#MAJORITY OF THEIR DYNAMIC WAS LIKE IN THE YEAR THAT THEY TRAVELED TOGETHER

[aq2003]

how is 42 boring. doctor who video essayer are you out of your fucking mind

[buried-l0cket]

Polygun but it’s how they all see each other

i always really like in books with different narrators when how a character looks itself is unreliable narration bc they describe themself differently compared to how the other pov characters see them, and the dungeon meshi shapeshifter chart scratched that itch for me art wise and I got inspired ✨

To be more specific this is what they each picture when they think of each person 👉👈

Details under cut!!

Meryl clothing details aside because I think she’s just short and the boys aren’t looking at her traveling clothes too hard (and vash clearly likes making his own clothes with how much his overly intricate jacket design changes so ofc his version of her outfit just looks like another one of his designs 🙄) all of the clothes are based on specific parts of the manga!

A big thing with these designs was taking moments that were important regarding each characters relationship with the pov character and adding in visual nods to that to show what memories stuck with them to shape their image of that person.

The clearest example of this is everyone thinking of a different Vash coat, for Wolfwood it’s what he was wearing when he turned him over to Knives, to Meryl it’s his final fight coat, and for Milly it’s when she met him.

It may be Trimax but I will always have a soft spot for 98 millywood so those two’s impression of each other has been influenced by that, but more specifically just the idea of them both alone together, layers and walls down, hair messy from sleep. Their relationship is one I just see very clearly developing over a lot of late nights at inns and bars during traveling!

Vash is the trademarked inventor of Savior Martyr Victim complex supreme and when he thinks of everyone he sees times they’ve been let down by him. To me he’s the biggest broken gear in their dynamic because of the way he holds himself back and isolates, the ship really works in spite of him most of the time. But he also sees traces of times his desire to be by their side was cemented. His Meryl is heavily based on after she was kidnapped by the GHGs and he lost control in front of her, but her hair is longer + earrings are gone like when they saw each other again after Knives released the ark, and she has a black turtleneck peaking out from under her traveling clothes the way it did under her space suit during the final battle. His Milly has the hair and undershirt of the final battle but her outer clothes are from when they traveled together for the majority of Trimax. His wolfwood isn’t doing too well.

Meryl’s versions of Milly and Wolfwood are both pretty similar to how they looked when she first met them, wolfwoods hair is just a little longer like I imagine it being towards the end of Trimax and is very windswept, from their short first meeting in the original Trigun manga run I always got the impression she thought he looked very cool lol, she was staring up at him like ://0 the whole chapter.

I mentioned it before but honestly most of Wolfwood’s Vash is based on how he looked when he turned him over to Knives, not only do I think that moment stuck with him but I feel like it’s a good visual summary of all the mixed feelings he has towards Vash. He’s drawn to him and sees how sad he his but he also sees how inhuman he is and the threat he and knives pose for the people he cares about and prioritizes. At the end of the day Wolfwood chose the orphans over Vash twice and never went back on that, and a big part of why he broke Vash our of Knives prison was just so he could go fight Knives to the death for humanity’s sake, and I think that’s important to his character and their relationship.

Similarly, Meryl’s Vash is really just final arc Vash. She’d already developed a very strong impression of him before then but they would go weeks to even years without seeing each other and each time the way he looked and the way she felt about him would change drastically, it seemed to me like it wasn’t till she was on the ship advocating for him and the people living on gunsmoke that she knew how she felt about him and what kind of person she saw him to be. It was also a huge moment for her character wise with the way she faced her fears in the name of human connection and made the active choice to not be as apathetic and closed off as she realized she had been in the early manga.

I think Milly’s first impression of Vash was strong and accurate enough to not change much, this nice guy is Vash the Stampede and there is definitely something weird about him.

I don’t know why Wolfwood doesn’t know what Meryl’s hair looks like, what’s wrong with that guy? In general his version of Meryl is very inaccurate now that I’m looking at it, I promise he likes her

+small details that are my personal headcanon and not the characters interpretations are Meryl and Wolfwoods hair being a bit more curly/textured than canon, Milly’s eyes being green, and Meryl’s earrings being silver (gold earrings with a white black and blue outfit and silver guns?? C’mon girl accessorize properly)

[nonsensology]

So I've had these Grunkle Stan crackships on my mind for almost a year now. Could be interpreted as platonic, but I think there's great and fascinating potential if interpreted fully romantic. Full musings and explanations below (Warning: very disjointed and random).

Uncle Chan from Jackie Chan Adventures

Maybe Ford and Stan stumble across the Chans on one of their globe-trotting adventures. Both groups fight off the same supernatural threat and surprise each other with their ease and familiarity with the weird and fantastical.

I feel Uncle is kind of a weird in-between of Ford and Stan. He is knowledgeable but not a nerd like Ford, is generally cranky but doesn't get into trouble like Stan does, although he does have a level of disregard towards authority if it gets in the way of his goals. He's quick to do research instead of impulsively charging into a situation.

I think Uncle's dynamic with Stan would be hilarious. They would argue a lot on how to deal with a threat, but once they agree to work together, they could kick ass. Once he gets past his initial annoyance, Stan would probably enjoy Uncle's quips, even more so when he realizes that Uncle does not say them to be funny, he's just naturally snarky.

Uncle is never shown having any romantic interest or relationships, so I kind of headcanon him as ace, but I think it would be really interesting to see what kind of queerplatonic relationship he and Stan could form.

Jade and Mabel would probably hit it off immediately, and while Jade isn't as studious as Dipper, she also has an enthusiasm for the supernatural so she'd probably get along decently with him. She'd also probably think Stan and Ford are super cool, especially considering their lax attitude toward giving children weapons. Though they do still take the kids' safety very seriously.

Jackie is doubtful of Stan, much like he was with Viper, but seeing Stan look out for the kids would probably endear him a little. Ford might also help ease his worries, and maybe they both could have fun discussion about archeology.

I think Tohru and Soos could get along decently, though Tohru would find Soos' eccentric musings odd at first.

Additionally, Uncle's shop is in San Francisco, practically next door to Dipper and Mabel in Piedmont. The kids would easily visit each other every weekend.

Bruno Madrigal from Encanto

Stan has been to prison in Colombia, so I don't think he'd willingly travel there for fun, and Encanto Valley seems relatively closed off from the rest of the world, so I imagine their meeting is accidental, maybe a result of the Stans getting caught in a storm or something. They stay for a while in the valley while repairing their boat.

Stan might initially be outraged at the idea of the Madrigals not charging anyone for the use of their gifts, but perhaps lightens up when he sees how close-knit the community is. He'd still come up with ways they could show off their powers Mystery Shack style, probably butting heads with Alma in the process, lol. He might encourage Bruno to adapt a more showman-like approach to his seer abilities to make it more presentable and less intimidating.

Bruno and Stan connecting over their shared feelings of isolation from family is definitely what drew me to these two together in the first place. If they ever got serious about their relationship, I can imagine the biggest hurdle would be deciding if they should continue a long-distance relationship, since neither is keen on asking the other to be separated from their family.

Yuuko Ichihara from xxxHolic and Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle

Major spoiler alerts for both series. It's been many years since I've read them, and Tsubasa had so many plot twists that even CLAMP (the writers) admitted they were confused by the end result. I also might be misremembering some details, so bear with me. Factoring in the plotlines for both series and Gravity Falls would make for an incredible AU fanfic that I unfortunately am not qualified to write.

Due to Yuuko's shop being in Tokyo, a whole ocean away from Oregon, I like to imagine some timey-wimey space mumbo jumbo allowing Yuuko and Stan to meet in the dream realm. Maybe at some point, Yuuko's shop would obtain a door connecting it to the Mystery Shack.

Stan and Yuuko both have a mischievous side, though Yuuko is generally more reserved. They could start out as drinking buddies, though I imagine Stan would probably favor a light beer, while Yuuko loves sake.

They also both use aliases (it is never revealed what Yuuko's real name is), but Yuuko would likely be upfront about it. As their relationship progresses, Stan would probably feel comfortable telling Yuuko his real first name, even after she tells him the supernatural dangers of giving your real name.

While Stan scams his customers, he generally sells harmless entertainment and trinkets, whereas Yuuko grants wishes and operates strictly on an equivalent exchange basis. To quote the wiki, "All of Yuuko's customers must pay a price in order to grant their wishes, which can be no more or no less than the one demanded, or else harm will come to one's way. She is not one to tell the customer the most direct way to solve their problems because in the end, it can only be solved with that person's own realization and resolution to change themselves... Her abilities are not unlimited and may almost seem like a curse as it appears that she is unable to do anything for anyone or grant any gift (other than feelings) without it becoming a binding transaction." 

When Stan finds out just how powerful Yuuko is, I think he might react with a mixture of hesitation and awe, especially when she reveals she knows about his past, and Ford being lost in the multiverse. I am on the fence on whether Yuuko would use her powers to bring Ford home sooner, or let Stan continue working on the portal because he's already close to completing it and this would be significant in defeating Bill.

I found that the main villain of Tsubasa, Fei Wang Reed, surprisingly parallels Stan. Both endanger reality to bring back someone who is lost, but while Stan does it out of love and devotion to his family, Fei Wang Reed only did it in an arrogant plan to prove himself a powerful sorcerer. And in Fei's case, the person is already dead. CLAMP's universe establishes that the dead cannot be brought back to life, and Fei's wish to do so would cause the universe to be destroyed. I wonder if Bill would factor Fei as part of his plans.

Stan also surprisingly shares a lot in common with Fai D Fluorite. Both use their twin's name (Fai's real name is Yuui), and for much of the series Fai's tragic backstory regarding his twin is unknown, and he hides his trauma under a laid back exterior. I think Stan would empathize a lot with Fai, after he finds out his backstory.

Kimihiro Watanuki is revealed to have been created to fill a void left by Syaoran after the latter wished to turn back time. I remember Watanuki's character arc involved realizing that people cared about him. "Don't disappear", "Continue existing". Stan would probably take Watanuki under his wing, much like he did with Soos. Watanuki might find life with the Pines family far more chaotic than he's used to, but slowly warm up.

Yuuko is revealed to have died a long time ago and has basically been in magical stasis due to Clow Reed's unintentional wish. When time finally moves forward again, Yuuko eventually passes on. She doesn't return in the canon series, but Watanuki is stated to have also suspended his time to wait for her return. In this AU, maybe she reincarnates in the past and reunites with Stan and the Pines in the present day.

[sapphic-agent]

So, a Kataang fan made a post about a week ago "asking" (rhetorically, of course) why it's a bad thing Katara acts like Aang's mom. And I just-

First of all, isn't that something that Kataang shippers have been trying to actively dispute for almost two decades at this point? That Katara doesn't treat Aang as a younger brother/son? There's literally an entire post about it from The Headband that's made its rounds on almost every single social media platform.

So which is it, besties? Does Katara act motherly towards Aang or not?

(The answer is yes of course, as The Runaway outright confirms it multiple times. The whole premise of that episode is that Katata acts as a mother to Toph, Sokka, and Aang)

Now, why is it a problem? The fact that I have to explain this is telling for how little a lot of Kataang shippers understand Katara.

Katara was parentified. She took care of Sokka (by his own admission) as well as her entire village after Hakoda left. Even before then really, as she says in the very first episode that she's been doing all the chores around the village since their mother died which was years before that. She was delivering literal babies while basically being a baby herself.

