#acts weird and puts you in Situations on purpose to study your reactions like a weird little creature

[luckykittysshowerthoughts]

Michael trying to court MC but it just has the energy of a curious child poking a Weird Neat Thing He Found in the Bushes with a stick then jumping back when it moves

[vanilla-c0c0]

William Rex route - ch. 2 summary

All possible disclaimers are valid! I'm not a mother tongue speaker and I'm doing this for fun. 100% accuracy is not guaranteed. This chapter felt exceptionally long? But hey, there were many cute and nice moments so it's fine

!! TW !! // THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MENTIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIMENTATION

William makes fun of MC's situation. He didn't expect her to choose the one person she's most wary of as her observation target. Even if she tries to deny it, he knows what her real thoughts are. On the other hand MC cannot really say she doesn't want to stay with him, as it would put her in a weird position.

MC: "Then, William-sama..." William: "William." MC: "...William. What are your plans for today?"

MC panics a bit, thinking she's going to end up at another crime scene or some sort of shady and dangerous place like the East End slums or Opium houses. William happily laughs and apologises for not living up to her expectations: he doesn't go killing people every day and night. MC realises that her assumptions were rude.

[Player Choice: すみません, the 2nd choice will give you +4 +4 points] MC: "That was disrespectful. I'm sorry."

William doesn't mind, it's a normal reaction and he really enjoys her honest expressions and curiosity. Turns out, he still hasn't decided on what to do for the day yet. He was thinking of going into the city to gather information but... At that moment, a gorgeous voice reaches them from nearby.

Liam:" Good morning Wil, MC-chan!"

MC:" Good morning Liam...? Roger-san, you're really good at mimicking voices, aren't you...?"

Then suddenly Liam appears out of nowhere. His power is that of becoming invisible to the eyes of people at a certain distance; it's quite convenient. William observes that he appears to be in a good mood and asks if he has been doing another "fun experiment" with Roger. The latter has been researching curses by studying on his own ("The traitorous hunter"); he joined Crown with the purpose of finding samples other than himself, and now he's been doing human experiments on a cooperative person like Liam. However, he also wants to do a comparative verification with normal people...

Roger: "Will you collaborate with me, young lady?"

In front of such a proposal, MC is scared and doesn't know how to act; however, she swallows the welling-up fear and tells Roger that yes, if it's within the scope of her duties as fairy tale master then...

William: "...."

Much to MC's relief, Roger bursts out laughing and admits it was just a joke. In the meantime, Liam calls out to William, who has been silently staring at the scene without saying anything, but the man waves it off. After this interaction, they parted ways with Roger who went straight to his laboratory, whereas Liam joined William and MC on their walk towards an unkown destination.

As they approach the entrance hall, MC notices a high pile of items that wasn't there the night prior. A picture frame wrapped in fine cloth, a coffin with a design of seemingly highly historical value, a necklace with a big jewel... There is a bunch of beautiful things cramped together.

Alfons: "Oh.... El did it again, didn't he?"

Liam greets him, asking if he has just returned home now. The other replies affirmatively, and adds that it's because last night, too, his "friends" didn't let go of him. MC notices the man's languid aura and sweet scent, a mix of multiple perfumes, so she decides not to ask him any questions. Alfons decides to take all those objects to Elbert's room, guessing that they'll probably end up as forgotten junk in his room anyway.

Alphonse: "Then, good night."

After saying that, he walks into the depths of the castle while sighing dramatically. Liam starts explaining that Elbert's curse (whom he calls El-sama) is that of the Greedy Queen (from Snow White) and that stuff like this happens because he's looking for the most beautiful thing in the world. On the other hand, Al's curse is that of the Magic Mirror, from the same fairy tale.

Jude: "Tch.... 'the hell is all this. Can't even walk through here."

Jude appears, followed by Ellis, and starts cursing, stepping on the coffin to get over it (Ellis jumps over it lol).The both of them are leaving for work. Jude's curse is the 13th Fairy, and Ellis' is the Thorn (from Sleeping Beauty), Liam explains. Before leaving the place, Ellis turns around and tells William that the incident from last night is already in the papers: the Queen of Hearts strikes again. William thanks him for the information, and Liam (the kind guide) explains the character of the Queen of Hearts to MC. Her iconic line "Off with your head!" is used to describe William's modus operandi; he also adds that according to Roger, this fairy tale was probably based on the story of a self-righteous king. As she's writing everything down in her notebook, MC realises something: "He said that it "striked again", then that means that William's assassinations are quite famous".

Liam:"Of course, he's one of the founders of Crown. I heard that it was created because of an incident he caused."

William: "Oh I see you remember it well. Our cat listens to us properly."

In other words, before Her Majesty gave the order to do so, there was already a case in which William "won evil with evil", which then made the Queen think that it should continue, MC thinks. She then wonders what kind of evil they are fighting, exactly?

Switching topics, William asks Liam about today's stage rehearsal, which apparently is going to be in the afternoon. After hearing those words, MC feels a bit down: she wasn't able to receive this month's salary so she won't be able to attend any play this month; that, and there is the issue with Crown, too.

MC: (.......I wanted to go see it.)

William: "........."  ".....Today's schedule has been decided. Let's go see a play"

[...]

MC thinks that her job should be to observe Will and record his sins, not go see a play with him.

William: "Rain Rain go away, Come again another day...🎶"

He's not the type of person to act like a gentleman and go out of his way to please someone... right? Anyhow, the dolled-up MC (courtesy of Liam) is worried that there won't be any ticket lefts, especially because they suddenly decided to go as a last minute decision. On the other hand, William is as calm as one can be, asking the girl from which seat she'd like to watch the performance. Of course, the first thing that comes to her mind is a good view from the front row, but that'd be asking for too much, so she answers that any seat is fine with her. William doesn't seem to fully believe her, and when they finally arrive at the theater, he introduces himself at the reception, making the manager suddenly run up to meet him. The manager asks William what he can help him with, and when the latter asks for seats in the front row of tonight's play, the manager complies straight away. MC is delightfully shocked, but although she tries to hide it, Will can see through her clearly. "If it would have made you this happy, you should have said so from the beginning."

Turns out that he's one of the theater's supporters, meaning that he has some sort of privilege. MC realises that something for which she would have needed to work months for, has just been obtained in a matter of seconds due to pure social status. Life is unfair but... she still feels happy. When they walk into the room, she's overwhelmed with excitement, but it doesn't take long for her to notice the amount of stares they're receiving from both the commoners and the nobles. She feels tremendously nervous as she has never been stared at like this; is it because they're gonna seat at the front row, or is it because William is with a woman? She glances over to her companion, who doesn't seem to be uncomfortable in the slightest; he's used to it, he says.

William: "By the way, I know what happens when I return their gazes; I tried it out once. 50% look away, 40% of them smile."

MC: "...And the remaining 10%?"

William: "They're quite unpleasant. They raise their middle finger at me. Mainly men.”

MC laughs at this (PLS THIS IS SO CUTE), which involuntarily makes her relax her shoulders. For the first time, she feels like William is an actual human being, someone from the same world as her. He points out that she has finally shown him a smile, although even now she's just laughing half-heartedly. Then, he switches topic, turning his attention to the play that's about to begin.

After the play, they're walking together, and MC is excitedly ranting about the play. She mentions one scene in particular, where she thought the actor had really been stabbed. William wonders if maybe the man had been stabbed before, assuming that he may have tried it for the pure sake of acting; anesthesia and suturing techniques are quite advanced now, so it wouldn't be such a reach to say that. Furthermore, he noticed that he had a habit of dragging his left leg a little, and it is not uncommon for nerves to remain compressed by the retractor during a suturing procedure, leaving the leg paralysed (oh he smart SMART). MC thinks that if that were the case then that'd mean that the man's love for acting must be out of this world; she could never risk her life to that point because of her job. William suddenly bursts out laughing, saying she shouldn't take it this seriously: it's all his own speculation. "I think you trust my words too much because you think of me as someone you should be wary of"

MC: "Please don't make fun of me.... Ah."

She covers her mouth with her hand when she realises she just reflexively talked back to him. She was still feeling emotional from the theater so it just happened to slip; however, William gently removes her hand. "You try to suppress your own feelings due to the habit of being considerate of other's ones. I don't think it's because you're simply scared of me. "I'm afraid to stay with William as a partner", "I hate human experiments", "I wanted to go to the theater", "I'd like to sit in the front row", "I don't want to be teased". These are all your real feelings, why hide them?".

MC doesn't really know a reason why. It's just that... she feels like she shouldn't really put her heart into what she says; but she doesn't have any particular reason. William says he doesn't mind if she calls him off, saying he's a murdered or self-centered, for example. But MC disagrees, she doesn't know him well enough to be cursing him.

William: "That's right. Then... would you like to know more?"

MC: "...For the sake of the mission."

William just smiles and looks at her, but why does he do it that way? Ever since they met, she has been at the mercy of that smile of his. But even now, it's like he's not looking at her, but rather at something inside her, making her restless.

"Thank you for bringing me to the play today." William says not to worry, as he was originally planning to go into town anyway. He then asks where they shall go to next. But what about going home? "Ahah, is it time for the good girl to go to bed? Unfortunately, the next month won't have any of this kind of decency. Ah, I have an idea of where to go; it's a fun place, I'm sure you'll like it too."

The Big Ben points to 9pm, and MC feels like the theater was already more than enough. Moreover, a "fun place" for an assassin on a night like this... she feels like it won't be anything nice. However since today he listened to her feelings, saw through what she wanted and gave it to her, maybe she should accept the invitation.

☆ chapter 3

[maliby]

Dare | Johnny Suh (+18)

↬ Pairing: Johnny x F. Reader

↬ Story Genre: smut, fluff

↬ Warnings: mature language, explicit sex scene

↬ Word count: 5.6K

↬ Summary:  You and your friend Johnny have this ongoing string of wild dares. There’s just one thing: you’re never allowed to say no.

“Good morning class, today we’re going to start learning all about the matrix!” Your Algebra professor happily announced, completely unaware of the horror that swept over his students.

“Wait, is he talking about the movies?” Your friend Taeyong leaned in as soon as Professor Weaver turned his back to write on the board. The rest of the class groaned, having heard tales of horror from their seniors about the subject.

“No, you dufus! Remember last year when Taeil was having a mental breakdown?”

“Oh,” realization dawned over his beautiful face, his big eyes widening even more.

You had had a crush on Taeyong from the first moment you had seen him (just like everybody in your year), but that soon went away as you got to know him and found that you connected better as friends.

“Yup. Matrices…” You sighed in terror while you rested your chin on the palm of your hand. “Maybe Taeil has some notes he can give us-” At that moment, the phone in the back pocket of your jeans buzzed, breaking you out of your conversation. You fished the device from your pocket and looked at the shiny notification bar - it was a message from your roommate, Johnny Suh. 

You looked to your left where said roommate was, sat just a few tables from you, and felt a feeling of dread creep up on you at the sight of his stupid grin. You didn’t have to read the message, you already knew what he wanted.

“Is it Johnny?” Taeyong asked as his eyes followed yours straight to the roommate you both had in common.

“Yes…” you mumbled through gritted teeth, quickly placing your finger on your phone’s Touch ID to unlock it and read the message.

Heeere’s Johnny 🔪 (10:35 AM): dare u to scream “fuck” as loud as you can

“Motherfucker…” you muttered with your eyes closed.

“What did he dare you to do this time?” You turned your phone to him as you noticed him trying to take a peek at it. “Oh no…”

It all started this one night at a frat house party. Back then, you were still crushing over Taeyong and, in a game of truth or dare, Johnny dared you to pick your nose and eat your own booger. Of course, any sane person would have said ‘no’ but, the tequila shots you had downed half an hour earlier made you anything but that. After that, not only did you not look at Taeyong for 2 weeks straight, but also dared Johnny to pick his crush’s nose. You thought he would never agree to it, but as soon as you saw the deed being performed right in the middle of the cafeteria, you knew you had just entered a game with no end.

“Y/N, you can’t do this! You’ll be in trouble!” Taeyong tried to reason with you, already knowing his words would fall on deaf ears.

“More trouble than I was in when I had to write a love poem to Professor Stevens on one of the questions of the Calculus exam?” You flinched as you remembered the talk down you got when Professor Stevens thought you were trying to have sex with him to get a better grade.

“Yeah...that was bad. But still-”

The buzzing of your phone interrupted Taeyong. You looked down at it and read Johnny’s second message out loud to your friend.

Heeere’s Johnny 🔪 (10:38 AM): are u scared? 🐔

You looked back at the sender of the message and felt annoyance grow as you saw him flap his arms around like a chicken and laugh straight in your face.

5 seconds. That was how long it took for you to completely lose your cool, flip Johnny off and yell from the back of the class: “Fuck!” 

You were expecting a couple of things to happen, but nothing could prepare you for the general reaction you got: laughter. Everyone was laughing, from your classmates to your professor. Everyone except Johnny, that is.

“Don’t worry Miss Y/L/N,” Mr Weaver said from the front of the class, breaking your stare down with Johnny. “Matrices aren’t as scary as they seem,” Mr Weaver fondly smiled at you before turning back to the board to write something down, leaving you completely perplexed.

You looked back at Johnny who had his face in a frown and stuck your tongue out to him - it felt good to see his evil plans backfire.

“That was lucky,” Taeyong commented with a little chuckle.

“Tell me about it, feels like the Universe has finally compensated me for all the stupid shit Johnny has made me do.”

“You’ve made Johnny do some pretty stupid shit too.”

“Shhh,” you turned to your friend with your finger in front of your lips, making the universal gesture for silence. “Let’s not talk about that,” you patted him in the back and picked up your pen to start taking notes.

“I’m back!” You announced as put your keys on the glass bowl right by the entrance of your shared apartment. 

