#Yeah I'm the only one here who cares about this.

[cookiecakecookie-cake]

Hi I really like your writing. I have a request. For cookies of your choice, let's say they had someone close to them (romantic or platonic) that pulled an Odysseus were the reader set out to the licorice sea, was presumed deceased, and came back years later all scarred up. Cookies and Epic have invades my brain. Thanks for reading.

No way.... odysseus..... like my blorbo outis limbus company that im soooso normalll abouttt... (i didnt make this video but god i wish i did) anyways, i hope you don't mind the fact that i took this and RAN with it. mwehehehe -cookie cake

No More Going Back

(Pre-corruption!Mystic Flour Cookie/Burning Spice Cookie/Shadow Milk Cookie x Reader)

Inspired in part by I'll Take You by @/brittle-doughie

cws: angst, lots of talk about death & war, shouting/arguments and brief descriptions of dead bodies.

War was on the edge of the horizon. Your gazed out at sea. Far off in the distance, there was a nation that intended to take all you sought dear. Then and there, you decided that there was no other choice. You were going to protect the ones you loved or die trying.

-----

"-And when I'm gone, I want you to take care of yourself, alright? I won't be around to get rid of overtly greedy cookies and I know everyone will be wanting a lot during these trying times. If you ever need help, know you can rely on-"

"My love, I am not a child."

You sigh, "I know but I worry." Wheat Flour Cookie was a cookie who often gave herself to others in surplus, leaving little left for herself. You didn't want anybody to use her because of that and she was more than aware of that fact.

"I'll ask the people of the temple for help if I need anything and I will keep in mind of my limits as to who I can and cannot help." She held your face in her hands as she spoke, making sure you caught every one of her words loud and clear.

"You promise?"

"I promise... That is, if you promise, in return, to come back safely." You smile, gently resting your forehead on hers. "I promise, my grace."

-----

CLANG!

Your spear clashed against the Red Spice Cookie's own parashu, sending sparks across the area. You hold that for a moment, before deflecting his attack, making the great force of his weapon crash uselessly against the ground. He tries to charge you again, but you manage to easily parry, sending his weapon hurtling across the room. You angle your spear at his throat.

"You loose." You state, very matter-of-factly.

"You really don't take any hostages, do you, dear?" He brushes the spear away with the back of his hand. You pull the spear away from him, walking to put it away.

"The only hostage I'd take is you, my ember."

You can't see him, but you can sense the fond eye roll from across the room.

You dock your weapon back in the rack you got it from. "... You were distracted. I can tell."

"You don't miss a single detail, either." He gets up, stretching his back. You can hear a couple bones pop. "... There's been a lot on my mind lately."

"You have a lot on your plate, I could only imagine." You walk back over to him, trying to assess if there were any injuries you should attend to. "Just... come back to me in one piece, alright? I'm going to be incredibly bored without my hearth." He grumbled, heating up at your careful observation.

"Of course. I can't keep you waiting for too long, can I?" You leave a sweet peck on his cheek.

-----

"... So, that's it then? You're just... going off without me?" Blueberry Milk Cookie stared, completely baffled. You tried to avoid his eyes as much as you could.

"You make it sound like I'm ending our relationship."

"Well, you might as well be!!"

The Fount of Knowledge was seen by all as a figure of intellectualism. Rationality. Yet, here he stood, clinging to your uniform with a look that you know you can't meet.

"This is important to me. To us. If I don't do something, we might loose everything."

"Have you considered loosing you may be even worse?!"

"... I have."

"Oh yeah! Sure! Uh-huh! Talk like you have eeeeverything under control, why don't you! Like everything's going to go well! Sure! Go off and play hero and DIE and leave me here with NOTHING!"

"Blueberry, I-"

"Oh no, nonono NO! You don't get to 'Blueberry' me, right now! Have you considered what this is going to be like for me?! I'll have to manage everything by myself and you KNOW those cookies are as blind as bats if they don't like the reality of what they're seeing! If you go off and DIE out there, what am I going to do, then, huh?! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!?" He held onto your shoulders with a desperation that you have never seen on his face before.

"I..."

"'I' WHAT?!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" You finally looked him in the eyes. They were angry, yes, but they were also full of fear. His worry streamed down his perfect face. "I don't... know. And it's impossible for me to know, just as it's impossible for one cookie to know everything. But what I do know is that the lives of the cookies around us are at stake if this isn't handled with care."

"... And there's nobody else that can take your place? No one?" He tried one last time to stop you, to keep you safe, with him.

"Do you know anyone as smart as me when it comes to the battlefield?"

"I'm not in the mood for jokes." It was time for him to try and dodge your gaze, looking away from you.

"I'm sorry, my love. I don't want this either. I'm left with no choice." You try to reach out to him, gently holding his face to look back at you. "But if I am to die out there, let me have one last request. Let's spend our remaining time together in happiness, so that you don't regret the fading hours."

He tried to stop himself from crying for a second, but it was a futile effort. He crumpled into your arms, chest heaving with his emotion.

"... Please come back soon."

"I will."

-----

You didn't die, no, but you might as well be. Lost at sea and prevented from seeing those you love for years on end, you'd almost gone mad. All you wanted was to see the ones you loved once again, but it seemed every force of nature planned against you and maybe they were.

When you finally return, broken and bettered, it was obvious that something was wrong. You knew that it'd been years since you'd last seen your home, but it didn't look like.... this.

You walked down the roads and alleyways of the once bustling city, without a single hint of any life. The houses and buildings were intact, but the only thing for miles was pure white flour.

A temple of gold and splendor was reduced to nothing but crumbs and rubble on the ground. The cookies weren't just dead, but ground to a fine powder that made the air taste overwhelmingly like spice.

Cookies hung from string that stretched far into the sky, presumably connected to some unseen controller. They talked of nonsense, if they even spoke at all. Some just looked at you with hollow eyes, were they dead or tired of all the lies? You couldn't tell anymore.

And when you found them, in the middle of it all? You wished you had died out there, so you didn't have to see the one who you once loved reduced to... this.

A monster.

[sitepathos]

I keep thinking. because the Omega reader grew up around Alphas and was treated horribly by them for years, what if he feel uncomfortable and unsafe around them and couldn't help but feel negative about them. It also doesn't help how omega's are seen. I'm sure the reader will meet a lot of creeps in his four years in Vegas after his body allowed his second gender to show.

Also Alfred, the only one who took care of him is the only beta in the Wayne pack. So what if the reader's mate was Beta. Or even an Omega?

Here’s a birthday present from me to you guys! Happy 24th birthday to me!

That’s actually a very realistic look and not entirely outside the realm of reality.

Yes, you know that not all Alphas are like the Waynes (mostly because the Waynes are totally batshit crazy), but years of neglect and mistreatment take their toll on even the strongest of souls and your wounds run deep.

Even with the Megamycete, you can’t help but flinch when you’re around an Alpha who gets angry, even if it’s not directed at you. Every harsh word or loud bang reminds you of being around people who treated you like shit and you begin to spiral, thinking you’re still imprisoned in the manor and hiding from the Waynes.

And while Vegas allows all to come and work and gamble, it hasn’t earned the nickname “Sin CIty” for nothing and it’s not uncommon for you to hear Alpha man comment on your looks and an Alpha woman to allude to what she’d do to you in bed. At first, you were a little flattered because the Waynes left you with no self-confidence and you liked hearing people liked what you looked like, but when it became apparent that they were acting on your Omega status, you quickly found ways to avoid going out.

Fortunately, Goodsprings is a small town that’s full of mostly older folks that try to look out for one another, so you always have a safe place to retreat to. Plus, it’s full of aging Betas who don’t really feel one way or another about you being an Omega.

Now, as for Beta and Omega mates, that’s when things get a bit tricky.

Since the dawn of mankind, Betas get together with other Betas and Alphas get together with Omegas; this is because Alphas and Omegas are able to react properly to each others’ ruts and heats and their scents. Sure, you often hear about Alpha-Alpha couples, but this is acceptable because Alphas have a need for dominance and conquest, so having sex with another Alpha can appeal to that need almost as well as having sex with an Omega.

But Omegas getting with Betas? Almost unheard of, but there’s been a few instances of that, but society is heavily mixed on that. Omegas getting with Omegas? Yeah, that’s a hard pass for even the most progressive individual because Omegas are submissive by nature, so outside of porn, no one’s interested in seeing that.

If you have a Beta as a mate, you can expect him to be kinda dominant, but not as much as an Alpha naturally is. Also, you can expect your heats to be very painful since he doesn’t have a knot, so you’ll have to find a work around, like using a toy.

Having an Omega as a mate? You can expect to have to hide your relationship with him because such a thing is frowned on everywhere in the world. If you’re wanting him to be the dominant one, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a dominant Omega as once someone presents as an Omega, you start undergoing Omega etiquette classes to prepare you for being the perfect Omega mate. If you want to be the dominant one, you’ll be spoiled for choice, but you’ll still be hard-pressed to find an Omega that wants to be with another Omega; in fact, if yo want to be with another Omega, you’ll probably end up being the dominant one since your upbringing led to you becoming an Omega unlike any other.

Now, for everyone’s reactions…

For Bruce, it doesn’t matter whether you’re with a Beta or an Omega, he doesn’t approve for you being with anyone. In his twisted mind, all you need is him and your siblings and anyone who tries to get close to you is trying to take you away from your pack and he’s not going to let that happen; you’re his son and Omega and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep you by his side. He almost lost you once, he’s not about to let that happen again.

“Our pack is all you need, Y/N. A mate can always leave, but we’ll always be here for you.”

Dick hears that you have a mate? Oh, hell no, he’s going to Goodsprings and is bringing you back to the manor immediately. This guy is clearly taking advantage of you and he’s not about to let his precious baby bird be taken advantage of by some opportunistic Beta or clout chasing Omega! If you really need someone to be with, he’ll be more than happy to be by your side all the time, from cuddling you in your sleep to having you sit in his lap and being fed by hand.

“Baby bird, he’s clearly trying to use you! Come on, he didn’t even ask to meet with us! He’s going to hurt you and leave you all alone!”

Barbara immediately disapproves of any mate you have, regardless of his designation, because she thinks just like Bruce, that no one can ever be truly worthy of you and really, all you need is them. She’ll dig up so much dirt on him and bombard you with everything she finds, stuff dating back to kindergarten and even the most minor and ridiculous of infractions, like him cutting in line for snack when he was five. Also, she may be in a wheelchair, but she’ll sure as hell show up in person to scare the living hell out of him.

“Look, I understand that you want a mate, but you need to have some standards, Y/N. Just come home and maybe I can find you someone better and maybe convince Bruce to let you date him. Just remember that you’re our Omega first and always.”

Once Jason learns that you have a Beta mate, he’s immediately suiting up to beat the living shit out of the guy; and he’s not holding back just because the guy’s a Beta, in anything, he’s going way harder because that fucker should’ve known better than try to get with an Omega if he didn’t have any combat skills.

Now, if your mate’s another Omega, he hesitates. On one hand, he’s getting close with you and trying to take you away from the pack (from him), but on the other hand, the guy’s another Omega and Red Hood is kind to all Omegas. So, he’ll probably just kidnap you during the night and forge a note saying you’re leaving your mate and going home.

“Look, kid, I get that why you’d want someone else since we treated you like shit, but you’re still a part of this batshit crazy pack and it’s time you rejoin it.”

Tim acts just like Barbara, but he takes it to the EXTREME. Like, he’ll not only look into everything retaining to your mate, but everyone even remotely close to your mate, be it their original pack to a co-worker they interact with every fourth Friday of the month. Doesn’t matter how obscure the “discover” is, Tim will find it, put in in a PowerPoint showing why he’s unfit to being your mate, and present it to you like he’s in a board meeting.

Also, he’s not a huge traditionalist, but his upper class upbringing has drilled it into his head that Alphas and Omegas become mates and while he’s a bit of a modern thinker, he thinks you being with a Beta or another Omega is doomed to fail. If you really want a mate, perhaps you could allow him to court you?

