#There are a lot of little contrasts in how they do so too

[clockwayswrites]

A Hill to Die On, ch3

masterpost CW crude talk and suggestive themes Some of this isn't much read through and I know some parts are clunky, but I've had a migraine for a week and a half now. Please no concrit/editing. It will get a good edit before it's final version for Ao3!

Text turned out to be fine. Good even. Danny was busy a lot, so Tim (and Caroline) often had to wait between small strings of communication, but that made it sort of special when they did hear back. It turned out that Danny not only worked as a mechanic at a custom shop, was working on his own bike, but also went to school to get his mechanical engineering degree at Gotham U (with summer gen ed course done at one of the cheaper community colleges).

Tim hadn’t been brave enough to suggest they meet up on campus, in case someone recognized him, but he did tell Danny he went to Gotham U also. He was glad that Danny didn’t push them to meet up there either. Maybe he was just too busy.

As busy as he was, something Danny seemed to love doing was to send photos, all sorts of photos. He sent selfies, sure, but also pictures of the sunsets. Any cute animals he saw (which apparently included the campus crows he was befriending) and his cooking attempts. Pictures of the bikes and cars he worked on as well as his own beast.

Tim hadn’t been able to help but wonder if Danny would let Alvin bend him over the Frankenstein of a bike that Danny was building and fuck him.

They hadn’t gotten around to talking about the things that Danny liked and if being on that end of an encounter was one of them. They really hadn’t talked about anything sexual other than one night when Tim hadn’t been able to sleep (like too many nights) and Danny had called him. Tim had almost fumbled the phone when it started ringing.

Instead of trying to suggest all the usual things like warm milk or relaxing from the toe tips up, Danny had talked Tim through finger himself. Danny’s low words and firm instructions—including making Tim wait—were a contrast to Tim’s own begging that Danny insisted he wanted to hear.

Tim had been almost asleep by the time there was the bitten back moan of Danny coming too.

While Tim could think of a hundred ways to start the conversation, none of them seemed the right way to explain that it wasn’t just ‘Lin’ and Caroline, but also Alvin. And what Alvin wanted was to fuck Danny until he was begging and then fuck him all over again. (And maybe again.) It felt like being dishonest with Danny and that ate at Tim, especially as they started to see each other in person again.

Danny reached out across the table and laid his hand down, palm up.

It was such a little thing, but the simple consideration warmed Tim. Danny was letting Tim choose if he wanted to hold Danny’s hand right then. When Caroline and Danny had been out on a date, Danny had just wrapped his fingers loosely up in hers time and time again. But with Tim, Danny acted differently. Danny acted like he got it.

Tim reached out and traced his fingers over the lines of Danny’s palm.

“What’s bothering you?”

Tim glanced up across the table. “Hum?”

“Somethings bothering you,” Danny said, more a repeat than a clarification, though he wasn’t wrong. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Tim bought himself some time by taking a long sip of his drink. He knitted his fingers with Danny’s.

“So, Caroline and I… we’re…”

How did Tim talk about any of this? He hadn’t before, not to anyone. His caped friends and family just thought of Caroline and Alvin as covers. Out of the capes… he didn’t think they thought about Caroline and Alvin at all. Why would they? Tim wasn’t exactly the most gender normal so if he was a little more fem or masc why would they catch on that it was less about Tim and more about… well, someone else?

“Dissociative Disorder, right?” Danny asked after a long silence. “Which I know, I really hate the word disorder in that. Caroline isn’t some disorder, she’s an important part of you. But it’s not exactly standard DID because you keep some memories when you’re her, right? Sorry, my sister is a psychologist so I did a little looking into things.”

“I, yes,” Tim agreed with a blink. That sounded like what he’d found in his research too. He knew he should bring this up to his therapist, but, well, he had wanted more information first. It helped him feel more settled. (He felt anything but settled right then.) “I guess because I do remember, I didn’t always think of her as… separate as I’ve been realizing she is.”

“Okay,” Danny said patiently. “Is there anything you need me to do differently now that you have? Or anything I can do to make either of you more comfortable?”

Tim couldn’t help but smile as he shook his head. “No, you’ve been really great, with both of us.”

Danny nodded, what little of his own tension there had been from the conversation practically evaporated from his shoulders.

Tim looked down at their hands. “It’s just… it’s because of that. You’ve been so great with both Caroline and me that I feel horrible that—it’s just… there’s one more? And I don’t know if that’s going to be too much for you entirely. Because I would totally understand, this is a lot already without dealing with Alvin too and—”

“Hey, Lin, take a breath for me, darlin’,” Danny urged with a soft squeeze of their hands. “It’s okay, I’m still right here.”

Tim took a breath and then a few more for good measure.

“What you’re saying is that there’s Lin, Caroline, and also Alvin?”

Tim nodded.

“Okay. Okay… does… do you know what Alvin thinks of this? Of me? Is he okay with it?”

Tim buried his now bright red face in his free hand. “Yes.”

“Um, I’ll take that as not bad—”

“He wants to jump your bones. Very emphatically. Repeatedly,” Tim mumbled into his palm.

Danny was silent for a long moment until he started to laugh. “Ancients, okay, I’m sorry just, oh boy. That’s—” Danny tried to breathe around his laughter. “—am I like catnip to all three of you? What do you all see in me?”

Tim watched Danny’s laughter fade with at first shock and then fondness. “Because of this. I tell you that there’s a third and the first thing you worry about is if he’s okay with you.”

“Well, yeah,” Danny says, as if it really should be that simple. “I don’t want to break up with you or Caroline because Alvin hates me.”

What a wonderful, ridiculous man.

“Then you’d be… okay to meet him sometime? Or text with him?”

“Of course. I can’t promise he and I will have what we have or Caroline and I have, not when I don’t know the guy, but I think considering how I feel about you two the chance is there. And if even not, him and I should get to know each other, right?”

“Right,” Tim said, finally able to smile. “I’ll make sure he has your number. And I guess for the last thing… my real name is Tim. And… and to be honest I was a little wary of telling you my legal name that morning, in case things went badly. But I’m also trying to figure… myself out I guess. And Lin maybe fits? It’s got a bit of Caroline and Alvin in it. But I don’t know if that’s right either, maybe it’s just trying to rely on them too much. I don’t really know a lot, I guess.”

Danny just shrugged with a little smile. “Who really does? What do you want to be called today, sweetheart, Lin or Tim?”

Tim took a moment to actually think about that and ignore his blush at being called ‘sweetheart’. He didn’t know what the right answer was, but maybe that just meant he needed more data. “Let’s… let’s try Tim today.”

“Tim,” Danny said with a grin. He seemed to just be able to take everything with a grin; it was amazing. “So, do I want to know why you sent me a picture of a turkey this morning?”

“I was paying you back for all the animal photos you send me. He’s my little brother’s.”

Danny tilted his head. “Your brother… has a turkey?”

“Yep.”

“Huh.”

Tim shrugged. “He’s weird. And I don’t mean like, normal weird in a nerdy way or very awkward. He’s just weird weird. One of those weird things is his pets.”

“Huh,” Danny said again. “What’s a pet turkey even like?”

“Loud and mean. But he does like to show off for pictures, so I figured I’d send you one. I was home, well, not where I live home, but you know what I mean—” Danny nodded to Tim’s words. “—to drop something off before I headed this way.”

They both leaned back as their food arrived and thanked the server. Silence settled over them as they got distracted by food. Tim took a large bite of his pokerito, chewing and swallowing before he made himself ask, “Do you have any siblings?”

He was bad at it, but he was really trying to get to know Danny properly. (And without just looking him up.)

(Or stalking.)

“An older sister and kinda a little sister? Which sound weird I guess but…”

“No, I get weird families, trust me. Like, I’m not related to any of mine,” Tim said.

Danny smiled gratefully at the easy acceptance, as if Tim wouldn’t after everything that Danny accepted about him. “They are. And, well, so are my sisters, but I love them. I don’t get to see them too much anymore. My oldest sister is out in Washington, the state not the city, and the younger travels a lot. She’s basically nomadic. She’s never been anywhere longer than a year. I like traveling some, but I don’t think I could ever do that. What about you, have you always lived in the Gotham area?”

“Basically. I did some study aboard—” in fighting, but whatever, “—but Gotham has aways been home. The city is basically in my blood at this point.”

“And knowing Gotham, some of your blood is in it too,” Danny quipped.

Tim gave an undignified little snort took another bite of his food to avoid saying anything snarky back. More of his blood was in the streets and buildings of Gotham than Danny would ever know or understand. “You’re from the Midwest somewhere, right?”

Danny gave one of his crooked little smiles that Tim was so fond of. “Is my accent still that obvious?”

“No, not really,” Tim assured him. “Picking out accents is just something that I’m good at. I mean, sure most people wouldn’t think you’re from here, but mostly you just sound ambiguously American."

“I guess I’ll take what I can,” Danny said. “But yeah I grew up in the great state of misery.”

Tim covered a laugh with a sip of his drink. “Missouri can’t have been that bad.”

“Naw, there were good parts—mostly my friends—but I’m glad to be gone. There was enough that I didn’t like or that made bad memories,” Danny said with a little shrug and smile.

“And Gotham’s treating you well?”