Traveling- and being- with Aang is supposed to represent her freedom and childhood, right? That's what the first episode shows us and what Kataang is built on. But if anything, it has the opposite effect.

Book 1 wasn't terrible. Katara was very free-spirited and joyful in addition to being caring and empathetic. Her and Aang could still goof off together, even if she was doing her best to support him emotionally. You could easily see that as her being a good friend.

But somewhere between Books 2 and 3, that changed. Katara went from being his supportive friend to being his emotional crutch. During The Desert, she bears the brunt of him lashing out (he does yell at Toph once, but he's the most volatile with Katara). He also gets frustrated with her during Sozin's Comet, even though Zuko and Sokka were the ones pushing him. It's always Katara who has to bring him back when he loses control of the Avatar State, risking her own safety.

(This isn't emotional, but it was Katara who healed Aang after Azula's attack. She was the one who stayed by his side, staying awake for hours to make sure he would be okay. I like to look at it as a physical representation of their relationship. Aang's wellbeing is always put on her shoulders. If she isn't there to lift him up, he'll fall. And if he falls, the world falls. No 14 year old should be responsible for that. But it's so easy for the show- and y'all- to shove it onto her because this part of her character is never addressed. It's just used as a testament to her caring nature)

Even without Katara's parentification, this causes a major imbalance in their relationship. It puts Katara in charge of managing Aang's pain and being emotionally unsupported in return. The Southern Raiders is proof that Katara can't depend on Aang emotionally the way he does her. She's been his shoulder to cry on through everything and the one time the tables turned, she couldn't even get that from him.

And the saddest thing about this? Katara says to him, "I knew you wouldn't understand." She never expected Aang to support her. She's become so accustomed to being there for others that she's never once expected anyone to do the same for her, least of all Aang.

(But Zuko does. He's the only one who recognized Katara's pain- admittedly, mostly because it was directed at him- and tried to help her. Without being prompted. I gotta give this one to the Zutara folks)

In what world is this dynamic healthy for a romantic relationship?

[flightlessangelwings]

His Strength

Din Djarin x fem!reader

Word count- 3.8k

Dialogue prompt- “ hey! get away from them! “ and “ don’t worry about me; are YOU okay? “ Action prompt- [ SACRIFICE ]: sender sacrifices themselves, either fatally or otherwise, in order to save the receiver’s life.

Warnings-s.mut (18+ ONLY!), fwb to lovers, protective!Din, bounty hunter reader, injury, brief violence, brief torture scene (not super descriptive and no needles or anything like that), light angst, happy ending, mutual pining, feelings, no use of y/n, ambiguous on where in the timeline it is but razor crest lives

Notes- We made it, this is the last of my Year of Protectiveness @yearofcreation2023! I actually had a different idea at first, but after some personally tragedy, I wanted to write something a little more angtsy. Don't worry tho it's still a happy ending and no major character death! Thanks so much to those who have supported this year theme endeavor with me!

@flightlessangelwings-updates is my update blog so feel free to follow that and turn on post notifs to stay up to date!

~

When you first partnered with a Mandalorian bounty hunter in the guild, you never expected how much it would change your life. What started as a one time alliance for convenience turned into a partnership built on mutual respect for the other. And everything changed even more the day Mando came to you asking for help with a child he had taken in. He had told you what happened, and how he made the decision to save the child instead, and it awoke something within you that day. Even as he rescued the child from the Client, you stayed by his side and as the two of you traveled the galaxy, you felt the dynamic shift between you two.

It changed the Mandalorian that day too. From under the armor, he had always respected you, but seeing you with the child made him feel something he had never felt before. He found that his gaze lingered on you when you weren’t looking, and he found himself wondering what life would be like if you and the child could stay with him forever… as a family. 

Neither of you were sure when it happened. You were just partners one moment, and the next, became something more. There was never a whisper of it spoken out loud, though, just both of you knew something shifted. Even if it was simply for release, it changed everything between you two. He even murmured his real name to you in the throws of passion- a gift you treasured and kept safe in your heart. 

*

Sweat lined your brow as you writhed beneath the Mandalorian. His low grunts echoed from under his helmet while you bit your lip to stifle your moans. Din, as always, never took anything off, only freed his cock. You stayed mostly covered as well, something you wondered if he did to keep things feeling leveled, as if he didn’t want to feel like he was overpowering you. Only your bottoms came off, and even then they stayed around your ankles.

It started fast, heated, and fiery. The first time you and Din slept together was quick, as if you were both concerned with the moment running away from you. He just pushed your pants down enough and took you against the wall. And even with the rush, it was still a more intimate connection you had ever felt in your life. You couldn’t tell at the time, but Din felt the same way.

Over time, it moved from the wall to Din’s bunk, and from hot and hurried to slow and sensual. Din at times handled you with sure care that you wondered if he thought you would break. The way he caressed every inch of you made your heart flutter in your chest as you looked at him with a glazed over expression. Neither of you were sure when exactly it happened, but something changed as the two of you came together time and time again.

You felt it with every thrust of his cock. Though you never saw his face, you felt the emotions behind his movements and his touch. You looked into the darkness of his vizor, locking eyes with him behind it. A louder moan escaped your lips as he rocked into you again, filling you to the brim.

“Din…” you murmured as you ran your hands across his chest.

“I’ve got you,” he groaned in a low tone that went right to your core.

You whimpered at the care that lined his voice. Moving before you could second guess yourself, you let go of his broad shoulders and reached down for your own top. You grabbed and pulled it over yourself in one swift movement, exposing more of your body to Din.

He paused as his helmet nodded up and down as he soaked in the sight of your bare chest, “You’re beautiful,” he groaned as his hands wandered across your breasts. 

Mirroring your action, Din surprised you by quickly removing his gloves so that he could touch your bare skin. Both of you gasped when his large hand cupped your jaw first, then trailed down to your breast. He remained inside you yet stayed still as both of you froze in the moment. Din’s thumb brushing across your nipple was the only movement save for the way both your chests expanded with your heavy breaths.

A whimper escaped your lips as Din caressed your breast, gently pinching your nipple as he fondled you. He worshiped your body with his touch and you could hear the heavy breaths from under his helmet. Heat rose between the two of you as he kneaded your breasts.

Din murmured your name as his hand trailed up your chest and along your arms until he took your hand in his. Leaning forward, Din pressed his forehead against yours as he covered your body with his own and resumed his thrusts.

This time, you couldn’t hold back your moans. Between the way he pounded into you and the emotions that came with the intimacy of the moment, you couldn’t help the way you cried out. Din’s cock hit spots deep inside you that you never felt before, and it brought tears to your eyes.

“Fuck… Din…”

“I know,” he groaned, “Me too…”

His hand clasped around yours as he sped up his thrusts, rocking into you with abandon. You arched your back into him as you squeezed his hand right back, and your eyes fluttered shut as you felt your climax quickly approach. 

“Din… I’m…” was all you could get out before your orgasm hit you. Your entire body trembled under his beskar-clad one as you came hard on his cock. Your cries echoed in the small space as you felt Din hit your sweet spot over and over again, making you feel a pleasure unlike anything you ever experienced before.

Din growled your name as his hips became more erratic until he too hit his peak. He dropped down onto his elbows, all while never letting go of your hand as he felt wave after wave of pleasure crash through him as he spilled himself deep inside you.

Heavy breaths filled the small space between your bodies as Din rode out your orgasms together. With one final deep thrust, Din groaned as he stilled himself for a moment until he pulled out of you completely. You let out a soft whine at the loss as you felt your body pulse from the aftershocks of your powerful climax.

He gave your hand one last squeeze before he finally let go, and Din immediately grabbed your shirt so that you could cover yourself.

Mumbling a hushed “thanks,” you maneuvered yourself in the tiny space to dress yourself, slipping your shirt on before shimmying your pants back up. Vaguely, you felt Din’s gaze on you as he helped you move around on the cot. For a moment, you didn’t dare look at him. The emotions were too overwhelming after what happened. Something changed in the air between you two, but neither of you were sure how to address it.

That was when you noticed his hand still lingered on your body, holding you tightly. “Din…” you started in a whisper.

But you were interrupted when a coo from a distance made you both look up. Grugu babbled happily as he made his way outward the bunk and climbed in, settling himself in between you two.

You smiled brightly as you finally looked at Din, “We didn’t wake him did we?” you asked in embarrassment.

“I hope not,” he replied with a soft laugh in his tone, “I’m sure it’s fine,” he reassured you. 

You couldn’t help but giggle as the little child made himself comfortable between the two of you. Faintly, you heard his laughter with yours and it made your heart soar.

Din tilted his head affectionately, “Rest now,” he cradled your face, “We all need some sleep.”

Swallowing hard, you nodded. Wiggling your way around where Grogu already made himself comfortable, you laid down on your side and exhaled deeply. Din did the same after you were settled and he placed himself so that he could wrap his arm around both you and the child, holding you both close, keeping you both safe.

“Goodnight,” you murmured before you drifted off. Surprisingly, it took you no time to fall asleep, perhaps because you were warm and comfortable… and safe.

The Mandalorian, however, laid awake for some time, just listening to you and Grugu sleep. Everything he could ever want in the galaxy was tucked safely in his arms, yet it all felt so far at the same time. He knew neither you nor the child were truly his, yet he felt like the three of you were already a family. If you only knew just how much you meant to him… 

*

“I have a bad feeling about this,” you mumbled.

Din glanced over at you, but said nothing. He placed a hand on your shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze before he stepped in front of you. 

The alleyway felt like it closed in around you. Dim lights led the way as you, Din and Grogu tracked the fob and the bustle of the city faded into the distance. It was quiet, but not calming. You couldn’t put your finger on it, but something felt wrong, and everything in you screamed to turn around.

Din's presence anchored you, though, and you stayed at his side as you carefully made your way toward where the fob guided you. With each step, it beeped louder until you all turned down one last alley that led to a small shack.

“Careful,” Din hissed under his breath to you.

You and Din each hovered your hands over your weapons, ready to strike. Din scanned the area, and when he found no movement, he nodded to you and opened the door slowly. You held your breath as the two of you pointed your blasters into the small space, ready for anything. However, as you inched closer, you noticed that the target laid still. Scrunching your brows, you reached a hand out to check, and with a sigh you turned back to Din, “He’s already dead.”

Din let out a soft grunt. You were right- something was off about this. But, before he could even reply, an explosion knocked both of you off balance. He shouted your name as he instinctively tried to reach for you, but you were knocked too far away from him.

A yelp escaped your throat as you found yourself thrown against the nearby wall. You groaned as your body ached, but you forced yourself up onto your elbows. Grogu’s pram was pushed next to you, and through the smoke in the distance where the front wall used to be, you saw numerous shadows appear. Din laid on the ground on the other side of the space, groaning as he too pushed himself back up.

Acting quickly, you shot up to your feet and grabbed onto the pram, “Get out of here, Grogu,” you told him and you gathered your strength, “Get out of here and get help,” you strained as you pushed the pram as hard as you could, sending it hurling out the window and into the darkness. You watched it disappear for a moment before you turned to your companion, “Din,” you breathed.

He looked over at you, but before he could even say your name, another figure appeared behind you and knocked you unconscious. Din yelled, both in fear and in anger, and attacked the enemies with everything he had, fighting until he too found his world completely black.