Possible future installment?

“Honestly, Y/N, this mate of yours is doomed to fail you. Why don’t you let me bring you home and take care of everything for you?”

Unlike the other Waynes, Steph laughs her ass off when she learns you’ve taken a Beta/another Omega as a mate. Really, her laughter could be heard all over the manor and it only got stronger when she saw a few more grey hairs pop on in Bruce’s hair; she loves to be a menace to the pack and she actually wants you to teach her your ways so she can up her torture game.

Still, she doesn’t approve of him; not because of his designation or anything, she’s no prude. No, you’re a part of her pack and she doesn’t tolerate any outsiders trying to lure you away. She’ll go as far as harassing your mate in her Spoiler gear if it means making him leave you.

“Come on, Y/N, if you really wanna piss off Bruce, why don’t you just put bright green hair dye in his shampoo bottles. Wait, since you’re an Omega, you can get away with whatever you want! Oh, we can have so much fun together!”

Unlike her best friend, Cass doesn’t see anything funny about this; she looks at your mate and sees someone that’s trying to commit an unforgivable transgression on her pack: taking a packmate. While the title of Left Hand may be Jason’s, Bruce often tasks her to deal with things that require a more… subtle touch. And things that require no evidence left behind. To deal with something like this, Bruce doesn’t even have to tell her what she has to do.

Of course, “dealing” with your mate proves to be far more difficult when you meet her donned in your mold armor.

Damian is pissed off at so many levels about this; first at the thought of you being mated to someone because as the true heir to his sire’s legacy, it falls to him to find a suitable mate to produce a son and carry on the Wayne name, something you shouldn’t have to worry about. Second, his strict League upbringing instilled it in his mind that Omegas are only allowed to be with Alphas, just as nature intended.

This… thing you have with a Beta? It’s not meant to be since he lacks the proper biology to properly handle you.

And if you’re with another Omega? Well, let’s just say he’s not a fan and leave it at that.

He goes to Vegas, sword in hand, ready to cut down this interloper who dares lay his filthy, impure hands on you only to find you, mold sword at the ready.

Well, while he vowed to never harm you like he did when he was a child, he thinks besting you in battle should bring you back to your senses. If he defeats you in combat, you’re his to do with as he pleases, such as League law dictates.

“Brother, it’s up to me to carry on our bloodline. You needn’t worry about finding a mate and desecrating yourself to someone who’s obviously beneath you. Come, let’s return to the manor so our pack can be whole once more.”

Alfred’s truly happy for you; after all the years you suffered in the manor, he thinks you deserve someone who makes you happy. If it happens to be a Beta or another Omega, he really doesn’t care. But, as much as he hates to ruin what’s possibly the only healthy relationship someone in the Wayne Pack has been in, he stands with the rest of the pack in thinking you need to leave your new mate and return to them.

In his eyes, you were a part of their pack first (no matter the evidence to the contrary) and that means you need to return to Gotham and claim your place as the Wayne Omega.

“Not to worry, Master Y/N, things will be different this time. And if they’re not, I’ll take care of it.”

[dreamteamredstinger]

A ruined party (Triple threat au)

(TW self harm) Context.. mario wanted to add something to meggy's belated graduation party.. things went messy and well..

MARIO: EVEN GOING AS FAR AS TO MAKE EVERYONE LEAVE ME.. LEAVING ME ALONE ALL DAY. DRIVING MARIO INSANE! ALL FOR SOME DUMB PIZZA HUH?!? IS THAT HOW YOU FIX YOUR PROBLEMS!!

Meggy: Mario, we couldn't let you sabotage a great moment in history!

mario: ooh yeah... a great moment in history that was!! AS IF ANYONE GAVE A SHIT ABOUT IT!! OH WAIT.. EVERYONE DID!

mario: WHEN MARIO SAW ALL OF YOU ALIVE.. I WAS SO RELIEVED.. I WAS SO HAPPY SEEING EVERYONE SAFE.. AND HOW DID YOU ALL FUCKIGN REPAY THAT... BY (Starts punching himself in the face to each word he says) BEATING THE SHIT OUT OF ME ALL BECAUSE I RUINED YOUR FUCKING PIZZA!! (stops punching himself) IS THAT HOW YOU ALWAYS TREAT FRIENDS WHEN THEY WERE FUCKING LOSING IT?! (smg4 and meggy seeing mario hit himself... it started to make them feel uneasy.. with how much they hit him..)

SMG4: mario... i... i didn't know you felt like that... 

Mario: of course you wouldn't.. you never cared about how mario felt! i mean ask smg4 during mar10 day!! he never took the time to come out and celebrate with mario.. and when he did show up... he drove everyone away and ruined the party!!

smg4: (dude is just left speechiles... mario brought that up and he realized he didn't really apologize for it)

Mario: AND YOUUUUU looks at meggy I FREED YOU FROM THAT BUCKET OF TIN CAN! WHEN YOU THE TIMES YOU NEEDED A SHOULDER TO CRY FOR, YOUR BROTHER MARIO IS ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU!!! I HELPED YOU AT ANY MOMENT OF NOTICED CAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU HOLD DEAR TO MARIO! YOU ARE LIKE A SISTER TO ME MEGGY...

Meggy: w-well i- 

meggy: you... thought of me as a sister?

Mario: YES!!! THAT'S HOW MUCH I CARE ABOUT YOU! AND NO JOKE MEGGY... tears streamingI LOVE YOU AS MY SISTER MORE THAN LUIGI... even tho he is my actually brother....

Mario: but you.. you seem to get on me for making the smallest mistakes too! blaming me for certain problems!! i mean you  choked me when i was playing with you when you trained luigi and tari to be more brave for god sakes!! WHAT ABOUT HTE TIME YOU HELPED SAIKO CHOKED ME FOR WANTING TO GO IN A ROOM!

I MEAN I SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE IN THERE BUT CHOKING AND BURNING ME ALIVE SEEMED A LITTLE FUCKING EXCESSIVE DON'T YOU THINK!!

Meggy: (felt ashamed)..

(melony would step up and try to reason with everyone)

melony: guys come on! we don't have to fight here.. less you forge-

Mario: STAY OUT OF THIS MELONY!!

Melony: mario, i'm on your side!

Mario: OH yeha! take my side! WHEN YOU ALSO JUMPED ME DURING THAT EVENT MELONY!!

Melony: ... I-im sorry Mario i-

MARIO: "HECK.. IT SEEMS LIKE THE ONLY TIMES YOU CARE ABOUT ME IS IF THE UNIVERSES ARE IN DANGER.. BUT OTHER THAN THAT.. JUST ANOTHER PROP TO PUNCH! IS THAT ALL YOU ASSHOLES THINK OF MARIO!?! HUH?!

Mario: well.. if you don't care about me... THEN I GUESS YOU WON'T MIND IF I JUST FUCK OFF OUT OF HERE WHILE YOU HAVE YOUR FUN PARTY! SCREW ALL OF YOU! (and with that.. mario stormed out hte castle.. shoving everyone out hte way as he dashed out of hte showgrounds

Minion (showing up with the supplies): (hmm) oh hey mario! where are you goin-

Minion: mario…?

(But Mario was already gone...)

MInion: hey guys.. i just passed mario running off... what happened?

Luigi: I... i think we screwed up.

Bob: He'll be back soon.

Boopkins: (Gives him a snide stare)

Bob: What?

minion: messed up what?

(Silence reigns)

Tari: Everything.

SMg4:... w-what... what just happened?

SMG3: A lot of things going on for a while blowing up in our faces... i would know that feeling (Gives 4 a snide stare)

Smg4: i.. i didn't think he... i

Meggy: we...what... what have we done.

SMG3: As the one whose shtick is knowing about people's feelings...

We fucked up big time, but you two?

Luigi: yeah.. you two usually were the ones who went at mario the most!

SMG3: Thanks for the input mr. bystanding brother.

Luigi: your welcome smg3 🙂

Tari: luigi.. that wasn't a compliment..

Luigi: oh 😦

SMG3: Look, i am just as surprised as you are, but i know what it feels like to get constantly pushed down by the people you cling onto the most... the thing is, me and you (talking to 4) are frenemies; but for Mario, you and the ginger were his best friends... and man, with friends like you two... 

(3 walks away)

SMG4: no.. n-no... 

[hurtspideyparker]

Avengers High School AU

based on this post of mine

At a Party:

Clint: Here's a drink Pete

Tony: *takes solo cup from Peter* You idiot, he's underage!

Clint: So are we dipshit

Tony: *Chugs Peter's drink*

Clint: Whatever, I'll get him a lemonade

Tony: *Chugs his own drink*

—

Natasha: Steve I saw Tony heading for the janitor's closet

Steve: Okay?

Natasha: With Clint

Steve, sprinting down the hall: NOT THE TOILET PAPER BARTON

—

Bucky: Would you like to go out sometime?

Natasha: No

Bucky: I respect that. *Turns to Sam* would you like to go out sometime

Sam: Wait—but you just. What the hell man

Bucky: I'll take that as a no. *Turns to Clint* would you like to—

Clint: Fuck yeah

—

Tony: Did you hear about the fire in the chem lab?

Steve: Tony, what did you do

Tony: It wasn't me this time!

Steve: Oh. That's new

Tony: I mean I did text Bruce the calculations, it's not my fault he didn't see the decimal

Steve: Tony!

—

Natasha: And that's why I transferred in the middle of last year

Sam: Isn't that like...a crime

Natasha: Nobody will believe you.

Sam: What? What do you mean by that

Natasha, disappearing into the crowd:

Sam: What do you mean by that?!

—

Peter: Hi Captain!

Steve: You know only the football team calls me that Peter. I'm not your Captain

Peter: Yes sir

Steve: I'm only 2 years older than you, you don't need to call me sir either

Peter: Okay Captain!

Steve: No just...whatever

—

Tony: Hey Bruce whatcha reading

Bruce: AH! Oh hey dude

Tony: Wow you're jumpy. You need to relax

Bruce: I don't think I've relaxed once since I met you but thanks for the advice

—

Clint: Do you think Thor was held back?

Sam: Naw man, he's pretty smart

Clint: But he looks like he has a 401k and a mortgage

Bucky: Talks like it too

Sam: Maybe it's a Europe thing, school is different there

Clint: Maybe. Hey Thor! What's up buddy, how's the wife and kids?

Thor: Ay? Um...well? And yours my friend?

Clint: Fantastic! Well it was good seeing you

Thor: Alright then, farewell

Sam: What an odd guy

Bucky: Nice though

Clint: Real nice dude

—

Pepper: Tony, stop flirting with me to make Steve jealous

Tony: Whaaaaat, I would never

Pepper: You very loudly told your table, which is right next to mine, "I'm going to go flirt with Pepper to make Steve jealous"

Tony: Well do you think it's working?

Steve, at Tony's table: No

—

Peter: The decathlon supervisor is already one of my references, and I tutor for Mrs. Warren's freshman class a lot so I have her too. I also volunteered at a special needs camp over the summer, plus I applied for this competitive course where you write a research paper under a university professor for junior year, and if I get it that will look really good on my MIT application. I just hope it doesn't interfere with my internship at Oscorp. What about you, what are you doing to prepare for graduation? Aren't college apps due, like, next month for you?

Bucky: Well my boss at Dunkin Donuts said he'd give me a reference. Chicks in the drive through always tip me well

—

Sam: Why'd you punch Rumlow!

Steve: Cause he was saying creepy stuff about Natasha!

Bucky: You shouldn't have done that man

Steve: What do you mean, he was being a total asshole, I don't care if I get detention

Sam: It's not him you should be worried about

Natasha: Rogers, that was MY punch to throw

Steve: Oh no

Natasha: You think I'm some damsel in distress? Come here and I'll show you a damsel in distress

Steve: I, uh, gotta go *runs out the door*

Natasha: Which way did he go.

