#This is what I've been doing instead of reading

[chantillyxlacey]

i've seen a lot of takes (i am using the word 'take' absolutely neutrally here; and i'm specifying neutrality bc i have started to see that word as having inherently negative connotations in this context and i have no idea if that's just a Me Problem but i figured specificity couldn't hurt)

okay, that got away from me, let me start again

i've seen a lot of takes about The Damsel that have to do with idealization being another kind of dehumanization and how she's Like She Is because you/TLQ are projecting a fantasy onto her and sanding away any traits that don't fit into that fantasy and rendering her into little more than a vessel for your/TLQ's wish fulfillment

and i don't necessarily think that's *wrong* either-- but i think that's also not the complete picture, and that only looking that that half of the image does kind of tend to paint TLQ in an unfairly bad light

because the thing is, in The Damsel's route, TLQ is ALSO being reduced to an archetype just as much as The Damsel herself is! The Princess becomes the quintessential fairytale fair-maiden-in-distress that exists only to be rescued by a knight-in-shining-armor; and TLQ-- if you allow them to be guided entirely by The Smitten-- becomes that quintessential fairytale knight-in-shining-armor that only exists to rescue the fair-maiden-in-distress

The Damsel says over and over, explicitly, that "I just want to make you happy!" and The Smitten in this route is equally preoccupied with making HER happy-- he even says it directly if you start deconstructing her. every other part of his identity has been subsumed to revolve entirely around her just as much as the reverse is true for her.

(speaking of the Deconstructed Damsel, i've also seen Smitten's reaction to that touted as him not caring about her agency-- but again, i always read that as him being unable to see any flaws in her rather than being pleased with the idea of her being biddable, specifically. if you halt the deconstruction his reaction is "she's ALWAYS been perfect" -- he'd think that no matter what she did or said, because his identity revolves around her the exact way that hers revolves around him/TLQ)

even the actions that lead to HEA fit into this, i think-- i read that moment as less The Smitten lashing out at her because she didn't live up to his fantasy-- it still happens even after she's said "i guess we can stay, if that's what you want"-- she's giving The Smitten what he wants, but he's still distressed because SHE'S not happy

i think it's more The Smitten feeling that HE hadn't lived up to HIS half of their shared fantasy. if she's not happy with the idea of "all we need is each other" then it must be because HE failed somehow. if she needs or wants more than him, it must be because HE is not enough.

if he was just better at playing his part, if he just offered her more, if he was just clearer about his devotion--

"if we just showed her the contents of our heart, she'd be happy"

that's not to say that what The Smitten does in HEA isn't incredibly toxic for both of them-- it definitely is, and it clearly makes both the Princess and TLQ miserable. "everything she doesn't know she wants" is a bad mindset to approach a relationship with, whether that mindset is reached through controlling selfishness or a desperation to appease (and i definitely think Smitten is motivated by the latter-- it's no coincidence that we arrive at HEA through a literal and fatal act of self mutilation)

he's definitely the antagonist of HEA, in that he is what TLQ and the Princess and the player need to overcome, but he's not a VILLAIN (which i think is most clearly illustrated in the moment where the Princess admits she's unhappy, that she's never been happy here, and his reaction is to GIVE UP instead of lash out harder)

i never got the sense that The Smitten was ever putting any blame on The Damsel-- he always considered *himself* to be the problem-- he puppeteers TLQ just as much as he does the Princess, even if we can't hear him while she can, and he asks TLQ/the player through her "isn't this enough? isn't this what you wanted?"

which in and of itself is an unhealthy way to approach a relationship-- blaming oneself for every bit of conflict or lapse in synchronicity is just as harmful as laying all the blame on the other person. there IS no blame-- sometimes people disagree or have conflicting needs or desires, and that's not anybody's "fault" because that's just how people and relationships WORK.

...can you believe i wrote out all of this when my original intention was to lay out an entirely different point about a read on The Damsel/HEA routes that wasn't about relationships at all?

OKAY!

THAT GOT AWAY FROM ME LET ME START AGAIN

so i don't think that looking at The Damsel/HEA through a lens of "what does this say about relationships and expectations and respecting other people's agency" is incorrect-- clearly i have a lot of thoughts about that lens!

but i wanted to offer another one that i haven't seen yet:

The Damsel/HEA route as a commentary on what makes a satisfying narrative

if you play out The Damsel route just single-mindedly taking actions to free her-- it's kinda dull, isn't it? like-- it's not without its charms! The Smitten is silly and entertaining and the Narrator's exaggerated pettiness is very funny! but ultimately, that's about it.

potential sources of conflict are brushed aside-- if you took the blade with you, you just drop it and it gets forgotten; the Damsel's hand slips right out of the manacle with no effort or harm; when the Narrator locks the basement door, every 'choice' you make just magically unlocks it right away. and then you're outside, what you wanted to do from the start. ...so what do we do now?

nothing, actually. the chapter ends, and there is no chapter 3. the game itself continues, but that ending feels about as substantial as the Narrator's "Good Ending" where you follow his instructions without question and accomplish his goal immediately.

if you DON'T take either of the actions that lead to one of Damsel's chapter 3's, there's very little variation in The Damsel's story-- pretty much all of it comes down to slight differences in dialogue. there's no "the princess kills you" outcome. the closest thing to an alternate end to The Damsel is if you deconstruct her-- and even then, it feels like less an "alternate route" and more like-- a cheeky acknowledgement of the lack of substance, because that isn't a bug, it's a feature!

but if you introduce conflict-- either in the more direct sense by slaying The Damsel or in the more interpersonal sense by highlighting a mis-match in her and TLQ's desires-- suddenly the story opens up! there are a bunch of new possibilities and a bunch of new outcomes, and all of them are more interesting than "you achieve your goal with trivial effort, hooray!"

Even if you wind up finishing HEA on a note that is superficially very similar to the easy end of The Damsel's route-- you leave hand in hand with her, the narrator conceding defeat, and the last image of her before TSM takes her is a warm, tender smile-- it FEELS so much more like a genuine happy ending-- even though the Princess' face is still streaked and stained from her tears. BECAUSE of that.

it's one of the most heartwarming moments in the game, and one that has made me misty eyed every time i've seen it, and it's BECAUSE of the conflict you had to go through to get there.

conflict is what drives a compelling narrative, is the takeaway. it precludes PERFECT endings, perhaps, but not happy endings-- it's what makes those imperfect happy endings feel substantial and earned.

even the dinner and the board game contribute to the idea-- the description of the food is some really lovely writing, to the point where i sat through and listened to it all again even though i knew nothing really happens during it-- but *nothing really happens during it*. it doesn't move the narrative forward-- you're just as hungry as you were when you started. it just stalls the story in place, and every time you go through it again it's less satisfying until it's outright unpleasant. the description of the meal also notably gets simpler each time, and less detailed-- there's only so much that you can say about it before you run out of things to describe.

the board game is similar-- the way that it's described the first time you play even sounds like the description of an exciting story! and then the board resets, and you do it all again just the same. and so on. the game/story stops being exciting and the wins or losses stop feeling like they mean anything-- because is conflict really conflict, is a challenge really a challenge, if you're always tracing the same path, always making moves where you already know the outcome? it becomes "a slog towards the end"

and this is how i tie the idea of "what Damsel/HEA has to say about relationships" and "what Damsel/HEA has to say about narratives" together:

ultimately, the statements can be summarized the same way "whether in a narrative or a relationship, 'perfection' is unattainable, but you wouldn't actually want it anyway"

conflict, substance, variety

in a relationship there will always be differences of opinion, differing goals etc-- variety between the members of the relationship, knowing and sharing this substantial and non-superficial information about one another, navigating the resultant conflict-- that's what allows the relationship to grow and deepen, and what allows the people in it to grow as individuals as well.

in a narrative, or in Narratives, as a whole, conflict is what makes things HAPPEN, substance makes them feel like what happens MATTERS, like something is being communicated, variety means that you're learning or considering something new-- and those are what make a narrative capable of impacting a person, of changing them, of being remembered

[grimdarling69]

Can I ask for part 9 of deaged dan and ellie please?🥹

Tbh I've been rereading it a lot and I'm excited to read what the batfam and jl reactions while going to where Damian and Dick is. I knowww that it's going to be a crazy ride especially with youngblood(is it really Youngblood? Or not?)

A large toxic blob incased the window on the door. Swirling and jumping individual blob ghosts. They cooed excitedly and pushed against the locked door in vain.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" He finally reached the door and opened it in a practiced manner of hiding behind and ducking. The swarm of blobs rushed past him into the den.

"Calm yourselves one at a time." Damian spoke to them as he walked hesitantly-not fearfully, Damian-back into the room. They swarmed around his head and chittered in a weirdly familiar language. He couldn't understand the language, but he recognized it? He was gaining ecto if he could recognize ghost dialect. He couldn't let Damian know he'd blame himself if he thought he put him in danger by letting him stay in the Realms. He couldn't leave him alone and was scared while he went through this. Damian needed him just as much as he needed him.

"You must have made a mistake. There's absolutely no way she would betray me. She's-this can't be happening." He muttered the last part and pushed through the blobs around him. He went to the table. Frostbite dropped files yesterday as something to do while the storm passes. He hadn't realized the weather would follow them to death. Apparently, in some 'biomes' in the Realms, it has weather but not the same it's all different. All at different times and patterns. The weather couldn't hurt ghosts, but it could hurt buildings and structures. Their cabin, luckily, was on the side of the island that the storm didn't reach, so they were told to stay put. He had gotten frostbite to give them paperwork so that he could convince Damian to do that instead of attempting to injure himself or the cores. It kind of worked he only had to chase him a few times.

"What's happening, Damian? What did they say?" He questioned, keeping in an eye in the weirdly calm swarm landing on the couch next to him. He captured his sons hands so he couldn't pull his hair out like he tended to do now. Damian face was covered in worry, fear, and maybe some regret.

"A group of heroes, including some of the founders of the Justice League and Constantine, are being transported by Pandora and Youngblood." He winced and glanced outside the window like he could see their ship.

"Bruce?" "And Todd, Drake, Brown, and Thomas."

"Shit. Well, we just have to explain to them what you told me, and they'll back off. Jason will be more than happy to knock Bruce into his senses if he doesn't. "

"I don't want them to know about this, about me-or them..."

"Damian, come on, they'd have had to at least know about the babies eventually. When you came home even-if you came to...live with me." Damian glanced around nervously, never meeting his eyes. Oh my god.

"But you never planned on returning, did you? You were going to let us think you committed suicide without any sign at all. Right? That was your plan to-to make us think we lost you!" He was yelling, and a distant voice told him he needed to calm down, but he really couldn't care less right now.

"I- didn't mean to make you think -" Damian was tearing up. He thinks absently that he's seen damian cry more these past few months than the past four years he's known him.

"I was going to follow you!" Damian seemed like he wanted to say something, but he needed to get his point across. He took a deep breath.

"When I got to the bridge, I was-in hysterics. I couldn't help but imagine you in the-the water. Hurt scared in pain, knocked around in the water-er. I thought you could have cracked your head open or just anything, and I had to-to save you! I just thought if i could follow you over that bridge...i could save you. " it was hard to see through the bluryness, but damian was the only thing he needed to see anyway.

"You would have been killed too..."

"I know."

"So why...?"

"Because you matter more to me than anything. You are my son, and you are Bruce's son, and you are Talias son."

"I-..."

"Let me finish. If Bruce didn't want you, you would have never been in the manor. It is impossible to make Bruce do something he truly doesn't want to do. You are a member of this crazy ass family because we want you. Bruce wants you. I want you. So don't push us away, please. "

"I just-i never doubted you!" It's always been bruce.

"Or any of the others, it's only Bruce, why?" He's afraid of his reaction most of all, like he knows something about him Dick doesn't.

"I told you about Jack Fenton, right? Well, before he sacrificed himself, he was cutting me open. As I screamed and cried and begged him to stop. That i was alive that I was his son didn't matter. What did matter was vlad. Jazz-you maybe called him begged him to save you. He told them-my mom all about ghosts about himself, and that stopped him. He said sorry to vlad instead of sorry to the son lying open and organs strewn across the room on the table. It was you who rushed forward and helped me. You who was always on my side so I can never doubt you but Bruce...I've had my share of father's and they haven't always been the best."

"He tries-"

"Sometimes trying isn't enough. But I trust you so...I'll give him a chance. I want to live with you but maybe we'll visit him."

"That's all I'm asking, baby bat." Maybe everything will be fine. Damian will see that Bruce isn't Jack, and everything will be fine. He goes to put his hand comfortingly on his shoulder but damian bypasses him and grabs him tight around the waist, burying his head into dicks clothes. Gripping him so tightly it hurts but he doesn't complain much too happy just hold his son. He grips him as tightly as he dares and rests his head on Damian.

"Richard."

"What, dami?" He turned his cheek from where he placed it on damians head so he could hear better.

"I think the babies are coming..." he pulls away suddenly to look at him, and sure enough, his stomach is glowing so bright his shirt is see-through. Damians face is pulled into an expression of wonder and fear. Shit shit shit. They'd thought we would have more time.

"I'll get frostbite. Just sit down." He helps him to the couch, and after making sure he knows to control his breathing, he runs out of the cabin to Frostbites. Luckily, he wasn't actually in human labor, but it was still extremely painful because of the fact that damian isn't a full ghost. Typically, it was more like a budding reproduction that plants do. A ghost and a ghostling go intangible and divide from each other. Frostbite believes damian will be strong enough for that to happen if they use ecto-dejecto+. Something he modified from the Fentons. He is extremely worried about this, as you could guess. He trusts Frostbite. He's like a large frosty and very intelligent retriever, but he's worried about the side effects of after rather than the immediate. They have no other idea it's this or nothing. Frostbite had said if the kids couldn't get out on their own, he would have to... cut them out. Ecto-dejecto+ it is!

"Frostbite! Frostbite!" He slammed into the large door and banged on it. It was probably unlocked like always, but this was faster. "Is it time?" He hears the resounding yell at foot from the door, and he flips backward so he doesn't get knocked out again.

"Yes! Obviously!" He turns back around and runs back to the cabin. He ignores frostbites yelling about getting his tools.

By the time he gets back, damian isn't on the couch anymore.

"Damian! Damian, where are you?" He's searching wildly around the room throwing things around. It had only taken him 6 minutes to get here and back. Please don't him have...have...

"In here!" Damian! From his old bedroom? Frostbite and him had been working in changing it into a temporary nursery just in case. Had Damian already...?

"Damian..?" He pushed open the door slowly.

"Shh, look!" Damian was smiling freely for the first time in a while. Completely free of the pain from just a few minutes ago. He was holding a baby, and another rested in a blue banket on the bed pushed against the wall, eyes darting around. Damian held another in a pink blanket in his arms, standing in the center. The baby's face was red, and tears steamed down its cheeks, but it wasn't actively crying.

"She just stopped crying. Here Ellie meet your..." he trailed off handing the baby over to him waiting for him to decide what he wanted to be called. They hadn't talked about it...

He couldn't help but tear up seeing the little baby. It didn't look like a newborn but maybe a month or 2 old. Still very young but bypassing the actual infant stage.

"Aren't they beautiful...What do you want to be called?" Damian picked up Dante and rocked him around the baby stared into space. The baby smiled so definitely more than a month. From the books he read it took about 6 or so weeks to smile actually smile instead of just gas.

"I don't know. Didn't think that far ahead." He took the corner of the blanket and gently wiped away the drying tears on her face.

"Im here! Great one! Princess!" Frostbite took forever seriously. And he was ignoring the title everyone insisted on using for him. They had offered to change it to Prince, but then it just felt too real? When he's called princess, it's funnier, less real, and like a joke, not like he's a literal prince of the literal fabric of the universe.

He pushed open the door and signaled to Frostbite standing in the broken doorway with his finger on his lips a classic be quiet sign he's sure ghosts would understand.

"Oh, well, I suppose we were worrying for nothing." Frostbite said once he finally got over the surprise. He was leaning over his shoulder or entire body technically from how large he was to peer at the baby girl. It was quite comical when he reached out a finger seemingly mesmerized at Ellies tiny little hand barely wrapped around half the finger when she grabbed it.

"Oh, I just love younglings. It has been centuries since I've seen such young neverborns. Though I believe it is just their human half influencing their age." The giant yeti seemed perfectly content to be trapped by the small hand.

"Do you think they'll ever gain their memories back?" Damian was sitting in the hand-carved rocking chair with ice and star designs all over it. He still held Dante in his arms. The baby simply watched its surroundings.

"I don't believe so but their cores personality should be similar and they might have a sense of deja vu sometimes but the amount of damage to their cores...I don't believe they will ever fully gain anything back." The yeti provided his much needed wisdom. "This is a new opportunity for them and you would be wise not to waste it, great one."

"I know, I won't its just i will miss them." Damian stared into his sons eyes not looking up at them.

"I know it is of no reconciliation, but...I will as well." Frostbite gently unraveled his claw from the baby and gathered his supplies. Leaving behind the ecto-dejecos without a word.

"You never answered me earlier about what you want to be called..." Damian said absent mindly in tone but completely focused on him.

"I did not realize it was such a big deal to you." Dick did. If he took up the uncle mantle, it would solidify the fact they were only brothers, but if he took up the grandfather title, Bruce and Alfred would be left out. He knew what he wanted, but bruce...its not he thinks Bruce will be furious or something at him it's more the quiet disappointment or regret he's worried about. Bruce was easy to anger but hard to disappoint, and every time he saw that look on his face...Bruce could also be a very jealous man.

"I thought about it what they'll call you guys. Alfred will be pops or grandpa. Bruce can have gramps. And you...can be papa..?" He can recognize the hopeful phrasing in his voice.

"I..thought Papa was for dads..." it's not a question really more like a dazed statement, but damian treats it like it is anyway.

"Not in the Midwest where I first came from. I used to call my grandparents, gama and Papa, when I was younger in that life. Before they died, we would drive for hours every holiday or on long weekends to see them." It was weird to hear him reminiscence about another life. Ellie gurgled, and he glanced down at the wiggly baby. Her fingers were in her mouths, and her eyes were locked with him. For the first time, he feels himself really look at her like a haze was lifted from his eyes. She had a tuft of dark brown hair almost black, her eyes were a startling unrecognizable hazel, her skin was slightly tan but barely like it was only just beginning to change. She had curious eyes and wild extremities like she wanted to get up and touch everything. She had a tiny brown mole beside her nose on her cheek-right in a crevice-a little above her mouth.

"It must have been nice."

"Yeah, it was." It wasn't an awkward silence but a quiet one just holding the babies he glanced over at Damian and saw Dante was asleep. Ellie was just about to fall asleep. Sh kept closing and opening her eyes at weird times.

He locked eyes with Damian and motioned toward the cribs. They were pushed against the wall between a dresser it was obvious the room wasn't even half finished.

The large bed shoved out the way, the pushed out of the way rocking chair and cribs the only sign of a nursery. The various other pieces of furniture were mismatched and aged.

He rocked Ellie, hoping to get her tired enough. He spied Damian, setting Dante down slowly in his crib. He made his way over to the cribs as well, just as Damian was reswaddling Dante. If his age assessment was correct, they'd stop that soon, but for now. Dante stayed fast asleep. He set Ellie down and attempted to fix her swaddling. He hoped he wouldn't fully wake her by messing with it. Luckily, she seemed to get the memo and fell asleep quickly. They turned back toward eachother he let out a relieved sigh and watched as Damian said goodnight to the babies and left the room looking back every step. He took one final glance at them and closed the door softly.

"What are we going to use for a baby moniter? Could Tucker have something we could use?" How would they even connect it? Tucker had said they had once tried internet in the realms but it would just explode randomly.

"No need. We're bonded, I feel their emotions." Ghost bonds at it again.