“Taeyong, they were all out of your favourite yoghurt.” You heard noise coming from the kitchen so you moved your way there, but as you went inside you crossed paths with Johnny who was just leaving the kitchen. He was on the phone, and by the expression on his face, you figured that something bad must have happened. 

“What happened?” You asked Taeyong who was leaning on the balcony eating the last of his yoghurt.

“I don’t know, it’s his mother.” 

“Oh no, are his parents fighting again?” 

Taeyong nodded as he licked his spoon and threw the yoghurt cup in the trash.

It was then that you both jumped up at the noise of the door slamming shut - Johnny had stormed out of the house.

Both you and Taeyong had called him loads of times but Johnny never answered, worry consuming you and your best friend. Eventually, you both decided to split up and go looking for him - Taeyong on his scooter and you on your bicycle. 

After half an hour of looking for Johnny in the most obvious places, you started to get desperate. You were starting to run low on ideas of where he could be, but as you passed by a bus stop and saw an ad for a sunscreen with a girl on the beach you suddenly remembered something: Johnny once had told you that when he was feeling down he liked to go to the beach and listen to the waves because it really calmed him down. 

“Why didn’t I think of that earlier?” You questioned yourself (earning a few weird looks from the people at the bus stop) before you changed directions and started to peddle your way to the beach.

The beach was mostly deserted (being that it was December and it was cold), but a brown-haired guy could be seen sitting alone in the sand. 

You parked your bike in the empty bicycle spot, locked it and walked straight to the lonely boy. As you got closer to him and confirmed his identity you couldn’t help but sigh in relief - he sure as hell didn’t look good mentally, but at least he was physically okay. You fished your phone from the pocket of your jacket and sent a quick text to Taeyong before sitting right down beside one of your best friends.

“It’s a little cold for a swim, don’t you think?”

He smiled at you, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes. 

“My parents are getting a divorce,” he deadpanned before looking back at the sea, your instant reaction being to hug him.

“I’m so sorry Johnny.”

“I begged them to just talk it over. I begged them to try but...they won’t.”

“Johnny…” you started in a warning tone. You wanted to tell him that his parents have the right to be happy, but you completely understood where he was coming from - nobody wants their parents to split up. You just wish you could take away this bad feeling from him.

“I know, I know…” he answered, picking up what you were about to tell him. “It’s just...hard.”

You studied his face for a while and noticed his eyes were puffy from crying and your heart completely broke. You and Johnny liked to tease each other a lot, but the truth was that you really cared about each other, more than you’d probably like to admit.

You placed your hand on his back and started rubbing soothing circles. He probably could barely feel them over his bulky black leather jacket, but you couldn’t help but do it. “We’re here for you. Me and Taeyong. You know that, don’t you?”

Johnny turned to look at you and for a brief moment, his eyes held an emotion you had never seen on him. Something you were sure you had misunderstood. Something that, weirdly, made your heart pound.

“I know.” 

Johnny kissed the top of your head and wrapped his long arm around you, snuggling you closer to him and his body heat. You placed your head on his shoulder and just sat there, hearing a mix of his breathing and the waves.

Suddenly your heart started pounding again - something about this felt way too intimate. Replaying the last few minutes in your head made you realize that all of this, somehow, felt like more than a friendship, and that, scared the crap out of you. 

Your own body acted on its own, and when you came to it, you were already backing away from him and saying something to deflect the situation.

“You know there’s a frat party tonight don’t you?”

“Y/N... I’m not in the mood.”

“Johnny Suh, you are going to that damn party, and you are going to have a good time!” You knew he was stubborn and that you probably had no chance of convincing him but then, something crossed your mind; something that would dead sure make him go. “...I dare you!”

He chuckled. “That’s a low blow, using the dares against me.”

“Isn’t that the purpose of a dare though?” You smiled mischievously, making him smile in return.

“Touché.”

“Woo-hoo! Look at you!” Taeyong whistled as soon as you left your room, all dolled up and ready to go party. “Who are you trying to bang?”

You sneakily took a peek at Johnny who was sitting on the couch and felt a shiver run up your spine as you saw his eyes completely locked on your form. “Mmm, no one,” you lied in a playful tone. 

The truth was you hadn’t been able to stop thinking about that little moment with Johnny on the beach and, as you looked through all your clothes when deciding on what to wear, you couldn’t help but pick your most revealing dress with his reaction in mind.

“Yeah, I don’t believe you,” Taeyong said.

“Well tough luck! Now come on guys, the cab is waiting downstairs.”

When you were grabbing your bag to make your way out the door you felt a tall presence right behind you. He placed his big hand on the small of your back and whispered to your hair: “damn Y/N, didn’t know you cleaned up like that.”

You smiled to yourself and then turned to look at him. “Well, obviously you haven’t been paying attention.” You winked at him and turned back around, leaving to follow Taeyong to the cab while being fully aware of Johnny’s eyes on your back.

When both you and Johnny arrived downstairs, Taeyong had already sat in the front, making you both sit in the back.

The ride was a short one - only 10 to 15 minutes - but, nonetheless, it was full of tension. Taeyong was on his phone the whole time, and the driver kept quiet so, if it wasn’t for the radio the silence would be a deafening one. 

Both you and Johnny didn’t take out your phones, as it would be usual. He just leaned his head on the window and watched the city lights pass by, probably still thinking about his parents. You felt bad. You didn’t want him to feel this way. You wanted him to be his usual funny self and dare you to do stupid shit, but seeing him like this just broke your heart. 

You couldn’t help but stare at his side profile - he was handsome. Of course, you knew he was handsome, you were not blind, but this was the first time his handsomeness was affecting you. You couldn’t help but stare: stare at the way his styled hair brushed upon his eyes, stare at his straight nose and stare at his perky lips. 

Suddenly, an undeniable urge to lean in and kiss him emerged within you. An urge so immense that you caught yourself actually moving towards him, only to be stopped by him turning to look back at you with a charged expression. 

You shared a look for a few seconds. A look that made your insides tingle and your legs press harder against each other. What was happening to you?

Johnny’s hand was reaching over to yours, which was pressed on the seat between the both of you, and you could feel your heart start to beat faster. Suddenly, it felt like time had slowed down and all your focus was on that one hand. That hand that looked strong and delicate at the same time. That hand that looked like it had the power to not only be rough but also gentle. That hand that could grope you, touch you and fuck you so good until you cried for more. That hand that was so close that made you gasp in anticipation.

“We’re here,” the cab driver announced, breaking you from whatever spell Johnny had you on.

“Thanks. Keep the change.” Taeyong paid the driver and left the cab, immediately moving to open up your door.

“Milady,” he bowed, acting as your personal chauffeur.

“Why thank you,” you awkwardly bowed back, still feeling shaken up by the events of the car.

“Okay, let’s move!” Your group started walking towards the house as soon as Johnny joined both of you from the other side of the cab, Taeyong still completely unaware of what had just happened. “I promised Yuta we’d play beer pong with him.” 

“But Taeyong, you know I suck at beer pong!” You protested.

“I do. And that’s why you’re not on my team.”

“What?! That means I’m stuck with her!” Johnny whined from right next to you, making you turn and hit him in his chest, his hard pecks not going unnoticed by you.

“Hey!”

“Shut up Suh, you know as well as I do that you could use a drink,” Taeyong said before he spotted his friend near the entrance. “Yuta ma’ man! What’s up?”

“TY! I was beginning to wonder if you’ve gotten lost!”

“Sorry, Miss Y/N here took 3 hours to get ready,” he pointed back at you, making you hit him in his shoulder.

“Shut up Taeyong!”

“Come on man, did you get a good look at her? I’d wait an eternity if it meant I could look at an angel like her,” he winked at you before getting a sip out of his red plastic cup.

It was public knowledge that you and Yuta had fucked a couple of times. He was pretty hot, and the things he could make you feel with that tongue piercing of his were out of this fucking world. But tonight, you weren’t feeling him all that much - the tiny voice in your head telling you that that’s because you wanted to be railed by Johnny instead.

“Do you really think those cheesy lines are going to work?” Johnny asked out of nowhere with a hint of annoyance to his voice.

Johnny and Yuta were friends and him, more than anyone, knew that Yuta was a nice guy. Sure, he really liked to flirt, but he was also very respectful. So, his reaction made you wonder if he perhaps was feeling jealous. Secretly, you hoped he was. 

“It already did man,” Yuta winked at you once again, catching you a little off-guard. 

“Now, TY told me we’re not going to be on the same team for the beer pong. I’m usually a perfect gentleman, but I’m sorry angel, I can’t let you win.” Yuta came one step closer and picked up your hand and you swore you felt Johnny tense up beside you. “Maybe afterwards you could save me a dance?” He kissed the back of your hand and gave you a look that left little to no imagination of his true intentions - he wanted sex.

“Dream on, Nakamoto,” Johnny interrupted, coming right between you two and breaking your contact. “Stop stalling and let’s go.”

Johnny grabbed your arm and pulled you inside and away from Yuta and his advances. The look of bewilderment on your other roommate’s face didn’t go by unnoticed by you, but you forcibly chose to act like you hadn’t seen it. You didn’t know what it was, but you were liking this jealous side of Johnny and you were certainly curious for more.

“Alright, game on,” you heard Yuta comment before the loud music from inside overwhelmed you and your ears.

The game went on for a while. You lost, just as Taeyong had predicted. You didn’t mind, really. You just wanted to have a good time and the alcohol from the game was helping you do just that: you were currently in the middle of the dance floor dancing by yourself without a care in the world. You had lost your friends when you went to the bathroom and decided to go to the dancefloor when WAP started playing.

You were enjoying yourself. You were at that fine line where you were feeling the effects of the alcohol but you could still make your own decisions and you loved it.

Suddenly, as you were shaking your ass, you felt a pair of hands on your hips and a crotch on your ass. You wished it was Johnny, but as you opened your eyes and saw him sitting on a couch not far from you, you felt your fantasy crumbling. You turned around to see who you had just ground on and weren’t surprised when your eyes landed on Yuta.

“Hello angel, I’ve been looking for you.”

“Really?” You tried to put a little distance between you, but Yuta just pulled you right back in, your bodies now in full contact with each other.

“The way you look tonight...you’re driving me fucking crazy. I can’t stop thinking about you,” he confessed in your ear, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on the small of your back. “All I wanted to do, was ditch Taeyong and the game and do that thing with my tongue that you like so much.”

Usually, that would be enough to make you lose your shit and pull him to the closest available bedroom, but tonight your mind was elsewhere. “Yuta...I’m sorry but tonight I’m not feeling it.”

His face fell in disappointment and he looked like a lost puppy, which partially made you feel bad for rejecting him, but you had to be honest. 

“You sure?” He asked you.

“Yes.”

“Alright, I’m sorry then...”

He was about to let you go; you could feel his grip loosening when someone yanked him back and away from you, leaving you confused.

“Leave her alone Nakamoto,” Johnny’s voice sounded right from beside you, making your heart jump.

“What the-? What is wrong with you Johnny? Why are you acting so- Oh…” Yuta looked back at you and you could literally see him putting all the puzzle pieces together in his mind. “I get it now.”

“Get what?” Johnny asked.

“Nothing,” you intercepted Yuta before he could say anything. “Yuta, don’t you have to go meet up with that girl?” 

You made some weird faces at Yuta so he could understand what you were doing and, thankfully, he did. 

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Have fun!” He winked at you and turned to leave, making you sigh in relief that that whole situation was over.

“That was weird,” your roommate commented. “Was he bothering you? I know he sometimes can be a little...persistent.”

You felt a warmth spread throughout your chest. You knew Yuta could never harm you, but the fact that Johnny was so worried about you made you swoon. Then a thought popped in your head that made the warm fuzzy feeling turn sour: was he worried because he liked you or just as a friend?

“No, it’s okay. He did nothing wrong. Thank you…”

“You’re welcome…”

The mood got awkward for a minute, with none of you saying a word until Johnny broke your shared silence. “I’m gonna go.”

“What?”

“Yeah...I’m sorry, I’m just not really feeling it.”

He looked mentally down and you felt bad for him. Johnny was always the one cracking up a joke - wherever there was laughter, he was always present. He loved to dance and to have a good time, and it broke you to see him like this.

“Hey, come on, dance with me.”

“I’m sorry Y/N, I’m really not feeling it…”

“Come oooon…” You didn’t know how you could convince him, but then an idea popped in your head. “I dare you.”

He chuckled and you couldn’t help but smile at the thought of at least making him laugh. “Playing dirty again Y/N?”

“Well, you aren’t giving me much of a choice now are you Johnny?”

“I don’t know…”

Before he could continue you started imitating a chicken, just like he had done to you in the Algebra class and you couldn’t help but smile at his laughter once again.

“Alright, alright!”

“Yes!” You chanted in victory, promptly grabbing his hands and making him dance with you.

The dance started out friendly, with a few spins here and there, but it wasn’t long before tension started rising up and his hands were on your hips, just where Yuta’s had been. In your head, you couldn’t help but compare the feeling of the 2. Yuta had nice hands, that had certainly made you feel good before, but Johnny’s somehow felt better. His hands felt like he cared for you on a much deeper level. Like they could hold you and never let go. Like they could protect you from anything and completely destroy you at the same time.

As your inner voice went on an entire monologue about the wonder of Johnny’s hands, you found yourself looking him dead in the eyes. The way he was looking at you was making you think wild things, and with the buzz from the alcohol, you couldn’t help but want to act on those thoughts.

Without an ounce of self-control, you let your head move forward and your mouth whisper in his ear: “I dare you to grab my ass.”

Without a second of hesitation, his hands were on your ass and you were exhaling on his ear. The way his big hands were fully grabbing you and massaging you was turning you on so much that you could feel yourself get wet. You wanted nothing more than to have him lift up your dress and finger you in the middle of everyone.

Johnny moved his head near your neck and you thought for a second he was about to kiss you there, but you were surprised when he spoke in your ear. “I dare you to grind that sexy ass of yours on my cock.”

“Fuck.”