Sam: I didn't see nothin'

Bucky: Out those doors and to the left

Sam: Bruh

Bucky: A true friend understands when the consequences are necessary *kicks Rumlow who's still lying on the ground as he walks away*

—

Bruce: What did the racing hot dog say when he passed the finish line?

Tony: What

Bruce: I'm a wiener!

Everyone:

Bruce: Get it? Like winner?

Tony: It's okay man, just stick to academics

Thor: I have one! A priest, a pastor, and a rabbi walk into a bar

Everyone:

Thor: HAHAHA, what a coincidence for them all to arrive in the establishment simultaneously!

*Everyone bursts out laughing*

Bruce: Oh come on, that wasn't even a joke!

Tony: See he has charisma. It's all about the delivery Brucie Bear

—

Sam: Wait, you're saying that the elephant toothpaste all over the second floor right before midterms was you?

Rhodey: Hell yeah it was

Sam: But everyone blamed Tony. Even Tony's parents and the principal. The only reason he wasn't suspended was because the cameras were wiped of evidence, which was also blamed on Tony

Rhodey: Yeah you'd be surprised about how much stuff I do that Tony gets blamed for. Public image does wonders to create bias

Sam: What the hell? I thought you were the responsible one and Tony was your monkey on a leash. Why does he let you blame him?

Rhodey: Cuz he's a good bro. He gets to piss his parents off, I don't get kicked out of ROTC, and then we laugh about it afterwards

Sam: You evil geniuses...

—

Wanda: I want to get married

Natasha: Are you pregnant?

Wanda: What? No

Natasha: Oh thank goodness. Wait, then why do you want to get married

Wanda: Because it's romantic!

Natasha: And the tax benefits?

Wanda: No! Well, yes that would be nice, but no! I want to be a stay at home mom and have a nice family

Natasha: Girl you failed home economics and your type is men who think calling you their "situationship" is making it official, why don't we focus on finding the vertex for now

—

If u like this vibe I have a domestic Avengers "in a timeline where Civil War didn't end in divorce" series as well:

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 :P

[brainddeadd]

Meeting Danny

The air in the Cadillac F1 garage was electric. It was your first official day with the team, and it felt like the world was holding its breath. Everything around you was new—new people, new cars, and a new world you’d only dreamed of entering. But today, it was real.

You stood at the edge of the pit lane, staring at the sleek, black-and-gold Cadillac F1 car, your heart thudding in your chest. The mechanics worked swiftly, perfecting every little detail. The hum of conversations buzzed around you, but all you could hear was the pounding of your own heart and the blood rushing in your ears. You were about to get behind the wheel of this thing.

"Looks good, huh?" a voice drawled from behind you, breaking your focus.

You turned quickly to see him—a tall, grinning man with an unmistakable aura of confidence. He leaned against the pit wall with that familiar relaxed stance, arms crossed. Daniel Ricciardo.

Your stomach did a little flip. Of course, he was here. As your teammate. He was the face of the team, the one they’d paired you with. A veteran of the sport, but one who was known for his playful and chaotic energy. Honestly, you didn’t know if you should be excited or terrified to be in his presence.

"You must be the new driver," Ricciardo continued, raising an eyebrow as if he could sense your nervousness. "I’m Danny, but you can call me whatever you want… as long as it’s not ‘old man.’"

You laughed before you could stop yourself, your nerves settling just a little. "I think ‘old man’ might be pushing it."

"Well, I tried," he shrugged, his grin widening. "You’re looking at the man who's won a few races, so trust me—I'm basically a walking fountain of knowledge. But hey, no pressure, right?" He winked at you, clearly teasing.

You tilted your head, trying to read him. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy who was all business, but that didn’t necessarily mean he was a slacker. You needed to know what you were getting into.

"So… what’s the deal with this team?" you asked, trying to sound casual, though you were anything but.

Ricciardo pushed off the pit wall and gave a quick, exaggerated look at the car, then back at you. "This? Well, it’s a whole new chapter. Cadillac’s first time in Formula 1. Big deal, huh?" He raised his eyebrows, letting the gravity of it sink in. "But don't get too caught up in all the press conferences and fancy speeches. It's still just us, the car, and the track. We’ll figure it out together." His voice lowered, becoming a little more serious, but still laced with that playful charm.

He leaned in a little closer, as if sharing a secret. "Look, you’ll feel the pressure, I’m not gonna lie. But this team’s got something special. The moment you stop having fun, you might as well hang up your helmet. Formula 1’s a blast—if you don’t enjoy it, you’ll burn out. Trust me."

You nodded, feeling the weight of his words. You couldn’t afford to lose sight of why you were here: to race. To win. But also to enjoy the ride.

Ricciardo’s grin returned. "Alright, enough about the serious stuff. Let’s get you used to this place, yeah? I’ll show you the ropes."

He slapped you lightly on the back, propelling you toward the car with an energy that was impossible to ignore. The mechanics and engineers working nearby glanced over, but Ricciardo didn’t seem to care. He was in his element—at ease with the chaos.

You followed him, already feeling a bit more comfortable. This team was chaotic, sure, but it was the good kind of chaos. The kind that came with passion, talent, and a lot of fun.

"You ready for this?" he asked, his voice a little quieter now, his grin softening. "The rookie and the veteran, together at last. Let’s make some magic happen."

"Definitely ready," you said, more confident now than you’d been when you first stepped into the garage. The thought of racing alongside someone like Ricciardo, with his experience and his infectious enthusiasm, made the future seem a lot less intimidating.

Ricciardo offered you one last wink before turning to the car. "Well, then, let’s go break some lap times, huh?"

You could already tell this would be an interesting ride.

[deltoradecay]

The Problems With Decay.

Sometimes, shit from fictionbased identities (or other alterhuman identities involving memories/noemata!) sticks. Memories, noemata, trauma responses, other things ingrained into your being--it's hard to break old habits. Especially if they're rooted in avoiding disastrous outcomes. It might be easier for some to move on, harder for others. There's plenty of people who aren't affected much by things that happened in their memories--other times it really sticks hard, and finding ways to navigate those things can be tricky. Sometimes, because of that, in your current body/brain/life or whatever framework you use, you have to find ways to make accomodations for yourself.

I'm a fableing (a sort of grey-area between fictive and fictionkin in a median system) of Tomura Shigaraki, from My Hero Academia. For people who don't know, in source, Shigaraki has a power that enables him to basically turn anything he touches with all 5 fingers of his hands to dust. Which, yeah, great for getting rid of problems (and people)! Not too great when it's not a thing you can simply turn off. Any thing I would touch, at all, would dissolve out of my control. If I touched it--even accidentally--with all 5 fingers of one hand? Gone. Can't do shit about that once it happens, there's no way to stop it. Many an accident happened.

Ignoring any specific events that happened in source canon... Even back then, there were absolutely things I didn't want to destroy. I had to be careful how I held things, careful how I interacted with people (if I didn't intend to kill them), careful of every movement I made. Hold a burger wrong? Well, lunch is gone now. Accidentally stumble a little and my hand reflexively touches someone to steady myself? They're gone too.

Now that I'm here in this body, I obviously don't need to worry about destroying things accidentally. I don't have my power in the front, my hands are completely safe to touch no matter how you do it. I can't decay things anymore. But that hasn't stopped me from acting like I still have it, and behaving accordingly regardless of that my hands can actually do now.

I'll hold my phone with a finger carefully lifted off the back of it. I'll pet our cat usually with only two or so fingers to be safe. I get worried about letting our birds onto my hands--what if they're perched just right that their feathers touch my other fingers? I'll hold food and drinks with a finger lifted off of them (which kind of looks ridiculous with holding cups because it's so obvious to other people). I'm still so meticulously careful about how I touch things, and yeah, I get really fucking anxious about it when I'm handling things I care a lot for. I know I can grab a glass without it fading away, I know I can pick up our cat without worrying that I'll end him, I know I can hold our birds, I know I can hold someone elses hand. It's something I logically know isn't an issue, it's not how it was in my memories, but living that life left a mark on my brain and it's hard to shake.

But, kind of recently, I learned something. Digital artist gloves. We've wanted some for a while, to make it easier to draw. We'd originally planned to wear them pretty often if we did get them, because we need to wear gloves a lot of the time anyway due to having circulation issues that lend our hands to getting real cold real easy. We normally wear fingerless gloves, as we need our fingertips to use our phone and type. But we thought more on it, and were thinking about how maybe artist gloves wouldn't be enough to keep our hands warm--typically they only cover two fingers, and are joined by a thin strap, overall covering less skin than regular fingerless gloves. But from that line of thinking I realised, they completely cover two fingers, and don't really touch any of the others.

Operating off of the logic my decay used, the gloves wouldn't be turned to dust because they don't cover my whole hand, and neither would anything I touch, because two fingers have a barrier over them, effectively disabling my quirk for as long as I wear them. It was the sort of middleground compromise I needed, between ignoring my anxiety and playing too hard into it by being terrified to touch things. Even if theoretically I could accidentally touch the glove with my whole hand and make it go away, in this body I can't do that, and unless I remove it, I will just keep being able to feel the glove on my hand as reassurance. A safeguard--not from anything literal anymore, but something to give me peace of mind.

I wear them all the time now, both in-system and in the front. They're just a permanent part of my outfit at this point (as you can see below in the art we made of myself), and they've helped me stop thinking about it so constantly. I don't need to worry about decaying things around me because I have protection measures against that.

While me wearing them was spawned out of exotrauma-induced anxiety, they're also really identity affirming the more I think about it. Yes, I'd like to not have to worry about decaying everything I touch--but that's just a trait of me. That's as much of a part of me as my other memories or my other experiences. They make me feel more like source-me, because I know if I thought about this solution before as an easier way to eat, drink and sleep? I absolutely would've done it. I don't see it just as wearing the gloves because I'm anxious or traumatised. I'm taking a positive out of it--I'm wearing them because I'm Tomura Shigaraki. Of course I'd need to have something like that.

So, I guess, the point--aside from me simply just sharing this--is that sometimes, you need to figure out some sort of compromise for yourself. Some way to navigate your own noemata, exomemories or exotrauma that you might have to get a little bit creative for. Is it always going to be foolproof? No. It is maybe a bit silly sometimes? Possibly! But this is something that both saves a lot of anxiety for me, and is in a roundabout sort of way, identity affirming at the same time. You can find positives in the weirdest things.

[thewebcomicsreview]

Hey hey, an upd8. Looks like Vriska leveled up from killing Jane. It's kind of hard to read some of these tier names, though. "Descent Horizon" is an a'ight one. Kind of weird that the non-pun one is the one we're one, though. Not even irons in the hellfire.

John sees some images of a Pumpkin Cake (What Cake?) and...himself as Mark Immortell from Pathologic? Is the idea that these are alternate realities?

Rose is freaking out at not being in a coma. The "Thanks for Playing" message being destroyed is a good gag in and of itself, but also a good visual for Rose's carefully laid plan to make Kanaya hate her before going brain-dead falling to pieces.

Panel from Narbonic

What the fuck, Jane survived having her head cut off?

Anyway, never mind that. It's Adult!Vriska. I guess being in Silhouette isn't stylishly hiding her Hell Tier form from us, she's literally all black when transformed.

KARKAT: BY THE BY, WAS TELLING ME VRISKA WAS BACK ON ANYONE'S AGENDA?

I went to check the epilogues to see if anyone had a chance to tell Karkat that Vriska's been back this whole time, but Homestuck.com is broke and they're not in the unofficial collection. I think Vriska appeared in Candy just in time to bang/kill Gamzee before HS2 started. God, no one ever tells Karkat anything. I guess the kids didn't mention it to Rose/Kanaya.

MEENAH: figured youd pop a vessel over it MEENAH: decided to keep that out of your briefs MEENAH: im the only one around here watchin your blood pressure MEENAH: and your briefs VRISKA: Don't mention it! VRISKA: Just one grown adult helping out another. VRISKA: I mean damn, Karkat, speaking of grown. VRISKA: Look at you! MEENAH: i know right VRISKA: You're like... yoked. MEENAH: i knowww right

Now that Jake English is god, Karkat is Jake English. Also Candy Karkat meeting Meat Karkat is going to be amazing.