"Really? What are they feeling?" He needed to know if they liked him of course.

Damian hummed and answered thoughtfully " Loved, happy, content."

"Good."

"There is a...meeting soon between the leaders. It's an annual diplomatic meeting to discuss mostly trade and news. Tucker will be announcing the children as heirs to the Realms and..." Damian trailed off but it was obvious what he was going to say. Me.

"I thought you would be discussing the future when your older...?"

"We will discuss if i succeed him as he succeeded me once before. Tucker has done great work as king, and he enjoys it more than I do. The ancients will disagree they didn't like the fact I named him and sam as my heirs in the first place. The way to calm them is to act like I will succeed until we find a better plan."

"Right. Sam... Do you think she is also back in our world? Tucker became a ghost, but he told me that both you and Sam disappeared around the same time. What if she was reincarnated as well?" Damian listened intently but didn't speak just thinking. Damian didn't seem to have thought about it before and was now trying to think of he knew her.

"I already thought of that, and I already found her-him him, actually." Tucker walked through the door unburdened by it. He was dressed casually with a faded yellow sweater and a patched beanie on his head. You would never expect him to be a king. He still looked like young, not high school, but college for sure.

"Him? Who? Did you contact them?" Dick scoured his brain trying to think of anyone matching Sams personality.

"You already know him actually. He's on his way now." Tucker continued motioning toward the nursery door.

"Be quiet. They're sleeping, but how did you contact them?" Damian whispered loudly. Tucker peeked into the bedroom.

"So cute! I might just start up my babysitting gig up again. You're first on the list, of course, best friend privileges!" Tucker gleefully spoke, voice lower but excited.

"Absolutely not! Do you remember what happened at your last babysitting gig?" Damian pulled the door shut softly in a joking but final manor. Tucker scoffed and indignantly argued, "That wasn't even my fault! It was my mom's! She's the one who baked them!"

"Your mom baked babies...?" They both turned and looked at him confused before breaking out into hysteric laughter. A laughter so contagious he could barely stand up right.

"She didn't actually bake any kids, right?" He finally asked once he caught his breath, sparking another violent outburst of laughter.

----------

BOOM

"YES! DO IT AGAIN! DO IT AGAIN!" Green Lantern yelled out at Captain Yungblood, who stood at a cannon throwing cannonballs at floating puple rocks. When it hit them, fireworks sparked and went everywhere in a mixture of purple, green, and white. Flash senior looked around nervously, trying to stop then both before the big bat heard and yelled at them.

He kinda felt bad for the guy. Jason so deserves a cigarette for empathy. He scrouges around his jacket and pockets empty handed he searches around the floor, growing increasingly agitated. He knows he just had them, Jason just shared with John just a few minutes ago! He looked around accusingly. One of the brats must have stolen it. Green reared it's head begging him to teach the thief a lesson.

He latches his eyes on Tim just as he throws them into the sky to get blown to bits by the idiots. They don't even notice the extra fuel.

"Asshole!" Green clouded his vision as he stomped over to him and picked him up by his suit straps.

"It was for your own good!" He felt the green roar and rage behind his eyes. He could barely see past it, and weird purple haze around them made things even worse.

"Fuck you! And your do goody pretentious attitude!" He threw him at the ships cabin hitting the wood and shaking the whole ship. He felt eyes on him but he didn't care, Red Robin unleashed the bostaff and knocked his legs out form under him in one motion

"Red Hood! Stand down." Batman called from the top of the cabin shadows dampen the greens as his cape billows around him after he jumped down.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do!" He turned the green on his father, throwing a punch Batman barely managed to dodge.

"Jason -" Bruce grabbed his arms and wrapped himself around him, locking him in. He struggles wildly he's vaguely aware of Steph and Duke picking Tim up from the floor. Tim limps away, glaring at the other heros, they scattered into the corners of the ship, suddenly desperate to not be on the deck. God, what's wrong with him... he'd promised he'd never hurt his family again...this was a mistake he should have stayed behind in Gotham. Jason stopped fighting and let go, forcing his dad to follow him to the floor.

"Rough one, aren't you?" Pandora asks the tall alien looking amazon leers over them both. He wasn't a child, but his face reddens at the blatant condescension and scolding.

"We apologize if we interrupted anything." Bruce answers instead, saving him the embarrassment. "Not at all. It's good you're finally getting help here then."

"I'm afraid I don't follow?" Will any of these stupid fucking spirits just have a straight answer for just one question.

"Your liminalty? I can sense the ectoplasm on you it feels...like unsealed wine..." Pandora wrinkled her face as if she was imagining it. "Liminality?" He couldn't help but question out loud. "Ectoplasm? It's the...green goo, right?" Could the...pits actually just be ectoplasm? Wouldn't Constantine have, like, i don't know, exercised them??

Pandora groaned at his rambling and shook her head as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You should meet the chief. He'll fix you." With that sentence repeated in the same ever grave tone the giant warrior left. He turned to bruce, but he was only met with his stone cold thoughts he left without meeting his eyes, and Jason couldn't help but remember how many times he's heard 'i can fix you.' It made him nauseous. Before he could realise it he was standing on the open deck with only the purple and green smog surrounding him God fucking dammit.

A/n really sorry for how long it took to get this out i know most of the posts on this story are taking forever and I'm sorry about that I'm not discontinuing the story but I've had some major writers block lately and I've been trying to cure it by writing other stories but I've just been hating how all them turned out lately. I've been trying to write some captain marvel golden age i just feel like I'm missing parts of Billy and I just hate it so if anyone has some tips for writing him particularly please share otherwise hope yall enjoyed this part snd happy holidays to everyone!!

[just-dreaming-marvel]

Apologies ~ Love That Burns

LOVE THAT BURNS MASTERLIST / EVERYDAY MOMENTS MASTERLIST

Word Count: 1,440ish

Summary: After living alone together for less than a year, you and Logan fight.

Notes: I know that CUDDLES had the most votes for next, but this was ready first. This fic goes with my series, Love That Burns! Please give it a read!

Reminder: I DO NOT do taglists. Please don’t ask. Please follow and interact! I appreciate any reblogs, likes, comments, and asks! 

Logan and you had been living at your old house for less than a year. Your relationship was getting better, but the rough patches were still rough. Lately, Logan had been working eighty-hour work weeks. When he came home, he would smoke a cigar and drink before turning in for the night. Logan was moody with you and barely helped around the house. It was frustrating as Logan had promised when you arrived, only to work part-time and that the duties around the house were for both of you to complete. Your frustration caused you to be moody as well, not helping with the situation.

It was late in the evening, and you were putting away a cold dinner that had been waiting for Logan as he arrived home. The tension was thick in the air. Logan’s boots were loud against the wood floor as he came into the kitchen and grabbed one of his cigars from off of the counter.

“I made dinner,” you grumbled as you closed the fridge. 

“Not hungry,” Logan huffed, placing the cigar between his lips. “Do you mind?” He motioned to the cigar.

You scoffed. “Actually, I do. Feel free to light the damn cigar yourself and take it outside. I’m going to bed.”

“What’s got you in a mood?”

“Are you serious?”

“I just don't think that I need to be snapped out for asking for a simple favor. I have been working overtime, and I just thought you could do something for me.”

“Do something for you? All I ever do is stuff for you! I make dinner every night, only for you not to come home in time or even eat it. Do you even eat?”

“I do, at the bar.”

“Alcohol isn’t food, Logan.”

“It seems to do the job just fine.”

“Logan… I… I miss you. You’re gone more than you're here. And when you're here, it's like you're still somewhere else.”

“The lumberyard is short-staffed. I have to work.”

“Yes, but you could still come back home to me instead of stopping by the bar. You go to the bar, and I stay up waiting for you with a wasted dinner. When you come back, you're tired and distant. You either go to bed before me or long after me. We barely talk anymore—“

“I’m trying here, sweetheart. This,” he motioned around the room, “is new for me. The not running, the not fighting is hard.”

“So, are you regretting coming here?”

"That's not what I said.”

“But it’s what you're feeling, isn’t it? This is all too much… I’m too much.”

“Now, wait a second; I never mentioned anything about you.”

“That's part of the problem. We came here to work on our communication, but you're shutting me out!”

“You knew that communication wasn't easy for me when we got into this. You can't expect me to change overnight.”

“I know that, but I thought that we were getting better. That we…"

“That we what? That we were going back to the way it was before, the first time we lived in this house? We've changed---I've changed. You can’t compare the two.”

“I'm not!”

“The pressure you are continually putting on me sure feels like you are.”

“I’m not trying to, but any pressure on you, Logan. If that’s how you're feeling, you need to be honest about it.”

Logan scoffed. “It’s not that easy.”

“It can be. If you come home and be home."

“What do you want me to do? Quit?”

“I’m not asking you to quit. You just need to find a balance.”

“I need to find a balance? Maybe what I need is different than you think.”

“Then tell me!” Your hands went up in flames at the frustration of this roundabout conversation. You quickly stepped back and stopped the flames. The tension in the air was thicker than it ever had been. “I... I’m going on a walk.”

“It’s too late for a walk."

“I’ll be fine.”

“Y/N—“

“Logan, let me go before we say something we both regret. I won’t be long. Just need to clear my head.”

Before Logan could argue more, you slipped out the back door and headed towards the trees. Logan remained still in the kitchen, his mind replaying the past few weeks and the argument that had just occurred. You were right, he had been distant and working more hours than he should. He was scared. In all honestly, Logan was enjoying the simplicity of life. But it was something that could be taken away at any moment. He couldn't allow himself to enjoy it more so he buried himself in work and alcohol, not ever considering the effect it would have on you.

~~~

You knew that Logan was scared to open up and enjoy life. You were scared, too. Your lives had continually been changed, ripping away your happiness. But you couldn’t let that stop you from enjoying life. You need to hold on to the good while you can, and not worry about the future.

You were so caught up in your own thoughts, that you lost track of time and where you were. It was still dark outside and even your flames couldn't help guide you in the correct direction. You knew that Logan was probably concerned and would begin searching for you. At least, you hoped. Finding a small clearing, you put together a pile of wood and lit it on fire. You sat against a nearby tree, hoping that Logan would find you.

~~~

Logan had practically paced a large path in the kitchen as he waited for you to return. It was past midnight now, with no word from you. It was growing concerned. What if you got injured? What if someone took you? What if you were dead? All of his worst fears came crushing through his mind, making him grow more concerned and more guilt-ridden. 

Logan went out the back, eyes searching through the darkness to see any sign of you. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose. His heart clenched as the familiar smoke smell struck his senses. Logan’s eyes snapped open and caught sight of the smoke rising above the tree line. Thankfully, his legs moved before his mind could fully comprehend. All he could think about was that there was a possibility of something wrong with you. Well, more wrong than the fight you two had. He wouldn’t forgive himself if something happened to you.

“Y/N!” Logan yelled as he sprinted through the forest. “Y/N!”

When he broke into the clearing where the fire was, Logan stumbled to a stop. His eyes frantically searched for you, finally catching a glimpse of your feet on the other side of the fire. He rushed over and knelt beside your curled-up form. His hands roamed you for injuries.

“Y/N, honey,” he pleaded as he continued to search you for injuries.

“L—Logan?” You said groggily as you began to wake.

He breathed a little sigh of relief as you responded. “Come on, sweetheart. It’s time to come home.” With ease, he picked you up. You killed the fire as your arms wrapped around his neck.

“I knew you would find me,” you mumbled as you let Logan carry you home.

“Always, sweetheart.” Logan carried you all the way to bed and held you close as the two of you settled in.

“Logan? I—“

He quickly shushed you. “We’ll talk in the morning. Let me hold you. Sleep.”

“Okay… love you.”

