we doubt His ability.

Hypocrisy

Many unbelievers or ex-evangelicals today say the reason why they oppose organized religion is because there is too much hypocrisy. The good news is that Jesus opposed hypocrisy too. The gospels are filled with Jesus challenging the Pharisees in their hypocrisy.

Toward the end of Jesus’ ministry, he pronounced the “7 Woes” on the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. In each of his pronouncements, he called them hypocrites. In the Greek, the term means an actor or pretender. Jesus condemned these religious officials because they claimed to be leaders, yet their hearts and actions did not reflect their outward appearance.

The result of their efforts was fruitlessness, spiritual destruction, and shedding of blood. Other words Jesus uses to describe hypocrites are blind guides, blind fools, and abrood of vipers (Matthew 22:13-39).

Greed

Jesus taught on money and possessions more than any other topic, which reveals to us His kingdom mentality. Jesus stated that no one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other or you will love the one and hate the other. Therefore, it is impossible to serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24).

If we are bound by our affections of the things of this world, our hearts will never belong to the things of God. That is why Jesus commands his followers to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). He strongly stated that it's impossible for a rich man to inherit the kingdom of God, not because Jesus condemned wealth, but because He knows how difficult it is for someone to lay aside greed.

When we lay aside our greed, we are able to give what we have with joy. Jesus honors this virtue through the poor widow who gave all she had as an offering (Mark 12:41-44). She gave out of her poverty rather than her wealth.

Unforgiveness

Jesus stressed the consequences of the lasting effects of unforgiveness. In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus told his disciples that whoever forgives his brother will be forgiven, but whoever does not forgive will not be forgiven.

Jesus also told a parable of the Unforgiving Servant to his disciples in order to emphasize the importance of showing forgiveness to others as a reflection of the forgiveness shown to us by God (Matthew 18:21-35). Jesus is the ultimate example of the One who forgives. Though not deserving death, he forgave his enemies even while on the cross (Luke 23:34).

Hatred

One of the greatest commandments Jesus gave his disciples was to love one another. It is by our love that the world will know that we are truly disciples of Christ (John 13:34-35).

Likewise, Jesus condemned our hatred of and anger with one another. He equated it to the physical murder of the individual (Matthew 5:21-26). Jesus’ ministry was one of reconciliation. When we hate someone, we create a barrier to the very purpose of His ministry.

Disobedience

While disobedience may seem like a catch-all for all sin, Jesus stressed the importance of obeying His teaching (Luke 11:28; John 14:15). The parable of two sons illustrates the importance Jesus placed on obeying His word (Matthew 21:28-32).

In this parable, a father had two sons. One son told his father he would work the vineyard and did not follow through. The second son declared that he would not work yet changed his mind and went. Jesus’ point of the parable was that the one who receives the kingdom of God is the one repents and believes. When we disobey the Word of the Lord, we need to check our hearts for disloyalty and a lack of love.

Judging Others

Throughout the gospels, Jesus ministered to many “sinners,” and received criticism from his disciples as well as from the Jewish leaders. For instance, Jesus calls Levi, a tax collector, to be a disciple. The new follower held a great banquet where notorious law breakers gathered. When the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus’ disciples about his behavior, Jesus told them that it is not the healthy who needed a doctor, but rather the sick (Luke 5:27-31).

Jesus is clear in his prohibition against judging others (Matthew 7:1-6; Luke 37-38). Oftentimes people are tempted to determine for themselves another’s guilt and announce a fate upon them. However, that role is for God alone (James 4:12). Believers are called to show mercy towards one another rather than judgement.

Impurity

In first century Judaism, ritual and ceremonial purity was extremely important. However, Jesus taught on the importance of moral purity. When confronted about the disciples’ lack of ceremonial washing, Jesus declared that it is not what someone puts inside of their mouth that defiles them, but rather what comes out of their mouths (Matt. 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23).

He the warned against the sins of the heart, which include: sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. Therefore, as followers of Jesus, it is important for us to allow God to examine our hearts daily to ensure that we remain pure (Psalm 139:23-24).