JOHN: besides vriska looking like lucy liu from charlie's angels now JOHN: is that what the machine was for? making lucy lius? not that i'm complaining, but... KARKAT: OKAY, HOLD ON. KARKAT: SHE LOOKS WAY MORE LIKE SANDRA BULLOCK FROM A TIME TO KILL. KARKAT: OR THE INFINITELY BETTER MISS CONGENIALITY. KANAYA: Sure KARKAT: ACTUALLY, LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT MOVIES ANYMORE OR WHICH TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WOMEN FROM A DEFUNCT ALIEN SOCIETY VRISKA WHO IS AN ADULT NOW MAY OR MAY NOT LOOK LIKE. JAKE: I think theyre both equally good, if were sharing movie opinions. JOHN: wait, are you naked under there? JAKE: Well,

While John/Karkat conversations are always great, what really makes this scene is Kanaya's "Sure". She's above this silliness, but she still has opinions.

MEENAH: step one we gut scale and filet this sea cow ROXY: !!!! JAKE: Shucks and shit, people, not sure whats left to try. JAKE: I mean look at her. MEENAH: tsk cmon kingfish what is this amateur hour? MEENAH: you blow all your gumption out when you were stalkin the battlefield like a human lens flare? MEENAH: clearly we gotta give this dirty girl a bubble bath JAKE: Er, id rather not. JAKE: Ive been twenty thousand leagues under that particular sea more times than a fellow might care to remember. MEENAH: oh yuck MEENAH: im talkin bout dippin her in acid JAKE: Oooooooh! That should work! JAKE: Or if it doesnt we could give her the ole mummy treatment. JAKE: Jade did a bang-up job with dave... JADE: aww thank you! JOHN: or we could just smash her with a hammer. JANE: Mmf????? VRISKA: Hey, so- KARKAT: LOOK, AS MUCH AS I'D LOVE TO SPEND THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON TESTING OUT VARIOUS CAPITAL PUNISHMENTS ON JANE'S HEAD UNTIL SOMETHING STICKS, THERE'S AN ANNOYINGLY VAST ARRAY OF VITAL INTEL WE NEED FROM HER FIRST. ROXY: wow okay can we pause for a second JOHN: yeah, what kind of intel? ROXY: not what i meant!! KARKAT: DO YOU KNOW WHERE JANE'S HEAD KEEPS HER POLITICAL PRISONERS?

I just wanna post snippets of dialogue and say they're good. These are fun characters and they have fun chemistry and we basically have not just let them riff for the entirely of HS2 or the epilogues.

Also, obviously John's plan is a hammer. Even now, he can't let Homestuck 1 go.

KARKAT: DO YOU KNOW ANY OF HER PASSWORDS, FOR THAT MATTER? JOHN: i guess not. SOLLUX: i do. KARKAT: YOU DO? SOLLUX: yeah. SOLLUX: the passw0rds, anyway. SOLLUX: problem sleuth with a zer0. SOLLUX: honk undersc0re enjoyer sixty six. SOLLUX: imwithher. SOLLUX: id0whatiwant<3 JOHN: this guy again. JOHN: why are you even here?

Oof, the Hillary Clinton reference there. I know a lot of people accused Jane of being a blatant Trump analogue, was she meant to be Hillary Clinton this whole time?

Also, bantz aside, Jane is the Maid of Life. Can't she just, like....get better? Stick her head back on that body and be good?

Anyway, Vriska explains that Candyland is doomed and everyone here is going to die as the Black Hole collapses without Alt!Calliope sustaining it.

VRISKA: 8ut, as I said, I can get all you guys out of here! Hell Tier gave me a pretty comprehensive lay of the land, metaphysically speaking, and we can move on from this 8ummer aaaaaaaaltogether. KANAYA: Including The Children KANAYA: ? VRISKA: Of course! That's actually where shit gets real interesting. VRISKA: Turns out they're all needed on the other side, for a very, very special game. JOHN: wait, you don't mean... VRISKA: Oh, 8ut I do. JOHN: :D JADE: D:< JADE: NO WAY! JOHN: what? JOHN: why not?

God, I really do love John's midlife crisis manifesting as Homestuck nostalgia. He's so fucking hyped to kill his kids!

VRISKA: I'm... normal now.

Lies.jpg

Vriska literally walking out of the comic is a good visual.

Oh god, what is this.

Let's start with "You are coming". I presume it's not another Meat/Candy choice and it's just who's splitting up where.

Oh wow, only the kids go, and it's mostly only Yiffy that wants to. Meanwhile, in the other path

JOHN: we have to go fight dirk! JAKE: Erm. JAKE: Fight him? JOHN: he's obviously like... the new bad guy! CALLIOPE: oUr friend dirk...? JANE: HMMHMHMM?? ROXY: john ROXY: wt actual f are you talking abt JOHN: roxy, this is our do-over! JOHN: our meat! MEENAH: nobody wants to hear about your meat man

John's midlife crisis being nostalgia for Homestuck is funny, but also it's so goddamn sad. He doesn't actually care about any of this, he just wants an adventure.

KANAYA: What Did She Say JOHN: well... we were kinda talking about how messed up every thing was on sort of a fundamental level, and she basically said she was happy every thing was shaking out as it has been? JOHN: which was nice to hear in the moment, but when you think about it for a little longer, people have died? KARKAT: YES, JOHN. KARKAT: QUITE A FEW FUCKING PEOPLE HAVE DIED. JOHN: also that she's been married twenty years, but also not? JOHN: it was all kind of over my head, but also i sort of get it. KANAYA: Takes A Depressed Dissociative Cop-Out To Know One I Suppose ROSE: I think I'm going to be sick. KANAYA: *FUCK*

Of all the Candy characters, John is the one acting the most like his original characterization, and that makes him the most fucked-up one of all.

JOHN: no offense, jade, but you're right behind rose on the crazy train. JOHN: you can't even be trusted to be normal around a dead body. JOHN: OR TO NAME A BABY.

He's got a point there tho

JOHN: and i've been really trying, but no matter what, it all seems kinda ... dumb and random? KARKAT: OH, I WOULDN'T SAY THAT. JOHN: what do you mean? KARKAT: JADE'S A PATHETIC PATHOLOGICAL LIAR, BUT SHE'S NOT STUPID. KARKAT: NOTHING ABOUT ANY OF THIS IS RANDOM. KANAYA: ? KARKAT: TELL ME, WAS A KID NAMED "YIFFANY LONGSTOCKING" A JOKE DAVE MADE, OR DID YOU JUST *THINK* HE'D FIND IT FUNNY? JADE: are we seriously talking about this NOW? KARKAT: THE ONE THING HE EVER STOOD HIS GROUND ON. KARKAT: AND YOU COULDN'T EVEN LEAVE HIM THAT, COULD YOU? JADE: its not that simple! KARKAT: SHE LOOKS LIKE HIM! THAT'S, WHAT, A HAPPY ACCIDENT? KARKAT: THERE WERE A WHOLE HELL OF A LOT OF WILLING, UNMARRIED WOMBS OUT THERE, BUT YOU JUST HAPPENED TO STUMBLE INTO THE CLOSEST ONE THERE IS TO DAVE? KARKAT: WOW!!! KARKAT: LUCKY!!! KANAYA: Huh

I really do love the Jerry Springer-ness of Candyland. All these people are so unbelievably fucked up, too busy fighting over stupid shit to notice all their kids went away and left them in the doomed timeline.

KARKAT: I HAD A LIGHT PLAYER RUNNING ESPIONAGE FOR ME AND IT STILL TOOK US FIFTEEN SHITTY, GRUELING HUMAN YEARS TO WIN THIS EMBARRASSING RUBE GOLDBERG TRAVESTY OF A WAR. KARKAT: ALL THOSE WEAK-ASS PROGNOSES... MUST'VE BEEN A REAL RIOT! ROSE: Karkat, please... I never tried to hinder the war effort... KARKAT: YOU MUST'VE USED UP ALL YOUR HINDER QUOTA ON SABOTAGING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR FUCKING WIFE THEN. KARKAT: BUT HEY, WORKS FOR ME!

A lot of the time Karkat's not really mad, it just reads as angry because his text is all-caps, but he's out for blood today, Christ.

KARKAT: AND NOW, KANAYA FINALLY KNOWS THAT YOU AREN'T FUCKING GOOD ENOUGH FOR HER. KARKAT: YOU NEVER WERE. ROSE: *Sniffle.* KARKAT: ARE YOU CRYING? KARKAT: WHAT THE HELL. STOP THAT. KARKAT: YOU DON'T DO THAT. KANAYA: I Think Those Might Actually Be Real Tears ROSE: *Sob.* JOHN: see? JOHN: this is what i mean. JOHN: the only reason why things are even remotely better now is because of karkat. JOHN: he's like the only guy capable of putting all of us in our place when we start acting insane! JOHN: and... he's the only one that won't be around forever.

See, like, I know I said I like the banter, but that's because I don't exist in this fictional universe. John does, and acting like Rose being reduced to literal tears is "better" than that not happening is fucking insane.

JOHN: listen, i've tried taking roxy's advice. JOHN: i have been paying attention, i've been involved, and i can't shake this feeling that maybe, there is such a thing as too much freedom.

John going insane while at the same time turning his back on "Freedom" is going to drive the Classpect Inversion theorists wild. I can hear BladekindEyewear from here.

ROXY: john! JOHN: i'm glad you've been happy roxy, you've done so well for yourself. JOHN: but... that doesn't change the fact that none of you are good people. JADE: because youre so great??????? JOHN: no, not at all! JOHN: that's my point, i only had like half a foot in my own kid's life for ten years! JOHN: and i was a real jerk to you guys. JOHN: ugh, i even emotionally cheated on my wife. ROXY: exsqueeze me? JOHN: and honestly i don't even know how old she was. JAKE: Dude.

What in the fuck is happening? Is John saying he wanted to bang....Vriska? What the fuck is he even talking about.

JOHN: and i think the last time i did was when we were all in the game. JOHN: that's when we were all at our best! JOHN: right? JADE: john! JADE: WE ALL DIED! JOHN: that didn't even happen to this you, don't pretend like any of that affected you! JADE: of course it did!!! JOHN: ?????? JADE: OH MY GOD.

What? What is John talking about? Of course Jade died. She died the most of any of you and she went to Squiddlehell.

God, this art of Dave's corpse is so fucking creepy.

JADE: you keep talking about something being wrong with us, yet not once have you asked yourself what we all have in common!!!! JOHN: you can't blame the game for everything. JOHN: playing it saved us! JADE: children shouldnt have to make other children, or kiss the corpses of their friends, or know what it feels like to die!!! JADE: the kids have a chance here, john. JADE: to grow up like real people do and be... actually FUCKING normal! JOHN: jade, your daughter has dog ears and a tail. JOHN: she's never going to be normal!

This fight is really well-written because both perspectives are absolutely insane and steeped in fantasy nonsense and yet it still feels really uncomfortable.

Also John had that coming.

Bro, this art is so good. Screenshotting it doesn't really do it justice.

YIFFY: FUCK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tch. Obviously this would be her first line.

JOHN: we have to kill dirk.

John, she left. Like...she's gone. The only bus out of Candyland and you missed it. You've gone completely mad.

And you're the most interesting you've ever been.

[beef-brisket]

The two stood there in silence before laughing.

Adam: You don't think she heard us last night, do you?

Lucifer kissed Adam's neck before starting on making them coffee's: Addie, I think Heaven heard you~.

Adam gasped: You don't really think that, do you?! If mother heard- she'd kill me! Oh- and if Michael-!

Cupping Adam's face, Lucifer chuckles and kisses him deeply: Darling, I'm kidding. Heaven wouldn't have heard, and I don't think Charlie heard either.