He kissed your head. “Love you more.”

~~~

You were tucked into Logan's chest when you woke. He was already awake, not wanting to lose you from his grip.

“Morning,” you looked up at him.

“Morning,” he leaned down and kissed your head.

“We need to talk."

“I know… I’m sorry… For everything. I’m not meaning to be distant. I’m still figuring this whole thing out. How to just work and come home and be the man you need me to be… I’m sorry."

“I know. I'm sorry, too. I know that I need to be more patient.”

"I'm going to tell the lumberyard I can only work part-time like originally agreed upon. I’m going to be home for dinners and to help you around the house.”

“Logan, I just need more communication. If you're not going to be home, I need to know.”

“I’ll work on it. I promise.” He pulled you up to have better access to your face. “I love you so much, sweetheart. Thanks for sticking with me.”

“You’re stuck with me, Howlett, no matter what.”

[gay-mousebites-md]

THE BEST EPISODE OF MERLIN!!!

This is such simple story telling, a proper ghost story, lots of jump scares - and, like many horror genre stories, a strong queer subtext.

So, I'm currently getting to the end of Merlin and oh my god is it the gayest thing in the world, where was it when I needed it? Why didn't I watch it? It was literally on telly when I was being homophobically rejected by my family? I've always been an idiot, this is clear. Series 5, Episode 3, The Death Song of Uther Pendragon

“I will not allow you to destroy all that I have built! Camelot must come before all else. Even you.” — Uther to Arthur

This is what homophobic family rejection feels like. To your family, you are a destructive force. Your feelings are a demolition ball. Your peace and happiness means nothing. It is the family image, and the hopes and expectations of the parents that matters more then anything else. You must suffer in the dark. You cannot hope to see the light. It doesn't matter if you're still breathing.

The relationship between Arthur and Merlin in this episode felt like the closest we've seen yet - and this is just after they have fallen asleep in a net trap, with their faces squished together, so that's pretty darn close. (Let's not forget, they are 'more than friends, more than brothers'.) And as they demonstrate closeness, they are assailed by the ghost of Arthur's father. (It's homophobia, guys.) Arthur says repeatedly he has so many things he wanted to say to Uther, that he didn't get to say to him when he was alive. What are these unsaid things? These secrets? What does Arthur wish that Uther had known - and accepted? That he's a beautiful gay boy in love with Merlin? In the land of the dead, Uther does not allow Arthur to speak, but instead details his shame. He is talking about Gwen, but he says: "There are certain things that are more important than love." All of Arthur's actions have been made out of love - his decision to knight the unnoble, to marry 'beneath him' rather then make a strategic alliance. Uther says "How can I be proud of a son who ignores everything I taught him? Who is destroying my legacy?" Uther, over the course of the episode, makes it clear he would rather see Arthur dead before he allowed him the freedom and grace to follow his true will. (HOMOPHOBIA!!!)

Merlin's 'magic' (*wink*) is revealed to Uther - he is, true to form, appalled and repulsed by it. Uther Pendragon: You have magic? Merlin: [quivering with anger] I was born with it! Uther Pendragon: I made you Arthur's servant. You are a sorcerer? Merlin: Even while you were king, there was magic at the heart of Camelot! Uther Pendragon: I will not allow you and your kind to poison… Merlin: You're wrong. Uther Pendragon: …my kingdom! Uther remembers that it was he himself that gave Merlin access to Arthur in close quarters. I think the reading that to 'have magic' is to 'be gay' - a motif anchoring the show, resounds so strongly in this episode. And here, Uther continues in death to rage against allowing magical people to 'poison' the kingdom - in the way that homophobic rhetoric implies homosexuality can be inborn or acquired, but it always corrupts, seduces, pollutes and recruits. Uther is appalled that he positioned Merlin by Arthur's side, and opened him to this poison. Uther, like all ghosts, is vengeful. He has deep shame for the choices Arthur has made, and is making... Uther's attempts to hurt, maim or kill anything that is outside of his conservative approval... if that's not an allegory for homophobic parental rejection, I don't know what is.

Do you have magic? ARE YOU GAY!?

But this episode is bright! And funny! Merlin and Arthur are in each others pockets in this episode. They are always engaging in 'horseplay' but there is so much of it here. There is this act of boundary crossing that causes them both to pause.

ARTHUR: When do I hit you?

MERLIN: All the time.

ARTHUR: That's not hitting, Merlin, that's merely friendly slaps. It's horseplay.

MERLIN: So can I give you a 'friendly slap'?

ARTHUR: You can certainly try.

MERLIN grabs one of Arthur's leather gloves and thwacks him on the back of the head with it. His face is one of immediate regret.

ARTHUR: (Amused) What the hell was that?

MERLIN: It was, um, horseplay.

ARTHUR: No, Merlin, you're doing it all wrong. Why don't I show you? "WHY DON'T I SHOW YOU?"!!!!!!!!!! There is no heterosexual explanation for this one, boys:

There's rough horseplay. There's also tenderness. Arthur can't get enough of Merlin 'teaching him poetry'.

Sir Leon: I'll leave you to your poetry, then, my Lord. Arthur: Poetry? That's the best you could come up with? Merlin: What did you want me to say? Arthur: I don't know. Something that didn't make me sound like a love struck girl. Merlin, could you disguise our behaviour and our surprise, in a way that doesn't position me as 'love struck' and in a reversed gender role? Not today! Subtle as a brick.

And I am LIVING for the moment Uther, positioned between Arthur and Merlin, is forcibly sent back to the land of the dead. In true Merlin style, it is both comedic and devastating. Uther shouts 'MERLIN HAS...!!' before disappearing in a gasp. It's like he's pathetically shouting 'GAYLORD!' as Arthur blows his (own) trumpet and in doing so, drowns him out, and removes him as an obstacle in the way of Merlin. And then Arthur and Merlin are panting and in tears together. I think it is impossible to go through homophobic parental rejection and not be moved by this moment. I was in tears with them ... and laughing! This is a great show.

10 out of 10. I don't know how this thing ends (well, I've read the Thomas Malory...) but this episode alone is one of the best TV things I've seen.

[daisymbin]

2. "are you trying to distract me on purpose?"

3."you’re lucky you’re cute, or i’d be mad right now."

—you're working from home & well ur bf is bored becausehe has ntg to do.

Vernon or Joshua or both(poly if u're comfortable with that)

**reader has glasses (pls)

omg this is kinda cute... I've never written poly before so this is a first for me too!! hopefully I did okay! thank you for requesting this, lovely!!! 🤍

a/n: i tried to do some research to learn more about poly relationships to hopefully have that dynamic right? i apologise if its inaccurate (you can let me know if i did so i can learn!!) this is my first time attempting a poly fic so please go easy on me 🙂‍↕️

warnings: poly relationship!! don't read if you're uncomfortable with it!!

wc: 2.3k sorry idk what happened 🥲

request your own: full prompt list!

check out my masterlist! // shua's m.list || hansol's m.list

suggestive prompt #2: are you trying to distract me on purpose?" +

suggestive prompt #3: "you're lucky you're cute, or I'd be mad right now."

it was supposed to be a quiet day. you had a mountain of work piled up, and the only thing you really wanted was to get through it without any distractions. but of course, hansol and joshua had other plans.

"babe," hansol called from the living room, his voice playful and a little too eager. you glanced up from your laptop, catching him peeking around the corner with a mischievous grin. "you need a break?"

"i’m good," you said, turning your attention back to the screen, but not without noticing how joshua was lounging on the couch with a lazy smirk, clearly bored out of his mind.

"are you sure?" joshua added, stretching his arms above his head. "you've been working non-stop."

"yeah, you should take it easy," hansol chimed in again, walking a little closer to where you sat at the desk.

"i’m fine," you said, your voice steady as you clicked through your work. but something about their energy told you this was only the beginning. "just let me finish, okay?"

they exchanged a look, one that clearly meant trouble. "we were thinking," joshua started, "since we cancelled our bowling plans to spend the day with you..." he trailed off, eyes glinting with amusement.

"yeah, we had to come up with something fun to do instead," hansol added, a sly grin tugging at his lips. "so... how about a little bet?"

you raised an eyebrow. "a bet?"

"yeah," hansol said, leaning against the doorway, "whoever gets you to crack first wins. and the winner... gets to be the first one to have you." he gave you a look that sent a shiver down your spine.

"real funny," you chuckled, but there was something in your chest that fluttered at the thought; you can't deny the way your stomach twisted in excitement.

"we’re just trying to have some fun," joshua said with a wink. "so, what do you say? are you up for it?"

you bit your lip, pretending to think for a moment before glancing at them both. "you can give it a go if you're that confident, but you’re both going to be disappointed when i get all this work done and don’t give either of you the time of day."

they just grinned at you, ready to prove you wrong.

attempt #1—hansol

a few minutes passed, and you were back in the zone, typing away at your laptop when you felt a familiar presence beside you. hansol’s breath fanned across your ear as he leaned in close. "you know," he whispered softly, "i'd have better restraints if you didn’t look so cute right now."

you rolled your eyes but couldn’t suppress a smile. "seriously? that's what you're going with? a pick up line?" you huffed, "you’re lucky you're cute, or i’d be mad right now," you muttered, feeling his presence too distracting.

"i'll take that as a win," hansol said, voice thick with amusement as his hand brushed lightly across your shoulder. "just saying, you’d probably work better if i gave you a kiss for good luck."

you felt his lips hover near your cheek, and despite yourself, you tilted your head slightly. "stop it, hansol," you warned, but your tone was anything but firm.

hansol leaned in and pressed a light kiss to your cheek, just as he’d promised, before lingering there, his lips soft against your skin. his hand found its way to your waist, slipping under your shirt slightly to rest there as he murmured into your ear, "now, that was good luck, don’t you think?"

attempt #2—joshua

joshua appeared out of nowhere, slipping into the chair beside you, his knee brushing against yours. you glanced over at him, only to find him wearing that impossibly charming smile. "you’re working really hard," he murmured, placing a hand on your leg as he leaned closer. "why don't you just let us take care of you? soothe than tension?"

his fingers danced across your leg for just a moment before you shook your head, trying to ignore the way his touch sent warmth rushing through you. "joshua, please. i'm busy."

"ah, but you’re so cute when you’re trying so hard to ignore me," he teased, leaning in to kiss your temple. you let out a soft sigh, resisting the pull of his lips, "cut it out, shua."

he placed a hand on your thigh and slid it up, his thumb tracing circles on your skin. "don’t you want to spend time with me?"

you shifted in your seat, trying to focus on your screen, but the way joshua's hand stayed on your leg was enough to make you lose track of your thoughts.

attempt #3—hansol again

you were getting a little more frustrated now. your concentration was slipping, and your work was piling up. just as you were about to type something out, hansol was back. he dropped onto the couch beside you, his body a mere inch away from yours. he casually draped his arm over the back of your chair, leaning his head against yours.

"you’ve got this look on your face," hansol said, his voice a teasing whisper. "it’s like you want me to kiss you, but you’re too focused to admit it."

"oh my god," you muttered in playful disbelief, not sure if you were more frustrated with the work or with him.

"you don’t have to pretend," he continued, eyes twinkling mischievously. "i know what you're thinking."

you could feel his breath on your skin, and it was getting harder to focus. your hand, which had been hovering over the keyboard, finally fell into your lap as you exhaled. "i’m trying to work, baby. please."

hansol turned you to face him fully, he leans in close & ignores the way his heart flutters, instead, his gaze focuses on your glasses. with a teasing smile, he gently slid them off your face, setting them aside. his fingers lingered on your temple, tracing the edge of your skin where the glasses had been.

"you look even better without these," he murmured, his voice rich with desire. he tilted your chin up, his lips brushing yours as he smiles & whispers, "just you and me now."

attempt #4—joshua again

at this point, it was getting ridiculous. joshua wasn’t even trying to be subtle anymore. he slowly slid off the couch and stood right behind you, one hand resting on the back of your chair while the other slid into your hair. he ran his fingers gently through the strands, sending a shiver down your spine.

joshua's hands rested gently on your waist, his fingers brushing the edge of your tank top. he leaned in closer, his lips grazing your earlobe as his breath warmed your skin. "you’re so beautiful," he murmured, the words sending a pleasant shiver down your spine. his hands slid slowly under your tank top, but instead of pulling it up, he traced patterns on your skin, teasing you with every movement.

you couldn’t help but smile at his light touch, the way he was taking his time, savoring the moment. "you’re being mean," you teased, glancing up at him.

"am i?" joshua grinned, his lips curling up in mischief. "maybe i’m just enjoying how you react." he kept his hands in place, gently caressing your sides before his thumbs brushed over the small of your back, sending a ripple of warmth through you.

you laughed softly, squirming slightly under his touch. "you know you’re not supposed to tease me like this, right?"

he leaned in, his lips just inches from yours. "i’m not teasing," he whispered, his voice low and filled with affection. "i just want you to know how much i adore you." then, with a quick, playful peck on your lips, he pulled away, keeping you close but just out of reach, enjoying the moment of sweet, teasing tension.

attempt #5—the win

you were barely holding it together when hansol returned for one final attempt. this time, he didn’t even sit beside you. instead, he stood behind you, his chest pressing into your back as he wrapped his arms around your waist. you tried to stay focused, but when his lips brushed your neck, your resolve finally crumbled.

"are you trying to distract me on purpose?" you finally asked, breathless and frustrated. your face flushed, your work completely forgotten as you turned to face him.

"oh, i've been trying, trust me," he said, his voice low and teasing. "i just want your attention so bad."

without waiting for a response, hansol takes matters into his own hands, kissing you fiercely, pulling you into a heated make-out session. his lips were insistent, his tongue sliding against yours as his hands roamed to your back, pulling you closer. you melted into him, feeling the heat of his body pressing against yours, his kisses growing deeper as he claimed you. your hands gripped his shirt, desperate to pull him even closer.

hansol's hands traced the curve of your shoulders, his fingers light but firm as they grazed over your skin, sending shivers down your spine. his breath was warm against your neck, his lips brushing softly against the sensitive skin there. you couldn’t suppress a quiet gasp as his lips pressed a gentle kiss to the base of your neck, before he pulled back, his breath tickling your skin.

"you feel so good," he whispered, voice husky, his hands sliding down your arms to your waist. he drew you closer, his body pressing against yours as his lips returned to your neck, this time with more urgency. his kisses were slow but deliberate, each one more intense than the last, leaving a trail of heat in their wake.

you tilted your head back, offering him more access as his lips moved to your shoulder, nipping at the soft skin there. his hands roamed, one moving to the small of your back, pulling you closer, the other tracing the curve of your hip, fingers brushing the edges of your shirt. the heat of his touch made your heart race, and you could feel your body responding to him, every inch of you craving more.

his breath grew heavier, a low murmur escaping his lips as he kissed your shoulder, his hands moving upward, sliding under the fabric of your shirt to feel the warmth of your skin. "can’t get enough of you," he murmured, his lips trailing further up to your jawline, his hands gently guiding you back against him.

you could hardly breathe, his touch overwhelming, consuming. but you didn’t want him to stop—how could you?

just as you were about to pull him closer, a voice broke through the haze of your senses. "you two are really going at it, huh?" the sudden interruption made both of you freeze, and you pulled away from hansol, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

joshua stood a few feet away, leaning casually against the table, a knowing smirk on his lips. his presence was warm, but there was an underlying tease in his eyes that made you feel a little exposed.

with a small laugh & his tone playful, he says to hansol, "can’t leave her alone for even a minute, can you?" his eyes flicked over to you, soft and affectionate, offering a little reassurance.

hansol gave a small shrug & smiles, the irritation from being interrupted fading away quickly, “just wanted to kiss her,”

joshua's hand move to gently brush against your arm. his eyes met yours, offering that same warmth, and you felt a wave of calm wash over you.

with a playful grin, joshua leaned in, his lips brushing yours softly, tenderly at first. you melted into the kiss, his hand moving to the back of your neck, deepening the kiss with a slow, deliberate pressure. his tongue slid against yours, the kiss growing more heated as he pulled you closer, just like hansol had. the mixture of their touches, their warmth, made your head spin in the best way, and you found yourself craving more from both of them.

joshua's lips moved to your neck, his soft kisses following the same path that hansol had begun. but there was something different in his touch—gentler, more tender, as though he was savoring every moment. his hand slid down to your waist, picking you up with ease as he walks over to the bed.

he guides you closer as his lips brushed along your skin, leaving behind a trail of soft, lingering kisses. "you’re so beautiful," he murmured against your skin, his voice husky with desire.

you couldn’t help the soft moan that escaped you at the feeling of both their touches. they were so different, yet so in sync with each other, as if they were sharing the same unspoken understanding of what you needed. with both of them so close, the heat between you all was undeniable, and you couldn’t stop yourself from leaning in, pressing your lips against joshua’s once more, the kiss deepening in response to the heat between you.

as their kisses and touches intertwined, you felt like you were floating, caught between both of them, in a whirlwind of passion and affection.

“so who won?” joshua mumbled against your lips.

“im pretty sure i did,” hansol answers as his smug smile returns. he looks over at joshua, who was smirking back at him. joshua slowly releases his hold on your neck and pulls away.

you tug on hansol's arm, resting him against the headboard as you move to climb on top of him; trapping him beneath you.

“wanna tell me again how good i feel?” you ask as you lean down; closer, your hands run through his soft brown hair as his hands come up to your waist.

“fuck yes,” he mutters, his eyes darkening even more as he feels you move your hips aginst his.

joshua moves to kiss you again, but hansol stops him before he can, “hey I won!” he whines.

“relax,” joshua laughs softly against your lips, “im just kissing her. you can have her first.”

[samsalami66]

Hiii Ssammyy! @embroiderling here!

I've just seen you posted that long list of prompts. Can I ask for a fake marriage/relationship dreamling, with the prompt "kiss me while everyone's looking."?

🫶

Hey there @embroiderling! Have this little fic I definitely didn't write just after I got that prompt... <33

Read here or on ao3!

Dream wasn’t entirely sure what led him to the situation he was currently in; running down the streets of Los Angeles like he was chased by the devil. Perhaps it had all started when he met Hob Gadling on the set of his latest show, witty and charismatic and throwing him smiles that would light up the entire room. Or it had been when Dream found himself smiling back, accepting the easy friendship Hob proposed for them and meeting him outside of filming for drinks and movie night and sleepovers at his home spent trading stories and a glass of wine.

But actually, it had probably been the moment Dream agreed to Hob’s insane plan of marrying him. 

Yeah, they probably skipped a few rather important steps right there, between friendship and marriage, but that was not really the problem they were facing. No, the fact that they were two of the most well-known actors in the industry that married for something as crude as a green card was not really the problem. The fact that they had both been married before, that Hob was a widower and Dream divorced, was also not it. 

The problem was that being married to Hob was easy. Too easy. Marriage with Calliope had been… harder. They had both been characters, stubborn and intense and with a temper to match. For Dream, marriage had always been about damage control, about preventing some inevitable argument or other. But eventually they would always end up yelling or crying or hurting each other, before doing it all over again the next day. 

Marriage with someone Dream had never intended to marry, had not even found himself interested in at first, should have been worse. 

Instead, marriage with Hob Gadling was heavenly. They lived together. Shared a bed. Hob did not mind Dream cuddling up to him to steal some of his body heat. They would read together on the couch, then talk about their current books while they made dinner. When Dream complained about the laundry needing to get done, Hob would do it and not allow him to help. He would come back with a pot of tea and the offer of a massage should Dream’s feet or back or neck hurt from acting all day. 

Dream found himself searching Hob’s touch whenever he could and never being denied. When out on his own he would see something and bring it back home for Hob and receive the world’s biggest smile in return. So he did it again. And again. Their living room was overloaded with antiquities and books and little trinkets, all lovingly displayed. 

And they never fought. Over a year of living together, of sharing a house, a room, a bed, a life, and they did not fight once. How could life with Hob be so good, when Dream’s entire life before hadn’t been? 

Well, the answer should have been clear. But for some reason, Dream hadn’t noticed. He hadn’t noticed, and now Hob was gone. Not gone gone, just. Gone. His friend, his husband, was gone from their home and Dream did not know where he had disappeared to after their… disagreement. It hadn't been a fight. Because in a fight, both parties got angry. In a fight, partners tried to hurt each other after they had been hurt first. But Dream hadn’t been hurt by Hob. Hob would never hurt him, not in a million lifetimes. Instead, he hurt his friend for no reason but his own stupidity and insecurity. 

And now… now he was running. Not away. He was running towards Hob. Or at least he hoped so. Finding his husband was a much harder matter than Dream had hoped for when he started running. But he was getting closer, he was sure of it. Their bench. That would be where Hob was. Sitting on the right side, peas in hand, feeding the pigeons. It had been one of Dream’s favourite rituals. Whenever a role got to him too much, twisted his stomach into knots and left his heart aching, he would sit on that bench and feed the pigeons. 

And now, as Dream turned the corner, he saw his husband sitting in the spot he had claimed when he had first joined Dream in this little ritual of his. Those beautiful brown eyes were staring off into the middle distance, while one of his hands threw peas to a flock of birds and the other turned his wedding ring around between his fingers. 

The sight made Dream’s heart ache, his best friend reduced to nothing but numbness. He had done that, and he would make it right again. 