Just as he had done with your dare, you promptly complied, turning around and rubbing yourself on his semi. You both were walking on some dangerous paths, but you didn’t think any one of you could go back now.

As you moved your ass to the music and felt him grow harder and harder you couldn’t help but think about what it would be like to fuck him. You wanted him to end you. You wanted him to fill you up so good that he’d ruin any other man for you. You wanted his hands all over your body. You wanted him to grab your tits and play with your nipples. Fuck.

You reached your head back and whispered your next dare to him: “I dare you to play with my boobs.”

“Gladly.”

And then those big hands that were previously on your ass were now caressing your breasts and you felt like you were completely done. 

“Mmmh…” you moaned, not sure if he could hear you over the loud music.

The way he was pinching your nipples over your dress made you feel glad you decided on  not wearing a bra tonight. He was making you feel so good just with his fingers on your nipples and his clothed cock on your ass that your mind once again thought about what it would feel like to have the real deal.

“I dare you to kiss me.”

The dare had caught you off guard. You had been so in a trance by the grinding that your mind went straight to the fucking and skipped the kissing, but now that he had requested it you couldn’t stop thinking about it. So, consumed by desire, you turned around and glued your lips to his. 

You wrapped your right leg around his hip (his hand once again coming to the rescue and grabbing your thigh) and felt his cock rubbing you straight on your clit. The feeling was so pleasurable that you felt like you couldn’t take it anymore, you had to have him now. So you pulled back from the kiss and plead for the last dare: “I dare you to fuck me.”

Johnny didn’t waste any more seconds, he grabbed you by your hand and lead you up the stairs to the first spare bedroom he could find. He then pushed you to the bed, making you fall right on the mattress.

“When I saw you with Yuta I went fucking crazy.”

The way he was towering over you and looking down on you as he confessed his feelings to you was slowly driving you mad. You never imagined you would be where you were right now, but now that you were you could confidently say that you wanted nothing more than this.

“I turned him down because of you,” you also confessed, now suddenly feeling shy and not being able to look him in the eye.

He chuckled.

Suddenly the mattress dipped between your legs as he joined you on the bed, right on top of you. 

“How the fuck did we end up here Y/N?” His fingers gently placed a misplaced lock of your hair behind your ear, catching your breath at his tenderness.

“I don’t know...but I think I don’t want to go back.”

“Good. ‘Cause me neither.”

His lips were back on yours and although the kiss felt different this time, it quickly evolved to something more. His hands ran down your body and went between your legs, his fingers rubbing you over your drenched panties.

“You’re so wet baby. Is this all from grinding against my cock?” His fingers slid under your underwear and easily entered you, making you moan.

“Fuck, yes. I can’t stop thinking about your cock, it’s driving me crazy. I want to fuck you so badly.”

“I want that too.” Something dark took over his eyes. Something that, in combination with his low and breathy voice was making your desire for him grow to even bigger levels. 

“Lately I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.” His free hand pulled down the upper part of your dress, exposing your breaths to his hungry mouth, as his other hand picked up its pace. “I lay awake at night just thinking about you: your smell, your hair, your smile, your eyes, your lips, your body…”

“Johnny…” you moaned his name as you felt that sweet pleasure building up from within you.

“Fuck, that sounded better than I imagined. Do that again, baby.”

Johnny’s other hand joined the one between your legs and began its assault on your little bundle of nerves, intensifying the amount of pleasure you were feeling. “Fuck Johnny, I can’t take it much longer…”

“Cum for me baby,” he instructed as he tried to alleviate himself by rubbing his cock against your leg.

“Ohshit-” you incoherently mumbled at the arrival of your orgasm, your walls spasming around his long fingers.

“You’re so beautiful,” Johnny mumbled against the skin of your belly as he pressed soothing kisses on it.

You smiled and took in a few more breaths so you could talk. 

“Since when are you this romantic Suh?” You asked as you finger-combed his now messy hair.

“Since always. I just only show it to special girls.”

You looked away, suddenly feeling the blood rushing to your cheeks. Damn Johnny Suh and his smooth ass talking.

He chuckled before moving closer to your face and kissing you across your jaw. “Since when are you this shy Y/L/N?”

“Since-” You opened your mouth to answer him but came up short, ending up getting frustrated instead. “Shut up and take your clothes off!”

Your roommate laughed at your annoyance and immediately complied, removing his shirt and working on his pants. You couldn’t help but stare at his buff body: his bulging biceps, his washboard abs and his juicy pecks. You were so lost in desire that you didn’t even notice that Johnny was eyeing you up.

“Enjoying the view?” He teased, the stupid grin on his face driving you mad.

“Shut up,” you said once more, not enjoying the power he had over you.

“Take off your dress baby, I wanna see you too,” he requested as his hand caressed your naked thigh, sending shivers up your spine.

You obliged, quickly removing all your clothes and exposing your naked body to his hungry eyes.

Johnny didn’t say anything, but you could tell by the way his cock twitched that he was affected. So affected, in fact, that within seconds he was on top of you devouring your lips.

Both your hands wandered on each other’s body as he dry humped you between your legs.

“Do you have a condom?” You asked between ragged breaths.

“Fuck, no. But wait a minute,” Johnny reached for the bedside table and opened the first drawer, finding exactly what he was looking for. “Jackpot.”

“Did you know that was there?” 

“No, but I figured. After all, this is a frat house,” he explained as he opened up the package and rolled down the latex condom on his cock.

“Are you ready, baby?”

“Fuck, yes. Just put it in.”

Johnny didn’t wait a second longer. He grabbed his cock, ran it up and down your slit a couple of times and slowly entered you, the feeling of fullness being completely indescribable.

“Oh Johnny, you feel so good.”

“Fuck, tell me when I can move.” Johnny was nuzzled up in your neck, leaving tiny love bites as you adjusted to his cock.

“You can go.”

He started moving slowly at first, a string of moans spilling out from both your mouths, but, soon after, his hips started thrusting faster and harder and you found yourself clawing at his back. 

“Shit,” he hissed before glueing his lips back on yours.

For a moment you both lay there on your own little pleasure bubble, just fucking and swirling your tongues together, with moans and cusses being spilt left and right as you enjoyed each others’ bodies. For a moment, nothing else mattered - just you and Johnny.

“Baby, you’re taking me so well. You are so perfect,” he confessed as he kissed you all over, his words almost making your heart jump out of your chest.

“Johnny, baby, I’m so close.”

“Me too, fuck.”

Johnny was drilling into you so hard that the sound of skin slapping on skin was drowning out the music coming from outside. You were almost there, and as you felt that sweet feeling building up in your core you took a chance to really look at Johnny: the way he bit his lip, the way his brows frowned in pleasure, his dishevelled locks and the way his veins popped on his arms as he held himself up so as not to crush you. He was so fucking hot you couldn’t believe you hadn’t noticed it sooner.

“Johnny, I’m gonna cum.”

“Cum for me, beautiful. I’m right there.”

That was all you needed. Just like that, you were crashing and burning around the man you had considered as ‘just a friend’ for years, your walls milking him dry and making him spill everything inside the borrowed condom.

You didn’t move for several minutes. Johnny fell right to your side and just lay there right beside you, your chests rising and falling in tandem.

What do you say in these situations? What were you supposed to say right after one of your best friends, and roommate, fucked the shit out of you? You had no idea, but thankfully, he took the lead.

“I dare you to fuck me again.”

The dare caught you completely off-guard, just like yours had caught him and you couldn’t help but laugh. For a good minute, that’s all you both did: laugh.

“Alright,” you reached for the drawer and grabbed another condom from the owner of the room. “But this time, I’m on top.”

© maliby, 2020. Do not copy or repost without permission.

[eponymous-rose]

Talks Machina Highlights - Critical Role C2E127 (March 2, 2021)

Tonight’s guests are, of course, Ashley Johnson and Marisha Ray!

Marisha, on her thought process behind the date: “It was a fascinating study on designing something with another player in trying to navigating how to do that in a way that makes sense and wouldn’t be too metagamey or overly scripted or anything like that. I had a bunch of ideas thought out, then I just typed it out and sent it over to him, and then he interpreted it as such.” Liam had ideas, but Marisha wanted him to keep the details a surprise. The theme of “let’s start over” was the leading motif for the design. Three acts: pre-game cocktails at the Nestled Nook, picnic in a field of Xhorhasian wildflowers, and then close it with after-dinner drinks and hot tub at the Steam’s Respite. And the very last thing was “and all the cats were dogs”. Brian: “What was his response to that?” Marisha: “He texted me and was like, ‘Are you serious or is this dog thing a joke?’”

Ashley is asked what it was like to know it was coming but not know the specifics. “For both of us, I don’t think we thought it was going to be right then. I think because it’s been so long in the relationship between Beau and Yasha and it felt like such a natural progression for the two of them, and they’re both awkward together. I think there was something to just being thrown into it.” She spent time thinking about what things Yasha would talk to Beau about on a date. “We got to maybe one of them. It was just so fun! Exploring romance in D&D can be super weird, especially when you’re streaming. But it felt like that’s where our characters were going. There was that excitement of trying something that is out of my comfort zone, and I think so much of Marisha was part of that, as being the initiator as Beau, where I was like, okay, this is where it’s going it. Let’s do it, let’s see what happens!” She mentions how “fun and freeing” it is to trust your improv partner in something like this.

Marisha: “I just wanted Beau to be a fuckboi!” But she highlights that it’s hard to deny the deeper connections that come up in D&D scenarios. “They’ve been with each other through so much that it’s difficult to deny when those bonds start to happen.” She texted Liam in a panic before the game. “What do I wear? And he said, ‘In the game or in real life?’ Both!”

Marisha was expecting a Sam curveball at some point. “My/Beau’s reaction of ‘I love you!’ was pretty accurate. She does care! She’s not just  a troll trying to ruin our shit.”

Marisha on Yasha liking dogs: “I clocked that shit when you bought a dog figurine.” She keeps notes about all the members of the party when they reveal things like that.

Ashley has started taking more detailed notes, partly to play catch-up for events she may have missed earlier. “Turns out, notes are very helpful and can help you in your RPing!”

Favorite parts? Marisha: “The fade-to-black moment at the very end, and I think it’s because Ashley’s eyes--maybe this is going to get weird--we had this moment where we were in the hot tub at the end, and I looked over and was like, ‘hey’, and you looked over and were like, ‘hey’, and I was just dead. I will never forget the look on Ashley’s face. There was just a pure moment.” Ashley: “That’s so funny, because I was going to talk about this one moment with Marisha. It’s just clicking into the scene and clicking into the moment.” Marisha talks about how the moments associated with the game have real, tangible emotional connections. Brian highlights that the emotional side of things is what you remember the most after the campaign is done.

Character thoughts on Kima? Marisha: “I was like, step on me! Please! Both of you! We’d be friends.” Ashley: “It’s also that nostalgia that feels so good at the table. These characters we know and love are still living and breathing and happy together and just kicking ass. For Yasha it was an amazing example of a relationship that works in this world, and something beautiful that these people who are different but are connecting. It was a lot of-- it was cool. I think Yasha’s a very big fan of Kima and Allura. When she gave over the sword, Travis texted me and was like, it’s the Holy Avenger. Looking it up and talking about it, it was like, holy mackerel, this sword is insane. But there’s going to have to be some conversations had to attune with the sword. But I like that Matt presented that challenge, that this isn’t necessarily in your class, but let’s do some RP and see what happens.”

Where’s Yasha at with the Stormlord right now? “I’m curious to explore that more, but knowing that the Stormlord was the first person to bring her back to her own will, of pulling her out of whatever was happening with Oban and the Laughing Hand for however long. It’s also weird to see the relationship that the clerics have, and I think Yasha’s still figuring out how to be her own person, but also... not serving somebody, but still trying to figure out that relationship with her god. But again, he saved her from a very, very dark place, and I think that’s something she values and holds on to.”

Cosplay of the Week: An amazing Essek! (Blushingvioletcosplay on Instagram)

How is Beau handling the Eyes? “All the theories! It’s hard for it to not feel like a ticking time bomb. I always have to try and separate my theories from Beau’s theories. That’s acting and shit. I, Marisha, am very interested if I can somehow utilize this to our advantage. Beau, also interested but simultaneously terrified that it might be a bad idea and I might just get further initiated. When it comes to Matt, you know there’s always something more lurking underneath all of this. As players it’s kind of our job to navigate that.”

How about Yasha? “I think it’s one of the things that didn’t really come up in the date, which is funny, because it’s something I was thinking about. Me as a player, that’s something I’m extremely stressed about. We don’t know what’s going to happen. We kind of got into it, but I think the fact that Lucien was listening, and the Eyes, I think it made me as a player as Yasha very nervous about interacting with Beau, because I don’t know what they’re picking up on. There’s so much we don’t know, and Lucien is so confusing, and the Eyes, and with Matt... we don’t know! It’s a point of extreme concern for Yasha, especially someone that she has feelings for and cares about, it’s an extra level of I don’t know what this means and I can’t lose this person, but I need to protect at all costs.”

What was it like for Beau to discover that Dairon and the Soul not only listened but took action? “That moment was so deeply powerful. Honestly, I was just as taken aback as Beau was. I never in both mine or Beau’s thought process did I think Matt would take action in that way, or that would ever be handled. And I think that’s what makes it so emotional. You condition yourself to think these things just happen, so much so that they permeate your D&D game. So rarely do abusers get held accountable for their actions. What was powerful about it was that he was, and other people cared. That alone was so emotionally impactful, and I was completely thrown by it. I feel like I had to walk away from that situation kind of unpacking those things. What does that say, what does that mean? Same thing for Beau, where the cycle of abuse has happened repeatedly to her with no repercussions to anyone who’s causing it. It’s why she’s always had a weird tenuous relationship with the Soul. It throws you into these layers of reconciliation and thought. I didn’t think this was going to be addressed. What does that say about society? So many different layers to peel back. It all speaks to so many real-life experiences that happen every damn day to so many people. There’s not many examples in media of abusers getting handled, and especially not in a way that’s not some sort of device to motivate somebody.” She highlights how rare it is that the abuser was handled without pulling the victim into the mess. I’m definitely not doing what she’s saying justice with my speed-typing.