*

You felt the pain before you opened your eyes; your entire body ached. Faintly, you heard voices and clamoring around you, and it took you several seconds to blink your eyes open. When you did, you found yourself in a brightly lit room with several men around you. Gasping, you tried to move, but you found yourself strapped down- your wrists were bound at your sides and your ankles were tied at the end of the table you currently laid on.

“You joined us just in time,” a sinister voice spoke.

Snapping your head in the direction of the voice, you saw a tall man with a rod in his hands. The rod sparked at the end, and you knew immediately what it was for. You spat a curse at him as you struggled to get out of your binds, but that only amused him.

“She’s feisty,” he commented, “I see why you keep her around, Mando,” he moved aside to reveal Din behind him, also bound but in a different way.

The Mandalorian was on his knees, his wrists cuffed together in front of him, and several men strained to keep him in place. His shoulders rose and fell with deep breaths, and you could hear the snarl in his breathing.

“Maybe now you can tell us where the child is,” the man continued as he stepped towards you, the rod pointing right at you.

“Get away from her!” Din shouted, “Let her go!”

He ignored him, the rod hovering just above your skin, “Let’s hear how pretty you are when you scream,” he hissed.

“No!” Din struggled in vain as he tried to break free.

The searing pain from the rod against your skin made you scream before you could fight it. Pulse after pulse of electricity shot through your entire body, and it was the worst pain you had ever felt in your life. Your eyes snapped shut as you tried to wriggle away, but it was no use. You were trapped, and there was nothing you or Din could do.

Your screams went right to Din’s chest, “Stop!” he shouted. Fueled by his rage at seeing you hurt, Din finally broke free of his captors and with a grunt, knocked them out. “It’s me you want. Leave her alone,” Din panted, “Don’t hurt her.”

Din smashed the binders that held his wrists together, shattering it, before he grabbed his small vibroblade that he kept hidden. The room turned into a frenzy as the other men attacked him, but he fought them off until he reached the leader, the one who hurt you.

Amused at the scene, the leader pulled out a blade of his own and countered Din's attack, “Is this… love, Mandalorian?” he asked as he parried Din's attack.

The Mandalorian just growled as rage consumed him. He went blade to blade with the leader a few times, but he soon made a mistake. Din glance over at you, still bound to the table with tears in your eyes. He hesitated for just a moment as the sight of you like that broke him, and that was when the leader stuck, stabbing Din right between the plates of his armor.

“Has a woman made you soft?” he teased in a low voice as he drove the blade deeper, "How sweet," he spat.

Your eyes went wide as your mouth opened to let out a scream, but nothing came out. Instead, all you could croak out was a hushed, "Din..."

Tears fell from your eyes as you wailed and thrashed in your binds, desperate to do something. Maniacal laughter filled the room as Din slumped down, the blade still in his body. You whimpered as you tried to fight through the pain that coursed through your body and free yourself, but it was no use. This was the end. And you didn’t even get to tell him…

Suddenly, the wall on the far side burst open in an explosion and dozens of Karga’s men flooded into the room. They fought off your captors in a heated fight. And through the flames and blaster fire, you saw the familiar outline of the child, who waddled over to you. It was the last thing you saw before you passed out from the pain. 

*

Din woke with a gasp. The last thing he remembered was getting stabbed, hearing you scream and then an explosion. He had no idea where he was, but he did notice that his hands weren’t bound anymore. And the pain had dulled to an ache in his side. But, more than his own injuries, he was more concerned with where you were. Thankfully for him, your voice was the next thing he heard.

“Din,” you gasped, “It’s alright, we’re ok,” you were right next to him.

Din laid back down with a groan as the pain suddenly intensified. But it didn’t matter, you were here, and you were ok. He whispered your name, “What happened?”

“Grogu found backup,” you sounded tired, “Karga and the others found us just in time.”

He groaned, “Grogu?! Where is he?”

“Shh,” you tried to calm him, knowing how much the kid meant to him, “He’s alright. He’s resting in the next room. It took a lot out of him… healing us…”

“Are you alright?” was his next question after a pause.

Your eyes went wide, “Don’t worry about me. Are you ok?”

Din cupped your face, “As long as you and the kid are alright…”

“Don’t say that,” tears filled your eyes before you could stop them. You let out a shaky breath before you added, “Din, you… You sacrificed yourself… For me…” your voice trembled. 

He groaned as he slowly pushed himself up to sit. You mumbled incoherent concerns as you helped him up, and once Din was upright, he found himself almost eye level with you due to the height of the cot. Din let out a heavy sigh as his heart skipped a beat in his chest at the way you looked at him. Though he hated to see tears in your eyes, he noticed the care and concern that highlighted your features.

“Din…” you breathed as he cupped your face once more.

As he gently cradled your face in his hand, Din murmured, “Keeping you and Grogu safe,” he hissed slightly from the pain, “Is all that matters to me. You two are all that matter to me.” Din spoke in a sincere voice.

Fresh tears filled your eyes, but not ones of sadness. You longed to hear him say those words, and now that you heard them, the emotions became overwhelming. “I care about you too, Din,” you whispered as you leaned into his touch, feeling his thumb brush across your cheek, “You and the kid… You’re my family. My everything.”

Din let out a deep breath, “I trust you,” his tone was soft, “Do you trust me?”

“Yes,” you breathed without hesitation.

He slid his hand up your face to rest over your eyes. Your mouth dropped open as a sigh escaped your lips, but you said nothing and made no attempt to move. You put yourself completely in his hands, knowing you were safe in them. But, you gasped when you heard the hiss of his helmet, and felt the gentle breath from Din’s own lips.

Din leaned in and tenderly placed his lips over yours, using his free hand to keep his helmet covering the rest of his face. You both moaned softly into each other as you savored the feeling of your lips together for the first time. The kiss was soft and sweet, yet it held all the emotions the two of you held close to your hearts. Now that everything was out in the open, though, you and Din both felt like you could share this vulnerability with each other.

You tilted your head to the side as you placed your hands on Din’s armored chest and parted your lips in a silent invitation. Din eagerly took it and deepened the kiss by darting his tongue past your lips. He groaned into you and pushed his chest more into your body as the taste of you sent a jolt of electricity through his veins. A tear of his own slid down his face as he memorized the taste of you and the feeling of your face against his.

As much as neither of you wanted to break away, you needed air. Reluctantly, you both parted at the same time, sharing the air that you both inhaled. Din carefully pulled his helmet down and covered your eyes, taking a moment to admire the subtle features of your face as you kept your eyes closed.

“Look at me,” he said gently.

You blinked your eyes open, and knew from the way he tilted his head to the side that he was admiring you. Your heart fluttered in your chest as you felt his eyes stare at you through the darkness of the visor. “Thank you,” you whispered, “For saving my life,” you slid your hand in his.

“You never have to thank me, mesh’la,” Din murmured as he squeezed your hand and moved his free one to cup the back of your head, “I’ll always protect you,” he continued in a low tone as he guided your head closer to his until your foreheads touched. Din knew his love for you and Grugu didn't make him weak, despite what the leader said. In fact, it made him stronger than ever, it drove him to fight harder to protect you both.

You let out another deep breath as your eyes closed and you cherished the moment. Being held by Din made you feel safe and warm, even with the cold armor he wore. You felt the warmth of his touch, the warmth of his love, even through the beskar. “Let’s go see our kid,” you broke the silence with a smile in your tone.

Din let out a soft, amused huff that told you he was smiling too, “Yeah,” he murmured, “Let’s get our family back together.” 

[cheshiresense]

How could you pull off AiIchi??? This shocks me because you said once that you can't see them as anything but platonic. How would a relationship between them even work in your eyes? I'm intrigued. (my favourite ship is Koyonagi/Ichigo by the way, your OCs are just... impeccable. But I would forever and always read any ship you write.)

Tbf I said that back when I hadn't tried my hand at writing Aizen yet as anything more than the villain, cuz before that, Aizen basically only served as the major antagonist in every one of my Bleach fics lol. Also I think TYBW had just come out/I hadn't really looked that deeply into the plot, so I def couldn't see AiIchi working, romantically or platonically. The main reason I grew more interested in their dynamic was because of the character development Kubo gave Aizen in TYBW.

Like look at this beautiful scene:

I just feel like Aizen was both more human and a little humbled by the time TYBW rolled around, and it was Ichigo who changed his perspective. It's not like he's suddenly a good guy or anything, but I could see him and Ichigo slowly connecting with each other. And when it comes down to it, those two actually aren't so different.

And after I did get into TYBW, I wrote the Ichigo & Aizen TBTP time travel AU, and they are platonic there, and then I wrote the UraIchi + potential future UraIchiAi fic, so now I can probably swing it if the fic happens to develop that way.

But like I said for this AU, Aizen would need his future memories for it to be an AiIchi end game, esp since this is an AU where they had an extended Quincy War so they would've had like eight extra years fighting together. They weren't friends by the end of it but they had something of an understanding at least. As it is, I'm still not sure whether I want to make him an ally or just have Ichigo and Starrk kill him off. Like on one hand, he would be really useful against Yhwach, basically the three of them would be the major powerhouses in that conflict, but at the same time, idk how to get from current Point A to future Point B without the whole memories thing.

[lawbreaker13]

There’s something about Elemental that I love but I can’t quite seem to articulate.

[Spoilers by the way]

At the end of the movie, Ember and Wade leave together so Ember can take her internship at the glass company. This is supposedly a full time thing for her, which means she’s moving. Like yeah, she underestimates herself like “oh it probably won’t go anywhere and I’ll be back home soon,” but that’s a very “ooh this is a big step and I don’t feel ready to move out” mentality (literally told my parents I’d be back at the end of my first year’s lease, it’s just a mental safety net, but boy was that a relatable line for me). Regardless of her lack of confidence in herself and this potential new job, she is moving out. And Wade is going with her.

She had said “I want to travel the world with you.” That’s great, and I hope they do, but that’s not what’s happening here. It’s said that this is several months, maybe even a year after the main events of the movie. The majority of the movie itself spans a couple weeks or so (edit: I counted, it’s about 8-12 days). So by the time they leave for Ember’s internship, Ember and Wade have been dating for a while. Anywhere between three months and a year. Wade is leaving with her, and it’s difficult for me to believe they’re going anywhere but the same place. Which means they’re moving in together.

Now I know that it sounds like I’m just freaking out and being incoherent about a ship, but the truth of the matter is, that’s really mature of Pixar.

Family friendly and kid-centric animation tends not to push anything but the “fall in love, kiss, get married, move in, have babies” pipeline. But what I loved about Elemental was that it portrayed a REALISTIC, HEALTHY, and MATURE relationship. One where the couple has arguments about real things that matter and after space, they talk it out. One where “I don’t understand” isn’t an invitation to shut down (even if Ember meant it that way in the heat of the moment), but an invitation to try and learn. One where anger and “I’m leaving” can be met with “I’m coming with you,” and one where the couple doesn’t just love each other right off the bat, they have to DATE MANY TIMES AND GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER, SEE EACH OTHER IN THE WORST OF TIMES, and THEN, realize they’re in love. AND they said it out loud, which doesn’t happen often either (edit: I am well aware that a week or two is a very short amount of time to fall in love, but I’m gonna cut them A LITTLE slack because it’s not like. 3 days, and also they seemingly saw each other every single day for those couple weeks and had the months after that. It’s rare, but sometimes, when you know, you know).