“Hob,” he called once he was close enough to be heard, and his husband’s eyes immediately snapped towards him. There was surprise there, possibly at the sheen of sweat that plastered Dream’s hair to his face, proof that he ran all the way here. Not that he stopped just because he found Hob. No, he ran straight into his husband’s arms, which wrapped around him all too willingly. 

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong, love? Are you alright?” The words ached, because Dream was not worth this level of care after how he had hurt Hob. But now that he wasn’t running anymore he couldn’t breathe, and so he allowed his husband to hold him for a moment, just until he could form an actual response. 

“I am sorry, Hob. For what I said.” There was no answer and Dream supposed that none could be given anyway, and so he continued. “I had not realised how… deep your affections for me were. I. I expected some catch, for I had not known marriage could be so wonderful.” 

There was pain in Hob’s eyes and Dream suspected it was not because of him, but rather for him. 

“And here I was, thinking I’ve been rather bloody obvious.” 

Dream huffed a laugh and took Hob’s hand in his, so that their wedding bands were resting against each other. “Looking back, I wonder how you ever became an actor.” That, at least, got him a grin. “I do not want to leave you. Not when the five years are over, not ever. You’re it, Hob.” Silence, stunned, but there was also a bud of hope that was threatening to spill into a smile so bright it would break Dream clean in two. 

“So kiss me now, husband mine, while everyone in this blasted park is looking.” 

[stingraygun]

Doubt comes in.

I made this comic based off a WW lives au I made with my friend! I'll put a little more context and explanation below in the read more

OKAY, so this is part of the WW lives/family au, and I thought of this comic after thinking about my writing choice of Vash forcing Wolfwood to leave with the orphanage rather than seeing his last moments with him. I was also thinking of the song "Doubt Comes In" from Hadestown (which is where the caption is from) and the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Course, the main point of Vash making Wolfwood leave like that is so that he'd live, but I do enjoy thinking about how that changes the tone and beliefs they might hold about each other in their parting. Natural disclaimer this is mainly personal interpretations and stuff I've discussed with my best friend lmao.

But as I see it, Vol 10 was when Vash and Wolfwood truly realized how much they meant to each other. Wolfwood was the first to realize how much he began to care for Vash, even considering them friends, but still felt that he was less important than Knives being dealt with and left without asking for help. I also imagine he left without a word. Not realizing that Vash would choose to chase after him over preparing to face Knives despite the risk. And I don't think Vash quite realized how much Wolfwood meant to him until that moment. And that in his entire life of leaving, he wanted to ask someone to stay. Only to realize at the same moment that he was going to lose Wolfwood.

There's a bit where Vash initially tries to convince Wolfwood to leave on the ship with the orphanage, and I see this as Vash telling Wolfwood to spend his last moments with them instead. While I do think Wolfwood was scared of their reaction, he wanted to spend what time he had with Vash. Vash, who runs, leaves, and sacrifices so much so he doesn't have to watch others die, stays, shares a drink, and watches Wolfwood die. And they both know that their love is reciprocated.

Now, considering that all, what happens if Vash chooses to make Wolfwood leave instead? He'd instead choose to live with the uncertainty of Wolfwood's fate so he can keep him alive in his heart despite his doubt about Wolfwood's survival. To refuse to look back. Regardless of whether Wolfwood lives, It'd feel like rejection rather than reciprocation. In my mind, it's a selfish choice for Vash to make, but he doesn't want to lose Wolfwood and would instead choose to doubt and live apart from him rather than look back and know he's gone forever.

The comic is set sometime after Wolfwood finds Vash and works things out (as well as they can, considering who they are). They're traveling together at this point and spending their tomorrows by each other's side, exactly like Vash wanted. But he's never really learned how to stop grieving, and I think there'd be moments where he begins to doubt what's right in front of him or fears that when he wakes the next day, it's been taken from him again.

Okay comic breakdown time and thoughts:

Page 1: Tried to make the room kind of skewed kind of unsettling. All the bg elements (window, door, side table) are on Vash's side while Wolfwood's side is empty. Vash stares forward blankly (I referenced his expression in Vol 10 when Livio asks where Wolfwood is). He's meant to look exhausted like he's been awake this entire time. He's afraid to go to sleep, thinking that if he falls asleep, then Wolfwood will vanish. Wolfwood is almost entirely obstructed and shadowed because even then, Vash doesn't entirely trust or believe he's here. His hand grasps the darkness of where Wolfwood's chest should be.

Page 2: It's almost complete darkness, and Wolfwood's arm, even slides to grasp Vash's, is a scratchy shadow. Vash is still doubting what he's feeling, but as his hand is pressed against Wolfwood's heart, he feels life in there.

Page 3: Wolfwood starts to come into more detail, though he is still obstructed. Vash's doubt starts to ease somewhat, but the anxiety of Wolfwood leaving remains. He still refuses to look directly until Wolfwood turns over in bed, forcing him to look at his face.

Page 4: Vash is still struggling to entirely believe what's in front of him, and being said asks tomorrow like the answer might change then. Finally Wolfwood's face comes into view as he kisses Vash's ring finger, a promise and a vow that he's that the rest of his days are Vash's. I chose the phrase "And all my days after." on purpose rather than something like "and every day after" because Wolfwood knows his time is significantly shorter than Vash's. He can't promise eternity, to be there for the rest of Vash's life, or to grow old together. But what time he does have left, he gives to Vash. Vash believes him.

[theallianceofcelestials]

Okay, so apparently people have been harassing Kat, Earth's VA because they... don't like the characters she plays and how she writes for the show? The actual fuck?

Like don't get me wrong, perfectly fine to look at a character and decide you don't like them, even hate them potentially, but you don't go and harass the people responsible for making the character. That's just plain dumb. I hate/dislike characters from some of the shows (Bonnie from Moon and Sun Minecraft for example), but that doesn't give me the right to go and harass their VAs. BECAUSE IT'S JUST A CHARACTER FOR A SILLY LITTLE SHOW PEOPLE MAKE FOR FREE! IT'S NOT THAT SERIOUS! Sure I may rant about the character, but NEVER badmouth the actor, because them being able to achieve such a visceral reaction out of me by just looking at the character, makes them so incredibly talented.

Like how can you be so fucking terminally online, that you decide to harass someone because "I Don't LiKe ThE chaRacTeR"?! Like that's no valid reason to do that! Go and touch some god fucking grass, my god! I swear it's actually good for you!

Like this is just straight up disgusting behaviour in general. It's unacceptable, and shows just how much of a coward these people actually are, because there're no consequences for THEM. And well, they clearly don't fucking care about their fellow human beings, so like jfc.

And like the shit Kat does is for FREE! She doesn't charge us money for her services! She just went and did some amazing stuff for us, and now some idiots're feeling butthurt because they hate female characters or something.

I sincerely hope it was only a couple of individuals at worst, and a single person at best, because my faith in humanity is already rather fragile, and this is just ridiculous and pathetic.

So like, if by some miracle the person/people who harassed Kat is/are reading this, I want you to know this says more about to how sad and pathetic you actually are, and how you peaked back on the playground as a bully and didn't manage to develop into an actual fucking person, than it does anything about Kat. I hope you realise just how stupid you are, but I know you likely won't. Because people like you lack brains, so you can't comprehend basic fucking concepts like how the sky is blue, and 2 + 2 is 4. Or how grass is not your fucking enemy.

This isn't about just just Kat, because from what I've heard, other female characters' actresses get similar bs, and their characters get tremendous ammount of hate compared to male characters that potentially did incredibly horrid stuff, but I don't really follow the other TSBS to know what's going on. But my gods. That's so disappointing.

Why are fandoms nowadays so toxic? Back in my day, and I'm not that old myself either, and joined fandoms later than most people in said fandoms, since I'm a not native english speaker, but back in the day fandoms were so much more positive. Sure, there was the toxic minority, but they were just that. Loud small group of jerks. Like when did we start catering to these people? When did we decide that these toxic people were whom we should listen to, and explain every little thing we do to them? Like why do I have to explain why I like villian characters or whatever to internet strangers? I think people are more than smart enough to realise morality should not be taken from media!

And when did fanart and fanfic start becoming expectation, something the fanfic writer has to do, the fanart artist has to do? Instead it being the expression of joy and feelings the consumed media gave them? When did shipping become life or death? When did a headcanon or an AU become so fucking serious that lives apparently depend on it with how people jump eachother? Why can't we just relax and have fun? Like do what fandom is meant for?

This is obviously not for the people who didn't do any of this shit, but the fact I need to clarify that or someone will get offended is disheartening. Like people please deal with your anxieties! If it's not your shirt, don't put it on as a saying in my native tongue goes!

Sorry for the angry rant, it's just so disappointing, especially because Kat is such a talented person! I really enjoy how she plays these characters and I love her writing! So I thank her for deciding to not just quit altogether, no matter how understandable that would have been! I hope stepping back will make things better!

I just hope her mental health doesn't have to suffer more, because this shouldn't have happened to her in the first place. She's been doing amazing work, for free I'll say once again, and I'll forever cherish it! I hope things get better for her!

If by some miracle this reaches Kat, thank you for sticking with us for as long as you have! I hope things'll get better for you! Take care of yourself! :)

[captainsophiestark]

Oblivious

Damon Salvatore x Reader

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Written for Fictober 2024! Requested by @elenavampire21 - hope you like it! Thanks for being patient while I got it done!

Fandom: The Vampire Diaries

Day Thirty-One Prompt: "It's always been you."

Summary: You've always felt like the lowest priority out of everyone in the Mystic Falls group, but Damon disagrees.

Word Count: 1,905

Category: Fluff, light Angst

A/N: That's a wrap on Fictober baby! Woohoo! And Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

I hummed to myself as I scanned my bookshelf, trying to decide which one to grab. Since moving into college at Whitmore, I'd mostly just brought my favorites, since I didn't have much book space to spare in my single dorm room. But bringing all of my favorites made it a little hard to decide what to read on any given day.

I'd just about made up my mind, actually reaching out to grab one when the door to my room went flying open, smashing into the opposite wall.

I whirled around, my fight or flight response kicking into overdrive as I tried to remember where the nearest stake was in my room. I'd been dragged into the supernatrual drama just by being tangental to a certain friend group in Mystic Falls, which meant I was on high alert for supernatural threats. This weekend in particular, everyone I knew was back in Mystic Falls for a visit and a party.

At least, they were supposed to be. As I whipped around towards the door, I came face to face with none other than Damon Salvatore.

My heart started a very annoying gymnastics routine. I'd had a crush on Damon for a long time, despite knowing all his supernatural secrets, but with Elena around he'd never bothered to give me the time of day. I'd made my peace with it, more or less, but suddenly finding him standing in the doorway of my room, his piercing blue eyes fixed absolutely on me, still sent my heart racing.

"Hey! What are you doing?" I demanded, fixing Damon with the fiercest glare I could muster. Probably not very fierce at the moment, but I did my best.

"You should really keep this locked," Damon drawled instead of answering me. I scowled as he closed the door behind him, then took a few steps closer to me.

"We're in a crowded student dorm hall. It's normally not a problem."

"Well, it's a problem now."

Damon grinned at me, making a point of flashing his fangs. My scowl deepened.

"Do you not have to be invited in to student housing?" I asked, trying to deflect and distract Damon from paying any attention to my heartbeat. His grin only widened.

"Nope. I've used that to my advantage many times."

I tried to keep a grimace off my face at that. I knew enough about Damon and his history to realize he was refering to past hookups as much as anything else. Not my favorite subject to get into with him.

I cleared my throat, trying to push the thoughts out of my mind. I met Damon's gaze again and raised an eyebrow, going for casual and just hoping I could kind of pull it off.

"Why are you here?" I said. "Aren't you supposed to be hosting a party in Mystic Falls?"

"Aren't you supposed to be at that party with me?" Damon asked, voice low as he took another few steps towards me. I let out a little huff and looked away.

"Believe it or not, I'm not in the mood to go running back home every weekend that I'm at college. I have work to do and people I want to spend time with this weekend, both of which require me to stay here."

Damon stepped even closer to me, getting in my space and moving to try to see my expression. When I continued to look away from him, he took my chin in his hand and turned me to face him. I scowled, but didn't pull away.

"I don't believe you."

"What do you mean 'you don't believe me'?"

"I mean, when you explained your reasoning to me just now, your heartbeat told me you were lying." I frowned, but Damon just leaned in a little closer, his grip still tight on my chin. "So why aren't you in Mystic Falls?"

I huffed and rolled my eyes, finally pulling back and out of his grip. He let me go, but took a few steps to follow me across the room as I walked away.

"I'm just sick of all the supernatural drama," I said. "It's been nice to be here, building something separate from which vampire we're trying to kill this week, or which werewolf is trying to kill us. I'm happy here, and I don't want to blow all that up by going home and finding myself in the middle of the supernatural drama again."

Damon hummed. Nothing I'd said was a lie, technically, so he couldn't call me out like he had earlier. I kept my back to him so he couldn't read it in my face either.

"I guess that's the truth," Damon said, his voice way too casual. "But I know you well enough to know it's not the whole truth."

I snorted, then whipped around to face Damon with a scowl.

"Why do you care? I gave you an explanation, and it's the truth, so it's all you're getting."

Damon shook his head as he stepped even closer to me.

"Not gonna work for me, sweetheart. I'm not leaving here without the whole truth."

"Why? Damon, seriously, why is this so important to you?"

"Because. Now are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to compel it out of you?"

He wiggled his eyebrows at me, but I just rolled my eyes.

"We both know I'm on vervain, so knock it off. Just go back to Mystic Falls. Flirt with Elena to mess with your brother, whatever! Just leave me alone!"

"I don't want to flirt with Elena," Damon said, taking another step towards me. His voice was low, and more serious than I usually heard it, as his eyes locked onto mine. "I want to flirt with you, no one else. It's always been you."

Everything about Damon's tone and body language told me he was serious, but I knew what a good actor he could be when he wanted to. I scoffed and rolled my eyes, crossing my arms and squaring my shoulders to face Damon.

"Oh please. It's always been Elena, from day one with you! And the handful of times it hasn't been Elena? It's been just about anybody else in our group besides me. Caroline, that reporter Andie, the vampire Rose who kidnapped Elena... hell, even Rebekah Mikaelson! But never once me, Day."

Damon's frown had deepend, and he actually looked a little wounded. He took another step closer, almost putting us chest to chest, and opened his mouth like he was going to speak, but I put up a hand to stop him before he could get a word out.

"It's fine, Damon. Seriously, it's not a crime for you to not reciprocate my feelings. And I'm not avoiding Mystic Falls all because of some one-sided crush. But, seriously. Bonnie, Caroline, and Elena were supposed to be in a triple together. Nobody even checked with me, if I might want to join them in a dorm, since we were all going to Whitmore. I know I got sucked into the group by accident and not really by friendship, but for fuck's sake, I've thrown myself headfirst into this world and trying to help you guys, and still, it's like I'm barely even present. So I decided to say screw it, and I've made a bunch of great friends here outside of all this vampire shit, and I'm happy with that. So just go back to your party and leave me alone. I'd say pass the message on, but I doubt if anybody else'll notice."

Damon's frown had been steadily deepening the whole time I'd been speaking, and now he looked truly upset. I'd confessed a little more to him in the heat of the moment than I'd been planning to, but my words were still true. Maybe it was time for a full break from the rest of the Mystic Falls gang, and maybe this was how I got it done.

"Are you... absolutely blind?" Damon demanded, reaching out to take my hands before I could stop him. "I'll admit, when I first met Elena, she looked so much like Katherine that I was a little hung up on her. But I got over her when I got over Katherine. All I've been doing since a few weeks after I met you is trying to flirt with you! You've always shut me down!"

"What? Damon, you're crazy-"

"I abandoned Ric at the bar to buy you a drink and play pool. I blew off Stefan to go to some stupid Mystic Falls festival with you. For god's sake, I even asked you on a date after your graduation!"

"No no no, that was playful flirting. And the date thing was to make Elena jealous!"

"The date thing was not to make Elena jealous!"

I laughed, mostly out of panic, shaking my head and stepping back from Damon. He didn't let me get far. He followed me across the room until my back hit the wall, and then stepped into my space again. I looked up at him with wide eyes, and I knew he could hear just how fast my heart was beating.

"Damon, come on. You're... you. If you'd had a thing for me for over a year, there's no way I wouldn't know about it!"

"That's what I kept telling myself," he muttered. The faintest possible smile made its way onto his face. "I'm actually a little relieved it turns out you're just oblivious."

I snorted, but my heart had picked up speed again, which honestly shouldn't have been possible. If Damon were lying... well, it didn't make sense for Damon to be lying. There was no reason for him to come all the way down here, especially while everyone else in our group was throwing a party at his house, all for a lie with no real motivation.

I searched Damon's face, this time without a scowl. He smirked back at me and let his gaze slowly, clearly wander down to my mouth. I laughed.

"You're serious, aren't you? You're telling the truth."

"Of course I'm telling the truth," he said. His voice was more sincere and serious than it had been since he'd walked into my room as the smirk on his face became more of a smile. Slowly, he let one hand wander down to rest on my waist. I bit my lip, considering for just a second, then surged forward and kissed him.

Damon wasted no time pushing me against the wall and kissing me back. I wrapped my arms around his neck, letting myself get lost in the moment.

"Are you sure you don't want to go back to Mystic Falls?" I breathed between kisses as Damon moved along my neck and jaw. "You're missing a party in your own house."

"I'm sure. I hid all my good booze before I left. And I hate to rub it in, but..." Damon pulled back just enough to look me in the eye and let a predatory grin spread across his face. "I'm pretty happy you ended up in a single dorm room right now."

I laughed, something I honestly never thought I'd be able to do about the way I'd ended up in this single dorm room. Leave it to Damon to find a way to make it happen, despite the odds.

It'd taken a lot more drama and heartache than it should've to get here. Still, as Damon wrapped his arms around me and pulled me tight to his chest, I got the distinct impression that it would be worth it.

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989 @space-helen @misshale21

TVD/TO Taglist: @elenavampire21

[cbk1000]

Well, I guess that kudos is sticking around, but honestly, it doesn't change the fact that the work didn't land for me. I wasn’t trying to be mean, just saying what I thought. If you're gonna publish it, fine, but don’t act like it was some sort of high praise. Keep the kudos if you want, but don't expect me to pretend I liked it.

Interpreting my response to your previous ask as acting like it was some sort of high praise is an INSANE failure of reading comprehension.

You absolutely did intend to be mean, you're just upset that I thought your insults were funny instead of taking them to heart.

'But don't expect me to pretend I liked it.' Listen. I need you to stop and think about this for a second. We are complete strangers to one another. I'm not expecting you to pretend you like it. I do not know you. I don't want or crave your regard because, once again, you are a stranger and my only interaction with you thus far has been you sending a rude ask to my tumblr account. Whether you like it or not does not mean anything to me because I do not know anything about you as a person or your personal tastes. I am not a friend or coworker who expects you to put on a good face despite your true opinion.

I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're very young and haven't yet learnt how to appropriately interact with strangers online, so to recap: this ain't it. That message you sent was one of the cringiest things I've seen in more than 20 years of participating in various online fandoms. You need to reread what you write before you send it and really think about if that's the way you want to represent yourself, even anonymously.

But above all: it's fanfiction. Free gay internet writing. Written by a rando you do not know, and do not have to interact with. Just close your internet browser window and don't think about it again. You're the one who initiated this. You are the one dragging out your association with a fic you do not like. Contacting me twice now about a fic you didn't like is indisputably strange behavior. If you want to participate in fandom spaces without alienating everyone, including writers you do admire, you need to stop doing this sort of thing. The reaction is always going to be, 'What a douche'. Even from people who themselves don't like the fic it was aimed at. Your time in fandom will be far more pleasant if you concentrate your time and attention on the fan creations you DO enjoy, and that is what I recommend you do.

I can't tell you what to do, obviously, but I encourage you not to message me again. I will delete any future responses from you, because frankly, this is not healthy behavior and you need to focus on something that brings you enjoyment instead of getting hung up on a single fic you didn't like. I have disliked and not finished loads of fanfics. I merely close the window I was reading it in and go do something else, and that is what you need to do.

[thegeekproblem]

okay, so there's no way i can actually write this fic, it's maybe too angsty for me? i just know i've been dissociating hard just thinking about it so let's purge the idea of my head. everyone feel free to write this fic, just tag me so i can go and read it. and who knows, maybe i will write it if i feel like i can get my ideas in order.

ANYWAY (timeline? what timeline?)