How is Yasha feeling about solidifying her identity as a protector? “Putting together this character and starting to play as her, there was a part of me that wanted-- when I work on characters, you go through the list of questions you have as an actor, what’s your motivation and all that stuff. But I very much wanted to see if I could have a character that doesn’t necessarily know what their purpose is, because I feel like a lot of people feel that way. I think when we see movies or TV shows, there’s always a character who says, I know what my purpose is. I wanted to explore what it meant to not know what that is. I left that open with Yasha, and I didn’t want to set that for her, because I thought that was an interesting thing. I still like that idea, but in the conversation with Beau and knowing the date was coming up, there were a lot of internal conversations I was having of how is Yasha feeling in this moment. At the end of the day, I feel that’s a very solid purpose for Yasha in this moment, of all I can really provide is protection - and of course she can provide more than that. But now I’m just, yeah, I think protection for her is the best way she knows how to describe her purpose.” Brian: “And once we arrive there, the goal is to find a greater purpose, to be of service.” Ashley has tied in Yasha’s protectiveness with her grappling with loss.

Fan art of the week: A second amazing Essek! (by Saturday_sky)

Thoughts on the amulets: set-up or bad luck? Ashley: “I thought they were a set-up!” Marisha: “I think [Astrid’s] an opportunist. But I think it’d be much more convenient if anyone other than her killed Trent. To what end, I don’t know.” Ashley: “Me, personally, how I interpreted her crying in that alleyway, I felt like she was crying because of a betrayal. But I don’t know! I think she definitely cares for Caleb.” Marisha: “I also got betrayal tears. That felt like guilt-crying to me.” Brian: “I don’t like any of this.”

What prompted Beau going full assassin? “If they were to get in and out and I could have jumped over that tower without killing that guy, I would have.” She didn’t have a lot of options as a monk and not a rogue assassin, but needed a quick and quiet way to get him out of the way. “I went through so many ideas in my head. I thought of an idea to dump all of the ball bearings under him, then light fireworks” to try to get him to fall off the edge.

Is Yasha’s hope for Molly still alive? “Yes. I think that because Yasha has been on the other end of doing terrible things under someone else’s influence, she has a lot of forgiveness for people. At this point, of course, it’s hope that he’ll come back or have some type of recognition of his life as Molly. There’s a lot of questions. I don’t think she’ll ever give up on him.” The only moment of hesitation was when Lucien was cool with Gelidon leaving with Beau.

How are they feeling about their odds? Ashley: “I feel really great about the ideas that the group has to get out of tricky situations. This one I’m nervous about.” Marisha: “I agree. We have our little side player thread, minus Matt, and I don’t see how we’re getting out of this without some sort of compromise that’s not necessarily in our favor. I think we’re going to get out of it, but I don’t think we’re going to get out of it completely.”

Ashley didn’t tell Brian about the date after the episode ended, but wound up blurting it out right before he was about to watch the episode for Talks.

[oh-ranpo]

something special.

pairing: chase davenport x reader an: this is purely self-indulgent because i’ve been re-watching Lab Rats and I forgot just how much i loved Chase lmao I’m about four years too late to this fandom but oh well 🤷🏻‍♀️this is also unedited so... woops. word count: 2k+

“I’m late.” Those were the first words out of his mouth once the dust settled. “She’s going to think I’m not coming,” were the next.

Bree and Adam couldn’t believe what they were hearing as they rushed over to their brother to help him to his feet. They had just managed to stop a massive explosion at the power plant a town over from theirs, and it had been one of the most taxing missions in a while. Bree and Adam were exhausted. They had no idea how Chase was even thinking clearly as he had been the one to take the brunt of the last bit of action.

“Dude, what are you talking about?” Adam asked, as he pulled Chase up and draped his arm over his shoulder. “We need to get you home.”

Chase adamantly shook his head as he tried to pull away, his feet stumbling slightly as he now fell into Bree instead. There was a panicked look on his face, and it was not from the intense situation that he had just gotten himself out of.

“No, no. YN. We had a date planned, she’s… she’s going to be upset if I’m not there.”

Suddenly, it all made sense. Adam and Bree exchanged a look as Chase stood up a little bit straighter. He wasn’t just babbling nonsense. He was babbling about you.

“I’m sure she’ll understand, but Chase, you aren’t fit to go anywhere. You can barely stand,” Bree murmured carefully as Chase quickly turned to look at her.

“Bree, I’m fine. I just… I have to go,” he insisted, and he quickly turned back to the transport that had brought the three of them to the power plant, forcing Bree and Adam to follow behind him. Bree looked to Adam for some assistance, but instead of support, she found him shrugging instead.

“He’s right. If he found a girl that’s willing to put up with him, he really needs to find a way to make it work. Who knows if he’ll find another girl as cool as her again.” Bree rolled her eyes and huffed as they continued making their way in the direction that Chase had disappeared to. Despite having so much taken out of him, he was moving surprisingly fast.

No one spoke the entire ride back, and as soon as they reached their house, Chase immediately turned and headed in the opposite direction.

“Tell Mr. Davenport I’ll be back,” he called over his shoulder, and while Bree could have easily caught up with him, and Adam could have easily stopped them, neither one of them did. Maybe they should have, but they could tell from the look in his eye how much this meant to him. Once he was with you, they had no doubts that he would be in good hands.

“I can’t believe he’s just going like this. He didn’t even change,” Bree mused, and Adam looked down at her.

“She already knows our secret. It’s not like she hasn’t seen him in his mission suit before. In fact, I’m sure it’s probably the best outfit he owns.” Bree rolled her eyes again, and the two of them headed inside to get some rest themselves.

Chase, on the other hand, was on a whole new mission. He had promised you that he would meet you at the ice cream shop nearby, and he was supposed to be there almost an hour ago. He didn’t have his phone on him, and he had no idea if you would still be there, but he could hope. Hope was all that was keeping him from collapsing on the side of the road.

He didn’t even stop once to think about his appearance. He didn’t bother getting cleaned up or changing his outfit, so imagine your surprise when you stepped out of the ice cream shop, just as he was walking up, and turned to see him covered in ash and soot.

“Chase?” The sound of your voice cut him out of his trance, and Chase felt like he had found his second wind. The look on your face was filled with worry, but that didn’t stop him from rushing into your arms, pulling you into a hug as he pressed his face into your neck.

“I was afraid I missed you,” he murmured against your skin just before pulling away. Your hands immediately came up to cup his cheeks, your eyes scanning his face for any signs of injury.

“Did you just come from a mission?” You asked quietly so that no one could overhear you. You backed him away from the door and towards the side of the building so that people inside the shop couldn’t see him through the window and question the strange outfit he was wearing. “Why are you still in your suit?”

Chase didn’t look down at his outfit as he was too busy studying your face. He had a photographic memory, but the mental images of you never compared to the real thing. He was always captivated by every freckle and dimple, no matter how many times he saw them.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” he replied, ignoring your previous questions. “Things took a little bit longer than we expected, but then I rushed straight here. I didn’t… I didn’t want you to think that I stood you up on purpose.”

The expression on your face softened as he spoke, and your hand caressed his cheek gently. Sure, while you had been confused about where he could be for the past hour, you knew that something had to have come up. It wasn’t like Chase to leave you hanging. And considering you knew about his bionics, you were sure there was a logical reason. You had been correct.

“You could have just called me when you got home,” you told him as his head leaned into your touch. “I would have understood. But you look exhausted. You should probably get home.”

“No!” He interjected instantly, causing you to jump. “I mean, no. I want to be here. I want to be with you. Right now.” You smiled softly before nodding.

“Can I at least get you some ice cream?” It was Chase’s turn to nod.

Since he was still dressed in his special mission suit, you went in to order by yourself, and then you brought it back out so that he could eat it while the two of you walked back in the direction of his house. You weren’t going to rush him inside, but you knew that he needed to be close to home in case he started to crash.

“You really are a mess, though,” you laughed, just as Chase managed to get a spot of ice cream on his nose. “Where was your mission? The dump?”

“Power plant, actually. There was a lot of dust from the fire that almost caused an explosion.”

“Fire? Explosion?” Your steps had come to a stop as you felt your heart plummet to your feet. “Chase, you were…”

It took a minute for his own words to process, and then his eyes widened as he stepped towards you. The ice cream in his hand was forgotten as he reached out for you.

“It’s fine, I’m fine! I promise. It was just a little thing, and we managed to put a stop to it before it got too bad.” You hated the way your body had reacted to the description of his mission, and you couldn’t stop yourself from folding yourself into him as his arms wrapped around you. You knew that he got mixed up in some dangerous things, but you never really thought about how dangerous.

Chase didn’t move for several seconds as he held you until you realized how ridiculous you were being. He had just been (almost) involved in an explosion, and he was the one holding you? It seemed a little backwards.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” You asked as you leaned your head back to look at him. He nodded before leaning in and resting his head against yours.

“I’m perfect now.”

His words were so quiet and soft, you weren’t sure that you were meant to hear them, but when they hit your ears, your stomach filled with butterflies. You had no idea how you had managed to find yourself here, in this position, but you wouldn’t change it for the world.

You and Chase had only recently started hanging out, and you knew before that he had a crush on you. You had a crush on him too. There was always something about him that held your attention, even though everyone else at school seemed to think that he was weird. He was smarter than most people, and when you had stumbled upon his bionic abilities by accident, you had learned just how true that was. Now, as you stood on the sidewalk just down the street from his house, with his arm around you, you were more grateful than ever that he had finally mustered up the courage to ask you out before you had to do it yourself.

“Chase,” you whispered as he lifted his head away from yours, his green eyes meeting yours curiously. You didn’t have anything else that you wanted to say, but you wanted him to be looking at you so that you could gauge his reaction as you lifted your hand to cup his cheek once more before moving in closer. The two of you had never shared a moment like this one before, and while you weren’t sure that the timing was perfect, you couldn’t wait any longer.

You and Chase hadn’t kissed before, and you knew that he was nervous about it. You were sure that there had been a few times he almost did, but then he chickened out. Chase was great at a lot of things, but knowing how to act around a girl that he liked was not one of them. This only became more clear as you leaned in closer, and he remained motionless, his eyes fixed on you, as if he had no idea what to do.

Slowly, your eyes slipped shut as you completely closed the distance between you, your lips pressing against his gently. As you kept them pressed together, you felt Chase sigh as his body melted against yours before finally kissing you back. You couldn’t quite explain the feeling that spread through you, but when you did finally break apart, you already knew that you couldn’t wait to do it again.

The look on Chase’s face was one of pure adoration, and you felt like putty in his hands. You had never met someone that could affect you in such a way with just one look, but here you were.

“I could go on a thousand missions like the one today if I had this waiting at the end of it,” he whispered softly, and you felt your heart jump in your chest as a bright smile spread across your face.

“Play your cards right, and it just might,” you teased back as your finger tapped his nose, causing his own smile to grow.

“Thank you for understanding,” he added a moment later. “I know this has to be confusing, and I know that it sucks when I get called out when we have plans but I…”

“You don’t have to explain,” you cut in, your arm falling away from him as you slipped your hand into his free one. “I get it.”

And you did. You knew it and Chase knew it, and it was one of the reasons he was so crazy about you. For most of the day, every day, Chase had to pretend to be something that he wasn’t. Normal. But with you, he could be exactly who he was. There was no holding back, there were no secrets, and he never wanted there to be. He didn’t know a lot about love or relationships, but he knew you were different, and he knew that whatever life threw at him next, he wanted you there with him.

Despite the chaos, you wanted the same thing. Chase was special in more ways than one, and you were grateful that you were the one that got to see just how much.

[obeyme-kaidii-writes]

Sleep

Mammon x gn!MC

Words - 2286

Content warnings - none, just lots of fluff and humor, platonic relationships

Prompt/Inspiration - AO3 request

Summary -  Mammon starts sleeping in your room at night, and you notice a peculiar habit of his.

AO3

You were a light sleeper. A very, very light sleeper.

There had been several times during your stay at the House of Lamentation when Mammon scared the living daylights out of you by crawling into your bed in the middle of the night. Eventually, you just flat out told Mammon that he had to sleep with you because you were not going to be able to rest otherwise. He stuttered and blushed and fumbled over his words, denying that he had any idea what you were talking about, but in the end, he had taken up semi-permanent residence in your room.

When you start sharing a bed with someone on a regular basis, you begin to learn a lot about them that you wouldn’t know otherwise. Like whether they hog the blankets, if they prefer sheets over thick comforters, if they snore. And you, likewise, started to notice some very peculiar traits of Mammon’s.

For example, he preferred to sleep entirely nude. Of course now that he was sleeping in your room most of the time, he made the effort to wear something. But it wasn’t unusual for him to wake up in noticeably fewer clothes than when he had fallen asleep.

One night in particular, you were about to learn yet another thing about Mammon.

————

Mammon had fallen asleep long before you, and you had stayed up to keep reading a book you had borrowed from Satan. As you got sleepier and sleepier you realized that maybe it was time you called it a night. So you rolled over to turn your lamp off, only to find that you couldn’t reach it because a certain demon of Greed was starfished on the bed, essentially trapping you in a corner.

You thought for a moment about what you should do about this situation you found yourself in. At first, you didn’t want to disturb Mammon. His sleeping face was just so cute! But you were tired. And despite the fact he looked absolutely adorable next to you now, this was the same little shit that woke you up frequently for reasons much more frivolous.

“Pssst, Mammon. Wake up,” you nudged him with your elbow. When he didn’t stir, you gave him a bit of a kick with your foot. And when he still didn’t wake up, you put your hand on his shoulder and gently shook him.