“You know, it is,” Danny said. “I’ve got an interesting job, my own place, school is going, and it lead me to you.”

“I mean, well, it lead you to Caroline,” Tim mumbled as he tried valiantly not to blush. By the way Danny grinned, the smile just slightly smug, Tim figured he had failed pretty badly.

“And I got a two for one deal out of it.” Danny paused and then continued. “At least a two for one deal. Maybe a three for one. Where else can someone get that sort of luck?”

This time, Tim couldn’t even try to hide his laughter. “That how you see it?”

Danny grinned back. “Yep, but in a totally not crude way. I just think that I’m pretty lucky.”

“I don’t know, in Gotham being messed up like this might put me one bad day from becoming a rogue.”

“Hey, no, you’re not messed up,” Danny said firmly, all of his humor disappearing. “You and Caroline and Alvin might be different, but you are not messed up. There’s nothing wrong with you.”

Tim glanced up at Danny from under his bangs. “Even though I’m not sure who I really am?”

“Even then. I think that most people don’t know who they are yet in college. You’re just taking it to the extreme.”

That made Tim laugh: the sort of laughter that threatened to turn into tears and leave Tim’s stomach aching. It had been a really long time since he’d laughed like that.

“If you ask anyone of the people who know me best, they’d tell you I tend to take everything to the extreme.”

“I know that too, I’ve slept with you,” Danny said with a wolfish smile that made Tim flush.

“That does not count as knowing,” Tim defended.

Danny just smiled wider and gave a little shrug. “Well, then that’s why we go on dates. I’ll know you well enough before long.”

“I hope you don’t come to regret that.” Tim hoped he sounded more teasing than worried.

By the way that Danny’s expression softened sadly Tim guessed he didn’t manage.

“Not going to pretend we’re a sure thing. We don’t know each other well enough to claim that,” Danny said. “But I try not to regret things in life, it just leads to a lot of being miserable about the past that you can’t change. If we don’t work out, that won’t have stopped me from enjoying the time that we have had. That won’t make me regret it.”

Tim blinked. “I think you might be smarter than a lot of people I know.”

Danny laughed and shook his head. “I don’t think that’s true. I’ve just learned a lot about life early on, whether I wanted to or not. I might as well get something out of it.”

“That sounds like the same thing as being wise to me,” Tim said. He felt almost defensive about Danny thinking poorly of himself like that.

“Well, thanks darling,” Danny mumbled with a blush and a duck of his head.

Tim took that as basically a win and went back to eating happily. He might not be able to do as much for Danny as Danny was doing for them, but he could at least try and let Danny know how great he was. Plus Danny’s blush was cute.

-

“Look a little like a murder den,” Tim commented as Danny lead them down the few steps to a basement apartment door. His words didn’t stop him though. If it was a murder den, he could handle it.

“It’s not a murder den,” Danny said. Clear amusement laced his words.

“Basement, dark street, no sign, blacked out windows… murder den.”

“Gotham rent prices, the street light is just out, you missed the sign, there’s a reason. Not a murder den.”

Tim frowned (just a little). “I don’t miss things.”

“I was kissing you.”

“Okay,” Tim said after a long pause, “maybe I miss some things.”

“I’m a good distraction,” Danny said smugly. He held open the door for them and stepped back.

It was almost like a portal into another world, one full of neon lights, electronic noises, and the most wonderfully hideous carpet that Tim had ever seen.

“An arcade?”

“An arcade,” Danny said and followed Tim inside. “It pretty much spans some machines from the heyday of arcades through the nineties and just into the early aughts with this ancient DDR pad over in the back.”

“It smells like dirty quarters, popcorn, and machine oil in here.”

“Yep.”

“It’s perfect.”

A pleased grin broke out across Danny’s features. He pulled out a ten out from his wallet and held it out towards Tim. “Then let’s get some quarters and start playing. I bet that I can kick your ass at Primal Rage.”

Tim snatched the bill with a smirk. “Maybe, but you have no chance against me in street fighter.”

“Get your quarters then and we’ll see, won’t we?”

The jostled each other as they both ran a ten through the change machine and collected the change in the slightly battered novelty cups that were stacked next to it. The clang of the quarters were soothing, in a weirdly disharmonious way, as they made an exploratory circuit of the arcaded and pointed out games that they might want to play later. The place did have a pretty nice variety, for all that the cabinets and machines were basically crammed side by side in the arcade.

They did end up at the Primal Rage machine first, where Tim proceeded to have his character brutally eviscerate by Danny’s raptor character.

“Wow.”

“We had this machine back where I grew up. My friend Tucker and I used to play it all the time,” Danny explained with a proud little smirk as he switched to the weird snake necked dinosaur.

Tim, giving up on dino kind, selected the ape. “Was little Danny a nerd?”

“Complete nerd,” Danny said. “Played video games, fascinated with NASA, two mad scientist parents; I was truly the bottom of the food chain. The jocks and popular kids sure let me know it too.”

“Bullies?” Tim asked sympathetically.

“Specifically one. Looking back I actually think that he had some toxic shit going on with his dad, masculinity, and probably his sexuality.”

“That doesn’t mean how he acted was alright,” Tim said. His character flew across the screen, trailing blood.

“Nope. But I can at least see a why. Besides, it was basically a life time ago now,” Danny said calmly while his win flashed up on screen. “I’m happy where I ended up.”

Tim leaned over to press a kiss to Danny’s cheek. “Good. Now come let’s go play Street Fighter so I can kick your ass as Chun-Li.”

Danny pretended to swoon, hands over his heart. “Ah, to have my ass kicked by a hot woman.”

“I don’t need to hear about your and Caroline’s sex life,” Tim said with a fake shudder that earned him a bark of laughter from Danny.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’m happy to have my ass kicked by a cute guy too.”

“You better be,” Tim said. “I think I’m morally obligated to take you to a gym on a date now.”

Danny pulled Tim into his arms, pressed Tim back against an arcade cabinet. “Hot, sweaty, pinned under you… I’m not going to complain.”

“Bet not,” Tim said with a quick peck to Danny’s lips. “But games now. It you get enough tickets to get me that hideous, knock-off Robin plushy I’ll blow you in the bathroom.

It was to watch Danny’s eyes dilate at the suggestion. He abandoned pinning Tim to tug them along. “Well, come on. After you kick my ass in Street Fighter, you’ll get to see a true master at skee ball.”

“Oh this I have to see.”

“Damn right you do,” Danny said with a wink and a blown kiss.

Tim found himself laughing yet again that day, and so glad for the man who kept making it happen.

[lexiputellas]

One More Drink, One More Mistake

You could say I’m drinking. A lot. Like, a lot—for a company party, at least.

The venue is packed, a blur of agents, players, family members, and people I don’t even recognize. The air is thick with expensive perfume and chatter, and suddenly, I feel suffocated. Too many faces. Too many bodies. Too many expectations wrapped in designer labels and cocktail glasses.

I don’t hate parties. Actually, I’m usually the life of them. But tonight? Tonight, I’ve passed my limit.

I need air.

Which is how I end up on the balcony, predictably, cigarette in hand. Should I be smoking? No. Will I? Absolutely.

The door behind me clicks open, and I hear the quiet shuffle of someone stepping closer. A hand rests on the railing beside mine.

Paige. I know her. I know her face.

“You look like you’re having fun,” she says, voice edged with amusement.

I smirk. “Depends on your definition of fun.”

She tilts her head, considering me. “Are you an athlete?”

“Nope.”

“Oh.”

She keeps looking. And looking. Her gaze lingers, eyes trailing over me like she’s trying to figure something out.

I raise a brow. “Do you want a picture?”

She hums, amused. “Do you have one?”

“No, but I could get you one. Signed, if that’s your thing.”

Paige laughs, leaning in just slightly. “Oh, absolutely. I’ll keep it in my wallet, since I’m such a fan.”

“You’re acting like one.”

She shrugs. “Because you’re pretty.”

That catches me off guard. I stare at her. She stares back. The alcohol in my system dulls my better judgment, makes everything a little slower, a little blurrier, a little bolder.

I know I shouldn’t say it.

I know it’s reckless.

I say it anyway.

“Do you wanna get out of here?”

Paige raises a brow. “Get out of here as in…?”

“My place is close.” I take a drag from my cigarette, exhaling slowly. “And this party kinda sucks.”

She doesn’t hesitate. “Let’s go.”

The door barely clicks shut before Paige is on me, her body pressed against mine, her breath hot against my lips.

“Finally,” she murmurs, voice husky, fingers digging into my waist as she pushes me back against the wall. The air between us is thick—charged. My pulse hammers, the anticipation sparking like a live wire between us.

I don’t hesitate. My mouth crashes into hers, and she responds instantly, deepening the kiss with a hunger that makes my knees weak. She tastes like champagne and something sweeter, something intoxicating, and I can’t get enough. Her suit is crisp beneath my fingers, the smooth fabric a stark contrast to the fire between us.

We stumble backward, tangled in each other, laughter spilling between frantic kisses as we knock into furniture. My jacket is the first to hit the floor, revealing the black dress beneath. Her hands slide along my waist, fingertips grazing the fabric, teasing, setting my skin alight.

“Bedroom,” she demands, voice thick with want.