While Jesus taught on many “sins," this list gives an overview of the heart of His ministry and teaching of the kingdom of God. He calls us as believers to a life of faith, obedience, love, and service to God and others. When we trust in Him rather than ourselves, regularly meditate on His Word, and fellowship with Him in prayer we can follow His teachings and live a life of true discipleship.

[blbrryp]

Dabihawks fire force AU

i've never written a fight scene before but i thought i would try using dabihawks

dabi is a second gen, hawks is a third gen

Words: 714, Warnings: None

“What the fuck are you doing?” Touya called up at Keigo, perched on a rooftop. His fiery wings border on blinding, such a show off. 

“Watching, something’s brewing, I can feel it,” He shifted, tilting his head as if he could seriously hear anything. 

“Uh huh, you’re just saying that because Rumi said earlier there was a high case of infernals a few districts over,” The stupid bird was always acting like he was smarter than them all, lest they ignore the fact that Keigo frequently managed to fly into buildings. 

“I have a sense for this stuff!” He was only met with a roll of Touya’s eyes before their radios crackled to life…

“Soldiers, an infernal has just combusted up at the main square. We’ll meet you there!” Rumi’s voice was just as booming over the radio, clearly rattling Keigo who looked as if he almost fell from his perch. Touya didn’t bother to make fun of him, not wanting to face the all-knowing smile he’d surely be met with. 

“Told you so!” 

“Just get us there you insufferable ass,” Perpetually unphased by Touya’s critics, Keigo easily scooped him up, his hands going under his arms. The bird was at least good for transport. 

The scene they were met with at the main square was horrific. An infernal rampant across the park, the glow of flames spluttering across the grass. They were ripping their way out of the person’s body, reaching out and destroying everything they could leech onto. It was always an awful sight. A whirlwind of flames consuming the being, spiralling up. 

The firetruck was already there Rumi, Fuyumi and Shimura were already on the scene. Shimura was clearing the area, Rumi was doing her best to keep the flames at bay as much as possible so Fuyumi could continue reciting prayers, her hands clasped together. 

Touya didn’t have much time to think, Keigo had already dropped him. Stupid bird. 

Fuck it, now or never then as he launched straight into the centre of the spinning flames. He manipulated them, dividing them in half, his foot meeting the infernal’s face in a matter of seconds. Fire fanned out around him, flickering out as the monster stumbled back. The initial combustion died out, leaving what was left of a human a few feet away from him, twitching. This stage wouldn’t last for long. 

It ignited, a new fury within it. The way it moved was animalistic, clawing its way towards Touya. Sights locked on him as he was the closest target. Keigo was quick to intercept, landing on the beast’s shoulder encasing both himself and it in a mirage of fiery wings. 

“Touya!” Rumi called out, an augmented axe in hand, throwing it towards him. He grabbed it before it hit the floor, taking his chance when the wings parted to bury it into the chest of the infernal. A third wave of fire roared from the centre, Keigo was thrown from his position unable to restrain it anymore. Leaving Touya at the heart of the heat, he fought against. Feet firmly planted into the ground, pulling up mud from the pressure. It was so hot, flames licking against his cheeks. 

It wouldn’t last for long, Keigo launched in, snatching the monster from the ground into the air. He always liked to show off, taking it up high before coming back, hand firmly planted against the infernals chest. He buried it into the ground, ripping a hole through its core and unleashing the final wave of conflagration which swept across the ground. It came in one cyclone, tearing up the grass and burning up trees in its path. 

Before it was all over. 

Just like that, it all went out. Leaving Keigo kneeling over the body, whispering a final prayer of rest, “Latom.” 

The team was on him almost instantly, other than Shimura who always kept his distance. 

“Stupid bird, your fucking hair is singed,” Touya was the first to break the stream of praise coming from Fuyumi. 

“You know you shouldn’t always make a show of it, you’re lucky Shimura was able to get all civilians out of the area,” Rumi only piled onto Touya’s criticism. 

“Come on! I’m getting it from both angles now!” His tone was high and whiny.

[woven-in-christ]

10 Sins Jesus Condemns Most Harshly in Scripture

Throughout Jesus’ life and ministry, He called listeners’ attention to various sins as he taught about His Father’s will, and guided believers in what it truly means to love God, and to walk with Him. But during His ministry, did Jesus call out some sins more than others?