“Wassup?” he finally answered as he sat up in bed.

“Turn off the light.”

“‘K.”

Having successfully woken him up, and trusting that he could manage a light switch on his own, you rolled over, turning your back to him, preparing to go to sleep. But after a good minute or two, you realized the light was still on. So you rolled over halfway, and repeated your request.

“Mammon, the light.”

“Right. Right. Gotcha.” And with that he finally reached over to the lamp and flicked it off, before snuggling back into your blankets and curling up behind you.

————

The following morning, you were the first to wake up. You looked over to Mammon, who was still taking up a good ¾ of the bed, and you couldn’t help but smile. It really was nice waking up with someone else beside you. Even if that someone was a bed hog.

When Mammon woke up a few minutes later, it was only to find you staring at him. He blushed awkwardly as he looked away, which just made you laugh.

“Whattaya lookin’ at?”

“Oh just a cute demon, hogging the bed.”

“Oh...uh...sorry,” he replied, pulling his limbs to himself as he rolled on his side away from you.

“It’s fine. So long as you are willing to turn the light off for me,” you said, smiling and laughing softly, as you snuggled up next to Mammon, wrapping your arm around his waist and spooning him from behind.

“The light?”

“Yeah, like last night when I was reading. If you’re gonna hog the bed, then be prepared to be woken up to turn off the light.”

Mammon rolled over a little to get a better look at you, certain that you had to be teasing him or setting him up for a joke or...something. But you were just smiling at him like normal.

“What’s up?” you asked.

“I dunno whatcha talkin’ about. I didn’t turn off a light last night.”

“Umm yeah you did. You even sat up and talked to me.”

“Noooo I didn’t…” he furrowed his brow in confusion. What on earth were you trying to pull?

“Ok fine. It doesn’t matter. The deal still stands. Hog the bed, be put on light switch duty. K?” you asked, leaning forward to give him a quick peck on the cheek, something that you knew would fluster him.

“Uh yep. Got it. Light switch duty,” he said as he rolled back over to hide his face from you. Without even meaning to, he shifted back slightly so that he was pressed more fully against you, and you simply smiled and hugged him in return. You were such a brat sometimes...kissing him on the cheek like that out of nowhere. You could at least warn him. Not that he liked it or anything.

While you did find it a little odd that Mammon didn’t remember the light incident, you just wrote it off as one of those things. It’s not like it mattered whether or not he remembered, anyways.

————

A few days later, you returned to your room after a study session with Satan only to find Mammon already passed out on your bed, once again leaving very little space for you. It occurred to you then that perhaps he was doing this on purpose so that you’d have to sleep practically on top of him, so you decided to have a bit of fun.

Instead of crawling over him, you climbed in next to him by the edge of your bed, and poked him in the side.

His reaction was immediate. He sat up and rubbed at his eyes...and then he just sat there.

“Mammon? You can lay back down.”

He mumbled something.

“Mammon?”, you sat up to get a better look at him. His eyes were open, but only just, and his gaze was unfocused, “You can lay down now.”

“I don’t wanna,” he whined.

“Mammon, are you still asleep?”, you had heard of sleepwalking before, but this was a whole new level of weird.

“Nooo.”

Sensing that it was perhaps better not to argue with him, you laid down in your bed and tugged on his shirt to get him to join you, “Come cuddle with me then so I can go to sleep.”

Without further complaint, Mammon complied and curled up next to you, resting his head on your chest and wrapping his arm around your middle. It didn’t take him long at all to fall back asleep, leaving you even more certain that he must not have been fully awake to begin with.

————

After that, there weren’t any more unusual episodes with Mammon for awhile, so you had almost forgotten about the whole thing.

That is until one night when you had been just about to fall asleep, and a notification came thru in your DDD. Usually you would put your device on silent when going to sleep, but tonight you had been so exhausted that you forgot. So when the notification went off - it was LOUD.

Mammon immediately sat up, dazed.

“Sorry about that,” you said, turning the sound off on your DDD.

“Fin stis.”

“Huh?”

“Den sai tis id.”

“Mammon, I think you are asleep.”

“Noooo! Am not!!!”, Mammon replied, as he started to act like he was about to get out of bed. Concerned about the sort of trouble he could get himself in while in this state you tried your best to stop him.

“Mammon, where are you going?”

He didn’t answer, but at least he stopped trying to get up.

“I think you’re asleep. Please, don’t get up.”

“I’m not asleep!” he snapped. You were surprised by the tone of voice he was using with you. Yeah he was loud and yelled a bunch, but you had never seen him actually angry with you. Not wanting to provoke him further, you decide to drop the issue and try what had worked the last time this happened.

“Ok Mammon, then just cuddle with me.”

“Fine.”

“Yeah, just lay back down with me so I can sleep.”

There was incoherent grumbling from Mammon as he wiggled back under the covers, still clearly annoyed with you for accusing him of being asleep when he knew he wasn’t.

“We can talk in the morning. Just cuddle for now.”

Once he was laying down again, you cuddled up next to him and wrapped your arm around his waist, hoping it would at least give you some warning if he would try to get up again.

————

“Sooooo, Mammon. Do you remember last night?”

“Huh?” Mammon turned around to look at you from his seat on the floor by your bed. It was Saturday morning, and he was browsing Akuzon on his DDD, trying to decide what to buy with his latest modeling paycheck. You had been laying on your bed, “helping” him with his shopping by occasionally texting him suggestions that you found. They might not have been the most helpful suggestions, but at least they were making the two of you laugh.

“You yelled at me,” you said, turning off your DDD and turning your head to look at Mammon.

“Whattya talkin’ about?? Why would I yell at you??”

“Because I told you that you were sleeping.”

“You’re makin’ that up.”

“Mammon, have you ever had trouble with sleepwalking?” you were genuinely curious if perhaps some of the things he got accused of were the result of him wandering the House of Lamentation unconsciously in the middle of the night.

“Huh?! No! Of course not! What are ya trying to pull? Seriously, is this like a joke or somethin’?”

“No, I’m telling you - you got woken up by a notification on my DDD, and when I tried to get you to go back to sleep, you yelled at me.”

“There’s no way that happened. I woulda remembered it.” Mammon eyed you suspiciously. He was sure this had to be a prank of some sort, though he couldn’t for the life of him figure out what the punch line would be. Why were you being so insistent?

“Well it did,” you mumbled under your breath. If he was going to be so stubborn, you were just going to have to prove it to him. The next time - you were going to catch it on video.

————

Not wanting to wait until Mammon would have one of his “episodes” on his own, you decided you’d have to try to trigger one yourself. Based on your observations, you needed to wait until he was *just* asleep, and then wake him suddenly - either a moderately loud noise, or a forceful movement.

So the following night, you made sure your DDD was fully charged...and you waited.

It didn’t take long for Mammon to pass out. You had made sure he spent the day running around the Devildom taking you shopping, and doing other “date” things, just to wear him out. And since this was Mammon, it took a LOT to wear him out. If it wasn’t for the fact you were on a mission, you’d probably have nodded off yourself long ago.

You pulled out your DDD, turned on your camera to record video…and then delivered a swift kick to Mammon’s butt.

As expected, Mammon sat up almost immediately.

“Hey Mammon.”

“Mmmm?”

“Are you asleep?”

“Nooo,” he whined. You snickered at his response. This was going perfectly.

“I need you to do something for me in the morning.”

“Sure, whattttayaaa want?”

“Can you make me breakfast?”

“Sure.”

“So what are you going to do in the morning?”

“Everryyythinnnn.”

“Are you going to make me breakfast?”

“That’s part of everrryyythinnn’.”

By now you were having a difficult time maintaining your composure. You only just managed to keep your DDD steady enough to get a decent video. You hadn’t tried talking to Mammon this much the other times, and were surprised at how long he was able to keep this up. Seeing as you had nothing to lose, you decided to keep going.

“Can you say it for me in a complete sentence? What are you going to do in the morning?”

“Breakfast and bugggsss.”

“What?”

“Breakfast and bugggsss.”

“Bugs?”

“Yesh.”

“So one more time, what are you going to do in the morning?”

“Killlll everythinnnn’.”

That was apparently your breaking point, and you had to cover your mouth to stop the loud squeals of laughter that weren’t threatening to escape. This had gone far more perfectly than you ever could have imagined. There was no way he was going to be able to deny this now. Imagining how red his face would get as you showed him the video had you giggling even harder.

Pausing your recording, and safely tucking away your DDD, you decided that you had had enough fun for the night and that it was time to give poor Mammon a break and let him rest.

“Ok Mammon, will you come cuddle with me now?”

“Fiiinnneee,” he said, slumping down onto the bed and rolling over so he could snuggle up to your side. You really had exhausted him that day, so he deserved a bit of rest. Gently combing your fingers through his hair, you thought about how exactly you were going to make use of this video as you drifted off to sleep.

Based on this conversation with my husband -

[jocia92]

In a Zoom interview, Stevens explains he knew how to speak German having studied it in school and having visited Germany several times in his youth. Eggert also spoke about the film via Zoom from Berlin, where she is rehearsing for a play that ironically is about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

Angela Dawson: Dan, were you fluent in German before signing onto I’m Your Man?

Dan Stevens: I’m always nervous about the word “fluent” because I feel like if I say that somebody’s going to throw me into a situation where I’m totally out of my depth. I would say that my German is good. I’ve always loved the language. I’ve spoken it since I was about 13, maybe even earlier because my parents had friends who lived in Germany. We used to vacation there quite a lot when I was a child, and then I studied it at school. I did a movie (Hilde) there about 13 years ago playing an Englishman who spoke German. So, I had been in a German movie previously, but nothing like this. This was a totally different thing.

The level of German that is required for Tom, even for a German, is pretty strange and unusual. So, I definitely polished it up to get out there and tackle this role but I (had the language skills) to begin with.

Dawson: Maren, how was Dan’s German?

Maren Eggert: He really worked on it a lot. He did well because he has a talent for languages. He really wanted to do it so he threw himself into it. I’d tell him I wanted to speak to him in English so I could practice it, but he wanted to speak German so he could practice it. So, he really worked on that. I think it was great for the part because he’s just so charming and friendly. As an actor, he has the ability to go straight into a character. He doesn’t make mistakes with his performance.

Stevens: Sometimes she would speak to me in English and I would answer in German, which is a great exercise. I had the whole cast and crew speak to me in German the whole time. Occasionally, we’d have certain conversations in English but most everything was in German. It was great because it kept me in the zone of thinking in German.

Dawson: Dan, you play a robot so there’s something not-quite-human in how you act as Tom.

Stevens: Ultimately, he has to be lovable but also a little strange. I think that was one of the motivations for Maria (Schrader, the director) looking to cast outside of Germany for a foreign actor who could speak German. However good your German is, it’s rare to find an outsider who can sound totally German. The idea that Alma’s ideal robot would speak German, for practical purposes, but maybe have a bit of an accent—a little bit exotic, but not too exotic is what he defines it as—so they settle on British for her. She’s confused by this but the algorithm—the program—has created this for her. It’s one of the many things that throws her about this whole experiment.

I wanted to create something that was uncanny but not in a too weird a way. It’s strange but also intriguing and ultimately kind of lovable.

Dawson: The scene in which Tom is in a field with a herd of deer surrounding him unafraid has a lot of symbolism in it. Alma sees him as this man she’s falling in love with yet she also realizes that the reason the deer are unafraid is because he’s not human. What’s your interpretation of that scene?

Stevens: That whole sequence with the deer and with Alma and Tom lying in the grass and talking about memories, that was a big step on in terms of the evolution of Tom’s humanity, I suppose. Most of the time, we’re in Alma’s apartment or in the museum. As he says, (being out in the field), “is a nature experience.” Getting them out of the city and out of those conventional settings and putting them in this bucolic setting of a German forest and having these lovers wandering through it, it has that classical feel to it. Whether directly or indirectly, it gets through to the viewer that we’re in this beautiful setting, isn’t it romantic? It tees up what’s to come. It’s a beautiful sequence. It’s also the first time I’ve spoken Korean.

Dawson: Maren, what’s your interpretation of that scene?

Eggert: For Alma, it really helps her put Tom in the right space. At this point of the film, she’s already falling in love with him but there’s this moment where she can watch him from a distance.

Dawson: The release of I’m Your Man couldn’t be timelier because so many people have been locked away unable to pursue romantic relationships for over a year now. People are lonely; they miss human contact.

Stevens: I don’t know about the loneliness so much but it definitely spoke to me when I read this in the Spring of 2020. It was the peak of the pandemic. It was definitely a time of deep reflection both inward and outward—that sense of “how did we get here?” It was a collective thing about looking at humanity which is sort of what Tom does all the way through the movie. He’s looking at Alma but also trying to learn about her environment—this world that she’s in—as quickly as he can. He’s trying to get that information. The most affecting scenes I found in an odd way was the sequence where Tom is watching a young couple watching epic fail videos at the coffee shop. It’s not something I habitually watch but my kids love them. Maria forces us to sit with them quite a bit. It’s not just one or two fails, it’s a whole bunch of them. It goes on almost too long and stops being funny and starts being a little sad. You get contemplative about humanity in that scene and start feeling sorry for Tom that he has to absorb all this. It’s like, “What are we doing?”

So, a lot of that sentiment I was really feeling last spring and summer. I feel that a lot of that went into the film. I guess it’s still resonating with people. The technological question of coping with loneliness—I hadn’t thought of that as a consequence—but I suppose you’re right.

Dawson: In films and other stories about robots, people always seem to be mistrustful, yet robots are increasingly part of our lives. Why do you suppose our first instinct as humans is to be wary of robots?

Eggert: I don’t know. Maybe because we can’t control it. We can’t see inside. It’s like a stranger and we always react (with caution) to strangers. Personally, I can totally understand Alma’s reaction because I would react the same: I’d want to control the robot. Throughout the story, she has to learn to know this robot. That’s the fascination she has with it.