jason todd, after gotham war, with an implant in his head that makes him feel fear every time his adrenaline spikes, can't live in gotham anymore. once the criminal world in gotham find out about it he's hunted down like an animal, his normal nightmares just wake him up to more nightmares, there's no escape, no place safe. he runs from gotham, from the country. he leaves everything behind to go underground, as far away as he can manage. he returns to the all caste to hide from the world and as a way to at least be safe inside his head he erases all of his memories. everything. there's no bruce, no joker, no sheila, no catherine, no willis.

bruce notices the red hood is gone. he tries to search for him but there's no trace of him, he's just gone. damian says that talia helped him leave but he doesn't know where he is or if he'll ever come back. every once in a while bruce tries to look for him to no avail. barbara has a notification for a face scan world wide, tim has alarms in case he ever returns to gotham. still, jason is gone and life goes back to normal.

years pass and the world is under attack of the untitled and they have no idea how to save it. talia appears telling them the only way it can be saved is working with the all caste, there's a seer inside the caste that has seen what's going to happen and she needs to take them there. talia takes bruce to the chambers of all, even when all she wants to do is see gotham burn.

they arrive and ducra is waiting for them. (ducra knows who bruce is, who he is to jason but it's no longer important, she doesn't tell bruce any of this) ducra takes them to the seer but warns them that he's not completely here, that his mind has lived in the past-present-future and everything that could-would-will happen that he's kinda gone, that he paid the price with his memories so it doesn't matter. bruce doesn't care because he only wants to save the world and has no attachment to this seer.

they go to the chamber of the seer.

it's jason.

god, imagine jason, no memories, frustrated with the world and what it did to him, angry and unable to do anything about it looking at bruce and being like: i'm disappointed. i always wondered what type of person would do this to me? what did i do to make someone hate me this much? but i see you're just a normal human man.

A/N: if i ever get what the plot of this fic is actually about instead of just, you know, jus angst porn, i will write it. i love making jason suffer, but i also love bruce suffering the consequences of his own actions, and amnesia fics are just my jam, i fucking love them! i don't know where everyone else is in this fic, maybe dick and damian go with bruce to the chambers of all while tim and barbara man the fort back in gotham and dick goes all angsty-brother-filled-with-guilt at seeing seer!jason. and maybe jason is still a stubborn pice of shit, he still gets angry even if he doesn't understand why, he still holds grudges even when he no longer has memories. maybe seer!jason knows what's supposed to happen and joins them in gotham. also, imagine seer!jason sacrificing himself for people he doesn't remember because he knows that's what's supposed to happen. also, is there anyway to add jaydick to this fic??? i just love them so much.

[americankimchi]

dragon age veilguard review: spoilers for the entire game ahead

alright now that it's been a few days and i've had time to 1) get over the honeymoon phase and 2) really think on the game beyond the emotional high of the endgame mission/endgame choice, i can finally type this up

my final score for this game is 8/10, if you just care about that part and wanna skip the rest.

preface, i've only finished one playthrough as an elf mage grey warden, and played every companion/region quest*/side objective to completion**.

i played it on the underdog difficulty and it took me ~74 hours (i left the game open and went to do something else a few times, so it should probably read closer to ~70). this is a screenshot of the final auto-save after i beat the game

veeery long review under the cut ✌️

*exception being minrathous since i picked treviso instead, so the region quests got shafted

**didn't find all the chests or all the collectables, but i got close. also, i missed neve's first companion outing because i forgot to do it prior to the minrathous/treviso choice and didn't realize recruiting davrin was a cut-off point. aside from that i finished every quest i could grab my hands on.

OKAY SO i want to start this off by saying that i thoroughly enjoyed this game, enough to want to replay it again (i currently have two concurrent playthroughs as a dwarf shadow dragon and a human antivan crow going) and will probably be modding it to high heavens once that boat gets sailing, and that i believe it deserves that 8/10 score with all my heart. it was a great time.

that being said.

DIALOGUE REACTIVITY BASED OFF CHARACTER CREATION:

anyone who plays dragon age veilguard and only veilguard is getting a very surface level experience of what thedas is/has to offer culturally. i'm saying this because the excuse being "this is tevinter, why would it be the same as the southern half of thedas" isn't enough to explain a lot of gaping holes in the game's setting.

for instance, i played as an ELF MAGE GREY WARDEN in the middle of TEVINTER during a massive catastrophe brought about by the returned "ELVEN GODS"

having played all the games prior to dav, i did so because i knew that there would be

high tension with my PC being an elf in the notoriously cruel-to-elves country of tevinter, the old empire of which caused the fall of arlathan, and who enslaves elves to the point of it being a huge story beat for a previous companion (fenris)

a mage in a magocracy, where the script is flipped between mages and templars as compared to the south which recently went through years of a mage-templar war

a grey warden - their relevancy in thedas ended around 10 years ago due to corypheus basically tricking them all into hearing their calling, and 22 years prior veilguard during the fifth blight. at the beginning of the game, being a grey warden is more of a coincidental occupation than a narrative beat like it is in origins, but there's always something going on with the wardens so i picked it as a 'i'll pick this to experience the game first and then go for what i suspect is the best narratively relevant origin for my second playthrough' option

of the three descriptors, ELF/MAGE/GREY WARDEN, which do you think had the most story-relevant screen time?

that's right.

the grey warden one.

i won't say that there was nothing about being a mage, but i can remember probably on one hand where the option to chime in as a mage was relevant to what was being spoken about. (a conversation about spite, a conversation about scout harding's new abilities, and if there were more they weren't memorable enough for me to recall off the top of my head) which was fine on paper if you don't know anything about dragon age's entire deal wrt mages. i believe the only real mention about tensions between mages and templars happened in minrathous when we met up with neve's templar friend rana. i think the line reads something like "oh templars are just here to make sure the magic doesn't go out of hand. we don't even take lyrium like our southern counterparts" and then the game moves on to other things

which is crazy considering just how seriously the mage vs templar conflict was being leaned into for the previous three games, enough to the point where i was getting absolutely sick and tired of hearing about it. well the monkey's paw curls a finger because not only did i not hear about it, it felt like it never even happened.

TO BE FAIR: we're playing in tevinter (and antiva. and rivain. and the hossberg wetlands. and—well, you get the idea) and there's a general air of tevinter snooty superiority when they consider the 'south', so perhaps it wasn't fair for me to think "oh, they'd talk about it right? they'd bring it up more than once", but my being a mage seemed to just not even register for any characters in tevinter. not that i wanted them to roll out the red carpet or anything, but i can't remember a single moment where an NPC was like "oh right, you're a mage too". maybe they did, and i just don't remember it. but it didn't seem to matter at all.

but alright whatever, if we want to write that off as being "we're in tevinter. that has no bearing on circumstances here because it's a MAGOCRACY" fine i'll let it slide.

but the fact that my being an ELF didn't seem to be a Huge Deal when in tevinter threw me for a fucking loop. was there some sort of massive societal upheaval in the ten years between dragon age inquisition (dorian: i thought keeping slaves was fine as long as you treat them well) to veilguard (i found a single codex entry of a letter where dorian says "hey guys. we should stop keeping slaves. like genuinely what the fuck is wrong with us for even doing that in the first place") but the fact that NOBODY SEEMS TO BLINK AN EYE at my rook's elven heritage. ESPECIALLY since the main antagonists of this game are ALL ELVEN GODS seems like a wildly missed opportunity to introduce some tension. UNJUSTIFIED TENSION, but tension nonetheless.

the wardens had a lot of content, which both surprised and delighted me thoroughly. i'll never speak a word against them of course, and i did love how it showed that the wardens were here to do a job, and not play nice about it. the first warden was, in my humble opinion, one of the best characters in the entire game. annoying, gruff, called my rook warden basically the equivalent of a stupid rhino in a china shop not knowing what's best for the wardens/their oaths and impulsive in a way detrimental to everyone in his surroundings. literally one of my favorite lines happens when he and rook are beefing in the middle of the cobbled swan:

like. that was so satisfying.

the fact that the first warden isn't a villain, he's actually a fantastic grey warden. he'd sacrifice himself to kill an archdemon, and in fact "steals the glory" for himself. like was he an asshole during that exchange? yes, but it's undeniable that he was going to his death voluntarily and with a grim fervor. that's peak grey warden. nobody can say he'd ever shirk his duty. his character flaw was that he's a terrible leader, has the military tactics of a damp slice of toast, and generally doesn't inspire his subordinates to feel any sort of true loyalty to him. see here where my rook aggressively relieves him of duty and after a tense exchange where it seems like combat is about to start, evka saves the day by taking charge. and she does take charge pretty quick. nobody seems to really oppose the real quick promotion.

and then it's back to business as usual. archdemon trapping, anyone?

which was a problem i had with other factions in the game, namely the antivan crows. like yes, not every group is a monolith sharing the same ideals/morals/etc. but having played dragon age origins close to two decades prior where a massive point of contention was between zevran and the crows and the trauma that came from his upbringing as a crow... to then get thrown into treviso to see that the house we're dealing with is a bunch of leathery robin hoods was an unexpected turn. like. guys? weren't they villains? why are we all relatively good people (barring illario) here??? if anything, i thought that there'd be more politicking and backstabbing (literally and figuratively) but everything here seems kinda...... harmonious in comparison to whatever the fuck house arainai was doing. i might have missed a codex entry (i didn't read them all) explaining why the tonal shift happened, like maybe someone somewhere wrote about how house arainai imploded post-fifth blight when a crow went, well, rogue, and exposed the crows for the literal torture they put CHILDREN through, but nothing. like the game straight up lets an NPC whose name escapes me form a new house composed OF children at the end. like. what........ this isn't neverland, why are we forming the lost boys with knives here. hello??

on the other hand, i feel like the wardens had more options to expand on the fact that uh. yeah. grey wardens don't come from great backgrounds. like when you could conscript the mayor of d'meta's crossing much to everyone's displeasure, or the first warden actively being an obstacle to real progress (but not a villain! just extremely blind to the real dangers!), etc. etc. still not great in terms of "we employ literal murderers and criminals of every kind so we can toss them in the direction of darkspawn as a literal meat shield for thedas" but at least it's something.

but i digress. back to the point:

felt like the amount of dialogue options i had where i could bring up my warden expertise not only outstripped the mage/elf tags, but was so prevalent that sometimes it felt like the game was specifically catered to me being a grey warden. this is obviously just because i haven't played enough of the other origins to really feel out how much content they have in comparison, and it's partially just because of how obviously biased i am towards them as a group, but the FLAVOR of being a grey warden was present wherever i went. we'll see how well this opinion holds up after i finish my other two playthroughs.

THE COMBAT:

genuinely the best combat in the series. the fact that you can dodge-roll and more importantly PARRY in this game is an unexpected boon that i can't praise bioware enough for. the abilities themselves are smooth, the detonations provide a nice chunk of damage AND crowd control where you can just unload, and the damage types/weaknesses being a genuinely relevant part of the game to the point where if you have a lightning abilities/weapons equipped and you're facing down a hoard of antaam, you're going to have an extremely bad time*.

* on higher difficulties. i've heard on lower ones that it doesn't matter and you can just brute force your way through the game

i will say the "quick recovery" doesn't feel quick at all, even if i'm hitting the button for it frame-perfect, i can still get knocked down as the animation for quick recovery is going off, which was annoying. would've liked the i-frames to have saved me from getting turned into paste by the three ogres punching me down at the same time but alas.

also, they tend to target you even if you have a warrior (davrin/taash) on the team. unless you're actively casting taunt, they will run past your party members to hammer down on you. which was. annoying.

STILL I LOVED THE COMBAT, i went spellblade as a mage and my build was absolutely disgusting at the end. with a combination of fully stacked out duration+strike abilities, arcane bomb stacking abilities/weapons, and not even glancing at the other two trees for the majority of the game, i felt like i was a rogue that could conveniently cast chain lightning. it was crazy fun.

but also a steep learning curve. mythal took me 17 entire real life minutes to beat. LMAO.

i love that you don't need to restart the game if you want to play a different subclass, you can just refund your skill points and explore the game to your heart's content that way. not that i did, i picked one tree and stuck to it the entire game come hell or high water (or a lightning resistant high dragon 10 levels above me) and i had a blast with it.

THE STORY (THE EVANURIS, ROOK, & VARRIC):

hooooo boy. okay. this is going to be about the MAIN STORY ONLY, companion and region specific stuff will be in its own section later.

the writing for the main story was actually pretty enjoyable the further along in the game i got. every single main story mission was an incredibly cinematic experience; my favorite being the siege at weisshaupt mission—but only because it's kind of hard to quantify the endgame section as a 'mission' when it felt like an entire act on its own.

the amount of personality rook has was a breath of fresh air, and the voice acting for male british rook (alex jordan, who also coincidentally voices my favorite character in wuthering waves: jiyan♥) was SOOOO good. every line delivered felt like it matched the scene's energy/the personality i picked, so the flow of dialogue felt natural enough to be part of a tv show or movie.

although i do wish there was more option to be a little bit more of a bitch. a little rat bastard. not evil because i don't think dragon age would ever let you be evil in the way owlcat games lets you turn into a literal swarm of bugs consuming all (including companions) in its path, i thought there'd be a chance to be like. well. a little mean to people. i can be rude, but not mean. if that makes sense.

i do feel that rook was done a disservice by not having a hawke-like session 0 where we can see, precisely, why they're already so attached to varric and scout harding, but maybe that was left on the cutting room floor. i'm not a fan of tell don't show, so the game telling me "hey remember when you and varric did this thing that we're not going to actually show you" was pretty annoying. i wasn't expecting a dragon age origins-type prologue segment where i move through the world as a warden pre-veilguard, but i do wish we had like. a short cutscene flashback sequence or something to really immerse myself into the character. like let me put my shoes on before i start running the race!

still though rook felt really present in the story. like they slotted really nicely and smoothly into the leadership position which. i mean yeah who else, right? even though they did have plot armor in the sense that i didn't really understand (in-universe) why ghilan'nain and elgar'nan didn't just squish my rook into a pulp and scrape the dagger off the smear he became every time they came face to face... i suppose we wouldn't have a game, otherwise lolol

moving swiftly on, the boss fights felt appropriately built up to, and never did i feel like i was woefully unprepared for the task set up before me (although i must admit i was slightly taken aback by the three-headed hydra at weisshaupt. delightfully so, but it did stunlock me for a few seconds sjkhfj)

from the prologue -> endgame, i suspected something was off about varric once i realized "hey, how come nobody's talking to him anymore?" while the answer of "varric is actually a manifestation in rook's mind caused by solas trying to mold him into someone who could replace solas in the fade prison he crafted" was admittedly beyond the scope of what i came up with:

1. everyone in this game is a monumental asshole (funny, but disappointing narratively)

or

2. he died but bc he died next to the fade magic + we live in the fade now he's just a ghost only rook can see?? (true, but to the left)

i didn't really consider solas had a hand in it which is funny as hell considering. well. blood magic was mentioned at the very start of the game by solas himself

the reveal was very satisfying, and on my current playthroughs it's very entertaining to see everyone (especially solas, but my companions too) very carefully skirt the subject of varric's death by speaking about it in terms oblique enough that everyone in the know understands it as 'varric is fucking dead' vs. rook's manipulated memories understands it as 'varric is laid up in the infirmary'

the evanuris were very well designed, ghilan'nain being a creepy flesh centipede woman with tentacles and blight covering her head to toe was genuinely one of the most refreshing villain designs i've ever seen. elgar'nan was comparatively boring, but considering his whole deal is to be the elven god of tyranny having him just be a conventionally attractive man was a statement in and of itself.

their boss fights were standard, elgar'nan's being the easier of the two specifically because i wasn't trying to haul my ass through waves of darkspawn, but even ghilan'nain's wasn't that hard either considering all i really needed to to was burst some blight growths and could fully ignore the darkspawn if i wanted to. i had more trouble fighting the demon of desperation in minrathous than i did the story boss fights, but that was a trend for most games i feel. the side objectives containing the optional, harder fights and the mandatory quests softening the blow from the main story bosses so the player can get through them at a steady pace.

i do feel like the majority of the story was well written, but suffered greatly from pacing issues brought about by the format of the game itself. while there was a steady pressure brought about by the urgency needed to stop them from crafting the red lyrium dagger, the fact that i could just wander about the world picking up and completing side quests at my leisure before tackling the broader problem at hand did have me slightly confused about how long the game's time frame really was. i think it takes place over the course of a few months, or maybe a year total? if it was mentioned, it went straight over my head.

though i suppose that's a problem most RPGs have—the risk of allowing the player to have agency in picking what to do next means that. well sometimes they can spend hours trying to pick up every collectible while minrathous burns in the background.

though i did wish there was more dalish presence in a game focusing around the elven gods. like i know the veil jumpers are in the game as a faction but. they don't really feel dalish. they just feel like a bunch of archeologists who happen to be elves. a bit of a disappointment, there. also, they were constantly imperiled by something which really put a damper on the "we are also a competent group of people" vibe that i got from pretty much everyone else. the dalish aesthetic was just that, aesthetic. the veil jumpers being posted up in arlathan forest just seemed like they were there due to their occupation and not their heritage. bellara goes into it a little bit through her quest line, but i don't know. there wasn't that sense of unity and closed ranks the way it felt in da:o and da2. the less we speak of the dalish in da:i the better.

as for solas himself, i'm positive that the way you speak to him reflects his demeanor to you over the course of the game (i picked every aggressive/stoic option i possibly could, and the results i got were extremely entertaining; i have so many recorded videos of rook and solas duking it out but due to size constraints i haven't uploaded them anywhere ajkjdj) but at one point they went from "actively antagonistic" to "actively antagonistic but with begrudging respect"... on the side of solas. my rook was extremely honest about hating him every step of the way. extremely honest.

still, i loved how the game kept track of the progression of their relationship. the way every time a new talk with solas started i'd see a little "yeah last time you kept yelling at each other so we're keeping that energy" popup on the side of my screen. the way rook and solas could constantly. well i don't want to call it 'banter' because at every given point my rook would call him out on his bullshit and solas would strike back with a precise cut deep enough to bleed, watching them snipe at each other so aggressively vs. what i suspect is a much softer and more amicable conversation if you go the more diplomatic route was nice to see.

during endgame, since i completed every side objective (the solas's regrets chain of quests + the mythal encounter/fight) i had the option to:

deceive him by giving him a fake prop of his dagger

convince him to stop (unlockable by doing the aforementioned quest chain)

fuck it we ball; 1v1 me right now you bald bitch

obviously, i threw aside all other options and went for the 1v1. when i say i was HOWLING WITH LAUGHTER watching my rook go "I BEEN WAITING FOR THIS" and throw a haymaker to the face........... /wipes tear. it was beautiful. and then my rook STABBED HIM IN THE GUT, SEALING HIM INTO THE FADE FOREVER??? ten years i waited for this. ten YEARS. HALLELUJAH.

though it is very funny after all those years of seeing posts like "UMMM ACTUALLY THE VEIL SHOULD COME DOWN" and then the game is like "nah. that shit stayin up for a while" like kjHDJKLSHGFJK

anyways. i enjoyed stabbing him and watching him get yoinked into the fade. i'll do the merciful ending eventually but i had to do it to him at least once.👍

THE COMPANIONS:

though obviously i have a few characters who i enjoyed more than the others, i did like all of them!!

taash's questline was very good in terms of the cultural aspect (i can relate to feeling torn between two worlds) but the gender identity was somehow both heartwarming and. extremely awkward. it felt a little bit like watching an intro to gender studies 101 powerpoint presentation. like i suppose it was to explain the concept of being nonbinary to people who've never considered gender beyond what color cake to buy for a baby shower, but it did have me raising an eyebrow a few times. not in a bad way but in a very "this is obviously catered to people who don't know a thing about it, and i appreciate that bc it serves as a nice jumping off point for people to really get to know more, but it is a little clumsy in execution". i think my favorite scene for taash is when they're with neve in the dining room talking about how "nobody REALLY likes being a woman" and neve's just there like. oh. you sweet summer child. JKHDSKLAGHFGJ THAT WAS SO GOOD!! but i think the strongest part of their character arc was them trying to figure out who they are in relation to their cultural identity. especially the bit where they fought with their mom about it alllll the time. like where my second generation kids who don't really relate to their ethnic background at!!!!! RISE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!