But beyond that. Beyond dating, getting to know each other, communicating and helping each other out, and deciding “yes, we can and should be together,” Elemental showed these two doing an adult thing together—leaving home and moving out. Because they are ADULTS. And the fact that I felt like this movie was targeted towards me and my peers the same way a PG-13 or R rated movie might be, strictly because of the realism in the character’s interactions and dynamic, that is something that I absolutely adore. Like, Zootopia was a kid’s movie with mature themes. Miraculous is a kid’s show with mature themes. Even Avatar: The Last Airbender was clearly targeted towards children, even though we all know it has something for everyone.

But Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. The Spider-Verse movies. And honestly, Elemental. These feel like our movies. Movies I’m glad the kids can enjoy, but they’re made for us. The 20- and 30-year-olds.

I’m just so happy to see animation studios treating adult characters like real people. Maybe soon people will start to recognize animation as a legitimate form of storytelling, too.

I loved Elemental. I really did.

[fatehbaz]

They’ve built a “Great Wheel” on the Seattle waterfront [...].

The small timber village became a military outpost in the Puget Sound War [...], [and] soon evolved into a trade gateway, with timber tailings and other industrial trash from Henry Yesler’s mill used to fill in the marshlands [...], atop which migrant laborers raised tents and shanties [...] now working to feed raw materials into the furnaces of the Second Industrial Revolution burning in the East. [...] The first nationwide strike ripped across the country’s railways in 1877, but in Seattle the unrest took on a grim character, as thousands of unemployed white workers rioted against their Chinese counterparts [...]. Meanwhile, [...] local elites rebuilt [...] downtown [...] from scratch, hosting the tallest building on the West Coast alongside other new constructs [fueled] with money gleaned from the supply chains linking eastern capital to Alaskan gold. [...] Today the city - again rebuilt [...] - is seen as one of the primary beneficiaries of the “Fifth” Industrial Revolution in information technology, outshone only by California’s Silicon Valley. [...] The digital was increasingly thought of as somehow "immaterial," sustained by intellectual labor more than physical toil [...].

Silicon Valley myths of [...] "immaterial" labor disguise a more gruesome dynamic in which growing segments of the global labor force are being deprived even of the basic brutality of the wage, instead forced out into growing rings of slums, prisons, and global wastelands. [...]

---

Perched alongside a downtown business corridor [...], Seattle's Great Wheel seems to peer out over [...] [the] prophesied “cooperative commons,” an infotech metropolis abutting the beauty of an evergreen arcadia. But travel below Seattle’s cluster of infotech industries and the image appears much the same as that of a hundred years prior - a trade gateway, squeezing value from supply chains by selling transport and logistical support. The southern stretch of the metropolis bears little resemblance to the revitalized urban core of the city proper. Instead of the “cognitive labor” of Microsoft, it is defined instead by the cold calculation of companies like UPS, founded in Seattle when the city was one link in a colonial supply chain built first for timber, then Alaskan gold, then World War. [...]

In south Seattle, this logistics empire takes the form of faceless warehouses, food processing facilities, container trucks, rail yards, and industrial parks concentrated between two seaports, an international airport, three major interstates, and railroads traveling in all directions. Meanwhile, the poor have been priced out of the old inner city, moving southward [...]. [T]hey can be found staffing the airport and the rail yards, hauling cargo in and out of two the major seaports, loading boxes in warehouses [...]. And, beyond them, the shadow stretches out to Washington’s rural hinterlands where migrant laborers staff a new boom in agriculture and raw materials [...] - and further still into America’s long-depressed interior, where the Great Wheel meets its opposite: Memphis, the FedEx logistics city, watched over by a great black pyramid [the infamous Bass Pro Shop pyramid]. [...]

Every Seattle is capable of creating an eco-friendly, “cooperative commonwealth” tended by apps and algorithms only insofar as there is a Memphis that can provide human workers to sort the packages, a Shanghai to build the containers that carry them, and a Shenzhen to solder together the circuits of the machines that govern it all.

---

All text above by: Phil A. Neel. "The Great Wheel". Brooklyn Rail. April 2015. Published online at: brooklynrail.org/2015/04/field-notes/the-great-wheel. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me. Text within brackets added by me for clarity. Presented here for commentary, teaching, personal use, criticism purposes.]

[guess-that-ship]

S11 Finals

Two Sides of the Same Coin

cw: major spoilers, suicidal ideation

Heads and Tails are the same person. Heads is the first, having been put in a situation they couldn't bear to be in anymore, and due to divine intervention is placed in a new body to guide Tails, who has been put in the same situation they were in. Tails does not know the real identity of Heads, and Heads intends to keep it that way. Due to their intense self-loathing, Heads passive-agressively lets it out at Tails, teasing him all the time, and yet they are the one person Tails can confide in about their situation, and both bond over it.

Eventually, everything is too much for Tails to bear, and they lash out at everyone, Heads included due to the secrets they've kept from him. The situation being all too familiar, in order to stop Tails from destroying themself like they did before, Heads, while never directly engaging with him, helps from a distance, guiding Tails towards his happy ending. And Heads hates it. It's not fair that fate wanted them to fail just so Tails could do what they couldn't.

When Tails returns, Heads explains everything about what happened to them, and forces Tails to fight them to see who gets to keep this happy ending. They hate Tails because they hate themself, and they hate themself because they hate Tails. But Tails doesn't feel the same way. When he wins, Heads just wants Tails to kill them and be done with it, but Tails refuses. It was thanks to them that Tails was able to get their happy ending, and it wouldn't be right to keep either of them from it. Heads fades away, their job done, but both promise to meet again.

The Moon and Stars

Star and Moon are childhood friends, always by eachothers side. Star is a quiet child, reserved and bookish, while Moon is loud and rough, often picking fights with the other kids. The two are inseparable, balancing eachothers worse tendencies while encouraging their best. During this time, Moon feels herself developing a crush on Star, but keeps it secret. However, as time goes on, circumstance pulls them apart, as Star's parents are killed in an accident and she is forced to leave her home. Now alone, Moon's more reckless tendencies are all she has left.

Life carries on for both of them. Star attunes herself to her magic potential, goes to college, and loses herself in her studies. Moon drops out of school, taking odd jobs and joining in criminal groups to get by. After many years, and by complete coincidence, Moon sees Star on TV one night, and all of those feelings from her childhood come rushing back. Moon drops everything and travels to where Star is, hoping to see her friend again.

When the two finally do reunite, Star is exhausted, both mentally and physically. While the sight of Moon brings her some comfort, the weight of the pressure she set upon herself is threatening to crush her completely. Moon gives her a chance to show her strength, offering to fight her. Moon wins the fight easily, with Star barely able to land a blow. Moon, deep in regret, tries to comfort her, only to find Star clutching a locket Moon had given her in their childhood. Moon, surprised she still had it, shows Star her own, which she had also kept all those years. Finally, the two decide to leave together, allowing themselves to rekindle the love and care they had for each other all those years ago.

[tunamayojazz]

Love your art, any Toge/Yuuta fanfic recommendations? Thanks so much!!

hi!! thank you so much...🥺🩷🩷 and i am SO glad you asked this. i have so many!! here are the ones i read/reread more recently along with some of the tags. tried to make every rec here different from each other hehe have fun reading!!! can't help it (if you look like an angel) by glimmiks (12.4k)

tags: college au, friends to lovers, mutual pining, IKEA

THIS WAS SO FUN TO READ PLEASEEEE i absolutely love college aus so much. and you just know the 2nd years would be the most fun and chaotic as college students. their dynamic is just chefs KISS, and it's written so well here. the mutual pining in here is truly a 10-course meal and i always go back for another round.

i'm alright if you're alright by anonymous (14.2k)

tags: spoilers up to ch146, fluff, hurt/comfort, injury recovery, fix-it, love confessions, pining

post-shibuya fic excellence. i always have such a great time reading this like inuokkos really do eat so well in this fandom. yuta pining is always so great to read like he is Longingly thinking about toge at all times im cry

Magnificently Cursed by diggingupthegrave (91.2k)

tags: dark academia, magic au, magic school au, slow burn, angst, mutual pining

i will always always recommend diggingupthegrave fics. they are easily my favorite inuokko writer pls you have to read all their inuokko fics...i saved this particular one of theirs to read for much later bc i knew it was going to change my life (7 chapters ok) and boy did it do exactly that. the way they implemented canon elements into a magic setting was so so brillaint and i savored every bit of it.

Beat the Turtle Drum by CasuallyScreaming (7.4k) tags: major character death, post-shibuya incident arc, angst, minimal comfort, no shibuya spoilers read this before sleeping the other night and honestly how i managed to still fall asleep after was my body trying to protect me from full out bawling and having a mental breakdown...i don't think i've read a lot of MCD inuokko but god this one shook me to my core. almost like the feeling of loss and grief were bleeding through my phone screen. so well written and while it's definitely mostly painful, the ending....well you'll find out :')

a special occasion by Cheshire (2.5k) tags: idiots in love, established relationship, first dates this was so so cute...!!!!!!! panda: but aren't you two already dating? yuta: well yes! no. sorta, kinda. super cozy and fluffy read!!

is this how every day begins? by mitgi (5.4k) tags: roommates, living together, mutual pining, hurt/comfort, angst i will always love me a roommate au. this fic was such a lovely read and i'm actually going to reread this right after i finish writing this! there's so much to explore in inuokko's relationship and also when it's in different settings. every time i think about how the actual source material are literal crumbs, i'm just even more amazed by how writers are able to draw out the most of what info we have and write their mannerisms so well. it all feels right and so WARM UOGHHHHH

haunted by sieling_fan (3.3k)

tags: pining, hurt/comfort, canon typical angst, character study

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

you showed up just in time by diggingupthegrave (14.6k)

tags: time travel, friends to lovers, mutual pining, hurt/comfort, slight age gap

another diggingupthegrave fic that had me crying screaming shaking throwing up because god. this was so so good. the build up had me at the edge of my seat bc like oh my god what happened? what's happening?? why is this like that? @#$%^&*()_!!!!!!!!!!!!! and when it's all pieced together? oh it ended me. read this again and again for DAYS you would think i was researching it for a thesis or something. take your time reading this btw like im so serious.

okie that's all for me from now, i have so many more to rec honestly....sending out 100000000000 hearts to inuokko writers you are my roman empire....

[artbyblastweave]

An aesthetic decision I really like about the Mad Max setting- focusing on Fury Road in particular here- is that the timeline and the setting deliberately defy coherence. Countless elements of our world have carried over- the guns, the vehicles, the musical instruments, the religious concepts, and nominally some of the actual people- but the world is geographically impossible, you don't see much contemporary architecture even in a ruined state, and there's no version of the timeline where this can be the same Max Rockatansky as the original films. But it is. The incongruities are deliberate. The setting is mythic, these are campfire tales told about Max, the King Arthur or the Omnipresent Jack figure of the new age. The world that was is swallowed in myth, the world that exists is borrowing some of the old world toys, and being up-front and bombastic with signifiers of the mythic and abstracted nature of the setting absolves you of the need to make the worldbuilding make sense- or rather, to make it make sense in the way you'd have to take a stab at if you had a year-by-year internal worldbuilding timeline of How Everything Went Down.