Adam: Oh... t-thank God.

Lucifer: Addie? Your eggs are burning~.

The angel jumped and quickly turned down the heat before trying to scrape them off the bottom.

Adam: Uh- oops!

Lucifer chuckled before going back to making their drinks: I'm sure their still delicious, darling.

-

As they walked around the park, Adam watched as humans went about their day. Some were running after some plate looking thing that was flying in the air, kids were playing, people were laughing. It was so different from Heaven. Sure, every day was a good day up there, but everyone seemed to be happier here.

Adam laughed, thinking of when he helped Lucifer and Charlie pickpocket people in a park just like this one. It was so sinful but at the moment, he didn't care.

Lucifersmiled: What?

Adam: Nothing. Just remembering the look on people's faces when they realise their money was gone.

Lucifer chuckled: Yeah... well, good think we don't have to do that anymore... it's frustrating.

Adam: Stealing?

Lucifer shrugged: Partly. I was meaning... life. I've tried for years to get Charlie and I somewhere safe. But... I couldn't. No one would give us a chance. But then you fall here- heaven actually answered my damn prayers! After all of these years, after all this suffering... but you've done so much for us. Things that... I thought it would never happen... I thought we would die in that dumpster.

Adam: I don't know how you slept in that thing! But, I'm happy things are better for you two! It makes me wonder who else is out there that needs a little help, you know? I think my family could do more... they only sent me so I could prove myself... but their just... letting people down here suffer! I'm sure this wasn't the plan with the first humans were made, but I don't know...

Lucifer: ...Will you go back to Heaven?

Adam: At some point. When the angels think I'm... angelie enough.

Lucifer hummed before pulling Adam into a hug: Well, I hope you stay here for a long time!

Adam wrapped his arms tightly around Lucifer: I hope so, too! I can't leave my boyfriend, and my best friend all alone!

Trials of Apollo Au

@fanofstuff01 @beef-brisket

Sera tried not to throw a fit, she was too mature for such things but this was her baby. How could she not get upset?

Sera: Michael don't do this. Adams just a ba-

Michael: That's the problem, he's not!

It has been pointed out to Sera that she babies Adam, the angel of music too much. She always wanted a child but angels don't have babies the normal way.

Adam was made to replace Samuel, the fallen angel and devil down in Hell. When he opened his perfect golden eyes he took right to Sera and she knew she had to protect him from everything and everyone.

But that came at a price. Sheltering Adam like that made him naive, uncultured and lacking proper knowledge. And the fact that God made him the first gay angel meant Sera had to keep other men away from him. They only take advantage!

But now they want Adam to lead the Extermination Day army, Sera didn't understand why. He was too sweet too soft. Adam didn't have a real mean bone in his body.

Sera: He's my baby!

Michael: He needs to learn about the world and life! He can't do that with you sheltering him. He's going to earth to help a human better their life, without his powers.

Sera: WHAT!?

Michael: Or would you rather he go to Hell?

Sera winced, she didn't want either thing. She looked at her sleeping son, he didn't know what was going to happen and it wasn't fair.

Sera: No...... But no powers?

Michael: The more he helps them he'll start to get them back. Say goodbye it's time.

-

Down on earth, Lucifer and Charlie were laying in their normal dumpster watching the night sky. The brother and sister duo were about to fall asleep when they saw a shooting star.

Lucifer: Make a wish!

Charlie crossed her fingers and closed her eyes. She wished for a miracle to save them from the streets.

Charlie: Done!

That's when the shooting star...... Started coming for them!!

[beifong-brainrot]

I saw this post about mako. What are your thoughts:

“in books 1&2 he comes off as an entitled prick. It's taken years for me to get over how much I disliked him in the first two books.

The way he only treats Korra with respect when he finds out she's the Avatar, the way he talks about both her and Asami as objects for him to make decisions about, the cheating, the gaslighting Asami when she calls him out for cheating, PUSHING LIN BEIFONG. Man I'm getting mad just thinking about it all lol.

Honestly I guess I understand? Mako comes off as a little mean in the first 2 seasons, especially the Book 1. And yeah I can get why some people would be annoyed by that.

But then I also kinda wanna give Mako the grace that he didn't really get as an 18 year old kid who grew up in an incredibly volatile enviornment, with probably very few positive role models in his life.

I think Mako's initial hostility towards Korra feels so upsetting to us, because we are seeing him from Korra's perspective. So we are immediately like 'dude what's your problem'. But like, let's put ourselves in Mako's shoes here.

He's about to go into a match, to essentially do his job, and his horny brother is bringing unknown women into the dressing room, and we can infer this isn't the first time he's done so. And frankly, he's not actively hostile, just vaguely dismissive, at least from what I remember.

If we wanna take this a step further, we need to also remember that Mako and Bolin do have a past with some dangerous people, so maybe strangers shouldn't be welcomed with open arms. His priority is keeping himself and Bolin safe and afloat, and he doesn't trust others, with, from his perspective, good reason.

I wouldn't say Mako's attitude towards Korra changes drastically when he learns she's the Avatar. I guess he could be a little mollified by the fact that she's probably not someone dangerous. But he's still snarky and aloof when Bolin is teaching her to probend.

Mako : [Aloof.] Not bad. Korra: [At Bolin, gesturing at Mako. Irritably; slightly down.] What's it take to impress this guy? Mako : What? I said "not bad". [Close-up of Korra pouting at him. Cut back to Mako shaking his head; annoyed.] You know what, it's getting late. [Overview shot of Mako sauntering off with his hands in his pockets.] I think I'm gonna turn in. You kids have fun. Nice to meet you, Avatar Korra.

You know, I assume the "treating Asami as an object" thing is referring to this conversation Mako and Bolin have?

Bolin: So, what do you think of Korra, in a "girlfriend" sort of way? Mako : She's great! But I think it makes more sense for me to go for Asami.

And yeah, I guess you can see this as a more utilitarian view of his relationships with Korra and Asami. But, this is the least charitable interpretation possible. I think it's more likely that Mako cares deeply for both Korra and Asami, and has probably never had to deal with this type of conflict before. Add to this that Asami is literally the reason the brothers can take part in the championship and potentially better their position in life, Mako probably feels not only a lot of gratitude, but also probebly would be wary of upsetting her.

And after he commits to Asami, he still has feelings for Korra. But, Mako seems quite averse to conflict, despite being a bit standoffish. He doesn't want to date within the team, as that could cause friction within the team. He doesn't want to rock the boat by switching from one parter to the next.

Now, the cheating? Yeah, he should've absolutely pushed Korra away and probably told Asami. But once again, he has some feelings for Korra, so momentary lapse of judgement. And, once again, he doesn't want to cause drama in the group by informing Asami of the kiss.

Is it objectively a bad thing to do? And awful judgement of a situation? Cowardly? Yeah.

Do I get why he acted the way he did? Yeah.

And, to Mako and Korra's credit, they did not do anything afterwards. Was there emotional cheating? Um, I guess you could say that, but that's shaky.

I also think we tend to act like Mako's very emotional reaction towards Korra getting kidnapped is purely due to his romantic feelings to her.

But like, also, he's an 18 year old who lost his parents tragically at a young age and then became the primary caregiver to his younger brother for 10 years, holding sole responsibility over his loved one's wellbeing. And we don't think that one of his first close friends going missing (when she's already a traget of an extreminst terrorist organisation) wouldn't get the anxiety beans cooking?

And "push" is the overstatement of the century. He nudged Lin and she immediately gave him the space of like 2 meters like the mimosa plant of a woman she is.

Like, even Mako didn't seen to genuinely acknowledge his doting on Korra as romantic, probably because he's used to focusing his attention on someone's wellbeing.

Asami: I've noticed how you treat Korra. How you acted when she was missing. You have feelings for her, don't you? Mako : What? No! She was taken by a crazy bloodbender! How did you expect me to act?

I wouldn't really define this convesation with Asami as gaslighting. Is it well handled on Mako's side? No. He's being very evasive, and doesn't want the confrontation of discussing his and Korra's kiss with Asami.

I genuinely think he cared for both the girls, but he also most likely didn't know how to handle both romance and conflict. Mako is a character who very much built himself around taking care of others, and at the beginning of tlok, he is still very clearly in that mode. Like He's just trying to live off measly sports with his brother and then literally god barges into his changing room and then Henry Ford's daughter hits him with a motorcycle and suddenly he's cornered in a love triangle cut the man some slack.

Like, don't get me wrong, Mako's flawed, but so is the rest of the Krew. They're messy teens, and that's ehat makes me love them. Singling Mako out feels unnecessarily mean, since he has a lot of good reasons to be the way that he is. Like mans is just trying to survive.

[rainbowsuitcase]

The first time Mav invites himself over to Ice and Slider's place, he finds Slider sitting on the couch, with a giant golden retriever's head in his lap.

"Hey, uh. Slider." Maverick croaks awkwardly, all the confidence he gathered to barge in leaving him when the dog perks up and looks at him. "Didn't know you had a dog."

"Maverick!" Slider actually flinches, surprised, and Mav winces. "I, uhm- it's not my dog?"

"Did you steal it?"

"What? No! I'm... watching him for my sister."

The dog huffs and drops his head back on Slider's thigh.

"What- what are you doing here, did you need anything?"

"No, I..." Mav hesitates. "I was just... bored? But I can go-"

"Don't be stupid." Slider shifts up a little, careful not to disturb the dog as he gestures to the tv screen. "This one's not much of a watch buddy, and I need someone who's not trapped here to get the beers from the fridge."

Mav obediently gets the beers while Slider somehow convinces the dog to make space for him on the couch.

"So what's his name?" Mav asks when he fits himself between Slider and the armrest, the dog watching him lazily with half open eyes.

"Uhm.... Snowman."

The dog huffs again, but he looks at least a little interested when Mav reaches out with his palm up, lifting his head to sniff at him. He lies back down again after barely a few seconds, and Mav takes that as his permission to pet him.

"You're such a cute boy, aren't you?" His voice slips into that cutesy tone that people talk to babies with, but he can't help it. Snowman's fur is so damn fluffy. "You're so fluffy, Snowy, such a cute puppy, yes, you are."

Newly dubbed Snowy huffs, and Slider chuckles. "Yeah, he's not really that kind of a dog."

"Not a cuddler?"

"Only on his own terms." As if to demonstrate, Slider scratches behind his ear and Snowman leans into it happily. "He's more like a cat, really."

"Sounds like another winter themed guy we know. Where is he, by the way?"

Slider barks out a sharp laugh and Snowman grumbles. "Ice is.... taking a break. Don't worry about him, Mav."

[chrkrose]

Just wanted to say that I completely agreed with your Sunrise take. It's almost as though you plucked it out of my brain and put it in words.

Its a shame that the Maysilee/Haymitch ship has been struck down so explicitly. I can't see the ship being popular now without fans claiming that we've 'missed the whole point'.

I also agreed with your take about Lenore: to me, she's far too similar to Lucy Gray for me to care about her in her own right and that's a shame.

I'm interested to see if you have any other thoughts since I enjoyed your first post a lot.

More thoughts on SOTR, Maysilee and Maysilee/ Haymitch.

I mean… I have issues with several aspects of Sunrise on the Reaping (SOTR), honestly. Like, the way the book handles its themes is just so on the nose. It lacks the subtlety Suzanne used to have. One of the biggest appeals of the original trilogy was that Katniss wasn’t a chosen one—she wasn’t special, she wasn’t trying to be a rebel, she was just surviving. And now suddenly we’re rewriting that entire foundation to make her destiny feel preordained? Add in all the fan service, which felt so Marvel-level with its cameos and callbacks, and yeah… I struggled with a lot of it.

The Maysilee stuff—and the Maysilee/Haymitch potential—is just one example in a list of things that didn’t work for me, but it’s a great one to highlight what went wrong.