I grab her hand, pulling her through the dimly lit apartment, nearly tripping in my own urgency. The second we reach the bed, she shoves me back onto it, straddling me with a wicked smirk. The cut of her suit is immaculate, sharp lapels framing the open collar of her shirt, just enough skin exposed to make my mouth go dry.

“You look so good in a suit,” I murmur, hands sliding up her thighs, pushing the hem of her blazer aside.

She leans down, lips tracing the shell of my ear. “I look good in a lot of things,” she teases. “But you should see how I look out of it.”

Her mouth moves lower, pressing open-mouthed kisses down my neck, nipping at my collarbone. My head falls back, a breathy curse slipping past my lips. My fingers toy with the buttons of her shirt, slipping them open one by one, revealing inch after inch of smooth, heated skin.

I flip her over, pinning her beneath me, drinking in the way her breath catches, the way her pupils dilate as she looks up at me. My fingers ghost along the waistband of her tailored trousers, teasing, watching her squirm beneath me.

“You like teasing, don’t you?” she breathes, her hands sliding into my hair, pulling me down until our lips meet again, hotter, deeper, more desperate.

I hum against her mouth. “Maybe.”

She arches against me, her body fitting against mine like she was made for this moment, like this was inevitable. I can feel every inch of her through the thin layers between us, the heat radiating off her skin. It’s dizzying.

Her fingers work at the straps of my dress, her impatience making me grin against her lips. “This needs to go,” she mutters, pushing the fabric aside.

“Bossy,” I tease, but I let it fall to the floor, reveling in the way her hands roam over my skin like she’s memorizing me.

Her response is a sharp tug on my hips, dragging me flush against her. “Less talking,” she whispers, her voice like silk and sin, “more doing.”

And I have no intention of stopping now.

The next morning arrives like a slap to the face, with it comes my sanity—what's left of it—and the crushing weight of regret.

The headache is unbearable, a full percussion band playing inside my skull. The sunlight streaming through the window is personally attacking me. My limbs feel heavy, my mouth is dry, and I swear I can still taste the alcohol from last night. I groan, rolling onto my side in search of some form of comfort—

And hit something.

No.

Someone.

A very warm, very real, very much breathing someone.

My eyes snap open, and my heart rate skyrockets. There’s a solid five seconds where my brain refuses to process what it’s seeing.

Paige. Fucking. Bueckers.

Not only is Paige Fucking Bueckers in my bed—

But she is also very, very naked.

Oh my god, what the actual fuck did I do last night?

Paige smirks, voice low and teasing. “Now you’re the one that needs a picture.”

I groan, burying my face in my hands. “I need to die.”

Paige stretches, grinning. “Or… you could get back in bed.”

I throw a pillow at her.

She laughs, dodging effortlessly. “Feisty in the morning, huh?”

I sigh, already dreading the inevitable. I am in so much trouble.

[itsnesss]

𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 | axel kovacevik × fem!reader

summary | you couldn’t sleep, so you went to axel’s room. you never expected the tension between you to explode like that. his large, dominant body completely enveloped you, making you feel fragile, small… his

warnings | smut, explicit content, vulgar language, dirty talk, dom!axel, sub!reader, size difference, degradation, oral sex (axel!receives), p in v, unprotected sex

word count | 2.3 k

author's note | it would help me a lot if you liked, commented and reposted so that more people read what I write and don't forget to follow me, thanks ᡣ𐭩

The hotel hallway was completely silent at this hour of the night. Only the distant hum of the air conditioning and the sound of your own breathing broke the stillness. You stopped in front of Axel Kovacevic’s door, hesitating for a moment before raising your hand and knocking.

You weren’t sure what had brought you here. Maybe the insomnia, maybe the way he had been looking at you lately, with those gray eyes filled with something you didn’t dare name. Or maybe you just wanted to confirm if the tension between you was real or just an illusion in your head.

The sound of footsteps approaching from inside made you hold your breath.

The door opened, and there he was.

Axel wore a dark hoodie and sweatpants, his hair tousled as if he had just run his hand through it. His eyes landed on yours first, then drifted down to the rest of your face, finally lowering to the loose clothes you were wearing.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice rough from sleep or surprise.

You didn’t answer immediately. Instead, you swallowed hard and looked away.

"I couldn’t sleep," you murmured.

Axel held your gaze for a second before stepping aside and opening the door a little wider.

"Come in."

You stepped inside, feeling the warmth of the room contrast with the cool air of the hallway.

The space wasn’t very large, but it was enough to make the atmosphere feel more intimate than you had expected. The only light came from the bedside lamp, casting soft shadows on the walls.

"What’s wrong?" Axel asked, crossing his arms.

The difference in size between you had always been obvious, but now, with him looking at you like that, it felt even more overwhelming.

"Nothing," you lied, not really knowing how to explain it.

Axel sighed and ran a hand over his neck, as if holding something back. Then, in one step, he closed the distance between you.

"You’re a terrible liar," he whispered.

The heat radiating from his body made you shiver. When he lifted a hand and brushed his fingers against your cheek, your pulse skyrocketed.

"You’re so small…" he murmured, as if thinking out loud.

Your stomach tightened. You had heard that comment before—during training, in casual jokes—but now, in his tone, there was something different.

Something that made you want to get closer.

"Is that a problem?" you asked softly.

Axel slowly shook his head, but his expression grew more intense.

"No. It just makes me want to…"

He didn’t finish the sentence.

He didn’t have to.

In an instant, his mouth was on yours.

The kiss was strong, firm, like he had been holding back for too long. His hands slid down to your waist, wrapping around you effortlessly, as if it was natural for him to hold you like this.

And it was.

Your body fit against his without effort, small in comparison to the breadth of his chest and the solidity of his arms. The size difference made you feel trapped, vulnerable… but in the best way possible.

Axel growled against your lips when you grabbed onto his hoodie, as if you had just realized how much you wanted him in that moment.

"You’re so fragile…" he whispered, sliding a hand to the base of your back, pulling you even closer.

Your skin burned under his touch.

"I’m not," you argued, though the way he held you suggested otherwise.

Axel smirked against your mouth before lowering his head, brushing his nose along your neck.

"Don’t make me prove it."

You shivered, feeling his lips ghost over your skin. His grip on your waist tightened when you tried to move, effortlessly keeping you in place.

You didn’t want him to let go.

Your fingers tangled in his hair, tugging gently. Axel groaned, the sound reverberating in your chest, sending a shiver down your spine.

"If you keep doing that…" he murmured, a warning in his tone.

But you didn’t stop.

And neither did he.

Axel lifted you effortlessly, making you gasp against his mouth.

"Too small," he muttered, like he was annoyed by how much he wanted you.

But right now, you didn’t care.

You just wanted more.

"You know it," you said, and Axel froze.

His gaze met yours, dark and burning.

"Say it," he whispered. "Tell me what you want."

You didn’t need to think about it.

"I want you. All of you."

That was your response, the most demanding and passionate kiss Axel had ever given you. His fingers traced your body until they reached the hem of your pajama pants, lifting it with a predictable movement. The shirt ended up on the floor, and you didn't resist when he pushed you onto the bed.

"You're like a damn doll" he murmured against your skin, as if he hadn't been able to silence it.

Axel began to kiss the exposed skin. Your skin burned every time his lips brushed against it, as if it had caught fire the moment he touched you.

"Do you like it?" he murmured.

You nodded with a gasp, feeling your breath quicken with each kiss. His mouth slid over your neck and shoulders, over the curve of your breasts and the edge of your bra.

"Doll" he repeated, a whisper that sounded more like a plea.

You had also grown tired of resisting.

You had waited too long for this to happen.

You wanted it. You needed him. And he didn't seem to want to resist any longer either.

"Axel…" you called with a voice laden with anxiety.

He lifted his head, with his eyes shining in the darkness. His expression was intense, with a glimmer of lust in his gaze.

"Yes, little one," he growled, pushing your bra down and wrapping his hand around one of your breasts. "This is what you want. Right?".

You nodded again, gasping as his finger began to caress your nipple.

"I'm going to give you everything," he said, with a wild gleam in his eyes. "I'm going to fuck you all night. Until you don't want it anymore".

"Please..." you called, feeling the desire burning inside me, like a growing fire in every part of my body.

Axel paused for a moment, his eyes fixed on mine.

"You're very wet" he murmured. "Do you like it that much?".

You didn't answer. I didn't need to do it.

"I want to feel you," you whispered instead of answering.

"You're going to feel me" he growled with a wild smile. "All night".

His fingers found the edge of your panties and began to drag them down. You didn't move, you just looked at me, as if you were waiting for me to say something, or to stop before it was too late.

You wanted me to fuck you until you couldn't anymore.

"I have a gift for you," Axel murmured, looking at you intently, his eyes shining in the darkness. So you know how great I am.

"I understand," you nodded quietly, swallowing hard.

"That's right," he affirmed, with a proud whisper. "So you're going to endure like a good little doll, understood?"

"Understood," you repeat, feeling the tension in your groin, the pulse increasing in your veins.

"Fine," growled Axel. "Because I can't stop".

At that moment, it didn't matter what would happen next. You just wanted to feel his cock inside you, so big and so hard that it hurt.

You wanted to know what it felt like to be so close to him that there was no room for anything else.