Fallout 1 is not exactly like this. It can't be, because you could kill a man with an overhead swing of the setting bible. But it's tapping into a similar impulse. People in the first game are using old world tech, but they don't really live in the old world; they live in settlements using materials scavenged from the old world, or in old world towns that were unimportant enough back then that their current identity totally overwrites whatever came before. They don't live in LA: They live in the Boneyard, which gives you a pretty good idea of how much of what we think of as "LA" would be recognizable as such if we were exploring the space in first-person perspective. When you encounter an area that has a direct, well-documented, and unambiguous connection to the old world, it's a Big Deal, and they're hard places to get to- places that the average person living their life in the wastes would die trying to access. Of particular note in this dynamic is The Brotherhood of Steel- for all their technical understanding of the knowledge they hoard, they've clearly seems to have undergone a few rounds of Canticle-style cultural telephone, mutating from Recognizably The American Military into a knightly order. Fallout 2 does this to a lesser extent- it has more settlements directly named after their pre-war counterparts- but it's also a game about a society that's starting to pull back together and form into something resembling the old world, for better or for worse. And it reproduces the trend of stuff with a direct, legible connection to the old world being inscrutable and dangerous to outsiders- specifically with the reveal that the Enclave consider themselves to be the direct continuation of the pre-war government, that they've just kept electing presidents out on that stupid little oil rig. I haven't really made up my mind on whether the timeframes of the games- 84 years followed by 164 years- actually work for the vibe they're going for, in particular it doesn't work with Arroyo- but on the whole, the vibe coheres.

You get into the 3d games, and it becomes much harder to continue to pull this off. One major tool that Fallouts 1 and 2 used to maintain that sense of abstraction was the overland travel map; you were visiting island of society in a vast sea of Nothing. You had encounter cells that consisted of burnt-out, looted shells of cities, maybe good for a camp site but not as anything else. Another important tool towards this end was the isometric camera angle. In a topdown worldspace you can scrub out a lot of environmental details that would be immediately recognizable to the player as artifacts of our present society if you were exploring the space in 1st person. The examine button can feed you vague, uncertain descriptions that convey enough detail to make the item recognizable while also conveying that there's been a level of information decay. Once you move into a 3d worldspace you lose both of these elements- the worldspace is what it is, I can walk across it in eleven minutes stripping it for loot as I go. I can read every sign on every still-standing building, and I've got eyeballs on every old-world bit-and-bobble with a handy interface description of what I'm looking at. And you hit random encounters in the 3d games at basically the same rate, in real-world time, that you did in the isometrics- but the isometrics could successfully abstract it out to represent that you were hitting something noteworthy every couple of weeks, while in the 3d games it's kinda inescapable that you keep getting jumped every single day walking back and forth up the same stretch of road. Not only is it recognizable, it's cramped.

I think that Fallout 3, to its credit, did a decent job of navigating this and trying to maintain the islands-in-a-sea-of-nothing vibe from the isometrics- most of the settlements are built slapdash in places that were obviously never intended for long-term human habitation (bomb craters, overpasses, suburbs), the landmark-heavy city proper is textually a difficult-to-navigate deathtrap, and the poison-sky green filter, memeworthy as it is, does help shore up the impression that you're inviting death by trying to move through the space. Fallout: New Vegas I think addresses this by going in the total opposite direction; It's set in an area of the country where the infrastructure was abnormally well preserved, and the pre-war culture was revived artificially, and from a thematic standpoint it's really interested in digging into the implications of those two things. The fact that the lonely-empty-decontextualized-void aesthetic isn't long for this world dovetails well with the cowboy themes. They have a fair number of future-imperfect context-collapse gags but they don't overdo it by any stretch of the imagination.

Fallout 4, from many directions, is sort of catching the worst of the heat here. The world is recognizable, aggressively so. In fairly-authentically recreating the suburban sprawl of the Northeast, Bethesda simply surrounded the inhabitants of the commonwealth with too much Boston for a sense of true distance from our world to be possible. Everyone still has the accents. They still know the names of all the old neighborhoods. They're still doing the "Park your car" bit. It's still Boston. And it's a busy Boston, too- you can't throw a rock without hitting a farming settlement that's doing well enough to attract tribute-seeking bandits. It's densely packed with points of interest, and those points of interest are packed to the brim with salvageable materials that, going off of the new crafting system, should be in enormous demand to the people who've been living in this area for 210 years. The game doesn't really advance a satisfying explanation, even an aesthetic explanation like fallout 3's poison sky, for why everything around you hasn't been stripped clean before you even came off the ice, why all these environmental storytelling tableaus are just waiting for you to find. It doesn't spend nearly enough time hammering out what the 200-year chronology of the most-livable area seen in a Fallout game looks like- Why don't you see something comparable to the NCR emerging? Something something CPG massacre (which is mentioned twice in the whole game, AFAICT.) And what's being lost here, right, is the ability to use the sands of time to smooth over rough spots in the worldbuilding, in the chronology. You can't hide behind the idea that the world you're experiencing is mythologized. It's presented as real, and it doesn't make much sense if it's real!

And to top it off- Fallout 4 probably has the highest density of characters who were actually there, by some means or another. The Vault Tec rep, Daisy, The Triggermen, Nick Valentine, Eddie Winter, the vault 118 inhabitants, Arlen Glass, Oswald, Kent Connolly, The whole of Cabot House, Captain Zao, The kid in the goddamn fridge and his goddamn parents, and uh. The big one. You. You, the player. Which is such a goddamn splinter under my skin, from a storytelling perspective. You were present in the before-times- but only nominally, only to the exact degree necessary to establish that that was the case. The ugly shit is alluded to, but not incorporated into the character's day-to-day in a way that's obvious to the player, you're there for like six minutes and it's pretty nifty if you overlook that bit at the end where everyone got nuked. Your ability to talk about the world before is always vague, vacuous, superficial. The dirty laundry you dig up on terminals around Boston never seems to meaningfully impact your character's worldview, their impressions of the then and the now. All of which combine to make this the simultaneously the most specific but also the most frustratingly vague game in the series. At its best, Fallout's love of juxtaposing the then and the now would make it a great setting for the Rip Van Winkle routine. But it requires a strong, strong understanding of what the world was like before and after, a willingness to use the protagonist to constantly grind the jagged edges of those things against each other, a protagonist with a better-defined outlook than Bethesda's open-ended-past approach allowed for- and it has to be in service of a greater point. And for Fallout 4 to do anything with any of that, the game would have to be about something instead of being something for you to do. Maddening. Maddening.

[beneathsilverstars]

very possible youve done this before but…. can u come up with some hcs about how the party connects with nille? in a post canon hypothetical

(youve probably talked a lot about nille before but just!! general ideas. maybe silly ideas. anything u wanna share you havent talked about before. etc :])

Ok this is all minor spoilers for my currently unposted Nille fanfic and major spoilers for my currently unwritten post-canon fanfic but I don't care if you don't, let's go.

People usually write Nille as quite overprotective of Bonnie, and I do too, but I also write her as unsure that she's good enough to protect them! So her big reaction to meeting the party is "I failed to keep Bonnie safe, of course I failed, I was always doomed to fail. And these people succeeded!! Who am I next to the Saviors of Vaugarde??"

So she kinda feels like shit, personally. And she has no idea how to act around the party, because there's the way she acts around strangers, and there's the way she acts around people she trusts, and it is understandably bizarre for those circles to overlap. Since she can't be suspicious or friendly, and she's feeling somewhat useless, I think her instinct is to kinda just... fade back..? Which is upsetting to her in itself, which feeds back into the problems. But! Everyone is very determined to connect with her, and "we love the same kid" is a great way to bond, and Nille still has her usual Bambouche support system to help her sort out her feelings, and the party have been working on their communication skills. So they figure it out!

Her exact first impression of Siffrin probably depends a lot on how he's coping at that point post-canon, which isn't something I've decided yet... But it's some sort of strange mix of "I owe you my life" and "Wowww do you need my therapist's number" and "#Relatable /neg /pos". Siffrin meanwhile is anxious as fuck because he's not just meeting the most important person in Bonnie's life, she also has the power to break apart the family he nearly destroyed the world to keep together! So it's a little awkwardly intense on both sides.

Then once they get to know each other better, there's some emotional difficulty in how similar they are; it's hard not to compare what's worse, remembering shitty parents or not remembering any family, being alone or having to take care of a young child. So there's some pity and guilty jealousy on both sides. But also commiseration and understanding! But also they're liable to trigger each other's issues occasionally, what with Siffrin still having a rather poor handle on their own emotions and Nille disrupting the party dynamics. But they don't really hold it against each other; it would be hypocritical, and none of that matters compared to the fact that they've both nearly died for Bonnie. They like to go fishing together, sometimes Nille helps explain things that Siffrin only knows through muscle memory. And Nille does end up passing on some therapy tips!

Nille is a little star-struck by Mirabelle, who is the Chosen Savior of Vaugarde and only a couple years older than her and so heroic and nice and well-adjusted! Mirabelle is on a similar but less extreme wavelength, excited to meet Bonnie's sister who she's heard so intriguingly little about, but who must be so brave and cool! Once they get to know each other more it's kind of a confidence boost for Nille to realize that even Mirabelle has anxiety and imposter syndrome and is just some girl who found herself in the position to do something and she did her best to do it. And Mirabelle thinks Nille is just as cool as she imagined!

They end up taking some small classes together for fun at various Houses while they travel. When Mirabelle figures out that Nille isn't very good at reading, she reads books to her sometimes, and recommends her books that aren't too hard but also aren't too kiddie. One more for the girl's night book club! They have some good convos too about the balance of protecting and caring for a child vs giving them space to grow confident and independent, since Mira's parents were quite stifling; it's easier to find the acceptable middle range when you know what both failure modes look like, instead of just the one horrible extreme.

Isabeau is very friendly, and used to working with strangers and projecting an aura of safety, so he's got the chillest dynamic with Nille to start. He's the one who notices that her easy acceptance of the group was a little too easy and actually has some difficult feelings behind it. And he's been working on being braver, so he consults with his friends and then talks to Nille about it! I think it's a scary conversation but helpful in the long run, it's the start of establishing actual personal trust rather than just assumptions and idealization.

Since that precedent has been set, Isabeau becomes Nille's first choice if she needs to bring something up to the group. Doesn't hurt that he reminds her of one of the first people she met in Bambouche, too! On Isabeau's side, he likes having the opportunity to get to know someone new while he's figuring out his new self. And he's so delighted when she joins the war on puns as a whole new front: dad jokes. She wasn't even particularly into them before, she just wanted to shake up the battlefield. Nille and Isabeau also spar sometimes, because she hates how poorly she did at defending Bonnie, and Isabeau has the most formal/practical training in self-defense to pass on. (And he's the most willing to do physically-demanding activities for fun after already walking all day.)

Nille finds Odile intimidating. She's not sweet like Mira, or exuberant like Isa, or, uh, whatever the fuck Siffrin has going on. She's a full generation older than Nille and hard to read! Scary! But Bonnie adores her, and she's been making an effort to be more reassuring to Siffrin lately which shows, and Isabeau starts being more teasing-rude to Odile (the way she is to him) to prove that he can annoy her without repercussion which is really funny. So it doesn't take all too long for Nille to come down from high alert for the most part! And Odile respects Nille hardcore for raising Bonnie and takes her very seriously, which she appreciates.