Dawson: Do you think having Maria Schrader direct this, an actress herself, helped tell the story from a woman’s point-of-view?

Eggert: Yes, of course. She really encouraged me a lot. We have a lot in common in terms of how we look at filmmaking and how scenes work and with the character, she really pushed me to go a little further. She encouraged me and I think that really was between us women.

Dawson: What are each of you working on now?

Stevens: I’m shooting Gaslit, a miniseries about Watergate in which I play John Dean. People I’ve spoken with remember watching (the Congressional hearings) and seeing it as one of the first political soap operas. It was very much an analog political soap opera scandal. So, that’s been a lot of fun. We’re in the final weeks of that.

Eggert: I’m working in theater; I do a lot of theater here in Berlin. It’s a project on Frankenstein and Mary Shelley. That too is also about artificial intelligence and connects to I’m Your Man. It’s really fun to think about what scares me and what is this monster. It opens in two weeks. Afterwards, I’m doing another movie where I’m playing a conductor, so I’m training to do that. I wanted to be a conductor as a child, so I’m looking forward to playing one.

[thebadchoicemachine]

Lark

Heads up: takes place in the middle of a story, like a chapter from a book. really just a character introduction. SO all you need to know is Karl, Quackity, and Sapnap got split into different parts of themselves and Lark had to help manually put them back together while Karl was fixing himself. 

tw, a lot of existential and metaphysical talk. 

----

The three figures stood a ways from him. He watched as they felt themselves, felt each other, hugged each other. He could see them. He listened as they laughed, as relief and apologies seeped from their voices. He knew he could hear them. He observed as they grew closer, as they understood they had seen and felt parts they had hidden from each other. He knew what feeling was. 

Still, he only stood. He could experience that, it had been hours but it still was so odd. That’s another thing, he was aware of time, he understood ‘then’ and ‘now’ and ‘later.’ He knew what awkwardness was as one of the now complete figures caught his eye. (Quackity, he knew he was called Quackity.) He didn’t do anything to shake the gaze, only slowly blinking. Quackity reached over to tap the other (Sapnap) for attention. They leaned over each other whispering. 

He knew Karl. He was- he wasn’t Karl. He wasn’t even close to being Karl but he knew him. He held every thought and feeling he’d had but only in the back of his mind. They weren’t his thoughts or feelings, he just knew what Karl knew to an extent.

He didn’t exactly... know... what to do. He had needed to put Quackity and Sapnap together while Karl worked on unfragmenting himself. That had been simple. A set of instructions driving his movements. A need, a goal, one set for him. Just like always but- no, this was different. This was so very different, he’d never needed to come up with one on his own. He’d never wanted to. 

He could want. 

He’d always had objectives but here he had a desire to complete them. Before he simply... did. It was so strange how he’d attempted to do his purpose. He had needed Karl to understand what he didn’t even understand because he didn’t understand anything until a little while ago. He didn’t know, he just was. He didn’t try, he just did. He had been teaching without even existing himself, no wonder Karl had never caught on! He still had his original purpose but he was so much more than that now. 

He now had words and thoughts and... feelings... he’d deal with that one later. For now, he had to figure out- he needed to- oh, this was so much. He wished he... he... ugh, words were so strange to work with. Even in his mind, the preemptive nature of everything and the blaring constant of hindsight and foresight, it was all at once and yet so much slower. He needed to calm down, reorganize himself like Karl did when overwhelmed. He knew how to do that, didn’t he? 

Find a point to begin thinking. He wanted to have a clear mind. He wanted. He had a will. That was... odd. He was certain he wasn’t capable of that before. He’d always been, of course. Before Karl was even fully tied together at all he had been. He’d simply been something else. Something soft and notional, something abstract and far less... aware. He (in fact, was it even he? He. His. Him. Himself. Yes, he didn’t mind that. Oh. That was weird, being able to mind or not mind something.) 

“Hey!” 

He didn’t jump, although he felt he should have. He had been lost in thought. Huh. That was almost familiar. It reminded him of how he had been before, the way it required much less... consciousness. 

“HEY! Hello?” 

A finger jabbed into his shoulder. Quackity was prodding him while Sapnap peered inquisitively, both studying him with absolutely no idea what they were looking for. Karl stared from behind them, emotions also quizzical but jarringly relatable. He assumed Karl felt similarly to him; after all, they were experiencing the same thing. Meeting each other. Karl, of course, hadn’t needed to understand it while splintered but now- oh right, he experienced time now and had not responded to their addressing of him in the appropriate span. Huh. He opened his mouth to remedy the situation but squeaked, finding himself at a loss of articulation. He had- he knew- how did he express? What was this? His inability to answer made him feel… he felt… oh! Oh, he was frustrated. That didn’t help him at all but it was neat to know.

“What’s da matter with this one?” Quackity demanded, still poking him. “Why hasn’t it gone back into Karl? Is this bad? What do we do?”

“I don’t know. It doesn’t look like it’s responding.” Sapnap loudly clapped in front of him. He felt himself jerk against his will at the smack. What? Why? It was custom and completely expected to flinch at such disturbances but he hadn’t reacted in such ways… yet…

Oh.

Oh, he was aware now. 

Uh oh. Oh. Oh? He was aware of being aware, he had been for hours now, but suddenly it was sinking in. He was aware of how much he took in without being aware of it. Sounds, smells, sights, the feel of the air, it all fizzled around him. He was him. He’d- he’d essentially just been born (even though he’d existed for much, much, longer). Oh wow. He could think, he could truly know, he could understand, he was him. Hmm. Now that he needed to use his newfound ability to think he found it… a lot. 

“Mmmhh,” without meaning to, he let out a light groan. 

“OH FUCK!” Quackity jumped back. “It said somethin’!” 

“What’s with its face? It looks like a loading screen. Is it your skepticism or cognizance or something?” Sapnap turned to Karl, who still mirrored him but seemed to be able to sort his words better. Practice, he supposed. Karl closed his mouth into a small, almost apologetic, smile, and straightened himself. He wondered when he would be able to settle and organize his thought so well. The way Karl was able to back-shelf what was most likely the same, or at least a similar, swarm of thoughts and feelings sparked something of a soft envy in him. 

Karl opened his mouth again, stuttering faintly as he found the words to properly answer. “That’s not me.”

“No... I’m not,” he latched onto Karl’s statement like a lifeline but it barely showed in his, unbroken and unused, monotone voice. He guessed he was… relieved? Was that it? He was relieved they couldn’t see his struggle. 

“Woah,” Sapnap took a step back. He understood. Unlike him and Karl, who were off because they knew they didn’t know, Quackity and Sapnap had zero understanding at all. It was probably bizarre to have him sound and look like Karl yet speak and act with such a desaturated, inexperienced, difference. 

“So... wait- what?” 

“I am not Karl. I am... an ‘other.’ The Other.” 

“Why were you a part of- where did it- he- come from then?” 

“Yeah...” Karl tilted his head, squinting. “Uh, I don’t know.” 

“WHAT?” 

“I mean, I know him, sort of, just can’t... understand it exactly?” 

“I am your other. You’re place in the Inbetween, your existence, is tied with mine. I am something like a loose thread from your tapestry except sewn into one of my own. I know you and you know me, I am a part of you and you are a part of me, but we are not each other. We’re... complimentary in existence.” 

“Huh?”

“What?” 

“I get that... and I also don’t,” Karl frowned, squinting more. “Where did you come from? I know you were always here but now you’re...” he trailed off making a motion with his hands. 

“Uh, forgive me. Words and thoughts are new. I am not- I was not before. Not me, anyway. I’ve existed for a very long time but I was not aware. Being a person is recent. Extremely recent. Like, hours ago recent. The only reason I’m so functional is that I have your understanding to go off of but, clearly, I am in need of experience.” 

“Hours ago... you mean when we split?”

“Yes. My understanding is when you were split all parts of you were completely severed from each other, including me. Had I been cognizant at the time I would have described it as... terrifying. Uh- lonely. We are connected and I had never been not with you. Though, I was not me yet so it’s okay... I guess. Besides, It only lasted a few moments as the Inbetween began to put you back together. When that happened I think it shook something in me, being completely separated and then so strongly reattached opened something. I was rebooted, essentially, and now I have a mind just like you do.” He curled and uncurled his fingers as he spoke, realizing something. “And... my own form? I suppose?” 

“Hold on,” Quackity interrupted. “If youse was- or rather wasn’t, how do you know about before you became aware? Why aren’t you like an infant? At least mentally?” 

“As I said before, I know of everything Karl knows… in a way.”

“What way is that?”

“Uh, I don’t know everything he knows, I don’t have a copy of his mind or anything, but I know of everything. As to how I remember when I didn’t have a mind? I don’t know exactly. All I can say is it’s like remembering thoughts from when you were asleep. Not a dream, just when you’re collecting moments but not awake. Does that make sense?”

“Uh, not really, but carry on,” Sapnap shrugged. “What are you?” 

“Uh, okay… let me… make words. Hmm, so, imagine if your shadow or reflection came to life. It’s not you, right? It’s not you at all, you are completely separate things, but there is still such a strong association. I am Karl’s reflection.” He looked towards the reflective walls and pointed at the lack of him and Karl. “I am literally Karl’s reflection. I am not only that but that is how I manifested before (and still do, I guess).” 

“Woah,” Sapnap whispered as he realized the lack of reflection. 

The four stood in silence for a moment. He blinked, waiting for a response but got nothing. Was this his first awkward silence? Huh. It felt much less than he thought it would, although he might just still be numb in terms of reactions. Maybe they were just waiting on him? Was it his job to break the silence in this situation? He shrugged internally, he might as well try. “Well, that’s mostly it. I’m here now. Hello.” He gave a light wave. 

“Wait, so what are you?” 

“I just expl-“ 

“No, no, no, I get the metaphysical stuff” Karl waved dismissively “but you’re not just my reflection. You’re... a part of me like you said before but I’m not just a part of you. You have something else going on, right? What were you before now? What are you? Or, I guess I’m asking ‘why’ are you. I feel like- I know you have a purpose that isn’t just being the opposite of me.”

“Right!” His eyes lit up, remembering an old goal. He needed to correct Karl, to get him to start functioning the way he was meant to. “I am not your opposite! I am your inverse. I do the work you do not, as you do the work I do not.” 

“Huh?” 

“The reason you were- well, you weren’t really created. That would imply some kind of intent that was not there. The role you were evolved to fill. To collect, to round, to fight and stabilize the contents I protect and care for.“

“Contents?”

“Of... everything. There are- I- I- cannot think of how to- you’ll have to excuse me, I just became less than a day ago and have, without hyperbole, all of existence to explain. I am not used to using words. Or understanding. Or even knowing really. I was a concept with just a driving force and now being able to want and understand when I fail and it all.... oh. Yeah. I’m struggling.” He stumbled back, feeling lightheaded. The reality of it all would not stop crashing over him. It was very inconvenient and uncomfortable and he would very much like for it to stop. 

He must have visibly paled because the others immediately began showing concern. “It’s okay! Calm down a little, let’s talk about something else. Don’t strain yourself,” Sapnap pleaded. 

Quackity looked like he was getting ready to catch him, as if he was going to faint. “Yeah, like, um, why was Karl made alive but you weren’t?” 

“Oh,” he snatched onto the change of subject, thankful. He did not want to keep experiencing being overwhelmed. “Karl wasn’t made anything.”

“Wait, huh? What does that mean?” Karl asked, almost offended in his shock.

“You weren’t supposed to be a person. As I said before, you weren’t ‘created’ exactly.” 

“Uh, what? I’m not... supposed to be me? A person? I’m like, broken because I’m self-aware? That’s messed up.”

“No, no, that’s not what I mean. You weren’t supposed to be anything. Person, not person, a force, an object, an animal, there’s not exactly anything wrong with you. In fact, you function perfectly it’s just your instinct was overshadowed by your mind.”

“Function?”

“You developed to fix a problem. It doesn’t matter what you are the same way it doesn’t matter what color trees are, so long as they make oxygen to support their ecosystem. So, no, I don’t think you were intended to be a person but you weren’t intended to be anything else, either. You can’t really be flawed when there was no plan to begin with.”

“Wh- s- are you saying I- me, Karl, as myself, a person with thoughts and emotions and a will and mind of my own, my existing was an accident?” 

He tisked his tongue. “Uh. Yes.” 

“Wow.” Karl took a long breath. “Wow.” 

“Are you upset? You shouldn’t be, everything in the universe is incidental, there’s no real plan except everything’s function to thrive. Wills are superficial to existence and meaning. Heck, I’m an accident you just caused!” It was true, his current existence as he experienced it was completely incidental! He very well could have just not been the way he is. He could have, so simply, never existed. Ever... oh. He shuddered, checking existentialism off the experiences he’d had and shoving it away with iron force.

“No, I’m not insulted or anything, it’s just- wow.”

“Yeah. That’s fair I guess. Anyway,” he lightly clapped his hands together. If the conversation was over then he should leave, right? That was the correct thing to do? He didn’t want- he didn’t want to think about wanting. Or not existing. He would just leave. “Quackity, Sapnap, nice to meet you and all your sides. I guess we had a more intimate introduction than most, what with me explaining my entire existence and you being divided into the rawest versions of yourselves. Karl, I already know about you. Um, Goodbye.” He held up his hand and began to walk towards the reflective walls.

“Hey, wait!” Quackity grabbed his shoulder. He stopped, waiting patiently.  “What... are we gonna see youse again? What’s da deal now that you are what you are?” 

“Now? I will go adjust. You will most certainly see me again, yes. I want to stop wanting for now, everything is a lot of things. Goodbye.”

“Okay, bye, but... what should we call you?” 

That caught him off guard. He took a step away from the wall, frowning. “Call... me?”

“Oh yeah! I assume you don’t just want to be referred to as ‘Not-Karl’ or something. Do you have a name?” Sapnap stepped up. 