First off, my gripe with Maysilee and Haymitch isn’t even just that they weren’t romantic. Sure, I do think a romantic storyline would’ve added more depth and been more compelling, but what really bugs me is the way people jump to that “not every relationship needs to be romantic!!” discourse like it’s some mic drop moment. And like—yeah, of course not every bond has to be romantic. The series already gives us beautiful platonic relationships, so what are you truly saying here? I always feel like that argument has a bit of a misogynistic edge, like romance automatically weakens a story or a character. That it’s less serious or important just because it’s “girly” or emotional. It’s the reverse of the people who think romance is the only thing that matters—it’s still minimizing, just from another angle.

Personally, I think a romantic connection between Maysilee and Haymitch could have added a lot to the story. Not because romance is inherently better, but because it would’ve allowed us to actually see the relationship develop. Imagine Haymitch having to confront and dismantle his class prejudices toward her. Imagine the layers that would add to his trauma, to his choices, to the person he becomes. That arc would’ve felt way more grounded than suddenly introducing Lenore Dove—a character who feels like a Lucy Gray copy-paste—and expecting us to accept her as the Great Love of Haymitch’s life.

And look, I’m a sucker for a good love story. I would have eaten it up so fast if this was a good one. But it simply wasn’t. There was no tension, no buildup, no spark. Just symbolism on top of symbolism, and a girl who was written to be “quirky” and “different” and important, but never felt real. She was too mythical, too much, too “main girl who haunts the narrative” without earning that weight. At least Lucy Gray had quirks and nuance. Lenore just felt like Suzanne ticking boxes: rebel, covey, singer, poet attached to her name, dead too soon. And I’m sorry, but having Haymitch still pining for his 16-year-old girlfriend decades later, when we barely get to see him reflect on his family or his fellow tributes? At least give space to his mother and brother, to the tributes he bonded with, to all the people he lost along the way.

And that’s what really bothers me. Suzanne always trusted her readers to come to their own conclusions. She showed us dynamics—Katniss and Peeta, Finnick and Katniss, Johanna and Peeta, even Katniss and Gale—and let us interpret. She never had to spell out who these people were to each other. But it seems like she didn’t trust that when it comes to Maysilee and Haymitch, and to Lenore and Haymitch as well. Suddenly we were told what to feel, how to perceive every relationship. And that just doesn’t land for me. It actually undermines the emotional weight because it feels like she didn’t trust the story to stand on its own.

And if the whole idea was to subvert expectations and say “Surprise! Everything you thought you knew about Haymitch’s Games is actually propaganda,” then… I don’t know. That twist didn’t work for me either. It didn’t enhance the themes, it just made me feel, again, like I wasn’t capable enough to reach conclusions on my own. For a book who speaks of propaganda, she sure tried to determine how we would interact with it without room for anything else.

Now, about Maysilee herself—she would’ve worked so much better as the ghost in Haymitch’s narrative. Platonic or romantic, an ambiguous bond between her and Haymitch had more potential than what we got. The Capitol downplaying her role would’ve tied beautifully with Haymitch’s later manipulation of the Katniss/Peeta narrative. She mirrors both of them in ways Lenore doesn’t: she’s a merchant girl like Peeta, she’s got Katniss’ fire, and her pin—her pin—becomes the ultimate symbol of rebellion. She painted the final poster. Not to mention the quiet tragedy of him having to see her twin sister around town for the rest of his life. That’s the kind of subtle, haunting storytelling that would’ve worked.

But instead, they stripped all that from her to give it to Lenore, and in the process, even Katniss’ story gets hurt. Because now, Katniss isn’t just a girl who stumbled into something bigger than herself—now she’s been chosen since the beginning. Which removes one of the most powerful things about her arc: the idea that regular people, caught in the right place at the right time, can change the world.

Lucy Gray worked as a ghost in Snow’s story. Maysilee should’ve been that for Haymitch. But unfortunately, all that depth, all that symbolism, was handed to a character who didn’t earn it and who honestly just didn’t deliver the emotional payoff Suzanne thought she would.

[readingwritingstuff]

Daryl Dixon and the Five Love Languages

Part One: Gift Giving

A/N: I'm only writing up to Alexandria because that's all I feel like writing up to! Love the whole show but in my head, everyone lives happily ever after in Alexandria <3

The Quarry

At the quarry, Daryl's distant. Very distant. Fitting in with the group doesn't matter as long as he has his brother by his side. When you show up, wide-eyed and jumpy from your time stranded on your own in the city, it doesn't affect him much. Even if he does find himself studying you from time to time, wondering how such a doe eyed scared kid survived out there

But you're not a kid, something Daryl learns very quickly. You're in your twenties, sure, but the look in your eyes the first time you kill a snake and bring it into camp for dinner...it reminds him of something older. Of something harder. Darker in a way some twenty something from the city shouldn't know. You don't even know how to cook the snake. But you sling it over your arm and, to his surprise, walk up to him and ask him point blank, "do you know how to cook this?" He does. He shows you. And you aren't scared to grip the carcass and rip back when he tells you too, exposing the meaty insides. You finish up, and when you bit into it at dinner, you smile at him and, through a mouthful of snake, thank him

That night, after dinner, he sneaks over to your tent, expecting to find you asleep. But you're not. You're up, digging snake meat out from under your nails with the tip of a knife. You wince and jerk it back when you dig a bit too deep, but when he walks up, you assure him you're fine. You grin up at him, so happy and you ask if he enjoyed his dinner

For a moment, Daryl sees who you might have been before. Bright, content maybe. Rare. Most people, people Daryl knew in his world and the people out in the city, they were never fully content. But there you were, smiling up at him like snake meat was a five-course meal. He cleared his throat and shrugged, "s'ok" he murmured, rolling the item in his hand back and forth. You notice, because of course you do. "Whatcha got?" you smile, and he holds his hand out

"Always get ta keep your first rattle off a snake," he says as you take it, eyes sparking like it was jewelry or roses or whatever the hell girls like you were supposed to be happy about

You thank him, and he can tell you mean it. He shrugs it off, turns, he leaves you standing next to your tent and he tells himself he doesn't care if it made you smile. If he made you smile. Only that it was your rattle, your kill. Fair for you to have it. And if it made you smile, well. That wasn't a bad thing.

The Farm

It's stupid. He knows it's stupid, but he passes the same damn field every time he leaves the farm to look for Sophia. And it's flowers. Yellow ones with red centers. And one day when he's passing by he sees the yellow and it reminds him of the scales on that damn snake you killed. And then, no matter how much he tries not to, he can't help but think of you every damn time he passes that flower field

So even though he knows how dumb it is, he stops to pick flowers. He picks a dozen or so. He even ties them together with a long piece of grass. He scoffs at it, he can't help but hear Merle's voice in his head telling him what a pansy he is. Then he wonders if you like pansies

He hangs onto it for the rest of the day, shoves it in his tent, he convinces himself he won't give it to you.

And then he hears you head to your tent, and something sounds off. He listens in, even if he isn't totally sure why he's doing it. Carol's following you, and she's telling you it'll be alright. The sounds of your footfalls quieting, and he hears you pause. "What's the point Carol? Nobody here listens to me." Carol shushed you, and Daryl shifted up in his tent to listen closer. "I'm not a mother. I'm not a sheriff or a deputy. I'm not anybody who had something to fight for before all this besides myself. And yeah! Maybe I like pretty things and I like to take a second here and fucking there to think about something else. But Shane had no right to say that shit to me. Not that it matters, not that any of this shit matters," you laugh, and it's such a broken, awful sound that Daryl cringes. Carol follows you, and Daryl hopes she can say something to you that means something. That'll help cool whatever fire Shane lit under you. Shane. What the hell had that asshole said to you? He made a note to himself to listen more when that asshole was around you, to see just what the hell he thought that had gotten you this worked up

He stays up for a while later, long enough to hear Carol pass by his tent and head up to the RV with the others. You don't camp up there, you don't like how cramped it is. You camp out past even where he thinks is far enough away. He thinks about it, long and hard, but eventually, when camp is quiet and he's sure no one will see him, he grabs the flowers and slips out of his tent

He leaves them in front of your tent, not pausing as he does. He doesn't want you to see him, doesn't want to look into your doe eyes if they're full of tears and he doesn't have a damn thing to say to make it better. But he has this. He has these stupid flowers. So he drops them in front of the zip to your tent, heads back, and tries not to think about it again

But the next day he catches your eye over the fire, and he blinks at the flower you have tucked behind your ear. You cant know, there's no way you could. But you look at him with a quiet, small smile, and you mouth the words thank you. He shrugs, like he doesn't know what you're talking about. But you know, and he knows you know. And that feels pretty good.

On the Road

Being on the move agrees with you. It doesn't agree with anybody else in the group, but you do okay. Daryl wouldn't say it out loud, but watching you watch the world makes things better. No day is easy, but watching you stop to admire a stream or stare into the sunset when camp was made for the day, it softens things, if only by a bit

When you stop to admire a spiderweb one day, he feels something raw clench in his chest. You turn to him, noticing his stare. You're dirty, hair tangled even though he's seen you rake your fingers through it at night in an attempt to manage it. You smile and point how intricate the web is. How hard something so small must have worked to build something so beautiful. He shifts on his feet, and before he can think better of it, he pulls out the tacky, plastic spider ring he picked up back on the main road. It's scuffed and chipped, like some kid had thrown it from the car. He liked to think that maybe the kid had been dangling his hand over the edge of the window and it slipped off. Maybe the kid had thrown a fit. An awful afternoon for the parents, but a normal one. And maybe that's why he grabbed the ring out of the dirt, just to hold something normal for a second

He holds it out to you, and he shifts on his feet, but he doesn't leave when you take it this time. "You like this kinda stuff, huh?" he gestures to the spider web, "small stuff."

You nod and take the ring, looking at it, inspecting it, "small stuff's worth noticing Daryl. It's the only stuff that's ever been worth noticing."

And then you do something he doesn't expect. You bounce up on your toes and kiss his check, quick and simple. "Thank you Daryl, really." He stills, the spot where your lips had been was burning, and he blinks at you as you turn to follow the group, he doesn't miss you slipping the ring onto your pinky finger. Daryl Dixon does not blush. Not ever. Not once. But he did duck his head then, letting his overgrown hair fall in front of his face, so no one would see if he did. Just in case.

The Prison

It's the first time he looks for something for you. He doesn't realize he's doing it at first. But he and a few others from the prison stumble onto an abandoned strip mall. It's beat to hell, but there are only a few walkers inside. They can't pass up the opportunity, so they clear it, and set the rest of the day for scavenging

Daryl isn't thinking about finding a jewelry store. He's thinking about food, medicine, the shit he's supposed to think about out here. But he passes it, and he stops. He wants to keep moving, but he freezes up and combs it with his eyes. The cage that had been pulled down on it is open wide enough to crawl through at the bottom, and he can see how empty the spot is. It's too easy

So, against his better judgement, he drops to the floor and crawls inside

He grabs a few things. A silver band bracelet for Carol, a pair of clip-on earrings he thinks Judith might like when she gets older, and for you...a charm bracelet

It's laying on the floor, like someone had dropped it and forgotten it there. It has a few different charms on it. A horse, a star, a moon, but the part that really solidifies it as yours is the spiderweb charm. It's out of place, admittedly. But it's silver and shiny and it has a tiny gemstone spider right in the middle

He doesn't give it to you for a while. He gives the other bracelet to Carol, and he gives the earrings to Rick for safe keeping. But the bracelet feels too personal. He's starting to regret grabbing it when you swing by his cell one night

You're holding a plate full of food, and he frowns, realizing he'd been so caught up on watch earlier that he'd missed dinner without realizing. But you noticed. You always noticed. He coughs, and not for the first time that day, he reaches into his pocket to toy with the charms. But he forces himself to do it this time. "Here," he says, holding it out. You shift the plate, then give up on holding it and gesture for Daryl to take it. It's an awkward exchange, and Daryl feels himself redden at how un-smooth this is. But you smile down at the bracelet in your hand and, without a word, step forward and hug him

You're warm. Warmer than anything he's felt in a long time. He doesn't expect himself to do it, but he lifts a hesitant arm and wraps it around you, too. You pull him tight and, your voice full of something that sounds softer and kinder than he thinks he'd ever deserve to hear from you, you thank him and say quietly, "you see me, Daryl. Maybe better than anybody else ever has."