"Hold on" he ordered you before his fingers penetrated me, two at the same time.

You moaned, feeling your vagina contract around his fingers as if trying to hold them in place.

"Mmm," Axel whispered, lowering his head to kiss the curve of your neck. "You want it in your mouth. Right? You want me to put it in your mouth and make it so you can't breathe".

You wanted to, yes.

But you couldn't respond, only whimper as his fingers began to move inside you, penetrating you firmly, as if they were going to leave a mark there.

"Ax…" you whispered, arching back, feeling his fingers penetrate you to the end.

"You're going to suck i" he murmured, lowering his head to kiss your cheek. "You're going to do it with enthusiasm".

"Understood, little one?" he whispered against your ear.

"Yes" you nodded, gasping as his fingers found a sensitive spot on you, like a button that, when pressed, made you tremble completely.

"Then, open it," murmured Axel.

You opened your mouth without thinking, feeling your lips curve around the flesh. His size made you gasp immediately, and he noticed, smiling slightly before pushing deeper inside you, until you felt your throat tighten with the pressure.

"That's it, little one," Axel whispered. That's it... hang in there.

You paused for a moment, feeling your throat ache from its size, but Axel seemed either unaware or unconcerned.

He continued pushing inward, and you let him, feeling your body respond to his presence.

"Good" he murmured when you relaxed a bit, allowing him to enter further. "If you keep doing that... I'll give you a reward".

You didn't even need me to tell you what prize I was going to give you, but you nodded anyway.

You felt your breath quicken when it reached the back of her throat, feeling a sharp but pleasant pain in it.

Axel noticed it, panting.

"You're a whore" he whispered while caressing your breasts with both hands. "You're going to stay here, enduring me, until I want to take her out".

You couldn't answer.

You could only nod a little, feeling his eyes shine on you in the darkness.

"I understand," he murmured in response. "Now, suck me. Suck me as if it were the only thing you desire".

It was so easy to respond to his order that you surprised yourself.

You did it with enthusiasm, not caring how painful it was, not caring about the saliva that accumulated in your mouth from the pressure of his cock.

Axel seemed to enjoy your soft and predictable grunts every time you moved over him.

"Like that, ye" he whispered when you stopped, panting. "I love your mouth, little one. I love your mouth, little one".

You had a sore throat, but you didn't stop because of it.

The response of her body had been too evident not to continue.

"Suck me more" he murmured then, pushing deeper inside you. "Suck me all".

It was impossible. Axel was too big. But you tried anyway.

You felt your throat stretch to accommodate his size. The muscles in your groin tightened in response.

"That," he growled. I love that.

This continued for a time that seemed infinite.

Saliva was pooling at the corner of your lips, dripping. Axel would pause every now and then to give you a moment to catch your breath, but he wouldn't take long to do it again, pushing himself inside.

"I'm close," he murmured after a moment. I'm close".

You wanted to feel it, you wanted to feel it pouring down your throat.

"Suck me, little one," he ordered, holding your head with one hand. "Suck me while I cum in your mouth" .

You did it, with enthusiasm and without caring about the pain.

He came in your throat with a grunt, and the sensation of his sperm falling into you made you shudder.

"Mmm" you whispered.

Axel gasped a little. His cock was still hard, his breath was ragged.

"You feel it" he murmured with a sound of surprise. "You feel it".

Axel grunted a little before pulling it out of your mouth, holding your chin with a finger and forcing you to look at him.

Axel smiled a little before bringing his mouth close to your ear.

"You want me to fuck you" he murmured in response. "And I'm going to do it".

You had wanted it for so long that you didn't dare to believe it was real.

"Please," you whispered without thinking. "Axel...".

"Don't worry," he grumbled. "I'm going to give you what you want" .

He approached you, forcing you to stretch out on the bed and spread your legs so he could position himself between them. The tip of his cock brushed against your inner lips, and your vagina tightened at the feeling.

"Like this" murmured Axel when you tensed. "So wet for me".

"It's okay" you said in a gasp.

Axel didn't need any more invitations.

He rose above you, and held your legs with his hands, forcing you to bend backward.

"You're not a good girl anymore" he grunted as he entered you easily. "You're a whore".

The penetration was long, his thickness forcing your vagina to stretch. You felt intense pain for a moment, but your body seemed to adjust quickly, as if you had been waiting for it your whole life.

"Doll" he whispered softly as he moved a little inside you. "Look how I fuck you".

The sound of their bodies joining, louder and louder until you felt like you were about to burst.

"What's wrong?" asked Axel when he stopped halfway. "What's wrong, little one? "

You had your breath caught, your muscles tense within you.

Please provide the text you would like to have translated.

"No... I can't take it anymore" you managed to say.

"No?" repeated Axel with a smile. "Can't you take it anymore?".

You shook your head in a gentle motion, feeling your vagina tremble slightly around his thickness.

"Because you are too small for me," Axel growled after a moment. Look how stretched out you are.

You looked down, as if his movement hadn't been evident before, but only when you saw the thickness of his cock entering you, strong and big, and the red color of your skin around its size, did you realize how big it was.

"I can't take it anymore," you repeated, feeling your muscles tense up a little more. "No... I can't take it anymore".

"You are very small, small" he repeated with a grunt. "Too small to handle this".

"Axel" you called again, feeling your breath quickening. "No... no".

"I love how you feel" he murmured then. "I love it, little one...".

CDon't stop" you managed to say. "No".

But it was already too late.

The orgasm hit you with such intensity that you were left breathless. You felt your muscles contract and your vagina burst with pleasurable pain as your breath stopped, with Axel moving in you faster and faster.

And he didn't seem to have any intentions of stopping.

"Damn," he growled. "Damn it, little one, you're going to make me cum."

"Do it," you called in a low voice. "Do it".

His breathing quickened a moment later, and his flesh hardened inside you until a liquid heat spilled into your vagina.

"Mmm…" you whimpered in response

"Look at me," Axel ordered suddenly, holding your chin with a finger to make you lift your head. "Look at me".

You did it immediately, feeling his eyes shining on you.

"Did you like it?" he asked after a moment. "Did you like it, little one?"

You didn't need to respond.

Axel knew it. He had seen it in your body, and he knew you had desired it for a long time.

"I liked it," you affirmed in a low voice instead of responding.

Axel nodded a moment later. Taking you in his arms as if you weighed nothing to settle into bed, he kissed your cheek.

As darkness surrounded us once more, you began to feel sleep overtaking you, your breathing softening as Axel's body covered you, his arm encircling you in a protective embrace.

[taelophone]

Fashion Nova. Luigi Mangione x Fashionista! Reader HCs

Ok so this is my first headcanons post on this acc.

Starting off strong, because you are so interested in fashion, I could see you being some sort of sub-genre of alternative. REMINDER!! Alternative does not equal emo lol. Alternative is literally any style other than the norm, which is why its called ‘alternative.’ This includes Twee, goth, mcbling, gyaru, hoochie mama, renaissance core, etc etc. I can really see Luigi loving an alternative fashion partner.

You more than likely met Luigi through a friend of a friend! When he first met you he was so intrigued by your style. If you lean more unconventional/haute/camp, he’s so intrigued by your styling methods. It’s a lot, but somehow together it all makes sense! If you lean more conventional/simplistic, he’s in awe with how you make simple accessories stand out. 

One thing, however, he’s a little intimidated by you. Toxic trait incoming lol but he didn’t really like to stand next to you for too long because it makes him feel inferior a little. He’s not insecure about what he wears, but you looking so good in contrast to him, it keeps him on his toes a bit.

My favorite topic is coming up again! Psychology. When you feel intimidated by someone, you tend to try and adopt little pieces of their traits in an effort to feel more confident or gain approval. This is called identification!

And I imagine this is way before you start dating, too. So you’ll gradually begin to notice Luigi dressing a little bit better. You say you hate skinny jeans? He doesn’t even remember when he threw his out. You mention a niche aesthetic? He’s looking into it two weeks later without realizing. You mention your favorite fashion trend of the decades? He’s suddenly very interested in this topic a little bit later.

When you start getting closer, you start talking more and more about how you shop. He really enjoys listening to you ramble about how you found your style and what fashion school was like (if you went).

You probably taught him about color theory, how to style certain items of clothing, all about silhouettes and frames, etc etc.

He realizes a little later that you REALLY know your shit, and starts facetiming you when he gets something new or wants your opinion on an accessory/thing he wants to buy.

Cue the “I got these new jeans, but I have no idea what to do with them…” “What do you think would look good with this shirt?” “Can you help me get ready for this event I'm going to? Please?

Now when you start dating, he just completely lets you take over in dressing him. He’s been flamed in the past for his dogshit outfit skills, but he also likes when you try out various aesthetics/styles on him.

His favorite, BY FAR, was old money (which IS ALTERNATIVE, CHAT.) or model off-duty for himself. He’s never been one to care about what he wears too much on regular days, but he’s noticed a difference in how he feels and looks when he’s styled just right every day.

One of his favorite things that you do is adjust his collar, nitpick at his tie, position his rings, give him some glasses, etc etc.

Every time he reaches for that Bali shirt or monochrome adidas hoodie, you have to grab his hand and tell him no more.

Bonus points if you know how to sew. His zipper broke? His darling girlfriend can repair it! Rip in a sleeve? Never fear, his woman is here.