Odile takes point on tutoring Bonnie, because she has some formal teaching experience and they're most likely to sit and listen for her anyway, but the others will give lessons on this or that. But Odile soon realizes from the way Nille hovers but doesn't help that she is actually further behind in schooling than Bonnie, and makes it her mission to rectify that. It's kinda rocky at first because Nille is both self-conscious of and resigned to her lack of education, but once she starts getting into it she really gets into it! This brings Odile and Nille a lot closer and Nille ends up admiring her a lot, especially as she catches hints of wild Odile lore.

Loop really likes getting to know Nille, since she never knew pre-loops Siffrin but she's still connected to their family. Not a stranger, not a copy, best of both worlds! Nille also appreciates having another person there who feels out of place in the party dynamics. She thinks Loop is funny, but also worrying, but they have enough people worried about them that she decides to goof off with them and enable them instead. Like yes it's probably bad for their mental health to make this kind of joke but it's worse to have everyone constantly analyzing their jokes' healthiness, yknow? Ironically, this (along with her newcomer status) means that Loop takes her worry more seriously and is more likely to listen to her than anyone else (except maybe Siffrin but only maybe).

Sometimes Loop gets a little too frantically irrational and it freaks Nille out because it reminds her of her and her mom's manic episodes. But she can disengage and tag someone else in, and see from afar that it all turns out okay! Loop gets some therapy tips from her too, but not necessarily the same ones as Siffrin. And they give her super shitty advice in return, in that way where it makes you realize how shitty it is and commit yourself to doing the opposite. They like to do silly things together that Nille never got the chance to do as a child and Loop doesn't remember doing, like rolling around in mud puddles and staying up all night just to watch the sunrise. Nille doesn't feel as self-conscious about acting juvenile because Loop is like a billion years old, but she also doesn't have to be in charge the way she is when playing with Bonnie! And Loop gets to make brand new memories with someone who has no old ones to compare them to!

Bonnie is super happy to see Nille for like, a day, and then they get really mad at her more often than not for like a week (because now that they're home with her it's safe to be distraught and uncooperative), and then they settle back into a more consistent dynamic. But it takes a while longer for them to be able to comfortably get any farther away from each other than maybe a room over; Bonnie confidently heads off and then suddenly comes running back, and Nille is so brave about separating and bravely panics the entire time. Oh well! The first time around it only took her a couple years to get to be okay with Bonnie being away from her, she'll figure it out again eventually!

There's no rush.

[loving-family-poll]

Ultimate Incest Tournament - Round 2

Propaganda under the cut:

Hikaru/Kaoru:

notable for actually leaning into the incest thing because twincest was their entire schtick while working at the host club

the twincest ship that defined a generation. taking the bait seems obvious when their performance gimmick for club guests is to fawn over each other and play up the affection tenfold, but it just gets better when you learn that for most of their lives they didnt have other friends and really only had each other until joining becoming members of the host club. so on top of being willing to flirt in public for attention, they're also codependent as hell <333

They're twins. They sleep in the same bed. They pretend to be in forbidden love to bait fujoshis but are maybe also in forbidden love for real. They were in high school before they met a single person who could tell them apart. They were devastating to my middle school psyche

Rick/Morty:

INCEST ICONS!! They've somehow got a MAJORITY of their fans on one of the most popular shows on TV to root for a guy who is CLEARLY sexually abusing his grandson ~subtextually~, but also sometimes ON SCREEN, and it's hilarious and fucked up, and Morty would kill anyone who tried to take his grandpa away <3

they're codependent in so many universes, they've gotta be fucking in a few

They get married!!!!! It's right there!! I wish I had more coherent thoughts about them but just. They. It's awful. It's abusive. It's twisted and cruel. It's a comedy duo. It's the best thing either have going for them. Rick will never fully respect Morty. Morty will never fully respect Rick. I want them to run away together. They're Something

the power dynamic is crazy! Morty's deeply lonely at the start and his grandfather takes advantage of that, rick pulls the kid out of bed, out of school, whenever he wants and gets him to do whatever he wants, covers up their activities, threatens and endangers and inflicts pain upon morty with intent and cruelty. he shapes morty according to his needs, the entire show is about the space adventures of an old man and his 14 year old grandson and you just gotta wonder, isn't it fucked up that this guy's sidekick and best friend and life partner is a kid? and it is!

Since morty is traumatized on the daily rick sometimes takes his memories, he controls what morty can remember (and therefore who he gets to be), the memory gun is just sci-fi gaslighting i say. and there's transdimensional travel and at one point it's revealed that ricks from different dimensions work together to "breed" mortys, ensure they're born (clone a bunch of them too) because a morty by nature is loyal and forgiving and makes the perfect partner that's easy to manipulate, easy to use. i will forever think of the "bred for forgiveness" line as perverted horrifying incest bait<3

Also one time they were hosts for alien parasites and they fell in love and made out and in the Very First episode rick gets morty to stick giant seeds (that rick needs for an experiment or smth) up his ass to smuggle them through security. they had some kind of dragon soul bond orgasm together. my point is it's borderline incestuous abuse and it's crazy that they imply these characters are tied together cosmically.. if they are it's rick holding their red string of fate like a leash

they are together (sometimes romantically/sexually, sometimes not explicitly so) in EVERY universe there is canonically a club on the citadel called The Creepy Morty. Miami Morty has an R tattooed on his asscheek they love each other they hate each other they cant stand being together they cannot be separated Rick loves grooming Morty. like. he has literally pushed Morty into comitting genocides and conditioned him into becoming desensitized to all kinds of sexual and violent things. Rick keeps a memory vial of Morty's entitled "virginity" Rick C137 (the main one in the show) has sacrificed his life to save Morty

[dark-dragon-8]

Ok so I'm watching Supernatural right now, right, and I'm also a long time fan of Shadowhunters (as in, I watched it when it first came out, big fan). So I know how the dynamics work in the show quite well.

It also means I find crossover potential between the shows because, let's be honest, they'll go really well together. Two aspects of how the world deals with the supernatural, hunters being unaware of Shadowhunters because they can't even see them. Amazing, 10/10 crossover potential.

Now, what I don't understand is why people take Sam & Dean from the future (AKA later seasons) in their fics and have them work together with the Shadowhunters when there is so much rivalry potential between them.

Take Clary's ability to talk to angels, for example. If the two series were in the same universe, I can assure you that the angels will jump on the opportunity to communicate with her (or just talk to any of the Shadowhunters in general, since angels can do that in Supernatural as long as they have a vessel), tell her lies and/or half truths about the Winchesters

[like how they are demonic in ways warlocks aren't, how they turned at least two angels, one of which is an Archangel, mind you, against heaven and "made" the first one kill other angels for them. They even killed a couple of Archangels. Hell, depending on the timeline, they could even tell them that the Winchesters killed God, they can tell them how ungrateful they are, that they were God's chosen, that he gave them whatever they wanted, powers, immortality (he kept bringing them back to life), their loved ones back, etc and they still killed him]

They could manipulate the Shadowhunters to be on the lookout for the Winchesters just like they did with those church messengers.

What I'm trying to say is, that so many people have them getting along in their fics yet I can't find a single one where people actually explore the dynamics of distrust and even fear (those people killed GOD, everyone who knew would be scared of them) that could happen had the angels actually been involved and the two were actually set in the same universe and with their respective plots progressing at the same time (or at least the same years the shows themselves are set in, just make them match and/or make them interact during each of their respective seasons that occur at the same year/time frame).

It could honestly show such a new, raw and authentic turn of events that could make the fic feel just that much more real.

I love all types of crossover fics, I really do, I'm just really disappointed that there aren't any fics with this dynamic available and instead majority of them are all either Destiel or dimensional travel. It's just a bummer, honestly.

[thedivinecove]

Hi! I see youre oath sworn to King Zeus and Queen Hera. There’s not a ton of conversation about them in the helpol community so I was wondering if you’d be willing to talk about your relationship with them at all?

Yessss!! Of course!!

So to say it in a more clear way, Zeus and Hera are my life haha. They're very important to me and if you may recall one of the delphic maxims is "do not make oaths" because breaking an Oath is extremely bad and punishable. So for me it took a while to even consider it. Like...two years until they gave me the biggest sign ever.

Get ready for a ramble but I love talking about this because it brings up great memories and a great feeling of kharis

I've been a polytheist for...give or take nine plus years. I've never hated Zeus or Poseidon as I never believed the myths. I always really felt connected to them both and, of course, Hera. (I had to dress up as her in school, haha), so there has been a lot of worship there and connection. After my first trip to Greece I felt an extremely hard pull to Zeus and Hera in terms of greater devotion, which after a mountain hike ontop of Mount Ochi and seeing an eagle...I really was able to confirm my suspicion. I got readings and did my own ancient divination and got a lot of support from larger creators. With this, I began my journey as a, some people call it "godspouse." I prefer oathsworn though....it's more telling of what it is and overall shows what you do.

Fast forward end of 2022 I ended up being in my second year of my history major and final year of my Biology minor when I decided to go to Greece and study again,this time for Ancient History and Culture. I recently switched to History major in honor of Zeus and Hera after I got home from my first trip to Greece. After making my promise to Zeus and asking for a clear sign, I ended up getting into a huge programs that gave me multiple opportunities, and with that, I then traveled abroad for three months all over Greece. I finally ended up studying on Rhodos, which had a beautiful temple to Zeus-Poleius and Athena. That is where I made my vow on the second to last day of my trip. He fulfilled his promise, so I did mine. My vow isn't anything too crazy in a sense of "godspousal" it is more of a promise to the King and Queen of the gods thay I will continue my education, research and overall love for them throughout my life. I just am very deeply connected to them throughout my life choices and I hope to help others feel just as connected to them as I do.

About them:

Zeus and Hera are...old beings. Now they may not be the original King and Queen of the proto Greek myceanean religion, but they became prominent over time, more promiwnt over Poseidon and his consort Demeter/Eyrins (damata) . (I study proto greek religion shiz lol) Together Zeus and Hera show all sides of marriage, Zeus having more so sides showing the completion meanwhile Hera shows all the sides of female journey before, through, and after. It's a very good dynamic but also shows the dynamic of ancient times and the need in their concept of marriage (Athenian law for women goes CRAZY) for example certain epithets of Zeus weren't worshipped all around greece because of city states. But together, Zeus and Hera give a sense of security, home, guidance, feelings of worth, and overall just make you feel seen. Regardless of your stance as a "watcher" (non theist), a worshipper or a devotee who wants them to be in their home forever, it doesn't matter to them. They love everyone, they try to find the good in everyone and in general, they just want what is best for humanity. They give off very Maternal and Paternal vibes and advice, I've seen a lot of people be afraid of Zeus and Hera but honestly there is no reason to be if we look in anything besides the myths. They're very loving and deserve a whole heck of a lot more attention than they have.

Thanks for this question!!

With much love,

X.S 🌊

[royalsweetteaa]

Blurred Lines

Pairing: Professor!Ari Levinson x student!reader

18+ ONLY | MINORS DNI

WARNING - the story contains the following: professor/student relationship, dom/sub dynamic, explicit smut, jealousy, angst, fluff.

Summary: your relationship with your social science professor has blurred lines and you start having feelings for him. Question is if the feelings are mutual.