And then you're gone, taking your warmth and your kind words and your bracelet with you, and he's left standing there in his cell with a plate full of food and the distinct impression that you maybe you're beginning to see him, too.

The Woods

Things are bad when you lose the prison. You make it out with Daryl and Beth, and the three of you do what you can to keep going. But Beth's a kid, and Daryl is a man who'd finally found a home, only to lose it in a hail of blood and gunfire, and you? You just feel lost

Daryl lost it at that damn cabin. So close to what he'd lived in before all this, to what he'd been before all this, that everything that had happened finally slammed into him full force. The moonshine hadn't helped. And he'd said shit to you and Beth he wished he could take back

You all talk after, when things calm down, and when Beth suggests burning that shithole down you're more than up for it. And as the three of you stand there, burning the past and all its evils with it, Daryl feels lighter than he has in a long time

After that, it gets easier for him to show how he feels about you, even if he isn't sure what exactly that is

He gives you some of his portion at dinner, no matter how much you argue. He gives you little thing he finds as you walk, pretty stones and bird feathers and sometimes, sometimes he just points things out. The way the sun turns everything gold as it rises, the way dew clings to everything in the morning, turning it wet and cool with relief, a respite from the heat, and, of course, how it clings to spiderwebs, turning them into catchers of little water droplet gems. You always stop, no matter how tired you are or how long you'd walked that day, and admire it. At a certain point, Daryl realizes that while you're busy admiring the world, he's busy admiring you.

Alexandria

It's been a long, long time since he's felt nervous to give you something

You've been in Alexandria for years now. Things are good, really good. For the first time in a long time the future is beginning to feel real. When you'd arrived, you'd clung to each other. This place was too good to be real and you both knew it

And yeah, you'd been right. The place had seen its share of blood and destruction. The picture perfect idea the founders of this place had wasn't realistic. But what you built it into? What you created from the remnants of the destruction there? That was real. And now, after all the blood and death, you and Daryl Dixon were together in a way he'd wanted for a long, long time

Things had grown slowly for years, since the very first time he'd seen that look in your eyes, that drive. Since you'd smiled at him when he gave you that first gift, that rattle. He'd known it somewhere deep inside him that he loved you differently than he loved the others. You were something to him, something he didn't know how to have

But you showed him, every day you showed him how try. How to try to be together in this new world and how to try to leave the ghosts of the old one far behind, and now, now he wants to set down roots with you, to look you in the eyes and tell you exactly what it means to be in this place with you, with a future that feels solid and yours

So when he finds a ring, the ring, he knows it's time. He'd found it in the woods. He didn't want to know how it had gotten there. Didn't want to think about who had worn it before. Because before didn't matter anymore. All that matters is here and now and the fact that it's, to his best guess, your size, and unique in a way he knows you like

So he cleans it up, the simple band and pointed gem scrubbed clean with water and a little soap. He doesn't wait, not when he knows with such certainty where it needs to be

It's like any other night. He comes back from his run, the freshly cleaned ring sitting snug in his pocket. You're in the kitchen, the smell of food from the garden mixing with some of the spices he'd brought you a run all mixing together to make the whole place feel warm. And that's how you feel to him, warmer than anything in the world. Daryl never wants to be cold again

He helps you with dinner. You eat together, clean up, share stories from your day. It's normal. It's perfect. And when you stand from the couch at the end of a long night, Daryl stops you. He's looking at you with this stare, the one you know means he's sorting through the words to tell you something

And he wants to, he does. He wants to tell you that he loves you more than anything in the world, that knowing you, being with you, it makes a world of the dead feel alive again. But you know him, you know that look in his eye, and you aren't all that oblivious either. You'd felt the way he'd rubbed his thumb over your ring finger the past few nights in bed, like he was trying to memorize it. And you'd known he'd been listening when you were talking to the newlyweds down the street, listening in his easy, casual way, yes, but listening with a look in his eye that said something more than words ever could

And so, before he ever gets a chance to pull out the ring and get down a knee properly, how he knew he wanted to, how he knew you deserved, you leaned in and press a warm, gentle kiss to his mouth and say, with absolute certainty of your love for the archer before you

"Yes."

[spinstertheuncommon]

Gotham's sewist- meet the robin | reader insert

Disclaimers: use of y/n, no gendered terms for reader, no real romance but maybe later down the line for the story, not following any real comic lore, just my brain, lowercase because I'm lazy, reader is over Bruce's shit but he hasn't even begun. Reader does not know who batman is below the mask yet

note: reader has a non specific physical disability that affects their knee strength. they use an ambulatory cane on high pain days, but can walk without it. this is purely self indulgent.

Timeline: Reader and Bruce are 26

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"you're kidding me, right?"

you sit, staring up at the looming shadow in front of you, only illuminated by the streetlight behind him. not even the desk lamp you were hunched over could reach is face, but then again he was a wall of a man.

"i trust you can make it for him?"

you blink, dumbfounded, "i mean, yeah i can make it, but with little due respect, that,” you point, “is a child! he's like, 10 and you want me to make him a suit?!"

"I'm 12!" the small boy shoots up, bouncing over from the display wall of buttons and trims, coming over to rest his head on your desk.

"I-hun, that doesn't make it any better," you sigh. you don't want to break this little boys heart, but can you really endorse a child going out to fight crime? even if under the wing of the batman?

speaking of, batman leans further into the light, either to intimidate or level with you, but at this point you've moved passed any point of fear. you've seen this man in just a cowl and boxers to draft several patterns, he has nothing on you. and you know he hates it.

"you will be paid more than fairly, just name your rate"

"4 billion"

"done"

"wait, what?" you were being facetious, but from the half of his face you could see, this man was not playing. how the fuck does this man make money?

while processing this, batman had already pulled out a check book. you dive over the desk, "no, nononono no, B, i was kidding i wasn't serious, i just... do you have any plans..? inspiration..? a starting point..?" i can't believe i'm agreeing to this.

"I DO I DO!! Here!" the kid shoved a drawing in your face. it was one of those print outs to decorate a ginger bread man you’d see in school libraries, but had the brightest crayon colours all over it. a big banner covered the top of the page, in very neat writing, but still with the charm of a child's hand . it read 'robin' with 'hood' scratched out beside it. with green shoes, a big yellow cape, a hat with a feather, a red tunic and-

"what colour did you want the pants to be, hun?"

"I don't want any! i want a leotard!"

you sit, silently blubbering like a fish. once you had some semblance of comprehension, you immediately flick to the bat.

you're letting him go out, with no pants? the amount of time over the last 3 years you've spent with him, he should be well aware of what you say with your eyes.

and he was.

and he did nothing about it. he had the audacity to shrug.

you right about jumped out of your seat to strangle this man. you don't care if you're knee gives out, and you really don't care who he was, he needed someone out there to smack some sense into him, and if it was you, it will be you (you would later find out that someone was trying to, but B is as stubborn as he is quiet).

"mm ok, how bout i cut you a deal, hun? can we settle on some tights?"

he thought about it. he thought hard about it. he thought so hard his face scrunched along with it. he thought so hard you were sure he had stopped breathing and was about to turn blue.

"kid, i ca-"

"OKAY!!" he almost nocks himself over with how aggressively he threw his head back. this is the kid the bat wants to take out? i mean, if this is the energy he has at 2am then i guess?

you really didn't know anymore. but you're not out there, and the crime has gone down since batman jumped on the scene, and you're not the one in the kevlar spandex suit.

no,

you just make the kevlar spandex suits.

But money's tight.

no one buys from a 26 year old sewist with student debts up to their ears. no one comes to a shop so close to crime alley to fix their high priced suits and dresses, or commission one, carting wads of money thieves can sniff on their collars.

money's tight.

so you offer up 800 dollars.

he's a small kid, it won't cost much on your side.

the bat slides you a check, one you've seen before. always anonymous, and always twice as much as you offer.

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Hello!

This is like, my first fanfic that is actually seeing public light, so that's cool.

Gothams Sewist is a series, so follow me or the tag to stay updated if u like my work,

Thanks for reading!

-Spinster

Do not copy, steal or repost my work! Thanks!

[solanasreality]

i saw you reblogging the asks game and HELLO HELLO i'm so up.

🌽 ⊹ ࣪ ˖ meet cute corn : how did you meet? through friends, maybe work… or did you bump into them on the street? how long until you became friends?

🫒 ⊹ ࣪ ˖ delightful olive : what’s a little thing they do that always makes you happy? is it a quirk? or is it an act of service done for your favor? is it done intentionally?

͏͏ 𖥔 the asks game . . or something like that . ͏͏ ͏͏ ❜͟

𓉳̸ my book dr ( or ashes of saint mercy ) . . 💭

( hi EMM, thank you for the ask 💗💗 )

🌽 ⊹ ࣪ ˖ meet cute corn : how did you meet? through friends, maybe work… or did you bump into them on the street? how long until you became friends?

okay. so. i met my friends in. wouldn’t you guess it? school. of course, we were the oddest bunch, a collection of people that shouldn’t work, but do. at first, it was me and this girl named dalila, a pretty lady from the deserts of khemoria ( which would be today’s egypt ), the first thing that drew me towards her was her energy. she’s so beautiful, on the outside & inside—but she’s possible to miss if you don’t pay more attention because she’s so quiet. i think soft spoken is a better way at putting it. definitely not someone you expect at a military academy. ( IN A GOOD WAY !! )

me and her became close at the start of the semester, while the others . . took awhile to get used to. jikiina was a PROBLEMM. a prestige girl who emerged from the hoshino clan, daughter of a shogun, really stereotypical because she didn’t know any better ( especially towards dalila, poking fun at her native culture, muttering sly words about a foreign going to the school. it was awful. ) she only comes around after the war really starts to develop and she’s forced to choose between her mother, who wants to upstage the main clan * cough * cult * cough * running the country or us, and that’s where she becomes a revolutionary.

kaju. this man was a DICK. throughout school and up to the war, you can just hear this agitating voice going on and on about neutrality. yeah, well, you CANNOT be neutral when there’s oppression involved, i don’t care how deep your ideologies from home go, that doesn’t make it a fair war. ( he figured this out the hard way ) now. you’ll be asking. “solana! how did you two become close, then???” remember what i said about him learning the hard way? yeah. it comes at the cost of his boyfriend, whom i think is a jerk anyway ( i wouldn’t say this to his face )

lastly. the man himself. i don’t have an exact time i can pinpoint for when me and nakahara become “ friends? ” he just stopped wanting to kill me one day, and here we are, making quiet, berated promises to each other while i’m patching his wounds. a bunch of life saving and ya-di-da! i’m in his bed! ( we’re just insanely. codependent when it comes to each other. long story. )

🫒 ⊹ ࣪ ˖ delightful olive : what’s a little thing they do that always makes you happy? is it a quirk? or is it an act of service done for your favor? is it done intentionally?

✷ dalila sahu ── everytime we come back from a battle of some sort, she’s always there to dress our wounds and provide comfort. she’s nowhere near to be a therapist, but she’s close, and it’s always appreciated.

✷ kaju akiita ── the fact that his loyalties shift means he’ll do anything in his power to make sure you know he’s in it for the long run. if he’s truly on your side, you’ll know, he’s less likely to leave you to die than others. ( mostly joking with this one )

✷ hoshino jikiina ── so, i’ve talked about her becoming a revolutionary, but i wanna go into ( slight ) detail about how that changed her. you can genuinely see an improvement as her ideologies shift, and she’s a real gift giver. i’ve come across her paintings before, stashed away until she’s ready to give them out. she pays excruciating detail to a person.