He loves shopping with you now! You’ll go to the mall, the bins, second-hand stores, etc etc. He likes taking you with him especially because you see so so much potential in the most mundane/crazy looking pieces ever.

He loves going to Victoria’s Secret with you istg. He’s a little shy/embarrassed cuz we need to be honest, what man isn’t, but he loves seeing you light up over all the pretty bras and accessories.

On the topic of accessories, sometimes you share! It’s taken hella convincing, but sometimes he’ll wear a very casual and small hair clip if he’s behind on a haircut. Courtesy of you!

He loves his lil fashionista she’s literally saved his ass from so many ugly ass outfits !!

[noxiatoxia]

Mikan wants to be "forgiven"...but what does that really mean?

Hello. This is something that has been quietly on my mind for a while.

It's something shown in the game in chapter 3. Mikan really focuses in on "being forgiven".

And while not a mistranslation per se, I think it's inaccurate to what is happening in the game.

I've talked about this extensively - the fact ENG DR team has a very bad habit of translating things literally or very directly. This leads to either clunky dialogue, missed nuances, or just incorrect interpretations sometimes.

I think this in particular falls somewhere between 2 and 3. I'll explain why.

If translated literally, the English text works just fine, but as with a lot of literal translation, it misses the "feeling" of what was trying to be conveyed. If you want my translation...

Mikan: Won't someone just tell me what I did wrong!? Why won't anyone just let it be already!?

While Mikan doesn't say "What did I do wrong", there is a subtle emphasis on her talking about herself...I feel like it's a more natural way to word what is essentially "What is it that I did differently [to warrant this]?"

Anyways, to the main point...I hope you can kind of see what I'm getting at.

"Forgive" feels like...Mikan is seeking people to "pardon" her for perceived wrong-doings. And while not untrue I would say, the way Mikan specifically uses the word and the context it is in, to me, feels much more like she is using it like "allow" or "excuse".

Let me use another example to better explain myself.

The last line to me reads like Mikan needed this person to pardon her for being born; for existing. That her existence in and of itself was a mistake or wrong-doing that needed to be forgiven.

I think that's missing the point, though.

Mikan: They allowed me to exist.

See, the point is...Mikan is a very troubled person. She admits as much in the freetime events that wherever she goes, she is horribly bullied just for existing. That she hated being bullied, but even more she hates being forgotten.

She emphasizes her beloved (Junko) did not hate her, and in fact allowed her presence...

This line was heavily misread, I think. 許して受け入れて was read as two verbs in one sentence (which it is) but as "forgive and accept" which is incorrect to what it means. It's closer to "they tolerated me" (like, accepting and moving on). Which comes to how I would translate it, and my final point:

Mikan: They accepted me for who I am.

This is why I think the "forgive" thing is not only incorrect, but actually opposite of what this scene was going for. Junko did not "forgive" Mikan for the sin of existing. Rather, she was the only person who seemed to not mind that she existed, that didn't bully or ignore her.

She didn't "forgive" Mikan, she allowed her to be herself.

Another reason DR3 totally missed the mark, but I digress...

I guess while I'm on the topic, we all know that scene where Mikan has a little back-and-forth with Nagito...that, too, was misrepresented somewhat.

Putting the English here just for comparison sake. And while not the worst translation in the world, it certainly isn't how I would go about it.

Nagito: I don't...really get what you're trying to say... Mikan: Oh, you don't? (lit: you don't understand?) Mikan: Is that because you don't have any loved ones in your life? Mikan: Is it because there's no one who will love you?* Mikan: Oh, you poor thing...I feel very sorry for you.

*Literally speaking, she says "Is it because you are a person nobody allows" but considering the context thus far, it's easy to conclude she means that there's no one who will love/accept him for who he is.

*Adding "also" to the line is a mistranslation, I believe. も means also but it is also used for emphasis, which I think it is here. Not that it's impossible Mikan is using it to say "also", but in these lines of dialogue she is intentionally contrasting how she does have someone who loves her and that she can love, so to then identify a similarity between her and Nagito, I think, wouldn't make much sense...

Mikan is one of my favorite characters, so little details like this matter a lot to me.

[paintedscales]

8 A 8 aaaaa, thank you!!

um!! i have some lovelies that i would love to share!!!

@blossomblade -- i have to show off my partner of fifteen years. other than just being the best person i know (totally not biased), elika is a bombastic character i think more people should get to know! he's been stepping out into doing more stuff with his character, and a lot of his gposes are honestly really good, too.

@nicholerose92 -- one of the sweetest people i have had the absolute pleasure of meeting here on tumblr since i joined. host of the glitter and story halls, it has been an absolute blast getting back into rp and storytelling. likewise, the stories that have been made about all her characters are so well done -- if you have time to read them, you should!

@ainyan -- has such evocative writings involving her ship with thancred; each piece i've read it such a delight. not to mention that kali is just absolutely gorgeous, and the poses that are made are so lovely and tender and great all around.

@sasslett -- also an amazing writer, and has such dedication to it to have an amazing series of events and histories to reference in regards to jess and her partner, varrus. plus, there are so many soft and sweet gposes that are really worth checking out! and! i can't forget about the fact that she literally organizes one of the neatest little ffxiv swap events that allows ffxiv creatives of any passion and skill level to make stuff for one another in the spirit of making stuff for one another!

@sylaurin -- if you haven't seen kab, iskra, or thiago yet, you should! there are so many awesome gposes that sylaurin makes -- many humorous, and many also just rich with storytelling that i'm always happy to see more of.

@naejlas-axe -- an amazing writer with a fun viera to bully. i have thoroughly enjoyed being able to read and learn about lejo, not to mention also having rp'd with him in the past. did you know they're also drawing now, too? \ o w o / sketchies and drawings to get into the swing of things, and i'm enjoying getting to see that work get done and put out there! :D

@shadesofblades -- art friend \ o w o / !! has awesome art with bold lines and puts such attention to detail -- especially in au ra scales (my weakness when it comes to people that draw au ra)! but also, you should learn about baatu or aoki! they're the ones i see -- or at least notice -- the most! and i enjoy learning more about them the times i see them!

@mimble-sparklepudding -- another one of the sweetest people i've had the pleasure of meeting here on tumblr. the poetry and limericks he has made -- some just spur of the moment -- have all been so uplifting and have been a needed laugh whenever i come across them. plus, all the surprise poems and limericks made for others? absolute sweetheart for doing that. ; ;

@finishing-touch -- i mean... look, if you haven't seen finishing-touch's gifs just yet, you really should. i mean, they are so well done in the fact that a lot of them are rich with characterization, are shot well, and there are ones that you can tell a lot of work and love go into. genuinely an inspiration when it comes to me shooting for gifs and getting them set up on my end. and not just gifs! i've also used that inspiration to make little movies on my own time!

@icehearts -- esca is gorgeous and the gposes that come from icehearts are so lovely when it comes to getting everything set up. i enjoy greatly getting to see esca any time she shows up, and just how the shots are often taken care of to really make such awesome pieces.

@valdiis -- has amazing writing that i've gotten to chip away at as i work on getting through all the entries i have left of ffxiv write 2024. i've enjoyed aeluan for a while, and getting to see more characters written and detailed are just...so...!!! well done. i love the mixing of humor into the writing i've gotten to consume, but also the contrast when it comes to the more serious stuff as well.

also, shoutout to my fellow estinien enjoyers!

@janzoo -- the first wolstinien shipper that reached out to me, and has such a cute polycule between drakyr, aymeric, and estinien. i love that there's just a lot of sweet indulgences in the gposes that have been made -- especially just setting up aymeric and estinien in gpose to be sole focuses in new outfits, or outfits that just look nice.

@humblemooncat -- ki'to and u'lohi are absolute amazing sweethearts with their polycules. plus, i've seen an amazing evolution of gposing since i first joined and met humblemooncat, and have been so happy to see the growth.

@vasheden -- another person i've been glad to see the visible improvement of when it comes to gposing! i've seen so many good gposes over time, and i love how i've just seen them get better and better, especially when it comes to the tender moments between kaia and aymeric (and estinien whenever he decides to stick around :9)

@amalthea-felsblood -- makes wonderful little vignettes and stories of amalthea and estinien that make them look so sweet and tender between one another. there's a lot of care and attention that goes into setting up those poses and stories.

@mrlarkstin -- has amazing gposes! not to mention has a cute polycule with their wol, estinien, and vrtra who have a cute little bean of a daughter. seriously the composition of the gposes that are made are so good and i strongly recommend looking at them.

SHAMELESS PLUGGING - FFXIV STYLE!

It's that time of year again! Here are just a FEW of the amazing blogs available to follow in the FFXIV community here on Tumblr! (A lot of them can also be found on Bluesky--two for one shot!) If you're not following them, YOU SHOULD BE!

@lynxden -- gorgeous shots, amazing information on lion dancing and the history of it, even some goddamn STOP MOTION ANIMATION with FFXIV screenshots, that is astounding.

@coldshrugs -- a gorgeous WoL and some absolutely amazing screenshots, I am just... *sigh*

@darcar -- a Viera as pretty as Anna (and I rarely say that...)

@cerbaros -- the GPose just gets better and better and BETTER...!