the way i had to google if i was first or second gen. apparently it's "first to be natively born in a country = second gen" so i'm going with that

and the scene where they're screaming "TAMAAA" when shathann dies...... bro i teared up. i ain't ashamed about it. that was heartbreaking af.

still uh. it was kinda funny (read: eyebrow raising) that a character whose entire arc is coming to grips with multiculturalism and a break from the gender binary..... ends up being presented with a binary choice on whether or not to pursue their connections to their qunari heritage or their rivaini roots. like uh. guys. guys??? why do we have to pick??? aint the whole point of multiculturalism is that it's. uh. multicultural??? i suppose you could argue that it's the "oh you're just supporting taash into embracing a specific part of their culture, you're not really telling them to abandon the other!" but like. eh. EHHHHHHH. it didn't FEEL like that. esp. when it's presented as an either-or scenario.

THEIR PARTY BANTER WITH LUCANIS WAS THEEEE FUNNIEST SERIES OF LINES. i love those two together omg. and taash + scout harding!!! wagh!!!!

EDIT: i was gonna add a section abt the lords of fortune for taash's segment but forgot. which is very on brand bc they were forgettable at best and invisible at worst throughout the entire game. i don't want to say that they were irrelevant but like. uh. yeah. 💀💀

neve. neve neve neve. has hands down the absolute worst voice acting in the entire game. like i'm sorry to say that every single line was monotonous and genuinely lacking in any real connection to the words being said. i have to wonder if the voice actor for neve isn't used to working in a booth and more on camera, because truly with every line she spoke i became more and more disinterested with the conversation. the concept of a mage detective in the depths of minrathous rooting out corruption sounds so compelling, and it was, but unfortunately any deeper connection i could've forged with neve was hamstrung by the fact that i was bored to tears by the voice acting. even the conflict generated between my rook and neve due to him picking treviso (an obvious choice for a warden. they were going to blight the waterways) fell flat. because the lines were delivered flat. disappointing, considering how interesting the content of the game she features in is. like the sequence where i'm running through run-down ruins with NPCs tethered by their own blood jetting out of their bodies as they function as living speakerphones for a blood mage hell bent on revitalizing minrathous in her own twisted way. that's sick as hell. it WAS sick as hell. i loved every second of that. i just didn't love neve's voice acting. a shame, bc i was really excited about her pre-release. :(

scout harding's questline confused me not because of the content, but because it felt like this should've been a separate game entirely?? like why are we discussing the tranquilized titans and their horrific half-dead, half-dreaming state solely through the lens of a companion quest? why aren't we visiting orzammar or kal-sharok for more than 2 minutes and talking about the fact that the lyrium they've been mining for centuries is the blood of their ancestors?? like it's mentioned once or twice, but only during side-quests. like the solas's regrets quest chain or scout harding's companion quests. like isn't this a huge deal? why are we slotting this into a game about the elven gods?? the reveal that the evanuris essentially genocided the titans in order to craft their own bodies is a tale of horrific violence and violation and we........ just kinda. don't talk about it? after scout harding's quest is over? and the fugliest armor set known to man is unlocked? (toes. why does her armor have TOES.)

i did appreciate the fact that the game let us tell her that her anger was justified bc like. ngl if i learned all that and then the only option presented to me was to forgive the fuckers that did it i think i'd go crazy.

aside from that weirdness, scout harding is bestie. i love her. sorry that i KILLED HER OFF THOUGH!!! WHAT!!! okay unironically though i love that. i love that you can PERMANENTLY kill someone off. it adds depth. it adds STAKES. i wish more people would've died at the end. like bellara just being. fine? after being trapped in blight for who knows how long was baffling as hell. like she's not FINE but she's not dead. crazy stuff. how does being a warden sound bellara. u got a swift career change ahead of u. my rook's a warden tho he'll put in a good word for u dw

SPEAKING OF BELLARA. her questline was sad as hell but also like. how many times am i going to deal with cyrian bro like why couldn't we just knock his ass out. i know for the plot he has to keep going back to his evil masked ghost overlord anaris but like. eh.

his death scene was very sad though. bellara :((

CYRIAN UNMASKED LOWKEY....... KINDA FINE THO..... 👀

same as scout harding's i wish bellara's whole thing had more to do with the dalish. NOT THAT IT WASN'T I MEAN IT WAS ALL ABOUT BEING DALISH but it was more veil jumper than anything. man the veil jumpers were disappointing. just a faction built to fumble at any given chance. the only competent person is bellara and she's on the squad........... whole faction just fell apart without her 💀💀

bellara is my cutie pie bestie babygirl though <33 im so excited to romance her WAUGHHH even if i hate her hairstyle like girl what the hell is that on the back of your head!!!! they had to nerf her otherwise she'd be the Perfect Companion 😔💞

emmrich was sooo sweet. literally just an amiable old man on a journey to help his friends and students and his BONE SON!!!! SKELETON CHILD....... manfred my love......... unfortunately i did honor manfred's noble sacrifice and help emmrich into becoming a lich but like. that shit. feels like it should've been saved for post-game, somehow?? like in the veilguard equivalent of a trespasser or whatever. like what do you mean we just have an immortal lich companion just chillin. just vibin outta the necropolis. is that allowed?? are there other liches outside the necropolis???

???

the drip is immaculate though ngl. he easily clears everyone else's veilguard outfits <-she has only seen half of them due to only having the one finished playthrough

i didn't really use him much outside of his companion quests + fighting undead, so i don't know much about him with regards to party banter. sorry emmrich ;-;

davrin was. oh my goodness. have you ever seen a man so beautiful. the soulful brown eyes. the jawline strong enough to cut diamond. the EXPOSED CHEST. GOOD HEAVENS..... /SWOONS

literally the dreamiest dragon age companion ever like im sorry he clears literally everyone else ever made. and i say that even with zevran existing in the universe. (if silver fox zevran had at any point showed up in this game this opinion would swiftly change.)

i didn't romance him and i regret it bc i feel like there would've been something to the whole brothers in arms -> you and i are the only two people on this team who perfectly understand each other; you and i are dead men walking but we go to our blighted graves with grim smiles and clear eyes; should the calling come for one of us, it will end up claiming two, etc etc—unfortunately you recruit lucanis first and i didn't pivot 🫡

THE ONLY COMPLAINT I HAVE FOR DAVRIN: his entire arc focuses around assan. not JUST assan, like assan is the conduit through which davrin works through a lot of stuff, but it feels like. well i don't think there was a single scene where assan wasn't there. which makes sense because GRIFFONS. MY GOD. THEY'RE BACK. but also. i feel like if davrin had some space from assan in like a single mission/quest/etc. it would've been good. absence making the heart grow fonder and all. like i'd kill and die for assan but like 60% of the way through davrin's arc i was lowkey getting tired of it all being about our favorite bird son.

lucanis.... lucanis lucanis lucanis. he's the one my rook romanced and uh....... i'm gonna be honest. i wasn't really feeling like i was in a romance at all until the very end of the game. there's a line where lucanis was like "that's what i love about you" or whatever and i was like. huh? what? when was this established? i don't think we ever had a conversation or an event that would lead to this conclusion??? did i skip it? did i forget??? taps game is this thing on???

like i'm not saying the romance was BAD. (aside from some questionable animation choices. like why was lucanis standing so close to my rook like BACK UPPPPPP 😭😭)

all of the romance scenes were sweet and enjoyable and full of typical Bioware Cringe Romance Lines™ (affectionate) (honorary) but it did feel a little like. 80% of the game we had tepid to mildly reciprocal reactions to any of rook's flirtatious dialogue choices, and then when i got the choice to lock in the romance for lucanis it's like. OKAY HIT THE GAS, BUDDY! IT'S TIME TO FLOOR IT. 0->100 in an instant. i love a slowburn, but this was less of a slowburn and more me silently watching a mile long fuse burn up for like 60 hours until it thunderously explodes all at once.

unrelated but why does rook not have a bed in his room. why is it just a couch. they were suckin' n' fuckin' on an ancient elven la-z-boy in the fade. amazing stuff.

ASIDE FROM THE WEIRD PACING ISSUES I EXPERIENCED (hopefully it wasn't universal) THE ROMANCE WAS SWEET. 10/10 WOULD RECOMMEND

as for his personal character arc. why the hell did lucanis become first talon??? like speaking as someone who found out post-game that he straight up SAYS in his tevinter nights short story that he doesn't want to be first talon. at no point in the game did i think "yeah this guy is fit for and desires a position of authority" like um. viago is right there. i could see the argument if treviso was blighted (don't know if teia and viago survive that; i saved treviso in my playthrough) but like. VIAGO (AND TEIA!) ARE RIGHT THERE BRO...............

him not killing illario is whatever i can understand not wanting to have the blood of family on your hands. it's the becoming first talon that's crazy. although i suppose the whole filial duty to caterina angle........ but since when was the antivan crow org following the right of primogeniture??? WHATEVERRR

also. antivan crows?? are not a moral organization??? what happened between da:o --> veilguard. why are they all robin hoods. weren't they child slavers who mercilessly tortured them into becoming assassins. there's an argument for "oh that was just house arainai" but i was expecting more morally gray/amoral assassins for hire and less "TREVISO WILL BE FREE. DOWN WITH TYRANNY" like huh???? are we red jennies all of a sudden. are we shadow dragons. whats goin on here.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

wow that's a lot. girl has a phd in yaponomics fr. at the end of the day, veilguard is a good game. i mean, i'm playing again it right now on nightmare mode this time. (CALIVAN'S FIGHT.......... WHAT THE FUCK................ i didn't die to his little minions OR to his pride demon summon i kept dying to his fuckass sextuple cast magic missiles that get spammed constantly like BRO CAN YOU RELAX. CHILL BRO CHIIIIIILLLLLLLLLL IT'S NOT THAT SERIOUS!!!!!!!)

i think this game could easily make space for a few more DLC, something like trespasser or mass effect's citadel DLC. hopefully they do because the epilogue slides were PITIFUL. PALTRY. and dare i say? PATHETIC. the romance slide for lucanis and rook being a single line of dialogue that they split between them. i was gobsmacked.

dragon age i say this because i love you and i have loved you for so long and will love you forever: BRING BACK WORLDSTATES. PLEASE. I DON'T NEED A MASSIVE CALLBACK. I DON'T NEED CUTSCENES. I WOULD BE CONTENT WITH THROWAWAY DIALOGUE. WITH A CODEX ENTRY. A LETTER SENT IN-GAME. PLEASE. BRING BACK WORLDSTATES AUGHHHH

although i don't think it'll matter bc if i'm reading those hints right we're going across the sea in the next game to deal with the uh. what was it called? something storm?? that the qunari were running from or whatever???? so i dont think anything we did here in thedas matters. it'll be like me:a except. you know. dragon age.

WAIT. PAUSE. THIS GAME HAS A SECRET ENDING??? <-SHE JUST GOOGLED "DRAGON AGE STORM"

FOR FUCK'S SAKE. WELL THAT'S ON THE TO-DO LIST NEXT THEN.

anyways i love this game. 8/10 would get my ass beat by the demon of desperation and its 5 billion summoned minions again 👍

[decayayhagfishh]

MITSUKOU AND LET'S STAY TOGETHER BY IKIGUSARE IDOLS

Omg i genuinely can't I HATE IKIGUSARE IDOLS AND TBHK.

The Song "Issho ni ite yaru ze" ( 一緒にいてやるぜ ), or "Let's stay together" translated into english, by ikigusare idols reminds me of Mitsukou so much it actually makes me SICK. I have to talk about it,,,,,

The following lyrics IMMEDIATELY remind me of the two. Here's the chorus for example:

All the people that want to die, how about we befriend one another?

And if you still want to die, i'll die together with you

You see that. Namaichirou Yamamoto i'm gonna get you good.

But that line "All the people that want to die, how about we befriend one another?" may not really scream Mitsukou at first, but you'll see...🍈🥄🐛

Also this one hits me hard, like just read it and don't even try to tell me that this isn't Mitsukou:

So how about it, if the two of us ran away to a town that nobody knows

And even if we get caught and get taken back to our current miserable lifes

Then it possibly couldn't get any worse than this, don't you think so?

...does that remind you of something.

Oh are you fucking kidding me.

And to rub even more salt into the wound, have this as a little "Fuck you, you don't deserve to feel any happiness" :

So, how did things turn out in the end?

Well, i think they turned out rather interesting

It was a lot of fun being together with you, thank you

And if i end up dying first,

then i'll wait for you

And if you die first instead,

Then i'll die together with you

How the Double-barrel Shotgun be looking at me after reading chapter 118 and 120 of tbhk and then listening to let's stay together by ikigusare right after

I have been listening to this song for a long while now, and i've felt a deep connection to it ever since. The meaning of it really means a lot to me, but sure, not every aspect of it may be Mitsukou coded, but those lines really remind me of them. And i LOVE it when a major interest of mine reminds me of another one ^u^u^

I'm sorry if this little ramble isn't really well written or thought of, i have really bad difficulties with describing things and talking about my interests in general. But it won't stop me from talking about my two favourite things: Deformed lesbians that make music and two gay twinks doomed by the plot!!!!!!!

And not to forget...THIS SONG IS AN ABSOLUTE FUCKING BANGER. OH MY DAYS. THAT GUITAR SOLO MAKES ME GO FERAL I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH,,,,,,,, you know what. I don't care what you're doing atm. Listen to it NOW,,,, you will thank me and Namaichirou Yamamoto for blessing your ears with this song ^_^_^

[daenysthedreamersblog]

SECRETS OF US - II

risk

god, i'm jumping in the deep end

it's more fun to swim in

heard the risk is drownin', but i'm gonna take it

masterlist // previous chapter

summary: romance isn't easy to fake when ur supposed to hate ur scene partner, can u put aside a feud for the sake of art or will you lose the role refusing to give coriolanus snow your...passion

pairings: modern!coriolanus snow x reader

warnings: mature content, swearing, drinking

notes: happy thanksgiving to those who celebrate! i am thankful for all of you reading this or other stories of mine you all make me so happy 🤍🤍

"Stop, stop, stop!" Mr. Flickerman waves his hands around the exhausted expression all over his face. "Can't you two pretend to like each other any better?"

You glance upward at Coriolanus who was attempting to hold you in a rather romantic embrace, but you were so rigid and he didn't seem to want to be there either. You meet his eyes, trying to soften them with a deep breath, but instead you feel your eyes narrowing on him. He runs his hand down your cheek opening his mouth to speak, but his top lip curls in disgust.

"Enough!" Flickerman stands up climbing up onto the stage. "This is ridiculous where was all that passion I saw in your auditions!"

You crossed your arms, "I had a better scene partner."

"You wouldn't even know what passion was if it bit you in the ass." He glared at you.

"Says the one holding me like a dead fish!"

He comes in between the two of you. "Okay, okay we're going to try something." He motions for you to walk near the back half of the stage where a prop table sat. "Sit." You match Coriolanus's confused look. "Just sit up there." The pair of you climb atop the table to sit down across from one another. You pick at your nails until Mr. Flickerman grabs them and places them within Coriolanus's, you avoid thinking how his hands felt so warm, how they dwarfed yours sitting tensely in his palm. "Tell him something you like about him."

"What?" You laugh, he only glares at you. "Fine umm..."

"Look at him not the ceiling."

You take a deep breath and land on his face. "I've always admired...drive towards hard work, your ambition." Which could never be a lie since that quality of his had always been your detriment.

Something like shock passes over his blue eyes, but he masked it with concentration. Flickerman gave him the same instructions, "Your willingness to break a mold," he smirked, "You're full of surprises."

The corner of your mouth ticks up subtly. "Now something you like...physically."

You roll your eyes, but your answer comes too easy. "Your hair, especially when it curls."

"Your eyes." You blink. "In that moment anger sparks within them."

Flickerman takes a step back, "Closer." You inch forward. "Closer." Your knees touch. "Closer." You're nearly in his lap, "Now show me passion."

You swallow spreading his legs and going up onto your knees understanding why he made you do that exercise as you run your hands through his hair. It was shorter now than it had been in school, but something the ends still curled when the wind had mused it. His hands splay along your hips, dragging across accidentally exposed skin the breath you take is a sharp inhale. 

The world shifts as you stare down at him, it tumbles and turns and spirals as a blue ocean drags your under feeling his nose brush against yours. Eyes dark, nails dig in and time stands still in that moment. The stage disappears, Flickerman a forgotten speck in a distant reality; the only thing that seemed to exist was you in his arms. 

You inhale the same air, you swallow down his warm breath.

A door slams at the other side of the theater and everything floods back in. You scramble to cover new emotions you never wanted to encounter as you push away from him with a groan. 

Mr. Flickerman sighed, "Okay we're done for the day." You climb off the table both going to grab your things but he stops you. "I have an assignment, for both of you." You could do that. "Together." You and Coriolanus both began shaking your heads.

"Professor." "Sir."

"No. If you want these roles you will do this." You grind your teeth nails digging into your palms. He smiles too widely, "I want you to go home and watch some romantic classics, study them, try to take what you watch and use it."

He blinks, "Watch movies?"

Flickerman laughs, "Together Mr. Snow. Order a pizza, bond, put away this childhood feud or else I'll find new leads." He walks away while you both stutter out protest. 

You glare at Coriolanus, "You could just back out."

"I like the idea of you backing out."

"Why do you even want this?" You wave your hands around.

"Why do you?"

Then you're both staring at each other in the classic stalemate where you both just glared at each other instead of revealing your truths. You shake your head, "This is ridiculous."

"Agreed," He nodded. "So your place or mine?"

You grab your bag, "Mine."

He comes over later that night with three gentle knocks on your apartment door. "Nice place." He says brushing past you to take in your small one bedroom apartment. "What did you trade to make daddy buy it for you?"

You roll your eyes going to your fridge pulling out the chilled bottle of wine. He eyes you as you begin to open it avoiding his question, "What? I'm gunna need alcohol to deal with you tonight."

"Do you want food?" He asked it with his head turned taking in various artwork you had on the wall.  

You pour out the wine into your glass, "Do you?"

"He said order a pizza." He turned back to you watching you take a small sip. 

"As long as its not-!"

"Pepperoni, I know." He's pulling out his phone. You narrow your eyes over you wine glass and he looks back at you. "Friends close, enemies closer thing." He hold it up to his ear to call in the order, "Had to know your weaknesses."

You watch him pace while he orders and realize you didn't know a lot of his weaknesses. You felt suddenly unprepared, so you go to your T.V. picking up the remote to scroll through the romance category on the streaming services. "What's your least favorite topping?" You ask as he walks back over to sit down on your couch strangely too comfortable in your home.

"Wouldn't you like to know." He chuckles.

"Do you want some wine?" You looked over your shoulder at him.

He smirks, "Trying to get me drunk so I spill all my secrets kitten?" You snort making your way to the kitchen to get him a glass anyways. "It's mushroom." He says quieter once you hand him the glass.

You take a seat on the far end of the couch, "If only bonding was as easy as that." You lean forward a little, "Why do you hate me so much?"

"Curiosity, kitten." He reaches forward and plucks the remote from your hand. "Now come on, the sooner we watch something that inspires us the sooner I can be rid of you." He scrolls, "Do you have a favorite?"

You settle back into the couch, "I love a good romcom, or a period piece." 

He laughs to himself, "You would."

You toss a throw pillow at him, "All that quiet yearning is to die for, the slow burn of it all!"

"Boring!" He yawns. "Let's watch something raunchy."

You go back and forth for a while, so long you have to go refill your glasses, but finally settling on something in the middle. You grab a small blanket and curl into your couch to watch a movie with Coriolanus Snow, the thought makes you feel uneasy.

It isn't horrible. You feel like you should take notes, pausing to dissect what seemed to be missing between the two of you. He didn't protest, not even as you powered through very intimate scenes. You drain your third glass blaming the wine for the sudden heat in your cheeks and prickling in your skin. This was a bad movie choice, why did you pick the one where they actually fucking do it on screen instead of those ones that just elude to it? A period piece would have never put you in the uncomfortable position and you regret not pushing him more to agree with you. You dare a glance at him. He's engrossed in it with furrowed brows like he's trying to understand everything they were doing so he could somehow replicate it. Could he? You watch as his long fingers scratch at his jaw and find yourself itching for him to run those same fingers across your skin. For some reason your mind goes back to his fingertips running across the exposed skin of your back, his hair between the gaps of yours. You know you're staring too long at him, know that his side profile had no right being that gorgeous, when did you start attributing gorgeous to him, why couldn't he just be ugly, why did heat spread to your lower body the longer you looked at him. 

You fly to your feet making a beeline for your kitchen fumbling with the bottle stopper on the wine to pour more out. You look back over at him and he's watching you too intensely its hard to look away. You needed to look away, needed to stop letting him look at you like that. It was making confusing thoughts appear in a clouded head.

There's a knock on the door.

He pauses the movie standing up. "I got it." You tell him digging through your purse on the counter.

"It's fine." He pulls out his wallet from his back pocket.

"No please let me." You're fumbling with your cash to beat him to the door and you get there with your hand on the handle, but his hands land on your hips.

You still, skin burning. "I got it." He turns you around staring down at you, hands still splayed along your waist making your brain empty as it hones in on every place he's touching. "I may not like you but I am not that rude." You stare up at him trying not to focus on his hands touching your body, his face too close. He pushes you to the side as he opens the door, one hand still wrapped around you, and smiles out into the hall as you come up behind him. "Hi, thanks. Keep the change." He takes the pizza box with one hand and closes the door. "You're a pest you know that."

He let's you go reality finally flooding back into your senses, your body seeming too cold all of a sudden. "I don't want to be in debt to you." You wrap your hands around your body.

"Buy the next one then kitten." He slides it across the counter and opens it up.