✷ nakahara akuma ── he’s also really perceptive, but in a different way. akuma has the tendency to pry a person’s life open like a book, if there’s something he remembers, he’ll make sure you know. he’s not afraid to correct someone on a single detail, but gets really surprised when another person does the same, so this seems to be unintentional. or the more disappointing option, he doesn’t think he’s that important to be looked at in the same light. too bad for him, i do it anyway.

[cherryblossompink303]

Patience S2:06:~Join the Black Magic club!~

➼ pairing: Kyoya Ootori x Reader ➼ summary: honey senpai has a secret admirer ➼ what to expect: "Kyoya are you insecure over honey-senpai of all people?" ➼ warnings: n/a ➼S2:05 / S2:07

In the basement of the north wing, deep in the farthest reaches of the hall, behind the door you will find the black magic club.

"Hey Kanazuki, you're not gonna change? What have you been so preoccupied with lately?"

"A curse" Kanazuki mutters, not looking over at her fellow club members. "Woot! Kanazuki's specialty!"

"Who's the lucky victim this time?"

She hands them a photo "Oh? Isn't he in the host club? What's your grudge against him?" Nekozawa-senpai questions. "Well Mr president, to be honest....he stole my soul"

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Join the black magic club!

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"Achoo!"

"Oh Honey! Do you have a cold? It's easy to get sick when the seasons are changing"

"No i'm fine" Hoeney waves it off, smiling back at the guests "Take care of yourself. Actually I feel slightly feverish myself"

"I'm sorry to hear that princess, warm yourself with this ginger tea and we'll use it to divine whether that fever is from a cold or from your feelings for me" Tamaki leans over.

"Tamaki are you also a fortune teller?"

"Yes princess, did you know that since ancient times, people have read their fortunes in flora and the stars? But today the common folk use everyday items such as electrical appliances and stationary. At first I was impressed by their skill in entertaining themselves without spending money but them I realised it was a symptom of the emptiness in the busy lives! They'll use anything to feel better in an attempt to confirm the significance of their existance!"

You raise an eyebrow "Yeah senpai i'm pretty sure Haruhi would tell you that is not it"

"The boss is especially fervent in summer. He's been in perfect form since recovering from that cold"

"Oh haruhi!" Tamaki waves her over from across the room "Let father tell your animal fortune! Are you a bunny? or maybe a bridie?"

"I don't really care about that...make it quick"

Nekozawa senpai appears over Tamaki's shoulder "Ah! I didn't know you liked fortune telling Suoh" Tamaki jumps out of his skin "N-Nekozawa!"

"You should join the black magic club! We're currently holding our summer fortune telling campaign I'll give you a special reading....That reminds me, I have great news for Honey"

"Hm?" Honey turns to face them, halfway through eating a slice of cake.

"Congratulations! Our very own mistress of maledictions has chosen you to be her sacrificial victim!" Everyones faces fall at the statement.

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Miss Reiko Kanazuki, first year class D, the girl who has cast her evil eye upon Honey. At first glance, with her beautiful long black hair, she appears to be meek and prim. As her hobby is casting curses she doesn't fit in with the other students.

"Oh" the host club all huddle around the door of the classroom for 1-D, not so subtly spying on Kanazuki.

"She's the one cursing Honey? Do you know why?"

"I've seen her somewhere before, but I don't remember exactly!" Honey hides on the back of Mori. "She doesn't always wear a black cloak like Nekozawa does"

"Why me? Why am I cursed? Is she going to kill me?" Honey starts to cry. "I'll go have a talk with her" Mori storms off "No violence mori!" Tamaki yells after him.

"That's right. Interrupting the curse would only invite more calamity" Nekozawa pops up once more, and yet again frightening Tamaki. "Honey? You really don't remember? Kanazuki says you stole her soul. She intends to take yours as revenge"

You raise an eyebrow at the statement, head falling to the side as you watched the scene "Here's proof. It's Kanazuki's eraser, she wrote your name on it. once she uses it up, your soul will be hers"

Nekozawa holds up an eraser which has 'Mitskuni Haninozuka  ♡' etched into it.

You laugh a little "Oh my god" You mutter under your breath, suddenly realising what this is actually about.

"She did the same to her mirror with nail polish"

"Um...I hate to break it to you Nekozawa but those aren't curses" You point out.

"It is! Here I have the book she used" He pulls out a charm book. "Nekozawa that's a book on elementary school love charms, Kanazuki doesn't want revenge on Honey, she has a crush on him!"

"No" Kanazuki appears by you "They're curses"

"It's nice to see you, haninozuka"

"huh?" Honey looks up at her in mild shock "One hair, if you please" She plucks one from his head, tying it with one of her own "This should bind your soul"

"Um...are you...in love with honey?" Tamaki asks

"Technially speaking, he stole my soul"

"I think you mean he stold your heart"

"Well, I don't know what it's commonly called, but to be specific...Honey occupies 90 percent of my thoughts and causes my heart to paliptate. His external appearance satisfies my fetishist tenedencies. I have a weakness for pixies. He took my soul so now I must take his, thus, until honey's soul is mine, I will continue to curse him"

She walks off, leaving the rest of you stunned "Okay I could have done without the explanation" you mutter, Kyoya turns to you "So you're saying you don't feel like that about me?" He jokes, you roll your eyes, lightly wacking him in the arm "shut up"

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And so with each new day, Miss Kanazuki's love attack intensifies.

She wrote his name on the chopsticks she uses at lunch, she wrote his name a hundred times in her notebook, among other things.

"Honey looks exhausted, is there anything we can do?"

"Hmm...we know they're only love charms...and I can never ignore the feelings of a girl in love" Tamaki wonders. "If you think about it, it's rare for someone to fall seriously in love with honey" Hikaru chimes in

"Yeah, most girls just feel maternal affection for him"

"You two should take into account Honey's feelings!"

Kyoya approaches him "What should we do, honey? This may interfere with the clubs business, if there's anything I can-"

"No...but...I've been watching her and she doesn't have any friends outside of the black magic club. I don't think she can talk to other people easily, the only way she knows how to communicate is through curses and charms."

"Excuse me, Haninozuka" She appears once again "May I borrow your bunny?" She picks it up "I'll give it back tomorrow"

"No! No! Not usa-chan!"

Mori snatches Usa-chan out of her hands "If you want his heart, shouldn't you do something else?"

"Hand over the stuffed animal, i'll curse you"

"Being cursed by someone who doesn't consider other people's feelings will have no effect on me at all. You'll never win someone's heart that way, no matter how many charms you use."

"But there's no point in thinking about the feelings of others, no one tries to understand me and certainly no one will grow to like me. Talking is a waste of time, so now I use curses right from the start."

"You're wrong reiko!" Honey exclaims "You've gotta share your feelings to be understood. If you want me to like you back, let's talk more. I don't want my feelings to be controlled by curses, I want to know about the things you like, the things you're not good at, what makes you happy. I'd like to hear all about those things...Reiko...i...I like girls who fight to overcome their weaknesses"

The rest of you look on impressed "Wow"

"Honey's actually got some good lines" you watch the situation with wide eyes, leant back against the wall with your arms crossed "Hm" Kyoya hums from next to you.

"So, reiko...would you like to eat some cake together?"

"Yes!"

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And so miss Kanazuki started visiting the host club, and the possible start of the perfect relationship sparked.

"Honey, I'll try to overcome my weaknesses...but I want to keep studying curses"

"Hmm...well, I guess I would never give up eating cake, I don't mind, but please keep it a hobby"

"Really? i'll do that then"

You watch on from your table with a smile. "You know I didn't expect Honey to be that smooth" you laugh a little, taking a sip of coffee. "Yes you do seem to be rather impressed with him" Kyoya mutters, scribbling away as usual.

"Hm? where did that come from?"

Kyoya sighs, taking off his glasses to clean them. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be snappy...do you...want something like that? Someone who is...smoother, with relationships?"

"Kyoya are you insecure over honey-senpai of all people?"

He rolls his eyes "I just mean...our relationship isn't exactly conventional, nor is the way we show affection...I guess i never really asked you..."

"Asked me...if I want a conventional relationship?"

"I suppose"

You sigh, looking down to your cup to realise its empty, you stand to go get a refill, pausing by his seat. "We haven't been properly together for long...and its both of our first relationships, we'll figureout stuff like that eventually. Conventional is boring, the only ones who understand it is us, why would I want to change that?" you place a hand on the table, inching closer to his hand. "That being said...I would be lying if I said i hadn't been holding back being more foreward with you for that reason" You trace your fingers up and down his forearm, noticing that he was also out of coffee, you take his cup.

"I'll get us refills" You smile, in contrast to the previous words, walking off to find some coffee. Leaving Kyoya to watch you walk away, jaw hanging slightly open.

Next time on patience....'Operation: misuzu's reconciliation!'

'Misuzu begs haruhi for help and we meet her daughter? can the host club help reunite them? find out next time on Patience!'

We'll see you then!'

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[alexanderlightweight]

this is literally just malec fic ideas and verse bullshit - lumine

I was writing the beginning of this new verse for a prompt and it reminded me of another idea that i'd dreamt of briefly during last years brain fog.

Colosseum (and primarily active only) shadowhunter style but it's also basically tied with the whole mating runs trope. which I think I have a prompt from someone about gladiator style shadowhunters fights so like.... I could fill that with this idea I think. it's just courting gladiator style instead.

basically when you hit a certain age, you get sent in rotation to the colloseum because 1) its good training 2) its a good way to connect all the younger active duty Shadowhunters who normally are stuck at their respective Institute 3) allows for the mingling of bloodlines and testing of chemistry

once you reach a certain rank/essential work you only have to go for like, events or if you're specifically called out (because they fight for the right to court as a part of this whole thing)

alec is so far unbeatable. not necessarily because he's better than the rest but the sheer rage and energy of 'i'm not marrying you. perish or die' kind of make it hard for anyone to hold up well against him.

yes Alec knows that both of those options are unreasonable.

he doesn't care.

you expect reason out of him when he keeps having to fight off shadowhunter women looking for strong/lineage/good position/really good with kids-handsome, who want to have sex with him?

like they want to marry him but that's not the only bad part. the worst part is the sex okay. Alec knows exactly what those kind of shadowhunters are here for and it's to have babies. they're looking for a stud but they want a competent one, hence the fights.

technically by the rules of the colloseum Alec could fight a guy and propose that way completely legally but he uh.... there is no one he wants to fight in Idris. like he sometimes subs in for shadowhunters who don't want to risk losing and are too outmatched by their opponent. typically that because of politics or family dynamics they don't say no to the whole fighting mating dance.

and sometimes in a daze the Shadowhunters Alec beats are just like 'oh wow' and Alec is just like looking down at their prone forms, the match already called 'stomps their face and hopes he did enough damage that they forget the last five minutes' (he's gotten really accurate over the years okay. at some point it's mentioned that Simon needs to forget the last few minutes and alec's just like 'oh I can handle that' and everyone is just like "NO ALEC HES A MUNDANE'

Alec: well.... it still would have handled it

--

anyway so yeah alec does not need more suitors. even if one or two are the gender he actually likes

he has standards

currently nephilim are not up to his standards and since broadening his horizon (he didn't broaden shit. its just that Magnus is the skyline) he realized that Magnus is not just up to his standards but was in fact the blueprint and mold for those standards.

magnus finding out that even though the entire shadowworld knows they're together, Alec is still getting courtship fight requests.

Magnus: I see, I see. so first i'm going to nearly kill every single one of your opponents in your name, then i'm going to fight you and personally ensure that every single nephilim in attendance witnesses your submission when I win.

Alec who is absolutely tired of the colosseum and clave bullshit: k, wake me up when it's my turn to lose. I need a nap.

i like to ramble about verses and fic ideas I have no idea if anyone is interested but sometimes this stuff will pop up lol. also questions and asks about fics and verses are always welcomed, they're a lot of fun to answer

lumine