As God’s children, we are to pay attention, not just to Jesus’ words, but what they reveal about His heart for us. Wherever He calls out sin, he points the way to something far greater than what the sin promises us. This is why it is so crucial to listen closely and respond to what Jesus emphasized in His teachings.

Here are 10 sins Jesus spoke about most fervently in the Gospels:

Selfishness

Jesus ministered with an attitude of humility. He is quoted as saying, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”(Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45). Jesus warned his disciples against using their status to dominate others. Rather, they were to be servants to all (Matthew 20:25-28).

The story of the rich man and Lazarus displays the severity of punishment for selfishness (Luke 16:19-31). When we allow our own needs to blind us from meeting the needs of others, we harden our hearts to one of the core missions of Christ.

Pride

Jesus often warned those struggling with pride of its impending consequences. In Luke 20:45-47, Jesus warned his listeners to beware of the teachers of the law who prided themselves in their religiosity, yet failed to show hospitality to those in need.

The parable of the Pharisee and tax collector illustrates how God sees spiritual pride (Luke 18:9-14). When the Pharisee prayed, in his pride he thanked God that he was not like other people, who he thought were less spiritual. At the same time, the tax collector bowed in humility from a distance and mourned his condition as a sinner. Jesus declared that it was the tax collector who would be justified before God because of his humility.

". . .For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)

Unbelief

Jesus often marveled at and convicts his disciples, as well as bystanders, for their lack of faith. In His hometown, He was unable to perform miracles because of the peoples’ unbelief. The Pharisees and Sadducees tested Jesus by asking His for a sign from heaven that He was the Christ (Matthew 16:1-4). In response to their unbelief, Jesus called them a wicked and adulterous generation and told them that no sign would be given except for the sign of Jonah.

When we think about how the Son of God was unable to perform miracles due to people’s lack of faith in His hometown, we must ask ourselves how much we miss out on the Holy Spirit working through our own lives simply because we doubt His ability.

Hypocrisy

Many unbelievers or ex-evangelicals today say the reason why they oppose organized religion is because there is too much hypocrisy. The good news is that Jesus opposed hypocrisy too. The gospels are filled with Jesus challenging the Pharisees in their hypocrisy.

Toward the end of Jesus’ ministry, he pronounced the “7 Woes” on the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. In each of his pronouncements, he called them hypocrites. In the Greek, the term means an actor or pretender. Jesus condemned these religious officials because they claimed to be leaders, yet their hearts and actions did not reflect their outward appearance.

The result of their efforts was fruitlessness, spiritual destruction, and shedding of blood. Other words Jesus uses to describe hypocrites are blind guides, blind fools, and abrood of vipers (Matthew 22:13-39).

Greed

Jesus taught on money and possessions more than any other topic, which reveals to us His kingdom mentality. Jesus stated that no one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other or you will love the one and hate the other. Therefore, it is impossible to serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24).

If we are bound by our affections of the things of this world, our hearts will never belong to the things of God. That is why Jesus commands his followers to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). He strongly stated that it's impossible for a rich man to inherit the kingdom of God, not because Jesus condemned wealth, but because He knows how difficult it is for someone to lay aside greed.

When we lay aside our greed, we are able to give what we have with joy. Jesus honors this virtue through the poor widow who gave all she had as an offering (Mark 12:41-44). She gave out of her poverty rather than her wealth.

Unforgiveness

Jesus stressed the consequences of the lasting effects of unforgiveness. In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus told his disciples that whoever forgives his brother will be forgiven, but whoever does not forgive will not be forgiven.

Jesus also told a parable of the Unforgiving Servant to his disciples in order to emphasize the importance of showing forgiveness to others as a reflection of the forgiveness shown to us by God (Matthew 18:21-35). Jesus is the ultimate example of the One who forgives. Though not deserving death, he forgave his enemies even while on the cross (Luke 23:34).

Hatred

One of the greatest commandments Jesus gave his disciples was to love one another. It is by our love that the world will know that we are truly disciples of Christ (John 13:34-35).