Last year, you had started your college journey after high school following a two year gap of working and traveling. You applied for general studies with social science and English majoring as your main courses.

It’s when you met professor Levinson, your social science teacher. You have taken his classes for the past half year, and he taught you like no other teacher has before. He had genuine passion for his subject and was good at engaging the students to learn and not be afraid to ask questions.

You used to be shy and mute during your first semester, but he had encouraged you to be more active by taking one step at a time. He would give you advice on how to challenge yourself - like maybe ask a question that interests you one day and answer a question another day. You slowly came out of your shell and became pretty active during his lessons.

He had expressed being proud of you for your achievements and he offered you to pay him a visit every once in a while at his office if you felt like talking about something.

This was when things started to change - nothing unpleasant but just not something you imagined would happen.

You started to notice the way professor Levinson would look at you from time to time when he thought you didn’t notice. He would check you out, sometimes admire you from afar, and even when it came to simple physical touches - like tapping your shoulder, he would let his hand rest on you for a few more moments than with others.

What made you convinced that he was interested in you was when he told you to call him by his first name - Ari, during your conversations in his office.

From what you were aware of, you were the only one who had been invited for small talk too. You would pop in during lunch and vent or talk about life, love, plans and dreams. He would share all of those with you too. It made you feel special, and the fact that he was considered the most attractive teacher and man in town made you feel even more lucky.

- And then it was the pet names he would use when talking to you. The first time you heard him calling you cupcake made your heart melt. You knew then that you had developed feelings for him.

Sure, there was a notable age gap between the two of you and he was your professor of all people, but you were of legal age & single, and you felt impatient on waiting to test if professor Levinson really had it for you or not. You didn’t want to wait until it seemed appropriate to engage in a potential romantic relationship with him.

You had multiple scenarios in your head of him confessing his love for you to him fucking you on his office desk. You knew he was huge. Your eyes had once wandered to his prominent bulge beneath his office desk. You had learned that sometimes men get boners at unconventional times, but surely it wasn’t a coincidence. You would always lean or press your arms together to make your boobs apparent under your shirt, and you had caught him a few times looking at them

. You always held onto little hope, especially when you had conversations and he had that look on his face that he would snap and pounce you over.

But it hadn’t happened. Yet.

All of this led you to present time. It was a regular day, and like any other - you were on your way with your lunch box to Ari’s office. Today you had packed some cake to share with him. It was Friday after all, and even a professor deserves sweet things once in a while, you thought.

You were about to knock until the door opened itself through the other side. The person who had opened it was a woman, looking like she was of same age as your Ari. She nearly bumped into you and gasped in surprise of your presence before giggling an apology. She then turned to Ari and winked him a goodbye. Ari snickered and waved a goodbye back, before moving his attention to you.

“I apologize on Miss Daffney’s behalf, she tends to bump into people when she’s not looking, - step into my office, Y/N.” He said, and quickly gestured you to walk past him while he closed the door.

Miss,…that means she’s single, You thought. “Who’s Miss Daffney?” You asked bluntly. Your skin itched for an answer ever since you saw her, and you couldn’t contain it.

“She’s a new professor at this college. She majors in biology and currently teaches in microbiology and genetics. Very reliable woman.” He said casually.

Reliable? What’s that supposed to mean?

“What did you bring with you today? You always bring goodies. Have some for me too?” He asked with a humorous smile. He had sat down too, leaning against his office chair and getting comfortable.

“Yeah, I do….what did you and her talk about before I came?” You hated yourself for being such a mood killer, but you were desperate to know what Ari’s current relationship status was. He had told you he was single and wasn’t seeing anyone, but after seeing that woman - you had doubts.

He furrowed his brows at your question. “Cupcake….why do you ask? Is something wrong?”

There he goes again with the petname…

He had called you that ever since you brought homemade cupcakes for class in celebration of completing the first semester. It wasn’t a casual nickname or an inside joke among the class though. He always called you that during private conversations like this one, which gave you the impression that it was more of an intimate pet name rather than a nickname.

You found the courage to ask the big question. “Ari, what are we? You’ve been…giving me signals that to me indicate that you’re interested in me. But now I don’t even know anymore because you’re apparently flirting with a colleague as well. From what I know, you don’t invite anyone else from my class to talk to you in your office, alone, and you certainly don’t look at others the way you look at me. I know where your eyes wander in those split seconds when we talk. Either I’m right or delusional. Tell me Ari, which one is it? I’m tired of playing this game.”

Ari stared at you in disbelief. It was apparent he didn’t expect this to be the topic of discussion today at all, but here you were, being confrontational.

“Y/N….I can’t…,you know that as your professor, we could never possibly go beyond being friends. I could never be with a student - let alone a student of mine. That’d be a disaster and cause too much trouble. You’re an amazing student and I am very fond of you, but…..that’s all there is to it. I apologize if I....gave off signals. It wasn't appropriate on my part either. I hope we can move past this and still keep in touch...I'd still like to be your friend.” He finished, before looking up at you with guilt through those gorgeous blue orbs for eyes. You could get lost in them, but with what he had just told you, you felt immensely disappointed. You felt angry even.

You felt led on.

“Really?…well, if it is just that then maybe you should start treating me like I’m just one of your students and nothing else, professor Levinson.” You said his academic title with venom. “I’m not stepping into your office ever again. I’m not going to talk to you unless it’s within class or related to my education.” You snapped, and stood up from the chair. He rose up immediately too, and followed you before you reached the door.

“Muffin, c’mon. Don’t be like this-“ You interrupted him, “oh, and that reminds me! You don’t get to call me that anymore, or cupcake, or sugar. That goes against professor guidelines, right?”

He was left speechless, not sure on what to say. You decided to put salt onto the wound and add another confession. “You know, all this time I had skipped going to those Friday frat parties because I would study your subject at home instead. I did it to impress you, but now that I know you’re not remotely interested in me, I think it’ll be nice to go for a change, like most students do. Maybe I’ll find a guy who’s willing to give me the time of the day and fuck me. There’s no reason for me to stay loyal to you anymore.”

That seemed to make him upset, and his tone turned more stern. “Y/N, you better be careful on what you say to me. You don’t want to do things you might regret solely for getting me back over something I can’t do anything about. Let’s calm down for a moment-” He said and reached for your arm, but you moved yourself away from him.

“Don’t touch me! You’re not allowed. I’m just your student, remember? I can say and do whatever the hell I want to. You always told me I could tell you anything, but you know what, you’re right. Maybe I should stop doing that too, seeing as how personal things have gotten because of it.”

You mumbled a ‘goodbye’ before leaving his office in a hurry - not wanting to stay around to hear another word leave his mouth. You had left the cake on the desk, having little desire to keep it for yourself anyway. He might as well have it and enjoy the last dessert ever coming from me.

When you went to your apartment, you decided for the first time to ask your roommate if you could tag along with her and her friends to the frat party. You had been invited countless of times, but you would say pass because you were too occupied with studying. She was more than happy to take you with and said something along the lines of ‘finally, you’re interested in socializing!’

Hearing that made you realize just how little you have been going out and enjoying your time, because Ari had been occupying your mind to the point where you weren’t present when with other people. You were determined to change that.

I’m an adult for fuck’s sake! I shouldn’t be sobbing over an older man. I need to get myself out there and find someone my own age.

It was 11:00 pm, and you made yourself ready for the night. You borrowed a short black dress from your roommate and a couple of red high heels. You weren’t really used to high heels, but you didn’t have anything prettier. Suck it up, Y/N. You can do this.

You put full effort in your make up and styled your hair. When you were ready, you and your roommate got out to the driveway where a car full of your roommate’s friends were already sitting and cheering for them to hurry up. When you sat in the car, nervousness lingered and you started to loose confidence.

Partying was never really your thing, and you can’t remember ever enjoying it. Surely this would be somewhat different from the high school prom party you attended a few years ago.

Upon arrival, you were met with loud music from the huge speakers outside in the garden. The frat party seemed to be separated into several parts; many seemed to be inside the house from the figure shadows coming in view from the lights, and some were outside in the garden - chatting, drinking,…

…throwing up, unconscious on the grass,…having sex behind a tree.

This was all too overwhelming for you, but the others didn’t react to any of it. This had to be normal then.

After leaving the car, you entered the house and were met by the host. He looked like he was pretty out of it. Alcohol was reeling from everyone’s breaths and the air was far from refreshing. Your roommate had you tag along and she introduced you to new people. They all seemed nice but not sober enough to keep a coherent conversation.

There were different types of alcohol by the table, and being a bit skittish you decided to take the one with the least percentage of alcohol. You have been heavily drunk once and it was not fun at all.

Besides, the whole point for you was to be present. To have a night to remember, and finding a someone to make the night worth it. It had been 40 minutes and unfortunately, you had no such luck of finding a person to make this night special. You lost your roommate in the crowd of people and you found yourself in the corner while everyone had fun.

This was disappointing.

Deciding to leave early, you left the house, took off your high heels and walked alongside the pavement barefoot. Your feet were killing you, so you pulled up your phone to call an Uber.

Before you could get as far as unlocking your phone, a familiar car came into view. The car slowed down, matching your tempo as it drove alongside you. The car window slid down, revealing none other than your professor, Ari Levinson. Of fucking course.

“Need a ride?” He asked sheepishly.

I rolled my eyes and didn’t stop walking. “No, I don’t need anything from you, professor. Move along. Don’t want to be caught with your student outside of campus, do you?” You asked bitterly. “How did you even find me?”

He sighed. “It’s not hard to tell where a frat party is located when it’s only a few miles away from where I live…the music’s loud enough. And besides, I was worried about you. I feel like we need to talk more about earlier. Please, if you get in the car I’ll drive you home and we can talk like adults.”

You scoffed. “Right, so this is what it’s all about…because compared to you I’m just a little girl who doesn’t know what I really want. If you honestly plan on having an ‘adult talk’ about how my feelings are not valid-!”

“Jesus Christ, Y/N, I didn’t mean it like that. Do you have to assume the worst whenever I suggest the simplest things now?”

You halted your steps and stared into his eyes, his car came to a stop accordingly. You were so emotional - from the rejection, not feeling like you fit in with the other students and realizing the only company you genuinely enjoyed was with Ari. He was a mature and levelheaded man who was adventurous at the same time. He wasn’t strict but wasn’t too corny or dorky for your taste - unlike most guys from your classes. It all made sense why you hadn’t been able to connect with any guys your age. You felt alone now that you knew things wouldn’t be the same. You and Ari couldn’t go back to how things were and pretend like nothing ever happened. Like your feelings didn’t exist.

You didn’t noticed when the first tear shed down your cheek. Only did you notice when you saw Ari’s distraught look on his face. “Oh, sugar…” he cooed and turned off the engine of his car before stepping out. He came over to you and pulled you into his broad chest for a hug, soothing your back with slow strokes.

“I’ve always dreaded the day I’d see you cry for the first time and it hurts even more knowing I caused those tears. I’m so sorry, Y/N. We will work this out, okay? All I want is to talk to you so that I can be honest this time.”

That grabbed your attention. You lifted your chin to take a good look at him, trying to detect if he was tricking you, but you couldn’t find anything.

Ari knew what you were doing and chuckled softly. “I’m taking you to my place, alright? I’m sure it’d be better anyway since I don’t want any sudden interruptions from your roommate.” You nodded in agreement and let him lead you to his car. The car ride was quiet, but it only took a few minutes until Ari pulled over to a house.