“Uh...” His brow furrowed, eyes darting around slightly. “I haven’t... thought about that...” A name. Huh. It hadn’t even crossed his mind. 

“Do you want to pick one out? We can help, I chose my name based from one of the first worlds I ever visited. Since there’s no one here, we could list some and you could see if you like any?”

“Um,” he frowned. That didn’t sound very appealing. “I don’t think I want to choose one from someone else’s. I don’t have many opinions on sounds yet so picking one based on phonetics feels... wrong.”

“That’s okay, and you can always pick another one later.” 

“I guess so.”

“Something more personal based then?”

“That’s tricky, we don’t know much about him yet,” Quackity pointed out. “He don’t even know much about him.” 

“What about-“ Sapnap spoke up. “You said you were the ‘inverse’ right? What about that? Or Mirror, or Reflection, or Other.”

He shifted, frowning. “It’s correct,” he started “but it’s kind of like calling you ‘demon.’ More of a title or description, not really a name.” 

“How about Lrak?” Quackity suggested. “It’s Karl backward.” 

He made a face. “I think I’ve just got my first phonetic opinion. I do not like how that sounds.” Not to mention it was a little... obvious. He didn’t want to base his entire newfound identity around not being Karl, although Karl was a big part of him. He wouldn’t mind paying homage. In fact, that did seem like a good place to come from. He wasn’t Karl but he also wasn’t not Karl. Hmm. He looked back up, getting better at tuning in and out on purpose, to find them chittering off ideas. “Hey,” he interrupted. “What about Lark?” They stopped and turned to him. 

“Lark?” 

“It’s... an anagram of Karl,” he tilted his head, not looking at anything, just thinking “but it’s also its own, despite and including its origins. Lark. What do you think?”

“Hey, don’t fuckin matter what we think,” Quackity snapped, almost accusatory. “What’s important is how youse feel. Do you like it?” 

He was a little taken aback at the aggressive support. It was true though, he realized, none of them should get a say. It wasn’t that he was trying to please them, he simply didn’t have a strong opinion on much... but he could. It dawned on him he could have all the care or apathy he wanted. “Lark,” he said the name aloud again, rolling it across his tongue, focussing on feeling, comprehending that he could feel. “My name is Lark. My name. Is Lark. Yes. I... I like that,” he smiled. 

“Hurray!” Karl grinned before gripping him into a giant hug. 

He screamed, unprepared for the contact. He could feel his heart was beating against his chest as Karl frantically set him down. “Ah- uh- It’s okay,” he reassured him. “I just- my reactions have broken in, it seems.” 

Karl chuckled, apologetically brushing off his shoulder. “Sorry. I’m just really happy for you, man. Is- is it man?” 

“Man is fine,” he shrugged. “I am like you.”

“Great,” Karl grinned swinging his arms slightly. “I- I’m just stoked you’re something- someone I can talk to now! I mean, you’ve been around forever, but I had no idea what you were. I still don’t, I guess, but this is...” he laughed, gesturing between them.

He, Lark, smiled. He smiled a big, wide, voluntary, and genuine beam for Karl. He felt it too. There was a connection between them that, while it had always been there, hadn’t held any connotations. Now that he was him though he found it was warm and reassuring, familiar and sporadic. It was a part of him. It was a part of them. He didn’t know much about himself yet but he knew that was a very good thing. 

“Lark, I gotta say, having known you literally all my life,” Karl stuck out his hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you.” 

Lark looked at the hand and cocked his head, blinking. He reached out to take it and pulled Karl in for a (much softer than before) hug but one that still surprised Karl. “...It’s nice to meet you too, Karl. Really.” He felt fuzzy inside as Karl softened from the shock and gently put his arms around him. They stayed together for a beat, it was a wonderful moment to live in. For the first time in his life, short as it had been so far, Lark experienced gratitude. It was nice to meet Karl. It was nice to have a name. It was nice to... be alive. He blinked rapidly, a little confused at the stinging in his eyes. Oh. Tears. His eyes were watering from emotions, that was definitely new. Eventually, Karl gently pulled away.

“So,” he said tenderly, eyeing Lark up and down. “You’re my reflection, huh? Heh, does that make me yours?” 

It was a joke but... “I’m honestly not sure how to answer that. In a way, no. But- I- it’s confusing. I have things I want to explain but don’t understand how yet. In time, I guess. Perhaps with examples. For now though, if you’re my anything, maybe we could be each other’s... um...” he paused, searching for a word that described them. “Brothers? If you want?”

“Lark,” Karl’s tone was suddenly and unnaturally serious. “Do you have any idea what you’ve just said to me?” 

“I- I think? I asked if you-“

“I WOULD LOVE THAT SO MUCH,” he yelled, grabbing Lark by the shoulders with a jolt. “YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT MEANS TO ME. YOU’RE SO SMART AND AMAZING, I’M SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU NOW, I DIDN’T REALIZE HOW MUCH I NEEDED- I...” he sniffled, laughing. “I have a family!” 

He did. Lark grinned, letting him keep his iron grip on his shoulders despite the physical discomfort. It was prodigiously outweighed by the joyous emotions surging through and filling the air. Karl had a family and... so did he. 

“AW-!” 

A sharp wail shattered the moment. Lark and Karl’s heads snapped towards the other two they forgot were there. Quackity had tears streaming down his face, while Sapnap was biting his knuckle, eyes also watery, having had been the one to cry out. 

“Uh- are you guys... alright?” Karl cautiously held out his hands in comfort. 

“Y-yeah! It’s just- that’s- you guys are so sweet.” Sapnap threw his hands up to his face. “This is such a happy moment, I’m so happy for you. You guys found each other after coexisting for so long but never knowing- I- I’m a sucker for family, okay? It’s in my culture. Don’t judge me.”

“Uh-huh,” Quackity nodded, drying his soaked face with his sleeve. “It’s not like we’s crying or nothing.” 

“Aw, you guys...” Karl gave both of them a hug. 

Lark waited until they finished to speak. “Well, for real this time, I think I need to say goodbye. I apologize for rushing away so bluntly. I didn’t realize then... even just in the past few minutes I understand so much more. This has been a lot, as you can imagine, for my first day of cognizance and I would like to take some time existing. Karl, you have a purpose. A role to fill in the universe. Also, I have no idea how to explain it to you.” 

“Oh.” 

“Seriously, it is a miracle I was even able to introduce myself. I genuinely almost passed out a few times during that conversation. Just from the weight of comprehending my own existence. Please understand that, in a sense, I am only a few hours old.” 

“But you sort of existed before me so you’re also kind of older than me, right?”

“Yes. It is hella weird. I wouldn’t worry though, your design is built into you, like how animals are wired to hunt whether they’ve ever seen prey or not. For now, I am off to go get better used to... being, I guess. I intend to continue to experience people, I think I find it much more than just knowing of them. It was... genuinely... very nice to meet you all.” Lark held up his hand in a farewell gesture, waiting to leave until the others returned it, waving and shouting goodbyes and good lucks. 

He smiled as he faced the empty reflective surface. He had no idea how good ‘good’ was. He’d known about the warm feeling inside from Karl but now he had experienced it. It was such a difference he’d never expected... not in all of the (maybe seven? eight?) hours he’d been alive. With one final breathe and thought and feeling, Lark stepped into the Otherside.

[thanks-captain-obvious]

So here is the continuation of my Daminette hc since it seems that no one really like to stop me.

No. The Batfam did not abandon Marinette suddenly because of seemingly questionable reaction to fear toxin. But more on that later.

So as I was saying, Robin is acting really weird during patrol and the Batfam couldn't help but notice.

But who could blame him when it really bothers him? Marinette seems so always cool and collected. Always moving with grace and with purpose.

But that Marinette that he saw? The Marinette who cries in her sleep. That is not the Marinette he knew. And it bothers him.

He chalked it up to a reluctant sibling feeling on his side and dare he say it, he's already warming up to Marinette.

Marinette just seems—invicible. Just like his mother.

Cool. Calm. Collected.

How wrong he was

Why would she cry?

Anyway, Batfam decided its Dicky bird that will talk to Damian by the end of patrol because nothing has bothered their youngest this much since Talia.

But Robin easily evaded Dick's concern by saying he's tired.

So now, the Batfam has two dillemas. Namely— Damian and Marinette.

Anyway, Damian decided to watch Marinette closely the next day.

Marinette is her usual, sunny self. Smiling kindly at everyone, bonding with Alfred in the kitchen, playing UMS with Tim or just watching Jason lift weights in the gym.

It may seem like a dickish move but Damian deliberately spilled coffee on Marinette's sketches just to rile up Marinette.

Jason is so ready to shoot him right then and there. After all, it was only recently that Marinette started designing clothes again.

And it may be worth it after all. Because Damian saw it.

For a split second, Marinette's eyes had misted over it like she is about to cry. In fact, if Damian isn't watching really, really close, he would miss it.

It quickly change over into something unreadable before her eyes settles into those calm sapphires once again.

And so for the next few days, Damian will try to provoke Marinette over and over again.

To no avail.

Meanwhile, Dick tried to talk him again. Of course, he dismissed the concern easily by saying he got it handled.

Anyway, Bruce will finally had enough of Damian's obvious attempts at provoking Marinette so he will talk to his son about it.

But before he could let a word out, Tim will rush into the study and blurt out two words that will instantly make both of them pale.

She knows

During dinner with Cass and Steph in the Manor(they wanted to meet their new sister), the Bats will address the elephant in the room.

Marinette will then explain how she find it odd that Bruce offered to adopt her just after she mentioned to Batman that she is an orphan.

She then will tell them all about herself (minus being Ladybug) and say that she will kept all their secrets and there is no need to worry.

Marinette will also explain how she deleted her data on the internet and steal all her school records in Paris before burning them off.

She explained when she went to Gotham, she wanted to start over.

Tim is impressed with all that of course. But one question remains, how are you immune to fear toxin?

Which Marinette answered happily and she narrated all about Hawkmoth and his reign. Living under Hawkmoth had enabled her to control her emotions not just on surface level.

Bruce expressed his concerns if she had been akumatized.

Marinette smiled graciously and said no and kept it at that.

Batfam is appaled to learn that something of this magnitude happened to Paris under their noses without anyone noticing.

Alfeed then stepped in and expressed that Marinette needs her rest now.

But in the midst of all that, something still nags at Damian.

Why come to Gotham? Another city full of terror.

The answer came to him when Damian got hostaged by the Joker.

She is Ladybug, the hero that once protected Paris.

He realized this when Marinette easily managed to save him single-handedly through some convoluted plan.

Ladybug's trademark and way of defeating akuma, if what Tim had managed to unearth about Ladybug is true.

And while he may not have Tim's genius mind, Damian is not the son of the greatest detective for nothing.

Of course he managed to put two and two together.

So Damian confronted Marinette about it much later.

It was then that Marinette completely opened herself up.

And to him nonetheless!

Marinette told him how she got her Miraculous— the thing that gives her powers, about her partner, about Hawkmoth, about everything that lead up to the confrontation against Hawkmoth and how she is too late to save her parents.

And how, every single day, she tortures herself of what could have been.

And so she explained that the fear toxin did not much do anything to her because she is, in fact, already living in her nightmare every single day— her parents dying because she had been too careless.

No matter how much Damian tried to tell her its not her fault, to Marinette, everything had been her fault.

After that conversation, Damian and Marinette had been closer.

Everybody in the Manor noticed of course. Damian and Marinette would spend hours alone sketching and walking around Gotham. Or just plain talking.

Damian would also sometimes spar with Marinette to train her knowing that she defeated a supervillain before without any semblance of training, what more if she had mentor who actually teach her how to fight?

Dick, as usual, had been the first one to confront Damian about the pair's newfound closeness. But Damian just rolled his eyes and say that he realized that she is more tolerable than any of you combined.

Then, Bruce, Tim, Jason, Steph.

It was only Cass that actually managed to get something out of Damian.

"She is so much more than meets the eye." He said.

After that, the Batfam contentedly accept the situation, even if the obvious inside jokes are a bit unnerving, to say the least.

I mean, Damian is smiling and joking around with her.

And where even the nickname "Little Lady" had come from?

Everything is sunshine and rainbows until Marinette received a call one day. A call from one Adrien Agreste.

Damian recognized the name and immediately rushed out to defend Marinette. Adrien Agreste, Gabriel Agreste's son.

He is so sure that Adrien is here to take revenge on Marinette for his father.

Only to be surprised by Marinette's squeal of excitement upon seeing the blonde.

Marinette rushed out to the bottom of the stairs and into Adrien Agreste's arms.

For some reason, seeing Marinette hugging Adrien tightly made him want to kill the bastard more.

Cass saw Damian's reaction and squinted her eyes at his brother.

Anyway, their hug is interrupted by Damian clearing his throat.

When Marinette looked at him, she gave him a sheepish smile and a look that says "Later"

Everyone welcomed Adrien and offered to have him stay for a week after Marinette said that he is a dear friend from Paris. Adrien easily agreed and the two went off with Alfred to sort out the room Adrien will stay in.

Meanwhile, Tim saw Damian's dirty look at the blonde and his tight grip at his cutlery. Cass caught his eyes and mentally confirmed what he just saw.

Cass gave a subtle nod at that.

Smirking, Tim took a gulp from his coffee.

For a few days, Marinette will tour Adrien around the City while Damian will sulk at his room. Whenever Marinette and Adrien is around, Damian will always snap irritably at the two of them. This will result at Bruce scolding Damian.

Damian, being the brat that he is, will leave the table.

Marinette will confront Damian one night and explained that Adrien is Chat Noir and a dear friend of her and for Damian to act nice around him.

Damian will say he already knows by seeing how the blonde is being as bratty as his superhero namesake.

Marinette slapped him before promptly leaving the room.

On the other hand, Marinette and Adrien will finally have the Talk.