Likewise, Jesus condemned our hatred of and anger with one another. He equated it to the physical murder of the individual (Matthew 5:21-26). Jesus’ ministry was one of reconciliation. When we hate someone, we create a barrier to the very purpose of His ministry.

Disobedience

While disobedience may seem like a catch-all for all sin, Jesus stressed the importance of obeying His teaching (Luke 11:28; John 14:15). The parable of two sons illustrates the importance Jesus placed on obeying His word (Matthew 21:28-32).

In this parable, a father had two sons. One son told his father he would work the vineyard and did not follow through. The second son declared that he would not work yet changed his mind and went. Jesus’ point of the parable was that the one who receives the kingdom of God is the one repents and believes. When we disobey the Word of the Lord, we need to check our hearts for disloyalty and a lack of love.

Judging Others

Throughout the gospels, Jesus ministered to many “sinners,” and received criticism from his disciples as well as from the Jewish leaders. For instance, Jesus calls Levi, a tax collector, to be a disciple. The new follower held a great banquet where notorious law breakers gathered. When the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus’ disciples about his behavior, Jesus told them that it is not the healthy who needed a doctor, but rather the sick (Luke 5:27-31).

Jesus is clear in his prohibition against judging others (Matthew 7:1-6; Luke 37-38). Oftentimes people are tempted to determine for themselves another’s guilt and announce a fate upon them. However, that role is for God alone (James 4:12). Believers are called to show mercy towards one another rather than judgement.

Impurity

In first century Judaism, ritual and ceremonial purity was extremely important. However, Jesus taught on the importance of moral purity. When confronted about the disciples’ lack of ceremonial washing, Jesus declared that it is not what someone puts inside of their mouth that defiles them, but rather what comes out of their mouths (Matt. 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23).

He the warned against the sins of the heart, which include: sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. Therefore, as followers of Jesus, it is important for us to allow God to examine our hearts daily to ensure that we remain pure (Psalm 139:23-24).

While Jesus taught on many “sins," this list gives an overview of the heart of His ministry and teaching of the kingdom of God. He calls us as believers to a life of faith, obedience, love, and service to God and others. When we trust in Him rather than ourselves, regularly meditate on His Word, and fellowship with Him in prayer we can follow His teachings and live a life of true discipleship.

[vent-my-woes]

Each character I write is just a reflection of my struggle to live

Each one reflects a different part of me as a person, and in each I find that core of self destruction.

Krigia represents my want to die, but the pain and agony of living despite there being no place for you amongst the living.

Link Marlowe represents my struggle to find peace with the death all around me, and yet still live on

Fawn is my displacement in life. How I feel too old or too young, too big or too small, to much and too little at the same time for any space. To feel awkward and trapped and lost all the time.

Lost in the system itself is just an allegory for the change that makes us unrecognizable. To have your life to throughly torn out from under you and changed so that you can never go back. To not recognize yourself in the mirror. To have nothing to call your home or your own.

Link and the gods. Living a lie. The betrayal and anger that comes with it. Realizing you were hurt and hurt others because of it. Being broken and beaten and torn and shattered within an inch of your life, only to have the one who did it walk away without a scratch.

Russo. My need to protect and need to die at odds with eachother. When faced with certain death he aims to protect and shield to the end. But I am not one faced with certain death. I envy him. I feel his weights and concerns and fears and yet I know for him it will come to an end and yet he wants to *live*. He fights to live, where I surrender to death in any way it might take me.

Silas. Different. Not understood. Alone. Outcast. Loved but held at a distance. Unable to make sense of the world he lives in because he still lives in the world formed by his trauma.

So many more, reflecting me in so many ways.

And yet

Am I sorry

Or just jealous

[cress-meadowforge]

flashback; fall/winter 107 before the 136th biannual hunger games

ft. @cain-gunn

The streets of the Capitol may have been distinctly carved, paved flawlessly and level, but their names blurred. Glory Lane, Valor Circle, Victory Street– Cress searched down each one. The issue with District Zero was that it operated like a vascular system, veins stemming from the core out and up. Though the city stretched miles, so did the vast expanse of catacombs beneath it. One end and the farthest other would always be connected, and so there was no telling where Cain had ended up. But eventually, in the eerie early hour when all was silent and dead and dark, Cress saw an odd shape: Cain, hunched and rounded, his blonde hair tinted blue-black, slumped body leaning against a wall. 