@zylphiacrowley -- ever wanted to go through the MSQ in graphic novel format? Zyl's got you covered.

@mist-touchedxiv -- come get you some Viera lore theorizing and some really interesting backstory!

@abyssalmermaiden -- legit I wonder what people drink to come up with such absolutely fucking cool character ideas...

@iron-sparrow -- why are you not following them? Why are you not following them? YOU'RE MISSING YEIN!

@ink-dreams-ffxiv -- the fishercatte is so CUTE!

@oneiroy -- not only do they put up some hella good mods, they take AMAZING shots.

@verysmallcyborg -- and if you follow Ryss, you have to follow Fornax so you can get the complete "butches in love" package!

@nolanel-corbeaux -- you will meet the skink and you will thank me for directing you to this one.

@ser-corviknight -- Avery has such FUN characters and one of the most unique WoLs I've ever seen.

@ahollowgrave -- I will always and forever push more people to follow Odette.

@feralkwe -- watching Feral get into GPose crimes is almost as delightful as reading their fanfic.

@arty-ffxiv -- when you meet Kupa, you'll wonder why it took so long to follow.

@drownedlight - this is really just a gateway to their AO3 page, but I know the fanfic will lure in just... OH so many...

@sezja -- a violet Hrothgal is the first beauty to greet you, isn't that a delight???

DO YOU KNOW MORE??? ADD MORE!!! GIVE ME MORE WONDERFUL, TALENTED PEOPLE TO FOLLOW!!!

(Like you @luck-and-larceny I see you posting more Malika lately...!)

[neplusultros]

war is the father of all things

thinking a little bit about yoru as a parent. obviously, makima-as-the-mother imagery was key to part 1 both visually and as part of its ongoing interrogation of abuse, love, and the family structure. similarly, though yoru as peer and lover to denji is a popular framing (particularly after chapters 191-193), i think there is a lot to be gained by reading yoru not from denji's view in which she is a possible equal, but from asa's perspective of her as a mother figure.

spoilers through chapter 193 follow.

if you're here voluntarily reading this post you probably don't need an explainer on the makima-mother stuff so here's a quick recap image

clockwise from top-left: fujimoto interview with shueisha, ch. 82, ch. ch. 76, anime ED1, ch. 82

wow! what a shitty mom.

a lot of analysis about yoru and asa and denji situates and investigates yoru as either 1) a peer (to the extent a devil can be a peer) or 2) a part of asa's personality. either way, she's considered and framed as someone roughly on par with asa and denji, not least because just as they are teenagers struggling to find their place in the world and understand romantic feelings, yoru seems to be doing a lot of the same! the visual imagery contributes; not only is yoru positioned against denji as an equal (versus makima looming over him, or crouching to speak to him), she's also made an equal to the missing asa via the empty chair. a lot has (understandably) been made of contrasting this against, again, makima and denji.

ch. 12, ch. 193

but of course, yoru is not just a peer to these teenagers. on one level, this is true because she is an ageless and ancient devil. though we don't have a sense of how "old" potoo-war is when it first meets asa, it's clearly not "young"; it remembers that it used to be more powerful and also that nuclear weapons existed, so clearly it has at least some understanding of its past.

but more than that, it's true because yoru's not like other teens. she's a mom. a cool mom.

ch. 176

in a very real way, from moment 1, as soon as war (let's call her by her maiden name, shall we?) shows up, she's mothering asa. wake up, welcome to the world, now go to school or you'll be punished. are kids bullying you? i'll deal with them. i'm here to give you tough love, but i'll also tell you when you're being too hard on yourself.

ch. 99, ch. 100, ch. 121

war is making a conscious effort to teach asa how to behave, to impart values to her, and it's generally working. of course, the realization that one is behaving just like one's mother might be a point of filial frustration and irritation just as it is a point of parental pride.

ch. 145

in this frame, it's easy to see war not just as a facet of asa, but as someone external to her that is protective of her, that wants what's best for her and also wants her to get what she wants, but can also be impatient, demanding, overrides her autonomy, and acts like she never knows best. she doesn't just want to help asa achieve her desires, but to make sure her desires are the proper ones.

ch. 124, ch. 168, ch. 135

but of course, some degree of discord exists because asa's concerns are not 100% how war perceives them, and the heart wants what it wants. children don't live in the same world their parents imagine they do. a child can see rules and invisible lines a parent doesn't, particularly with respect to their own relationships and social life. and even when they're wrong about those, their feeling a line has been crossed might actually be communicating something more complex and sensitive about their own problems, or their efforts to form an identity.

ch. 168, ch. 113

i don't think any of this motherhood framing is all that accidental. in fact, i think it's there from the very start. when war makes a contract with asa, it exactly parallels how she thinks about motherhood.

ch. 177, ch. 98

"children are their parents' property, no?"

"if you want to live, your body will be mine."

being (re)born is neither a voluntary task nor an independent one: a child is entirely at their caretakers' mercy until they are capable of fending for themselves, and of course, would not have been born if their parents hadn't conceived a child. to many parents, this state of contingency and guardianship implies ownership, which implies the right to abandon or destroy. "i brought you into this world. i can take you out of it." war might care for her children. but ultimately, their lives and their bodies are hers to do with as she pleases. if she wants you to do something, she will steal your body and do it for you. the ultimate helicopter parent.

when read in this way, war's fascination with denji can feel like she read her daughter's diary and is aggressively and disastrously intervening in her personal life. she's taking it on herself to teach asa's crush about relationships and courtship, and even make sure he's properly fed.

ch. 192, ch. 193

of course, in doing so, she's usurping asa's place, enacting not what asa wants, but what she thinks asa should want (a kiss, a handjob, a date, sex). the daughter vanishes entirely, erased and replaced by her mother's facsimile of her.

ch. 193

to be clear, i don't think this does much to change or negate the reading that yoru is experiencing her own feelings for denji. if anything, i think it adds interesting nuances and wrinkles to it as not just a fight internal to asa, but as a complex case of what is almost covert incest.

i do think one advantage of this reading, however, is that it centers asa's relationship to yoru. most conversations lately have focused on yoru's relationship to denji, for understandable reasons: it's been the main action of the manga for the last few chapters, and asa has been intentionally sidelined.

i believe that it is extremely intentional the last major interaction asa and war have before everything kicks into high gear emphasizes asa's horrified response to her philosophy on parenting.

ch. 177

and almost immediately afterward, war exploits asa's affection for her to override her control of her body and do exactly what asa wants her not to do.

ch. 179. read right to left. yes i know the pages are on the wrong sides.

your mother doesn't trust you. she thinks you're weak. she takes control of your life, tells you where to go and what to do. she forces you to go on a date with someone you don't even like, then berates your performance the whole time. she tries to erode your personality and desires to replace them with hers. when you object, she tells you not to think. you can do nothing but watch as she exploits her other children and hurts people. when you try to stop her, she leverages your real affection for her to guilt you into acquiescing. either she's developed feelings for your crush and is sincerely trying to have sex with him, or she's pimping you out to him for her own gain.

what's a girl to do?

[saints-who-never-existed]

Y'all ever think about Goodsir, Fitzjames, and Blanky?

Y'all ever think about those three characters in a show about every kind of consumption under the sun - physical, mental, emotional consumption, being eaten up by the landscape, by your own demons, by your fellow man. Those characters who don't resist it in the end?

Who die, in fact, with the express intention of being consumed?

I think about them. Not coherently, but I think about them.

[unfortunatelyilikebnha]

The best tdmd moments/things (to me; vaguely but not entirely chronological) (also I haven’t read the manga in ages and I’ve only - recently at least - rewatched bits and pieces so some of this is paraphrased while some of it I went back through to get exact quotes and NO I’m not going to do that for all of them it would take too long) (readmore bc it’s a lot):

- “As the crowd shouted, trying to make Sero feel better, Todoroki took a moment to melt his opponent from the ice prison he’d created. For some reason, in that moment, he looked very sad to me.” Ok so this is not the sports festival moment everyone talks about but it LIVES in my head ABSOLUTELY RENT FREE. It’s like, we know Todoroki’s been watching Midoriya for a while, mostly due to his obvious connection with All Might, but in this moment, while everyone is focusing on Sero, Midoriya is Watching Todoroki Back. He Sees Him.

- MIDORIYA TELLING ENDEAVOR THAT HE IS NOT ALL MIGHT AND SHOUTO IS NOT HIM. Midoriya is freeeeeaked tf out bc endvr is intimidating + he’s worried he’ll discover the secret of OFA but the SECOND endvr starts talking like an asshole, Midoriya SHUTS THAT SHIT DOWN. Again, Midoriya has had like ONE conversation with Todoroki and actively Really Wants To Get Away From Endeavor, but he just gets so mad about the way that Endeavor’s talking that he pauses his retreat to correct him and I think that’s beautiful.