The house was nice and gave cabin vibes with its wooden exterior. He opened the car door for you and took your hand to lead you to the front door. You were still barefoot and had your high heels in your other hand. He unlocked it and turned on the lights before looking at you. He smirked, checking you out with your entirety.

“You look stunning, but I know you well enough to tell it isn’t your style at all.” He stated.

You laughed and shook your head. “Yeah, it’s not even mine…borrowed it from my roommate. I tried to pull it off but these gave me a hell of a pain.” You said and pointed to the high heels you put down just now.

He grinned and walked over to the fridge and returned to you with two cans of soda in his hands.

“Let’s talk on the couch, muffin.”

You took a sip from the soda before moving the conversation to the topic you needed answers from. “You said something about…not being honest when we talked earlier today. Did you mean that you…”

He swallowed before nodding. “Yes, I actually do like - no, let me correct myself…I’ve fallen for you, Y/N. I have for a long time but…when you confronted me about our relationship, I immediately retorted my feelings because I wanted to protect you.” Ari explained.

“To protect me? I don’t think I follow…”

He took a sip from the can before gathering the courage to explain himself. “I was scared, okay? I didn’t think you had it for me, and when you told me you did I felt like I had tricked you. Like - tricking you into liking me by being too intimate with you all this time. It was unprofessional on my part but,…I just liked having you around me. I still do. You’re so smart and I love that you show interest in what I teach. I love that you care about doing a good job through and through. I love that you’re witty and honest to me about what you think when it comes to different topics…you’re also…very attractive and you don’t even have to expose your body to prove it. You’re just being you, and that sparks something in me to have those feelings for you.” He said and paused for a brief moment.

“I sooner or later realized I had fallen for you, but I felt shame. Shame that I of my age had…lusted over a student who’s 10+ years younger than me. I still feel shame, but I have never felt like this for anyone. You are spectacular and I’m so proud of you, and I would never want to sabotage anything for you, let alone your education. I promise from the bottom of my heart -“

“Ari, I know, it’s fine. I know you wouldn’t want me to be kicked out of college, and I don’t want you to loose your job because of me.” You interrupted. “But you need to realize it’s not morally wrong! I’m an adult who makes my own decisions, you’re an adult too, - We have a connection together that bonds us and unfortunately I just so happen to be your student. That doesn’t mean we still can’t be together. You don’t have to feel any shame for being attracted to me, okay? I feel the same…you’re everything I see in a man. You’re kindhearted and easy to talk to. You seem like you’re genuinely interested in hearing what I have to say and you care. Not to mention, I find you to be very attractive too - hot even.” You said, a bit embarrassed. “No one will find out. This will only be between us. Please Ari, don’t give up on me….

…I love you.”

He stared into your eyes before his wandered to your lips. “Okay….then that settles it. I’m never letting you go, sugar. You’re mine and I’m yours. And for the record, I love you, too, cupcake. Probably more than you do.” He said with a wink.

“Prove it.” I challenged.

He cupped your face and dived in for a kiss. It was delightful and passionate, and it sparked an arising lust in both of you. Ari’s touch moved to your waist as he leaned you gently down the sofa where you would make out for the next five minutes.

For you, those five minutes felt like heaven. He was a great kisser. Words could not describe the sensation of being beneath this glorious man. You were growing needy and horny by the second.

When he detached his lips from yours, you let out a breathless moan before letting out a word. “please, Ari, I…I want you to fuck me. I want you inside me so bad. I can’t wait anymore…” You whined with plea as you bucked your hips against his groin.

“Oh, already, huh? Don’t need to be prepped or anything?” You quickly shook your head. “I guess eating you out can wait…where do you want me to fuck you, muffin?“

“Umm…well, I had hoped the first time we would have sex would have been on your office desk…” that made Ari burst in laughter and you became flustered. He hadn’t expected that for an answer.

“Well, you’re in luck, sugar. I have an office in my house with a desk, and I’d be more than happy to provide and take you there.” He said. You beamed with excitement.

He took you over to his office that was right down the hallway and settled you on his office desk. It was less tidier compared to his office at school - with some scrambled papers by the full bucket of discarded documents, and a few books laying around everywhere. You liked it. It gave an appeal of a hardworking professor in need of an occasional stress relief. You wanted nothing more but to spread your legs while Ari abused your hole as means of relieving some stress. But that could wait for another time.

He took off your black dress which revealed to him you didn’t have a bra on this whole entire time. He was mesmerized by the view of your breasts, and while you let the rest of your dress slide down, you revealed wearing a lacy underwear, drenched in your juices. He moved his head to get a better peak of how your ass looked like. You bit your lip as you saw the look on Ari’s face. His mouth was slightly agape, as if he was on the verge of drooling.

He gazed at you again, smirking. “You’re a slut, aren’t’cha? Dressed like a whore, wanting to be fucked by your professor in his office…filthy girl acting like a bitch in heat….” He said with roughness in his voice. His pupils were fully dilated, giving a dark look to him. He looked like a starved animal wanting to claim his feast.

You whined with desperation. “Mhm, but I’m your slut, professor…want your cock inside me…. please fill me up, Ari..” He removed your underwear, unzipped his trousers and glided himself along your folds to slick his cock with your juices. He groaned in pleasure, and you followed with a light moan. You hadn’t had sex with someone for some time, but you had a dildo you used occasionally whenever you were horny and imagined Ari. His dick was nothing compared to the one you had though. It was so much bigger and better.

Ari stared at your cunt, using his fingers to spread your pussy lips and admiring your clenching hole.

“Such a pretty little pussy….you said something about finding a boy to fuck at the party earlier today…tell me, did you do it? Did you find a frat boy who would have only lasted seconds, or do you need a man’s cock to fuck you stupid?” Ari asked.

He couldn’t deny he was a little jealous when you threatened to find someone at the frat party. It pissed him off that you were willing to give yourself just like that, but he knew you said it out of getting a reaction out of him. He knew you were a goody two shoes - loyal to finishing your assignments and loyal to him, no matter how much you wanted to rebel against it. He loved that about you.

Ari pushed the tip in and out, denying your pussy the satisfaction of being filled. You whimpered and nearly sobbed at how much you craved him.

“No! I-I didn’t fuck anyone, I promise! Need you - only you, Ari! I don’t want to fuck boys, I want you!” You cried out. Ari smiled, satisfied with your answer.

“That’s right, - oh fuck…I’ll be the first man to show you how you should be fucked properly.” he entered you subtly, your wet channel clenched around him as if your life depended on it. “Shit, you’re squeezing me, muffin…feels so fuckin’ good…m’gonna have to move to get in there. You okay with that?”

You nodded eagerly. It didn’t hurt because you were wet enough for him to slide in, but due to his size you knew a little push was needed.

He started to thrust in and out of you slowly, getting into a pace that seemed to fit. With each thrust, Ari’s cock seeped further inside you, nudging the right parts that made you quiver. Your legs wrapped around his waist, closing him into you. His hands still held your hips and his mouth wandered to your neck, sucking bruises on your soft skin.

“Mmmm fuck me faster, Professor…fuck me rough with your huge cock..” you mewled.

He chuckled lowly and closed his eyes to concentrate. “It’s never gonna be the same when you call me that, sugar…, you're gonna get me hard and riled up in the middle of class if you do.”

You giggled lightly and held him around his shoulders when his thrusts sped up. “G-guess I shouldn’t call you by that at all then..o-only - mhm! When we’re alone…ah!” He angled his cock to continuously hit your cervix. You were so close and it hadn’t even been 10 minutes.

“Mmh, you close cupcake? Already? Am I fucking you that good?”

You nodded, unable to say words by now as the friction was driving you crazy. You moaned and pressed your face against his neck, a hand traveling to his hair in efforts to feel all of him at once.

His hair was so soft, his broad and hard shoulders made it perfect for you to cling onto him. Everything about him was wonderful.

“Mmh fuck, you’re so good for me, baby. So good for your professor. Love hearing those pretty moans and the way you’re clinging onto me…my pretty baby….let go for me…..” he whispered husky praises in your ear, before kissing your earlobe and nibbling at it.

You tightened your grip around him, chasing your euphoria. “Ah! M’gonna cum professor! Make me cum, please! Please, please please!” You chanted. Your brain was so fucked out you couldn’t really hear yourself.

He pounded into you, your skin slapping against each other creating a suggestive sound. Ari moved his face to take a good look at you before he attached his lips to yours, muffling your moans. His tongue tangled with yours lustfully, making your eyes roll to the back of your head. You broke the contact and threw your head back as you orgasmed, your pussy clenching around him ever so tight. He knew then that you came, and he smiled lovingly.

“Mmm there you go sugar…such a good baby.” He praised, slowing his thrusts. “Right behind you…but first…-“ Ari suddenly flipped you over making you snap from your daze.

“Ass up and rest your hands against the desk, muffin.” You did as he commanded, before he slipped in your hole again and fucked you hard against your ass. Your pussy throbbed in pleasure from his manhandling. You could barely hold up as you leaned with your elbows to support your weight. Ari gripped you tightly against your waist, chasing his orgasm.

“Gonna paint your pretty ass with my cum, muffin. You’re gonna look so pretty with my cum on you….” He said lowly.

You shuddered at his words, looking behind you and saw Ari had closed his eyes with knitted brows, letting out sharp breaths. His last thrusts stuttered and he moaned out loudly. Your second climax irrupted and you rested your head on his desk while Ari pulled out and came on your ass, ropes of white hot cum sticking your skin. The two of you stood still, cooling down from your highs.

“Wait here…I’ll get something to clean us up.” Ari announced a few moments later before leaving the room. He came back with a roll of paper and wiped his cum off of your back before cleaning himself.

“Thank you, Ari..” you mumbled tiredly, and got on your feet away from the desk. Your were wobbling your way and Ari assisted you immediately.

“Woah, careful. I’ll take you to my bedroom where you can rest.” Ari suggested. You nodded, and let Ari follow you to his room.

You got to the bedroom and Ari placed you on the edge of the bed. “I still have that cake you brought to my office. I hoped we could eat it together and…maybe you could stay the night too since it’s the weekend. I have some clothes you could borrow. What do you say?”

You looked up at him with doe eyes and reached up to his face. You kissed his cheek and he braced you into a hug, rubbing your shoulder with care.

“That sounds great. And…I’m sorry for being immature about the whole thing. I shouldn’t have acted like that when you rejected me.”

Ari shook his head. “No, it’s my fault...I should’a been honest from the get-go. I love you so much and it scared me, but I shouldn’t be consumed by fear. I’m so happy you’re here with me…I’ll never deny you again, sugar.” Ari confessed softly.

You smile, “I love you too, Ari. We will work this out, I’m sure of it. Promise to stay with me?” He hummed and whispered a ‘yes, of course cupcake’. With that, you dragged him with you in bed, having him rest on top of you. You giggled when he shrieked in surprise, and he couldn’t help but follow suit with a laughter.

“M’gonna marry you one day, muffin. You’d make a wonderful wife, you know that? Gonna wife you up.”

You blushed heavily at his statement. “Give me a promise ring and I’ll believe you.”

He smirked with a sigh of content, “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

N/A: This was my first Ari fic from last year and I’m reposting it here as I have now deleted my old side account!

Hearts and Reblogs are very appreciated!