“Cain?” she called, stepping quicker through the stagnant night. They were alone, but the notion wasn’t comforting. Something felt deeply wrong. 

Cain had all but forgotten he’d called by the time Cress showed up. Her face hovered in the distance, her voice fuzzy and far away. Nothing seemed to reach his senses in real time, and the world around him was still spinning wildly. “Cress?” He asked, looking up at her with his brow furrowed. “You’re really here?” He questioned, because Mack had been honest with him about being a figment of his mind, so Cress probably would be too. If she wasn’t real, she would tell him. 

“I’m really here,” she promised, though it seemed a strange thing to assure. Cress knelt at his side, fingers brushing the hair – clumped and damp with sweat – from his forehead. 

“I-” he started, his head lolling back onto the brick wall with a thud, though the pain didn’t register. He sucked in a steadying breath, hoping it would be enough to keep him both semi-upright and not sick on the ground. “You didn’t have to come here,” he told her apologetically. Even beneath the haze of drugs and alcohol, Cain felt a flash of guilt for having pulled Cress out of bed. “I’m good. I’m good,” he assured her as he started on the painstaking task of trying to stand up. Cress pleaded for him to stay, to still, but he persisted. With each inch he managed, Cress followed suit, hands splayed to keep him steady, though it was a doomed feat from the go. Cain made it nearly halfway before he tipped forward and fell shoulder first back to the concrete below him.

“Oof–” Cress stumbled beneath the weight, the force bringing them both to the ground. Her body broke the fall, hands grasping for his clothes, his limbs, something firmer than the core of him, which seemed unable to support itself. “It’s okay. You’re okay–” Cress tried to shift him upward, upright, but there was little give. She was strong – Career strong, trainer strong – but she’d been bedridden and then healing. Now, she was just struggling. “Stop it,” Cress wrestled against him, tone firm in a way reserved rather solely for Slate (who was, by all accounts, an unreasonably stubborn being). Here, it seemed fitting. “I need you to work with me.”

“Okay, okay,” he mumbled, trying to shift so his weight wasn’t pressing down on Cress. “Sorry,” he added, realizing he’d knocked them both over. He moved slower this time, letting Cress lead the charge on getting them both standing. His limbs were heavy, so every motion needed to be deliberate or he’d fall over again. He brushed gravel off the fresh scrape across his palm, blood blooming in pin-prick dots over his skin. Cain tried to take a step, but directionless, he ended up stumbling forward and then overcorrecting back. His back collided with the brick wall, so Cain just stayed there, resigned to leaning against the structure which was much more steady than he was. “Cress?” He asked, tugging at the collar of his shirt in a feeble attempt to relieve himself of the waves of heat that seemed to be rolling over him. “I want-” Cain wanted to be home in his own bed. “I need to-” he needed to puke, he was pretty sure. “I’m just gonna lay down for a few minutes, okay? Standing is too hot. I’m just gonna-” He could feel himself tilting, losing his war against gravity. Cress was losing too. “Just gonna lay down. Five minutes, I’m gonna be on the ground right here.” She adjusted her approach; instead of trying to keep Cain up, she shifted to cushion beneath. If he was going down, she couldn’t stop him, but she could prevent him from crashing back onto concrete.

So Cress sat back against the wall, and Cain sprawled across the sidewalk, his head held in her lap. He tried to find Cress’ face through the darkness, but focusing on anything was an impossible task. “Tomorrow,” he decided suddenly. “We can get pancakes, and everything will feel good again.”

“Alright,” Cress conceded, brushing the hair from his eyes and off the back of his neck. He was warm, flushed, sweating. “Let’s breathe for a bit, and then we’ll try again. Some rest, a shower, and then pancakes,” the words meant to entice. “You’ll be alright.” But Cress felt like that was a lie. Tomorrow would come, yes, but Cain wouldn’t be feeling better.

Things wouldn’t be alright again for a long time.