"There will be no next one."

You go back to watching your movie, the food dulling the alcohol and any traces of whatever unwanted ideas it provoked. It did make you unreasonably tired and you know by middle of the second movie your eyes are starting to close. You should tell him to lock the door behind him when he leaves, but your mouth feels heavy with sleep and soon enough it takes you.

Sunlight wakes you up first, peaking through your blinds warming your already toasty skin. You knew you had dozed off during the movie, but you had hoped you would wander back into your room instead of the couch. Theres a slight kink in your neck from the angle, but you do feel rather cozy. You close your eyes again, tugging the blankets back up to your neck, and cuddling down into your warm couch.

Your couch was breathing.

You peeked one eye open turning slightly to peer at Coriolanus sleeping soundly next to you. You breath hitches as you glance down seeing your legs entangled under the same blanket. You shout clambering off of him. His body flies up in surprise the same time your foot catches the blankets and you're both crashing to the ground with him on top of you. "What are you doing!" Your hands go to his chest to push him off of you.

"What are you doing!" He yells back hands on either side of your head.

"Why are you sleeping on my couch?" 

"I didn't mean to!"

You crawl out from under him as he sits back on his feet. "I thought you would have left."

He runs a hand through sleep mused hair and you ignore that it's cute now that gel isn't controlling it, "I was going to, but I must have dozed off."

"How did I-..." You couldn't even finish the sentence. How did you end up in his arms?

"I don't know." He shook his head standing up. You must have turned and fallen asleep on his side and then he rolled tucking you into his chest. "I should go." He starts gathering his things and you know it's best he leaves, but for some reason you want to apologize for the bite in your tone. That seemed wrong, you would never apologize to him, never had, never will.

"Snow," You start as he stands by your door. He turns around eyes expecting something, "Don't tell anyone."

Whatever was there in his face is gone, replaced with his normal glare for you, "Wouldn't dream of it." He leaves abruptly the door slamming a little too loud.

Mr. Flickerman had been on to something in assigning you those movies together because it had worked. Maybe it had been the forced proximity, or the threat of being let go in the lead part, but you two got your shit together and pretended to never hate each other while on stage. It's not like you spent the whole play together, you both had other scenes with other characters, but the ones you did have together...

You were dreading the kissing scenes, and thankfully Flickerman was no where near ready to practice them yet. 

It had been a month since that night he had accidentally stayed over and Coriolanus seemed rather docile towards you. He mostly stayed away instead of his normal snide comments and bickering and distant glaring you could feel even with your head turned. You found yourself missing his gaze.

You started feeling rather bad, which was a new and strange feeling, was he starting to put aside this feud and you were holding onto it? You packed up your bag and began making your way to the door. He would have said something, spoken to you about putting aside your long history of differences. You stopped at the door turning back to look at him a strange air to him, like he was...sad.

"Snow." You called watching his head snap up to look at you blue eyes twinkling from the overhead stage lights. You made your way back over to him, "Clemensia is having a birthday party at her apartment tonight."

He raised an eyebrow, "Okay?"

You sighed, "Do you want to come..." You gritted your teeth, "With me?"

"Are you asking me out kitten?" He smirked some life returning to his face at this normal banter.

"No." You slapped his arm. "I'll text you the address, you can meet me there."

"You don't have my number."

This was getting into uncharted waters, "I'll DM you then." You answer walking away before he could convince you to take his number. That was a line you both didn't needed to cross.

Later that night you find your back pressed into the counter you're leaning on as Arachne fills you in on her latest romantic disaster, "She completely ghosted me."

"Does this have anything to do with a face made when you showed up to the restaurant she picked?" You smirk at her over your drink.

She rolled her eyes, "How was I supposed to know she had bad taste, she was into me?"

"You can't judge people so quickly Arch."

She stares pointedly at you, "I think it's perfectly fine to judge quickly especially on the first date." Her gaze lingers away a scowl appearing on her face. "What is he doing here?"

You follow her gaze as Coriolanus walks through the front door. "I invited him."

Her nails dig into your arm. "Excuse me!" You take a long slow drink. "Do I need to leave before a murder happens and if so why wasn't I invited to the planning?"

"No." You laugh. "We're trying to get along for the play."

"You and Coriolanus Snow do not get along." She stated like it was a fact from a history book.

You turned to take a step out of the kitchen, "Emphasis on the trying." You walk away before she can ask anymore questions. Given the fact you had all went to Academy together, she knew the long history between the two of you. "Hey." You offer him a smile taking in the small gift bag in his hand. "You brought a gift."

"You said it was a birthday party." He glared at you.

"It's not that kind of birthday party." You chuckled. 

He shook his head, "So stupid."

"Excuse me?"

His head snapped towards you. "Who has a birthday party that's not actually a birthday party."

You grinned, "Clemensia." Your fake smile slide off of your mouth. "What did you get her anyways?"

"It's nothing." He took a step back.

"Let me see." You took a step forward.

"No."

"Please." You lunged forward but he grabbed your wrist and pulled you until your chest hit his too close for comfort.

His blue eyes flared, "You are so annoying."

You places a hand on his chest ignoring the tone muscles underneath, "Please tell me."

For a moment his eyes flicker down to your pouted lips before he groaned and pushed you away gently. "It's a plush snake." He opened the bag letting you peer inside at the pretty thing. "I remember she used to be into snakes back in school."

"She still is." You genuinely smiles for him and nodded your head. "Want a drink?"

"Sure."

He sets the bag down on an end table for Clemensia to find whenever she was alone and followed you towards the kitchen. "Hi Coriolanus." Arachne cooed at him when she saw the two of you. 

"Be wary, she's in a mood." You muttered. "She had a bad date so she is overly miserable."

"Can't imagine what went wrong." He leaned down to whisper the joke into your ear causing you to actually laugh.

You motioned to the makeshift bar, "Take whatever you want." You go to the fridge where you had secretly stuffed your seltzers and pulled one out.

"So Coriolanus Snow." Arachne called to him too loudly. "What have you been up to these days?"

He shrugged sipping on a beer. "Nothing crazy."

She smirked, "Always the enigma Snow."

"Got to keep em guessing Crane." He winked at her and something rolled in your gut. 

Arachne's laugh is laced with malice, hand landing on his forearm long nails digging in to skin like claws. "Please be nice to my friend...or else."

He leaned in close to her, "No promises."

She shook her head at him, jokingly disapproving of him and walked off letting him slowly turn towards you, "Ignore her."

"Ignore her asking me to be nice to you." Your only response was to take a drink. "In reality we both know you are always crueler than I."

"I beg to differ."

The night passes unceremoniously, you both drink a little bit more, you dance with your friends to loud obnoxious music while the night slips away. You spin around Clemensia laughing along with her when you spy him leaning against the back wall alone, watching you.

Come dance.You mouth watching him shake his head in decline which makes you roll your eyes the small laugh in your chest.

"Go on and save him from boredom." Clem says into your ear pulling you too tight. You look at her suspiciously, but she only nudges you in his direction. "Hey." She calls to you as you step around her, "Be careful." You open your mouth to ask what she means but she's already turned around and dancing again.

You make your way towards him out of breath and flushed. You stare up at him and he stares down at you and you avoid the upward twitch of his fingers as you brush hair out of your face. 

"Wanna get outta here?"

"Where to?"

You smiles, "I think I owe you a pizza."

You make your way onto the streets the traffic lights guiding you through the blocks as artificial night blares down at you. The city is quiet, the only noise coming from a distant police siren and the honking of random traffic. You glance over at him as you meander through street poles while he watches his shoes hit the concrete. "Do you like the city?"

"Do you?"

He only peers forward, "I asked you first."

You sighed, "I think I'm supposed to so I guess so." You move closer to him until you're walking side by side. "Your turn."

"No." He answers quickly, but doesn't elaborate and you know you shouldn't care but the curiosity nestles in tight.

The rest of the walk is comfortably silent as you arrive at the only open pizza place and you even the score by purchasing the large pizza and continuing to walk with it towards the distant shoreline. He doesn't ask anymore questions as he follows you blindly to wherever you're taking him.

You tell him anyways. "I used to come here a lot when I first moved here." You pointed to the dock where the boats bobbed

"Why?"

You shrugged, "I like to watch the boats. It's calming in this jungle of background chatter." You kick off your shoes as the sand starts and walk inward slightly finding the perfect spot and settling in. He sits down next to you, "It's nice to just sit here as they start to peel away and wonder all of the places they could be going."

"They're probably off to get drunk in the middle of the water."

"Maybe," You open the box up. "Maybe not, and that's the fun in it all." He picks up a slice, "Why do you not like it here?"

You eat half of your slice before he finally responds, "Why do you feel like you're supposed to like it?"

"I asked you first."

He shakes his head, a subtle glare in his eyes, theres no malice behind it, "Not doing this with you."

You nudge him with your foot, "Play nice with me remember."

"I don't play well with others."

"You've always played well with me." Because isn't that what this was, what this has always been. A tennis match, a game of chess, the constant back and forth until someone wins. The sentence comes out too gentle of a whisper and he looks away, so you do too watching the sun break the horizon in a blood orange glow splitting the sky into bright pinks and indigos. You realize you've been out all night with him and for some reason the thought isn't followed by regret. "There goes one." You point as the small boat peels away from the others and out into the dark waters a small horn blaring in the distance. 

His lips part, "I feel small here." Your eyes shoot over to him too quickly. "I want to be great, I want to have power, but so does everyone else and I feel like I'll never be seen." He looks over at you, "I want to be great or I want to be nothing."

You know you need to answer, spill your minuscule confession, but it seemed too raw to let his go. He wanted you to let it go because letting you hear it would be wrong, you don't tell your enemy your darkest secrets, yet he had spoke it anyways. "My father wants me to like it, wants me to be what he wants me to be." You drag your finger through the sand. "So I am."

"What do you want be?"

You look at him again, the sun reflecting in his blue eyes like the waves in the water rippling off the shore, "Me."

He raises his eyebrow jokingly, "And who is that?"

"Wouldn't you like to know Snow." You smile.

"I've always known who you are." He stretches his legs out leaning back on his hands. "An annoying, nosy pain in my ass."

You close the pizza box climbing to your feet and wiping your hands off on your clothes. You stare down at him as the morning sun beats down on your back. You hold out your hand, "You are as much a pain in my ass as I am to you, but..." He cocks his head to the side playfully watching you as if he knew where this was going. "You've grown on me this past month, so I'm willing to consider a truce."

He takes your hand standing up, "Is this what you say to all the guys kitten?" You roll your eyes, "Fine I'll be your friend since you asked so desperately."

You ignore that he's still holding your hand, ignore how soft it is, how perfect it cradles yours. "A truce, not friends, at least until this play is over." You pack up the pizza letting him carry it as you begin the journey homeward walking side by side, the sunrise guiding your paths home.

chapter 3 coming soon!

[jo-harrington]

A Very Corroded Black Friday AKA Extended Holiday Hours CCFest x SMVerse Eddie Munson x Store Manager!Reader

CCFest Black Friday Prompt: One Day Only

Summary: In an unprecedented turn for 1986, StarCourt Mall announces that it's staying open for 24 Hours on Black Friday. Eddie barely survived a regular shift last year; what will happen when he and his friends embark on an adventure during the dreaded Extended Holiday Hours? It's one day only. How bad could it be?

Word Count: 5.6k

Rating: T

Warnings/Themes: No Upside Down AU, Friendship, Fluff, Angst, Humor, Character Growth, established relationship between Eddie and the Claire's Store Manager (reader), references to media and pop culture, retail and food service themes

Notes: Thanks to @corrodedcoffinfest for another fantastic pop-up, this one absolutely up my alley.

This fic is set in my Store Manager Verse. It's a very fluffy friends-to-lovers story about Eddie, who works at Tape World, and the Claire's Store Manager. This installment will be set in 1986 and I'll do my best to make it as digestible as possible for anyone who hasn't read SMVerse. Just know that the focus will be on Corroded Coffin more than Eddie and Reader.

I might be a smidge late with this than I hoped I would be; I had my own Black Friday nightmares to deal with today. Such is the world of retail. Hope you enjoy the shenanigans of our favorite guys.

You can find my masterlist here.

Please do not interact if you are not 18+.

Enjoy!

November 27, 1986 - Thanksgiving 11:45PM

"Do we have to go in?"

"Yes."

"What if we all faked our deaths and changed our names?"

"Then you can't buy your mom that glass bird she wanted for Christmas, dingus."

"We could just sell one of Dave's kidneys to buy the bird."

"Why one of my kidneys? She's your mom!"

"Considering how many 'your mom' jokes I've had to hear, it might as well be your kidney."

"Guys!" you shouted to get them all to stop their bickering. "It'll be alright. It's just Black Friday. We'll survive."

"Barely," Eddie grumbled from his spot in the driver's seat.

"You're not helping," you scoffed at him.

You were all piled into the van, staring at the brightly-lit entrance to StarCourt Mall as though it was the gate to hell.

As a matter of fact, it might as well have been. There was already a line of grouchy, cold customers gathered outside the entrance to the mall, and each time a group of employees approached to be let in by mall security, they started shouting and getting restless, as though the doors were about to open for them instead of the poor souls that would inevitably be the targets of their shitty behavior.

After a year of being open, the excitement around the new and shiny StarCourt Mall had faded. Now it was just The Mall, much like every new shopping center became after the novelty wore off. People still shopped, of course they did, but mall management seemed to like the hype that had surrounded StarCourt upon their grand opening.

So they came up with a gimmick that got them on the news and in the papers and had all of the residents of Roane County talking: Extended Holiday Hours.

In fact, not just any extended hours.

The mall would be open for 24 Hours on Black Friday.

Actually, it wouldn't just be open. It was a whole event.

There would be gift certificates for the first 100 customers who entered the mall, raffles and giveaways, free snacks and hot cocoa available all day, and all the pomp and circumstance surrounding Santa's long-awaited arrival to Roane County as his workshop opened for families to snap their perfect holiday pictures.

Gag.

Although you were well-versed in retail with a store of your own--that you'd volunteered to work the whole 24 hours with a sneaky nap in the stock room slipped in--Eddie had only experienced one Black Friday, as a mid-shift. And Jeff, Gareth, and Dave? This would be their first holiday season in retail, let alone a crazy gimmick on the biggest shopping day of the year.

So the Gates of Hell? Yeah, they were actually looking pretty tame compared to StarCourt Mall.

As if sensing your sudden and uncharacteristic trepidation, Eddie sat a little straighter and took on a look of determination.

"Alright," he rallied as the clock on the dashboard clicked closer to midnight. "Are we gonna sit in here and freeze to death as we wait in fear? Or are we gonna go in there and try our best? Because those paychecks are gonna look pretty nice if we survive.

"So what do you guys say?"

He turned back to his younger friends, eyebrows raised expectantly.

They all glanced at each other before they all shouted for Eddie to start the van and drive them all home.

"Unbelievable," he grumbled and yanked his keys from the ignition so he could climb out of the van himself.

You and the others followed suit and you walked towards the entrance together, in solidarity, before splitting off to your respective stores once you were in.

StarCourt's 24-Hour Black Friday Blowout was One Day Only.

How bad could it possibly be?

3:15AM Gareth - Hot Dog on a Stick

Gare didn't know how people could be hungry for something from the food court in the middle of the goddamned night when they'd just gorged themselves on Thanksgiving dinner and surely had plenty of leftovers back home.

At least, that was the mindset he had when he agreed to being on the opening shift for Black Friday.

Hot Dog on a Stick hadn't been his first choice for a job; actually, he thought that he'd be a shoe-in for getting rehired at Santa's Workshop, just like he'd done last year for some extra cash. Unfortunately, he'd been a little too late with his application.

"Food Court's always hiring though," his old boss suggested sympathetically.

So Hot Dog on a Stick it was.

He thought the job would be easy, especially the opening shift for Black Friday. He'd had his training shifts and they had gone so well! He figured they'd be like that. 8 hours of eating funnel cake fries and thinking of the perfect gifts for his friends and flirting with his coworker, Annie, until it was time to go home.

Maybe he'd even get the balls to ask her out by the time they clocked out.

He should have known that expectation would definitely not meet reality.

And everything that could go wrong definitely did.

He'd burned the first batch of hot dogs that they'd prepared as they opened for business. He swore he'd only turned to get a glimpse of Annie's perfect profile for just a second as she talked and laughed with their shift lead. Next thing he knew, the fryer was beeping and the oil was bubbling and he was scrambling to get the hot dogs out as quickly as he could before the fire alarms went off.

His rotation at the register wasn't much better.

You know, he was actually pretty good at keeping track of things in DnD. Jeff was the more superior note-taker, but Gareth was actually the one who caught all of the little intricacies that Jeff seemed to miss.

Taking orders from people was an entirely different story, though. He couldn't seem to press the right buttons on the cash register, and if he did and he got lucky, he forgot to charge them for something else. The line of customers just got longer and longer, and angrier and angrier, and his shift lead kept coming over to fix his mistakes.

He was about to scream when he felt Annie's hand on his shoulder.

"Why don't I take over for you," she smiled sympathetically. "I'm pretty good on the register. If you want to just focus on getting everyone's orders together?"

He swallowed his frustration, nodded dumbly, and listened to the suggestion.

The longer he kept his head down and focused on the task at hand, the more dejected he felt. This job was chaotic and fast-paced and unlike anything he'd ever done in his life. There were so many eyes on him and he kept messing up. It had only been 3 hours and somehow he felt like he never wanted to come back again.

Soon, it was time for him to take his lunch. He was already so sick of the smell of food that he skipped his own lovingly-packed leftovers in favor of walking around the mall. As he dodged wayward customers shuffling from one store to the next, laden with shopping bags, he contemplated ripping his stupid hat off his head and quitting.

Money or no money, he didn't care; his shift lead could take his stupid job and shove it.

When he returned to the food court, though, he saw something that made him change his mind.

Annie was in the back, sitting on an overturned milk crate, with her head in her hands as she cried quietly.

"Hey," he said, trying not to startle her. "You ok?"

"No!" she wailed and looked up at him. Her eyes were filled with fire, but they softened as they landed on Gareth. "No. Some lady called me stupid because I wouldn't accept her dumb StarCourt Black Friday coupon. It even said 'excludes food court' on it, and she refused. Then when I refused to get a manager to give her a discount, she squirted me with mustard and said '"'the customer is always right.'"

Lo and behold, the front of her multicolor uniform was stained with splotches of yellow mustard.

"What a bitch," Gareth swore.

"Yeah," she sniffed. "What a bitch."

The two of them stared at each other for a second before they laughed and shared more of their woes with each other.

Gareth quickly realized that as bad as he had it at this shitty job, his coworkers had it just as bad, if not worse. And it would all be ok, because they had each other to complain to and make faces at.

So he might quit, one day. Maybe even tomorrow. But it certainly wouldn't be today.

6:00AM Dave - Spencer's Gifts

"Where do you think you're going, David?"

Dave froze at the voice behind him as he crept closer and closer to the front of the store. He turned and found himself under the unsettling--and quite frankly creepy--gaze of his boss, Henry Creel.

"Uh," he fidgeted. "Hey Henry. What's up? You need me on register?"

He knew that Henry most certainly did not need him on register, and he fidgeted under that intense stare as Henry folded his arms over his chest and waited for Dave to fess up to...whatever it was that he was up to.

See, Dave wasn't as stupid as he was making himself out to be here; actually, he was pretty clever. But he was the worst when it came to confrontation.

Expectation.

Or possibly a simple case of indecision.

This whole thing started because he needed a job. Who didn't? But given the way you and Eddie and Gareth went on and on about working at the mall, he'd been enticed into applying at almost every store at StarCourt.

Spencer's had been his dream, short of rock star or sex symbol or Geddy Lee's muse. How could it not be? The lewd t-shirts and the gag gifts. Of course, with a manager like Henry, he thought that he'd bombed the interview.

That's why when Mr. Newby had called and offered him a seasonal position at Radio Shack, he'd said yes immediately.

Dave had been ecstatic. He already liked the jovial, older man. He was not only friendly to his customers but he was friendly to his employees too. Dave really felt like he was part of the family when he'd gone into orientation.

So why was he currently at Spencer's?

Because after he'd hung up the phone with Bob, Henry had called to offer him another seasonal position.

His dream job at StarCourt.

What could he possibly do but accept the job? Accept both jobs. Especially when Bob was so nice to him, and Henry was so off-putting.

Dave figured...he was done with school, there wouldn't be anything wrong with having two jobs and juggling both schedules and band practice and DnD. That should've been the end of it.

He'd gone to orientations and training shifts. He got shiny plastic name tags and keys to the locked cases and quickly made friends with his coworkers. Everything was going swimmingly.

Until his Black Friday shifts overlapped entirely.

He tried to bring it up to both of his managers but every time he tried to open his mouth and say something, he lost his nerve.

In the end he figured if he was smart about it, he could work both shifts simultaneously.

And he had been smart about it. Radio Shack and Spencer's were almost right across from each other in the same wing at StarCourt. With the massive crowds of customers to take advantage of, plus some well-planned breaks and lunches, and some over-staffing for the big day, he could sneak across the hall every so often and no one would know any better.