- One of Todoroki’s episodes/chapters being titled “The boy born with everything” and how you could easily contrast Midoriya as “The boy born with nothing” (I could not find a definitive answer on whether canon actually calls him that but like). The juxtaposition of their opposite struggles and the underlying understanding that underneath it all they are really not that different. That they have both suffered, and are both trying to make the most of a power with a difficult legacy. (This brings me to the next point because -)

- “It’s your power, isn’t it?”/“It’s yours! Your quirk, not his!” Yeah. I don’t even have to explain this one I think, everyone knows it’s THE tddk moment. I’ll forever die on the hill that Todoroki should’ve found out about OFA sooner and we should’ve had a direct reversal while Midoriya was still struggling with thinking of OFA as his quirk instead of All Might’s and Todoroki repeats Midoriya’s words right back at him. I mean, Horikoshi LOVES to do that (see: repetition of “body moved without thinking”, “meddling when you aren’t asked to is the essence of being a hero”, “that’s what friends are for, right?” etc) the setup was RIGHT THERE, like taking my shipping goggles or whatever off for a second I think it would’ve been a great addition to the story regardless bc it’s an example of how Midoriya has helped other people AND a reminder that he has not quite conceptualized the advice he gives others for himself! Even without that though, we see how important this moment was to Todoroki literally throughout the rest of his arc, to the point that

- “Midoriya, this is my power. Thank you.” IF WE DIDNT GET TDRK TELLING MDYA THAT OFA WAS HIS QUIRK, AT LEAST WE GOT THIS. MY GOD. I was trying to go mostly chronologically, but since we’re talking about a follow-up to “It’s your power, isn’t it?” I HAD to mention this scene next. It’s a really lovely moment because 1) it’s an acknowledgement of how much Todoroki’s grown (which he did on his own! Midoriya reminded him of why he wanted to become a hero in the first place, and he had a lot of support from friends (& teachers/family) but TODOROKI decided to put in the work to become the kind of hero he wanted to be!) and 2) it’s a reminder to Midoriya that he has made a positive impact and helped the people around him, which I think he’s probably struggling with since this is like. Soon after his dropout arc iirc. (Also: it’s a cool new super move that Todoroki developed himself to try to create a better future for his family!! Which, setting aside how beautiful it is that Todoroki has crafted his fire into something that won’t hurt, is also fun bc Midoriya loves quirks and gets to nerd out over Todoroki’s cool new move lol)

- TODOROKI SHOWING UP TO THE STAIN FIGHT. Todoroki has been friends with Midoriya for like a week and gets a location pin with no other context and IMMEDIATELY deduces that 1) Midoriya’s not the kind of guy to randomly drop his location so 2) he must be in danger, and 3) IMMEDIATELY TELLS ENDEAVOR HE’S GOING TO CHECK OUT THE LOCATION AND TO BRING BACKUP TO THERE AFTER HE’S DONE FIGHTING BC HE THINKS HIS FRIEND’S IN TROUBLE. When he actually shows up the first thing he says is something like “Midoriya you should include more details at a time like this. It took me a while to figure out what you meant and I could’ve been too late” but we literally see in the flashback that he figured this all out in like 2 seconds and IMMEDIATELY came to support Midoriya AND SECURED BACKUP. Every person in Midoriya’s phone received the location pin and expressed various levels of curiosity/concern about it in hindsight but Todoroki figured it out right away and immediately came to help (this isn’t a knock on the rest of 1a btw iirc the rest of them weren’t even in Hosu so there’s not anything they really could’ve done about it besides report it - which iirc Kirishima did -, it’s just that Todoroki WAS in Hosu and DID figure it out so he immediately went to help and it was that simple for him). Todoroki also just like. Instantly accepts that ok, Midoriya and Iida were fighting a serial killer, Guess He’s Also Fighting A Serial Killer Now. ALL THIS FOR HIS FRIEND OF A WEEK. This is one of the core tenets of tddkism to me: they are as ride-or-die as they come. Also notable: Midoriya is not generally in the habit of asking for help. The fact that he did, knowing nothing might come of it, AND TODOROKI SHOWED UP EXACTLY WHEN HE NEEDED HIM??? Can we acknowledge how much that probably meant to Midoriya. Also the start of tdiimd as a trio, which this post isn’t really about, but I can’t completely leave Iida out when talking abt the stain fight that’d be fucked up :(

- “We’ll protect them together”. Yes ik, another Stain fight moment, but I believe this line deserves its own point because, again, Todoroki has been Midoriya’s friend for like a week. Immediately prior to Todoroki saying this, he tells Midoriya that his plan is risky. It’s one thing to recognize Midoriya’s text as a call for help and run to be his backup, it’s another thing to let Midoriya take the strategic lead when he’s already injured and the plan itself could be dangerous. But Todoroki puts his trust in Midoriya and says they’ll protect them together, showing his confidence in Midoriya’s strategic prowess AND battle planning ability.

- “You’re a kind person, Todoroki”. Ok I’ll get this out of the way: I have issues with how the writing of this chapter could be read as implying that being a kind person automatically means you have to forgive the person who hurt you. Ik Midoriya tells Todoroki that it’s ok not to forgive Endvr if he doesn’t want to, but the way he follows it up with the fact that he’s a kind person and the assumption that he wants to forgive Endvr...aren’t my favorite. I think it kind of makes sense for Midoriya to think like this given his own experiences (and also. Midoriya is 15, some of his wording is gonna be a little bit awkward sometimes, so I don’t think that’s the only possible interpretation of what he said), but I wish that if that was the intention, there’d be a moment later on where this view was challenged and Midoriya really internalized that you can be kind and still not forgive someone who’s hurt you. THAT BEING SAID, of all the things that Todoroki is called on a regular basis, and of all the qualities Todoroki associates with himself, I don’t think “kind” is necessarily one of them. “Kindness” was not exactly a virtue that Endeavor seemed to prioritize instilling in him (and though Rei probably would’ve, she WAS absent for much of Shouto’s childhood), and he spent so much time building his walls and striving to defy his dad that it’s not something people tend to immediately pinpoint about him. Todoroki really IS kind though, and Midoriya recognizes that AND makes it a point to tell him. For Todoroki, who has worked on himself quite a lot, and just invited friends to his house probably for the first time ever + gone through a tense family dinner in front of them, I think that probably meant a lot (and his expression in that panel is so cute. Ough).

- “Thank you for being Shouto’s friend”. I think the fact that Fuyumi recognized how meaningful their friendship was and thanked Izuku for it was so significant for both of them, like neither of them, as far as we know, HAD a lot of friends prior to attending UA so the acknowledgement that it is a big deal that they befriended each other is special <3

- Tdrk catching Mdya (and bkg and endvr but this ain’t about them) during the first war arc. He doesn’t know shit about OFA at this point but he followed Midoriya to the front lines anyways.

- Todoroki tucking Midoriya in in 327 and putting a hand on his shoulder in 32…8? 9? Fuck if I know I haven’t read the manga in ages. Anyways. These are both tiny moments but I’m grouping them together bc they really show how Todoroki is there for Midoriya, in the way that he’s always noticing things about him, that he’s RELIABLE, he WANTS to be there for Midoriya like Midoriya was there for Todoroki and that manifests both in following him into terrifying fights and in the small gestures of support. Todoroki NOTICES when something’s wrong, and when he has the necessary context he steps up to help.

Bonus mentions:

- the “are you all might’s secret love child or something?” convo in its entirety. Between the Todoroki Family Trauma Dump, Midoriya sympathizing with Todoroki and realizing that despite how different their lives have been, they’re very similar, the beginning of Midoriya’s desire to help Todoroki, and the beginning of Midoriya really Seeing Todoroki, it sets the groundwork for the start of something beautiful

- AFO: “pay close attention to them, tomura shigaraki. These two could prove to be formidable obstacles to you one day”. / AM: “they may have more in common than they realize. They both have such an intense vibe about them.” The fact that both AFO and AM comment on the tdmd sports festival match leads me to believe that originally their relationship (in the original story I’m talking about the platonic sense but read this any way you will since. This IS a post abt why I ship them) was supposed to be more central to the plot, in this essay I will - (<- ramblings of a crazy person but like!!! Both AM and AFO!! And you’re telling me it didn’t mean anything??? Come on!!)

- Also “you’re helping your opponent. You’re a fool.” Their matching maniacal grins after Midoriya prompts Todoroki to use his fire. Todoroki’s softer smile and little tear. Mdya’s “Amazing…”. Them immediately deciding to go full force regardless if it kills them (IMPORTANT FACT ABOUT THEM IS THAT THEY’RE INSANE <3). “Midoriya…thank you.” (OUGHHHHHHHHH 😭😭😭)

- MDYA YELLING “DONT GIVE UP” DURING THE TDRK/BKG MATCH AND FOR A BRIEF MOMENT TODOROKI STARTS USING HIS FIRE AGAIN. Ik he ultimately doesn’t end up using his fire, but that makes SENSE, you can’t process all that trauma immediately, it takes time!! The fact that for a moment, Midoriya’s voice was enough to allow him to use his fire so soon after his life-altering revelation in the tdmd match is so important to me though :( (and the fact that Midoriya’s willing to 1) root for Todoroki and 2) root for him loud enough that both Todoroki and Bkg can hear,,, ohh tdmd are so special to me)

- their little convo at the training camp. “You have a habit of sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong” lol (paraphrased). Underrated tdmd thing is that they’re willing to tell it to each other straight. But also, the genuinely good advice of “words themselves aren’t enough, actions are also needed to get through to someone” (again, paraphrased) (reminder of how Mdya helped Tdrk!! W/ words AND actions!! And now he’s helping Mdya help Kota!)