He switched his name tags and his keyring, dedicating his left pocket to Radio Shack and his right pocket to Spencer's.

And it had been working.

Until now.

He and Henry stared at each other, as if waiting for the other to break, but Dave had never been good at staring contests and Henry seemed like he never needed to blink. Dave's eyes watered and his resolve wavered as his fear of confrontation got the best of him.

"Alright," Dave threw his hands over his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to do it, I just couldn't tell you that I had a job at Radioshack or Bob that I had another job here. I didn't want to let either of you down. And I know I should just pick one store, but I like both jobs and I...I don't know...I don't know! I'm sorry!"

He hung his head in shame and waited for the older man to yell at him or tell him that he was fired or to get lost. He wouldn't even blame Henry if he turned him around and gave him a swift kick in the ass.

Instead, his boss crossed the distance and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You know, you could've just told me about the situation with your other job," Henry told him earnestly.

"Seriously?" Dave asked, dumbstruck.

"I'm not gonna fire you because you have a second job," Henry snorted. "There's nothing wrong with that. Joey works weekends at Bradley's too, and I work with him to make sure he isn't overworking himself as much as I can. I know I can be a little...intense sometimes, but I'm your manager, not a villain."

Dave forced himself to laugh along with his boss.

"I'll let you have an extra fifteen if you want to go and explain the situation to Bob. And you can decide which store you want to finish off the rest of your shift at."

"Alright. Thanks Henry."

Henry clapped him on the shoulder and then nodded towards RadioShack.

Dave thanked him again and then started to walk away, when he paused and turned back to Henry.

"Hey, uh, how'd you find out?" Dave asked. "That I was sneaking out of the store?"

"Well," Henry took a breath and folded his arms over his chest. "It took some serious observation skills, some detective work on my part. You honestly did a good job of sneaking back and forth in my opinion. I didn't realize it until five minutes ago when you made one fatal mistake."

"Seriously? What did I do wrong?"

Henry took a step forward and flicked a finger against Dave's chest.

"You're still wearing your Radio Shack name tag."

9:05AM Jeff - Sam Goody

Jeff was a pretty easy going guy, if he could say so himself.

He was funny, he was level-headed, he was attentive and a good friend, and he could get his friends out of a pinch if and when they needed him. And since he started this job, he found out that he was a pretty damn good employee too!

But today, of all days, he had a problem.

"Hey Jeffy," his coworker, Gina, snickered over the headset. "Your stalker is back."

And that problem was named Edward J. Munson.

"I think he's hiding behind the dump bins of discount cassettes Jeff, if you wanna deal with that?" His manager chimed in, causing Jeff to groan and abandon his spot in the back of the store.

Jeff couldn't exactly say that he blamed Eddie, really.

Well, that wasn't exactly true. Eddie was the reason they were both in this predicament in the first place.

Jeff had just wanted a job, just like everyone else, and he figured it would be really cool if he could work at Tape World alongside Eddie. It was a job that revolved around music, and over the course of the last year or so, Jeff had really witnessed Eddie develop another layer of confidence in himself, especially after losing it all the first two times he failed to graduate.

Now look at him, he was a keyholder at a job he was really good at, he finally graduated high school, and he had a girlfriend? He had really come into his own.

Jeff felt like it was his turn now.

Especially as he put any serious college plans on hold so they could focus on the band once Gareth graduated in June. Sure, he took a few classes at the tri-county community college and even had a job at the book store on campus. But music was his passion, just like Eddie's. So a job at Tape World made the most sense.

Only Eddie had said no.

Actually, he blamed you. Said you told him not to help his friends get a job once-upon-a-time, because that just put a strain on friendships.

And Jeff could understand how you'd come to that conclusion; shit, they had enough creative differences with Corroded Coffin sometimes.

So Jeff turned to the next-best option: Sam Goody.

Because there wasn't just one music store in the mall. There were two. Just because he couldn't work at Tape World didn't mean that he couldn't work at any music store.

But that had been a little too much for Eddie to stomach, apparently.

"Traitor!" he had wailed when Jeff excitedly broke the news to him. He'd fallen to his knees and clutched his chest as though his heart was about to burst. "How could you do this to me? To us. Didn't you learn your lesson when we watched the Godfather? Never go against the family Fredo!"

"It's just a job Eddie," Jeff argued as he nudged his friend where he was dramatically lying prone on the ground. "I'm not a traitor. I'm not going against the family."

No matter how much Jeff tried to defend himself, though, Eddie couldn't seem to get over the hurdle. Especially not today of all days, where he crept down the hall to sneak into Sam Goody and spy on Jeff every chance he got.

Breaks, trips to the loading dock to take out garbage, he even brought you along when you guys went on lunch together. He tried to be as stealthy as he could, ducking behind displays or holding a magazine over his face, but the whole Sam Goody staff recognized Eddie after the first two hours of the day. And after a good 9 hours of endless greetings and sales spiels and customer interactions, Jeff was starting to lose his mind, hallucinating Eddies all around the store. If someone wore a denim vest or leather jacket or a pair of brown eyes stared at him through a video display, well that must be Eddie.

Now his shift was almost over, enough was enough, and Eddie needed a swift talking to so that Jeff didn't have to put up with this nonsense for the rest of his life.

Or, at the very least, until his boss got sick of Eddie's antics and fired him.

Jeff circumnavigated the store so that he could sneak behind Eddie, and when he found the older boy crouched behind a cardboard standee of Cyndi Lauper, he lifted his foot and kicked Eddie right in the ass.

"Fah...rts," Eddie caught himself before he swore in front of a group of kids. He turned and glared at Jeff. "Farts, Jeffrey. What the hell was that for?"

"Why are you playing Mission: Impossible in my store, Ed?" Jeff questioned in response.

"I think you answered your own question there," Eddie sniffed haughtily. "Mission: Impossible. Reconnaissance. Scoping out the competition. Someone has to do it, especially since someone decided to turn to the dark side."

"I didn't turn to the dark side!" Jeff threw his hands in the air. "I'm not a traitor, I didn't betray our friendship, because I work at a rival store that you do."

"No but that's exactly what it is. I wouldn't help you get a job at Tape World, so you decided you'd break my heart by working for my nemesis."

"I don't think Sam Goody is your nemesis, Eddie," Jeff snorted.

"It's commercial," Eddie argued. "It's mainstream. It's--"

"It's a job," Jeff interjected. "I make $3.50 per hour and I get one free tape per month if I work more than 20 hours. It's fun here, I like my coworkers. I like the job. And I'm sure I would've liked it if I worked at Tape World with you too."

"You could've had fun selling candles at Wicks and Sticks!"

Jeff felt a pang in his chest, and although he could see the pain in Eddie's eyes, he needed to put his own feelings first. For once.

"I wanted to work someplace I enjoyed." He shrugged dejectedly. "You're always telling us to follow our hearts. So I did. And if that means that I'm a traitor...that I'm your nemesis now...I guess that's exactly what I am. And you don't need to worry about driving your nemesis home from work Ed. Have a great day."

He turned on his heel to head back towards his section to finish off his shift, heart plummeting into his ass as he realized that this nonsense probably cost him his closest friend.

But a hand clamped on his arm and stopped him before he got much further.

Jeff turned back and raised a questioning brow at Eddie.

"Can I help you find anything today sir?" he asked.

Eddie's mouth opened and closed a few times as he found the right words, face scrunched with, what Jeff knew was, self-loathing. Finally, he spoke.

"I thought," he paused for a moment to lick his lips. "I thought you took this job because you were mad at me for not getting you a job at Tape World. I hadn't realized it was because you actually wanted to...to work at a store like this."

"Damn Ed, are you the only one who can suggest music to people?" Jeff snarked.

"Considering I have the correct taste in music, yes," Eddie responded without missing a beat. But his expression got soft again. "But I'll let you tell people to listen to...I dunno Bon Jovi or whatever it is you guys sell here. As long as you're having fun doing it."

"I am," Jeff nodded, and then smiled widely. "I really like working here Eddie."

"Good."

"Good."

"Alright then," Eddie cleared his throat and clapped a hand on Jeff's shoulder. "We're good then."

"Yeah."

"Then I only need to come and spy to make sure they're treating you well."

"No more spying Eddie!" Jeff laughed.

"Fine!" Eddie groaned and rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. "No more spying."

2:35 PM Eddie - Tape World

Eddie was exhausted.

He hadn't expected to work a double, but he seemed to draw the short straw when Paulie showed up for his shift and promptly puked all over the front of the store.

Lucky bastard, getting some kind of food poisoning from Thanksgiving dinner.

Honestly, Eddie would rather be sick in bed instead of surrounded by screaming customers and all of the new hires that were now his responsibility to corral around the god damned store.

"Why me?" he whined to Kyle as his boss stood in front of the bathroom mirror and fixed the novelty turkey hat on his head.

"Because I don't want to," Kyle snorted.

"It's good to be the king, isn't it," Eddie swatted the turkey off Kyle's head, earning a groan from the older man. "Come on, I'm already picking up Paulie's shift, have Mitch babysit the new kids. I'll do all the returns. Every customer complaint. For the rest of my shift."

"You," Kyle poked a finger into Eddie's chest, "constantly refer to yourself as a shepherd with your little sheepies. I'm just adding to your flock. It's a bunch of kids from the high school. You need to work on your leadership skills if you wanna promote to ASM one day. This is how you get there.

"Just preach the good word about metal to them and do a few headbangs to hypnotize them, and then have them work on alphabetizing tapes. Easy squeezy."

And God Bless Kyle, because as good of a boss as he was to Eddie and the rest of the team--the older brother they never realized they wanted or needed--he was honestly a liar and an asshole.

Keeping an eye on the new hires was not easy or squeezy.

Eddie seriously didn't think that he had as bad of a time last year when he was new. But he guessed that last year he had a few months of experience under his belt before black friday. These kids were fresh.

A poindexter-type kid named Lawrence--not to be referred to as Larry by any means--who actually complained about how loud the music was inside of the store before he wandered off on his own and Eddie couldn't be bothered with him.

A blue-haired punk girl with a mohawk who dared to call him a freak and criticize him for his t-shirt. He hadn't even needed to tell her to go and organize the tapes, she took the initiative herself after she called the store a pig stye.

Eddie had to respect that.

Lastly, there was the one...

The only...

Mike fucking Wheeler.

"What? How did you get a job here Wheeler?" Eddie scoffed and crossed his arms. "I even told Jeff that he couldn't work here. Conflict of interest. No working with friends."

"Who said?" Mike whined.

"Mom says," Eddie emphasized the kids nickname for you.

"Bullshit. Besides, I'm already hired, and I'm here now. So you're just gonna have to deal with it."

Eddie grit his teeth as Mike grinned smugly.

"Kyle!!!!" He shouted across the store for his boss.

There was no way he was going to work with Mike Wheeler.

Unfortunately, that was exactly what he had to do.

And speaking of shepherd and sheep, that's exactly what Eddie and Mike looked like. Eddie went to help a customer and Mike trailed right behind him. Eddie labeled markdowns, Mike was labeling them too. Eddie suggested Metallica to a customer, Mike would interject with his favorite Metallica album to them.

The album which happened to also be Eddie's favorite as well.

It was honestly getting a bit annoying.

"He probably misses you," you offered when Eddie jogged upstairs to see how you were faring on the second leg of your own lengthy shift. "He looks up to you. And Dustin does too. And Lucas. They all do. This is probably a treat to hang out with you since you graduated. Be nice to him."

Eddie leaned closer to mutter in your ear, "He's waiting outside right now sweetheart."

"Ok," you sighed. "That's a little weird. Send him off on his own break. Give him a task of his own. Show him how to use the register. He doesn't need to follow you helplessly; you're letting him do it."

Eddie tried.

He absolutely did.

Mike was hopeless though.

Register training went about as badly as it could on Black Friday, with several buttons jamming and the cash drawer getting stuck in the open position.

Eddie even tried to get Mike to sweep, and Mike took it upon himself to actually mop the floors. Mop. On black friday. With a store full of customers.

Yeah, that was a disaster.

And Eddie could feel his blood pressure skyrocketing.

All while Kyle oversaw the whole store and laughed at every mishap.

Thankfully, the end of his shift was imminent, and he would be free of Mike Wheeler. At least until the next shift they had together.

"Maybe I'll have a stroke before then," he sighed and headed to the stock room to get his things so he could go and pass out back home.

Only to find Mike sitting at the little desk waiting for him.

"You did good today, Wheeler," he sighed and beelined for the little locker that held his things. He at least tried to put a little bit of a positive attitude on for Mike. It was his first day, after all. "It'll all get easier next time, you'll see. Just like learning to ride a bike."

"Uh," Mike scratched the back of his neck and shuffled back and forth. "I don't think I'll be coming back."

Eddie froze and stared at the younger boy.

"What?"

"Yeah, I...I just don't think I'm cut out for a job like this," he shrugged. "You make it look so easy."

"Practice. It takes practice," Eddie insisted. "What did I just say? Learning to ride a bike. You've gotta fall off a few times first. Scrape your knees and all that shit."

"Well, I think I'm in intensive care with the number of times I fell off today," Mike let out a self-deprecating laugh. "So I think it's time to return the bike. I'll tell Kyle when I leave."

"No you're not gonna tell Kyle shit," Eddie demanded. "Because you're not quitting. Come on Mike, I've seen you face the craziest monsters I could throw at a player in DnD and not blink an eye. You've got bravery, you've got guts. What is this?"

"This is different Eddie. I'm brave when I have my friends around," Mike sighed. "When I'm alone, I'm worthless."

And oh, Eddie Munson's heart--which was, admittedly, pretty big to begin with--grew three sizes at that.

Maybe you were right, that he was just being a grouch because Mike was a little snot-nosed punk. But Mike was one of his snot-nosed punks, and he wasn't gonna let one of his friends think that they were going through it alone.

Because he had thought he'd been alone so many times, and all he had to do was look past his own nose to see that there were plenty of people there to rally for him.

He took a breath and crouched down so he could look Mike in the eye.

"Hey kid, you're not alone here," he began gently. "I wouldn't have told you that you did a good job today if I didn't mean it. And it might seem like you're alone here because it's a new and scary experience. But you're not alone. You have me. And I'll be here to lead you through until you can face the scary world that is StarCourt on your own. You hear me?"

Mike's eyes darted back and forth between Eddie's before his face broke into a wide smile.

"Thanks Eddie," he cheered.

"Don't mention it."

"I'll do my best, I promise," Mike insisted. "I won't let you down, and...and..."

"I said don't mention it," Eddie stood straight and ruffled Mike's hair, then nodded towards the door. "You better go clock out and head home. I'm sure your mom has a turkey sandwich waiting for you at home."

Mike scurried out of the stockroom and Eddie turned back to his locker, and when he closed it, Kyle was suddenly there, grinning like the cheshire cat.

"Look at you, developing those leadership skills," he told Eddie proudly.

"I fucking hate you," Eddie snarked at him, then sighed. In that moment, he realized that this was a passing the torch sort of moment. Kyle had passed it to him when he gave Eddie a chance, and now Eddie was passing that torch to Mike by giving him the chance. He wouldn't fuck it up.

"Thanks Kyle."

November 28, 1986 Claire's - 12:10AM

You were dead by the time you and the closing team trudged out of StarCourt.

The mall itself looked like something out of a horror movie. The lights were off. It was practically abandoned and trash was everywhere. The mall muzak was shut off and there was the sound of a distant store radio that was still on somewhere, playing a haunting, off-tune saxophone.

But you survived. You and your team and countless other teams survived the epic StarCourt 24 Hour Blowout and you, thankfully, would be working the mid-shift tomorrow so you could sleep in.

You all exited the mall and into the employee lot, and you waved goodbye to your team as you approached the van that waited where Eddie had parked it almost a whole day prior.

"You better have gone home and actually gotten some rest," you announced as you threw open the passenger door to the familiar sight of Eddie and a bag of McDonalds, while Beth softly played on the stereo.

You pulled the van door shut behind you as Eddie sung along and then leaned across the console to drop a sleepy smooch of both greeting and gratitude on his lips.

"I did after I finished my double," Eddie said after a few soft kisses. "How are you doing?"

"I'm hoping that this fucking spectacle doesn't become a tradition," you announced and gestured towards the mall before you dug into the bag of food. "I don't think I can do another twenty-four-hour Black Friday again."

Eddie took in the sight of you, looking even more worse for wear than you had last Black Friday during a normal 8-hour shift.

"Yeah, well, you know what they say," he chuckled. "Gotta do something more than once if you wanna consider it a tradition."

"And is this our tradition now?" you asked.

"What? One of us has a rough Black Friday shift and the other feeds them."

"No," you snorted. "McDonalds and KISS when you pick me up from work?"

Eddie contemplated it for a moment, "you know what, it's not the worst tradition to have. What do you think?"

You sighed and sunk into the passenger's seat as you chomped away on hot, salty fries. You knew that you wanted to ask him about his day, and about the rest of the band and how their shifts went, but for now...

"I think it's perfect."

[otherpeoplesheartachept-2]

Day 4: Daydreaming

It's been a very long day, and Penny just wants to study, but her annoying pixie roommate and new girlfriend won't let her relax. Penny can't help but imagine a better situation.

Rating: G

Length: 940

Warnings: none

Read on Ao3 or below :)

It had been a long day: Penny’s period started, the Humdrum sent flying neetles to attack Watford, and Penny missed lunch because she had to pick their annoying little pins out of her skin. So all Penelope Bunce wanted to do was relax. But of course, she opened her door to find Trixie and her new girlfriend giggling like the unfortunate victims of a potent love potion. 

Penny shut the door forcefully and sat at her desk. Was it too much to ask to get some peace in her own damn room? “Diplomacy is nearly as important as your studies,” her mother's words rang in her head, and Penelope does try to listen to her mother. So she took a deep breath and did her best to focus on her schoolwork despite the crowded enclosure.  

It’s not that Trixie and Keris were taking up a lot of space. They were sitting on Trixie's bed, mushed against each other as if they’d been put in a vacuumed sealed bag. And they just kept giggling. Penelope wondered if she could add that to the Roommate List of Banned Activities. After all, Trixie had just added a rule about no magickal tomes allowed on the floor between their beds.

Trixie whispered, far too loudly, “I love you,” to Keris. 

Penny rolled her eyes. She needed silence to study, but Trixie didn’t seem to understand that. They’d had that argument far too many times.

She wasn't going to say anything, but Penny felt it was well within her rights to make her feelings known.

Penelope opened her bookbag angrily. She slammed her textbooks on the desk angrily. She flipped to the right page in her notebook angrily. She took the cap off her pen angrily and even clicked it on to the other end of the pen angrily. 

But they didn’t take the hint. The two of them were still flirting, and despite Penelope’s best efforts to ignore the couple, out of the corner of her eye she saw Trixie planting kisses all over Keris’ face. 

Penny wanted to vomit. 

She shook her head, trying to erase the image, and turned her eyes back to her textbook. Penny tried reading the section on spell casting traditions from medieval Britain, but Trixie wouldn’t stop being in love so loudly. 

Penny started over at the top of the page but her head was invaded by what she imagined the couple was murmuring on about.

“Ooo I’m Keris and I’m so…” okay well, Penelope didn't know Keris that well so she didn't know what she would be saying. But she knew Trixie was probably saying something like:

“Ooo I’m Trixie the Pixie, I’m infuriatingly adorable and unbelievably cheerful!” (Every sentence Trixie uttered ended with an exclamation point.) “I smell like vanilla and cherry blossoms! And wet moss when I cast! My hair is pink now! Don’t you just loveeee it!! It makes me look even cuter! And omg I saw the cuuuuuttest puppy today!! 

We should get a puppy together, Keris! We should get a flat together and get married! I love you sooooo much Keris, even though we just started talking two months ago! I learned a spell to explode the most pink, most sparkly glitter imaginable alllllll over my (shared) bedroom to show you how much I love you!!! And I’m gonna make my roommate clean up the mess! It's not like I could spend time with my roommate who I've known for years instead! It's not like Penelope would want to help me study, or learn new spells, or hold my hand on the way to the classes we share. Or giggle with me on my bed after school. Or kiss me on the Great Lawn, at sunset, when the weather is warm and inviting, and I’d taste so sweet, like that cotton candy lip balm I let Penny borrow in 3rd year. And I’d hold my small hand against her cheek. And when she runs her fingers through my soft hair I’d smile against her lips. 

I’d do everything I could to cherish the moment. To commit the unbelievable feeling to memory. We both want this so badly. I can’t stop. I want Penny to deepen the kiss, and she does. She presses closer and closer to me. I hold her tightly. I can’t let this end, it’s all I’ve ever wanted, not the roommate rules, or the petty insults. I just want us, our lips pressed together and-”

“Can’t you two love each other anywhere else!?!” Penelope explodes, snapping out of her disturbing daydream. 

Keris blushed and hid her face in the crook of Trixie’s neck. 

“We aren’t breaking any of the rules, Penelope,” Trixie smiled.

Penny let out a deep sigh. Her chair scraped across the wood floor as she stood to add to the Roommate List of Banned Activities they have magicked to the wall between their desks. 

In a neat script she wrote out, No Girlfriends in the Room before triumphantly crossing her arms as Trixie read the wall.

“That’s just homophobic, Penny,” Trixie points out.

“Well-!” Penny attempted to respond but she was at a loss. Hell’s Bells. She faced the list again, but mostly to hide her embarrassment. 

“I’m going to the library, there are fifteen more grimoires I need to bring back and study.”

Penny was very pleased with herself. Not only would more books in the room annoy her roommate, but now she had an excuse to look for fifteen books from the Watford library. 

Trixie only rolled her eyes as Penelope shoved her things back into her bag and rushed out to the hallway.