- “I don’t know, I think heroes cry when they need to probably” - acknowledges Mdya’s crying as a positive trait bc when he’s not crying it means he’s repressing things, also serves as a reminder that heroes are people too (a similar sentiment to Uraraka’s “who will save the heroes when they need saving?”). Serves to remind Mdya that his crying doesn’t make him less of a hero + it’s ok to feel things. Also Tdiimd.

- “You can’t even cry”/“Let us share that burden together” (this is like. Veeeery paraphrased I’m sorry I don’t have access to the chapter and I’m too lazy to rewatch). The whole class said very meaningful things to try to get Midoriya to come back, but even though he wasn’t ultimately the one to fully get through to him (SHOUTOUT TO IIDA ILY IIDA THIS POST ISNT ABOUT HIM EITHER BUT JUST KNOW I CANT WATCH THAT SCENE WITHOUT TEARING UP THEY R SO DEAR TO ME) Todoroki’s is one of my favorites bc sure maybe he doesn’t understand what it’s like to have no quirk and then suddenly have a quirk that’s actually seven quirks and have a pretty much all-powerful supervillain hunting him down but he DOES understand the burden of trying to shoulder the crushing legacy of a top hero, and here he reaches out to Midoriya once more reminding him that his tears are a good thing and offering to share the burden and help Midoriya like Midoriya’s helped him.

- Light novel moments: Mdya teaching Tdrk how to make AM origami and Tdrk sending it to Rei, Tdrk going to return Mdyas pencil and admiring Mdyas AM figure and Mdya trying to give it to him bc he has another one but Tdrk refuses bc he doesn’t want to damage it so he suggests he just come visit it instead (I haven’t read the light novels but I’ve seen these excerpts and I love them dearly) (these are just all really cute it’s nice to see what they’re like outside of doing hero stuff)

- Todoroki’s “Midoriya Sense” (yes this is a fandom joke based on like the stain incident + noticing smth was up during the “heroes cry too” incident + Todoroki asking abt him before the cultural festival etc but it IS genuinely very sweet that Todoroki is always looking out for Midoriya and trying his best to help when he can)

- TODOROKI TELLING MIDORIYA TO REMOVE THE BATTERIES FROM HIS PHONE SO THE GOVERNMENT COULDNT TRACK HIM WHILE HE WAS ON THE RUN BC HE WAS A MURDER SUSPECT. Now I haven’t watched the third movie so I may be wrong about the details but it was VERY funny of Tdrk to be like “did you kill people??? Never mind that actually here’s how to avoid the government” (paraphrased for comedic effect)

-“Midoriya and the others” (cute, something Shouto says…several times lmao) (Izuku has also said “Todoroki and the others” at least once (in the first movie) but I’m not aware of it being a recurring phrase like “Midoriya and the others”)

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

All I’m going to say I think now that my brain remembered part of what it was thinking is that Taylor and Joe went through a lot together (good and bad) and regardless of how it ended or what led to it they both seem to be determined to keep that private and not throw each other under the bus and in the end they’re just two very, very different people whose outlooks in the long term were just never going to align and never has that been clearer.

[the-dye-stained-socialite]

Josie Pinup for @thedeafprophet ;) (full nudity below the cut)

i think october wants her cloak back josie 🤭

(based on this:)

[duskerot]

i got SO inspired by this beautiful photo by Ron Frazier so i decided to paint it !! and then throw some guys on there cuz of course

u can look below the cut if you want to see the painting without the characters !!

MY PAINTING !! this was so fun fr i love painting light <3 might go ahead and post this separately but for now you must look at these ocs ok?

[ceramicbeetle]

first wip shot! this is my first time sculpting a human face so it’s a good start, but the features aren’t right. I probably need to start the whole thing over from the top though bc i think i created the skull shape assuming id do a simpler style but then i started the facial features a lot more realistic lol, so there’s a discrepancy that’ll probably only get worse the more i refine the facial features, but its not bad for a first round!!

[sundial-girl]

Do you have any hcs for Heron???

how did you catch me thinking abt him... spooky

i'm like super bad at listing hcs out in an organized manner (*_ _)人 but here's some:

goes for long walks at night to clear his mind when he can't sleep. yeah walking around the dark alone at like 2 in the morning probably isn't the safest thing but he prefers the solitude at that time of day. occasionally he'll also find something like a cool rock or shell or whatever on these walks to bring back and gift to one of his friends (or just keep for himself)

occasionally tries to hide his emotions so those close to him won't worry about him, but he's not actually very good at that (sometimes) and it just makes them worry more :'0. also, very prone to mood swings, which he also tries to hide as to not ruin the mood [pun was not intended i swear]

please don't let him wear roller skates/heelys - he says he'll be fine and knows how to use them but he crashes into everything and nearly breaks his bones 😭

he and oliver don't actually talk all that much but there is a silent mutual understanding (bird instincts 🤝)

used to have a higher cold tolerance prior to losing his hand (& eye), but can't risk being out in the cold as much anymore due to the mechanical parts possibly getting damaged (& the metal gets freezing which is. uncomfortable) so :( rip

scared of the dentist but only a little bit. not completely terrified but doesn't like going there

i know the mauling len to death thing is a joke sorta but i wonder if there is smthn deeper to it. like len reminds heron of himself in a way (even in spite of several differences), and something about that makes him so envious and full of rage and he's not sure why (he does, but wouldn't admit to it)—what's even more frustrating is len just keeps being... len. is he willfully ignorant and is this mockery or is he really that forgiving? and how could you forgive someone after all they've done to you? maybe len represents a lot of things heron is not and that's what really sets him off to attack him, personally. but maybe not thats just a theory a heron theory

very neutral on goldfish crackers

bumps into doorframes a lot b/c. tol

there was a trend years ago iirc? of people just randomly climbing up to really high places and just sorta sitting there. i feel like maybe he'd do that sometimes just cause? like w/ the first point he might just need places to vibe alone sometimes

thang

[waywardsalt]

deciding to write bellum in a context beyond and different from what he's shown in in ph is kinda. something. because there's not a whole lot to him and there seems to be an intense focus on having things be 'in character' so it creates the interesting dilemma of. what even is 'in character' for bellum in the first place and are the conclusions i draw about him based off the little bit we get in game things that can be considered 'in character' or w/e, or is (almost) anything fair game since i'm working off of a list of concepts and actions rather than an actual written character

[dunmesh]

okay i don't have anything smart to add i just genuinely love that these seemingly trivial jokes are actually an important part of his character. we see it throughout the entire manga, how he pushes aside his own frustration and discomfort to accommodate everyone else's and avoid needless confrontation- another example off the top of my head would be the barometz chapter in which he slowly gets frustrated with izutsumi but still tries his best to talk some sense into her calmly and soundly.

and in contrast, there are very few times he expresses his anger and hurt towards others, and it usually takes a lot for him to finally lose his patience and control.

i mean, even with kabru he tried to be polite despite the circumstances until the guy said the one thing that triggers an immense sense of shame, hurt and rage in laios. and you know, the manga does say it quite clearly early on. when we are introduced to namari and then to shuro, laios acts all friendly and shows his respect and trust in them despite how things ended between them, and everyone else gets frustrated with him for acting so strange- why are you the one who tries so hard to pacify the rest when you should be the angriest?

and they don't understand him. they don't know him well enough to be able to understand, but we as readers get to see during the manga that they aren't wrong to question him- he does, in fact, feel all those ugly emotions. and it's when the winged lion finally confronts him that we see to what extent these feelings he buried so deep go, and suddenly all those funny little moments where he sometimes pretends to be mr nice guy speak volumes about his character. honestly, ryoko kui is a master at using jokes in order to define important character traits and this one doesn't fail to amaze me.

and laios's hatred and rage and deep scars he can't get over aren't shown explicitly during most of these moments i mentioned before, but now you realize there are 26 years of emotional baggage to all of them and they sting. he is angry but he can't say shit, what difference would it make? it won't make his friends choose him instead of themselves when he needed them most, and it won't help his party get any farther. of course, this logic doesn't apply to them- they are absolutely allowed to get angry and it's fine to get mad at him, he can take that.

so after finishing the series it's so clear that he tries his best to avoid clashing with others not just due to the current circumstances and him needing to be a reliable leader but also because he knows that people don't even like him when he tries to show his good sides and hide all the rest, so who the hell would tolerate his rage and despair? who would stay after realizing that he is so deeply flawed he doesn't even like his own being?

but he does get mad. he can't help it, and sometimes it gets out of control and now everyone knows. and it's funny, isn't it? that most of those moments ended up bringing him closer to others. shuro admitting he is envy of him and actually becoming the friend laios thought he was all along, fighting for his sake and waiting for him to come back- believing in him even after he turned into a monster and searching for him the way he couldn't bring himself to do for falin when he learned of what became of her- or kabru being pushed to just let it all out because he couldn't bluff his way out of this one and get to laios any other way, so now they are even. they are both horribly honest with each other and they both choose to stay. a weird way of getting to know each other, but it is what it is.

it's simply... the more laios let himself just be, the deeper his relationships grew. and there's intimacy in being your ugly, weak and furious self around someone and them not leaving you. feeling safe enough to let it be known you are hurt and angry. and he knows that now, too.