Adrien will reveal that he is in the process of being adopted by Amelia and Marinette will likewise admit that Bruce is in the process of adopting her.

Adrien will then give her a chuckle and say: I don't know about that, Bugaboo. One of your "brothers" seems like he will be against the idea.

When Marinette demanded what he meant, he simply gave her a wide chesire grin.

And there it is! Another one of my cringe-worthy Daminette hc. Let me know if you want me to stop or you are so bored you have nothing to read anymore aside my cringy Daminette ideas.

Part 1 • Here • Part 3

Taglist:

@loysydark @eliza-bich @ilovefluffbutsmutisalsogreat @iwritelikeimrunningoutoftime @goblinwhoships @amayakans

@pawsitivelymiraculous @i-am-ironic @emilytopaz

Edit: added the links.

[brawltogethernow]

So on the whole, how useful would you say Death Note is for teaching someone how to write a convoluted plot between enemy chessmasters that's at least... 50% watertight?

General disclaimer that I haven’t touched the source material directly in many years, and all my dn posts are me feeling my feelings. But yeah, I can shake my 8-ball about this.

There are two components to dn’s approach to “a convoluted plot between enemy chessmasters”, and they’re only roughly stapled together. There’s the rivalry/characterization part, which is both compelling and silly, and is mostly about aesthetic. That never really concludes in a satisfying way. It’s not TRYING to, because the characters are pretty much there to hold up the thought experiment premise, which demands a lot of grit and unpoetic death and not solid foundations of character/relationship work. Like there’s stuff there but you’re really deep-mining for it and doing a lot of the work yourself, and that’s by design. All of the character arcs, which are pretty thin on the ground, trend in a negative/dismantling direction (because it’s a tragedy), and few of the relationships play out all the potential they have (because it’s not a tragedy about relationships).

The character aspect of the chessmaster stuff is heavily reliant on the conceit that once people are smart enough they will start reaching the same conclusions in the same way. Like there’s a single most ideal train of thought for every situation that even people who should have very different thought processes will reach with the assistance of enough little gray cells. This isn’t uncommon in smartboi stories, but dn went absolutely ham on it, if you want to make a study of that trope.

The biggest takeaway there is probably noting how the creative team seems to have been unaware that a lot of their audience was actually buying into that between the lead and their rival as a “meant to be enemies” kind of thing and didn’t realize that faction would be less interested once it became obvious that no, all geniuses in this world are taking turns using one brain. I’ll freely admit I deliberately misread this element to maximize my own investment.

Then there are the tricks and puzzles. The odd logical hole is inevitable, but overall they’re solid. They’re also just procedural plots delivered in a less formulaic story than that usually makes one think of. There’s nothing distinguishing them from the weekly puzzle of a House episode or a Detective Conan arc except for raw creativity and panache. There is rarely any characterization going on whatsoever. The twists require players, but you never get the sense that only whoever is being pulled to act could fill their part. They’re always stand-ins for perfectly generic individuals, putting their distinctive quirks and intense personal philosophies aside. This is that idea that there’s one way of thinking that everyone is accessing at staggered intelligence levels in play again. People are simplified until they can be pieces in contraptions no more complex than Light’s exploding desk drawer trap.

This is why the trick plots of dn don’t get pored over a lot by fans. They’re looped too loosely to the rest of the story to have an emotional impact that will make them memorable long-term. They’re deceptively simple, too. Kind of the opposite of a story twist that makes you rethink everything that came before it in a new light. You can’t dismantle dn and reassemble it like pentominoes very easily. A lot of it is grand set pieces, and if you tease out any of the puzzle plots they sort of lose structural integrity and flake away. This is why most canon divergence fic for dn is “diverging” by asking the question “what if Light were less of a shit”.

Ultimately, Death Note only gives the impression of being a complex engine made of moving parts. Its strong suit is its showmanship. It’s very good at carrying you along from twist to twist in a state of mild beffudlement that doesn’t quite escalate to belligerent and securing that “Oh wow! That was clever!” reaction. The mastermind-offs of are deceptively static, pretty much coming down to one party either failing or succeeding to thwart a plot laid out by another in advance without a lot of combating each others’ machinations in real time. Once resolved, twists vanish from the consciousness like disappearing gold. There’s no fiber to them, just flash.

This isn’t critique! Most elements of this story do what they’re deployed to do. (If the tricks needed workshopping, people would analyze them more, ironically.)

I’m myself shit at (de)constructing brain tingler twists and can’t really identify if dn’s are useful for instruction purposes. Not for people who don’t already have a natural talent for them, I guess! It might be interesting to identify why they’re not immediately identifiable as bloodless trick plots, except I suspect it might just be that the rest of dn is so insane and dissimilar from stories that usually contain those? Like I already compared it to two Holmes descendants, and it definitely has BBC Sherlock “let the asshole speak, genii are a protected species” vibes, and the criminal protagonist facing off with a detective premise is Arsene Lupin-y, yet I still feel weird identifying Death Note itself as in this broader genre because *gestures to all of it*.

It’s the least formula-reliant example of the breed I can think of right now, which is neat. (Annnnd also definitely feeds in to people being dissatisfied with it because they miscalled what it was trying to be. Dn is just generally pretty unique, and I imagine the team was making up a lot of its playbook from scratch as it went along, which leaves the audience in kind making up the experience of consuming it.)

All of the above is incidentally why dn is infamous for being very compelling in the moment but then having people revisit thinking about it and decide the he-knows-that-I-know-that-he-knows conceit is actually ridiculous and needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

So uh. This all SOUNDS like bad form, but that’s arguably me being a basic bitch who “likes when plot and character and aesthetic inform each other”, and that’s just fundamentally not what Death Note is. Also it’s kind of a lofty starting goal and writing is hard. Like! This approach worked! We are discussing a very successful property with many fans. (And a weirdly finite cultural impact for its popularity but this isn’t necessarily why.) I guess this is an acceptable playbook, and the takeaway is that you CAN successfully Frankenstein together different unconnected storytelling methods, and it will look dazzling and impressive and barely leave any of your readership feeling confused and hollow inside and likely to return and make fun of themselves for accidentally liking your work wrong.

Oh, also, dn as do’s and don’t’s of building a mastermind character. Do give headlining characters eye-catching, memetic traits. Don’t fail to trace those traits down so they actually represent something at your character’s core because you crossed over the line from “spinning characters out as foils and parallels who compare and contrast to each other in interesting ways” into “all of your smart characters are basically the same challenge-seeking misanthrope stamped with different surface features” -- except WHO ELSE IS GOING TO HAVE THAT PROBLEM? THAT’S NOT NORMAL.

So yeah you COULD study Death Note, or you could binge some crime dramas and then some X-Men issues that have battles in the center of the mind over the same weekend and get basically the same net effect.

[bumblesimagines]

The Older Lahote

Request: Yes or No

Because I have so many requests, the lovely and soft @magmagicstyle​ offered to help and ended up writing this request! Please give him lots of love!

Alright, I’m thinking a lot of things about this request and I ended up doing something at some point angsty and well, just long, but it will continue so… don’t worry it won’t end up being totally angst. I wanted to include the fact that the reader is soft and not moody at all with Charlie so I wrote that little moment in the woods. Also, yes, this will be a series because… I got permission from the little lady to do what my heart thought was right. I hope you like it! -Mag.

You were Paul’s older brother. To be honest, you were the moodier and stronger brother. You became a shifter before your little buddy; nickname that you liked to use when you were talking about Paul because teasing your brother and watching him get “mad” over something so little as a stupid nickname was way too funny; your size as a wolf was big, almost the same size as Sam’s and well, let’s say that the elders and Sam were confused by this. Of course that with a few months they grew used to this and well, now you were Sam second in command. 

Always helping him get the new wolves accustomed to their shift and well, their life as a pack. Of course, when you met them for the first time, the first thing that came to their minds was always these two words. Strong temper. When the new members of the pack saw your wolf form they could be easily intimidated by this, your dark (you could say that your fur’s color was a mix between your brother’s and Sam’s), big complexion and also your mental state showed you as someone strong that absolutely no one wanted to mess with. You always were the one who walked with the new member, to show them what things they could or couldn’t do depending on different situations. You took care of the threads, using every method that was necessary,  you were Sam’s right hand and helped him in everything he needed. You were in control always, even if you had a strong temper you didn’t let it go in the way of work you never played around or acted like with stupidity or like a little kid. That’s why it was a shock for the members of the pack when they saw you act like an excited puppy in front of Bella Swan’s father. 

The first time you saw the man; Charlie Swan; you haven’t gone through the shift, so you just thought as him as someone passing by, someone who wasn’t so special and you could easily forget in a couple of months. Of course that when you saw him for the first time you thought that he was quite handsome and well, maybe you had a few dreams about kissing him and doing some other things, but you would never admit that out loud. He didn’t look too young but also not too old, He was probably around his middle thirties (that was still quite older than you) and by what you heard from your parents he just got divorced from his wife that took their child away and was living in another state. This made you feel quite bad for the man because he looked genuinely sweet and caring, even if he acted quite awkward from time to time. 

You saw him a couple of times later that year and when he saw you he talked with you for a while, not really engaging in a long conversation but you didn’t expect a lot considering the fact that you were still a child finishing your high school studies. Still, he was always kind and patient with you, maybe because you made him think about his daughter  (even if you were at least ten years older than her). Even you could remember that in one of his visits; when you were some years older than the first time you saw him; you talked to him about some problems that you had controlling your temper, knowing that this issue was out of control around that couple of days, not really understanding why was that happening to you. 

Then; just a couple of weeks later; you went through the change of becoming a wolf and well, you forgot about your life before this. You even gave your brother a cold shoulder for a couple of months, understanding that being a young wolf and not really knowing how to control your temper would put him in danger of getting hurt because of you; and even if you liked to tease your brother, you didn’t want to cause him pain. Then he also became a shifter and even if your relationship was a little bit hard because of the months in between yours and his change, he eventually understood and you were already in good speaking terms.

The second time you saw Charlie you were in your wolf form, the pack was hunting some vampires that were threatening the lives of some people in the reserve and well, also the Cullens; and even if you didn’t like them so much (let’s be honest, the smell of death that surrounds them is horrible) you respected their power and also you wanted to protect the people that couldn’t protect themselves. You were alone in the woods when it happened. This man appeared out of nowhere, with a shotgun in his hands and a big jacket around him; at that moment you didn’t see him clearly but you couldn’t help but think that it was good that he had a jacket because of the cold weather  (of course this thought was quite weird for you because you didn’t have a relationship with the man, not even as friends). After a few seconds you reacted and turned to see him directly, he was frozen on the spot, his eyes wide as a deer in front of a car and you couldn’t help but think that he was quite adorable. 

Then, just in that exact moment; or maybe after a few milliseconds; of looking into his eyes, it happened, you felt how a thread pulled you and him, making you want to go and take care of him, making you feel the need to protect him, to be around him, to be his friend, his lover, to be the most important person in his life. In that moment nothing around you mattered anymore, the things that just a few seconds ago were the most important things in your life, those things were in a second or even a third-place compared to Charlie. In your eyes, this man became the most perfect and wonderful being in the entire world, his brown curls and chocolate brown eyes because the most beautiful features that a person could have. Your life, in that exact second, had a new purpose, this being the fact of making the man in front of you, as happy as possible.

After the storm of feelings that attacked you ended, you saw that Charlie looked quite scared of you,  making you whine softly, but then you had an idea, hoping it would work you just lay down of the grass, looking to the floor, trying to help Charlie to feel more comfortable around you. In that moment he lowered his weapon and put it down on the grass, approaching you slowly, carefully and almost with doubt. The man extended his hand and touched your head softly, patting it like you were some kind of dog. 

‘I can already imagine the reaction of the pack, fuck’  You thought and let out a soft sigh, and even if that wasn’t your intention, Charlie took that sigh as a happy one, so he sat by your side and kept caressing your fur. 

“What is a wolf as big as you doing here?” He asked softly, not really expecting an answer but still, not wanting to keep quiet about the situation.

‘Apparently, I’m here to imprint on a human... ‘ You thought while opening your eyes and moving your head closer to Charlie’s hand, just wanting to get more caresses and enjoying the fact that his imprint liked his wolf form. The older man in this moment chuckled as a reaction, he couldn’t believe the fact that this big and in some point scary wolf was acting like a puppy who was waiting to be adopted.

“Well, little one, I have to get going.” Charlie said, earning a soft ‘huff’ from the wolf, in some point because of the nickname that, well, for you it didn’t make any sense taking into consideration your size and also because you didn’t want to let him go and leave you, but you knew that he needed to be in his home, safe and where the crazy vampire that was attacking humans couldn’t harm him or even smell him.

In that moment you stood up and pushed him softly towards the end of the woods, wanting to go with him but knowing that you couldn’t do that. So you just moved him until he was close to the end of the backyard of his home, just wanting him to be safe. 

“Alright, alright, I see you want me to go home...” Charlie said in between chuckles, not really asking himself about how the mysterious wolf knew about his home but just thinking about it as a coincidence.

You stayed in the woods, taking care of his imprint safety, then, when you could hear Charlie inside his home, making himself some dinner and just fixing his things to get a good night of rest, in that moment you let yourself breath softly, relaxing and going back to your usual mental state; just thinking about how now that his imprint was alright, you could go and work like you were supposed to do. Slowly, you started to walk towards the woods, disappearing inside them and just looking around, having another reason for killing the fucking vampire that was hurting the people of Forks.

Just like this, your patrol hours were over and you could go home and take a shower, rest and just enjoying that this night you could sleep in your bed. You easily changed to your human form and put on some jeans, then you kept walking until you got home, from your sides you could see two wolves going to take their positions and start patrolling. On your way home you stopped by Sam’s, hugged Emily as a hello and as a way of calming yourself (even if you were moody and well, really intimidating, Emily wasn’t scared of you and often treated you as if you were her older brother, something that was quite comforting and well, she always helped you to feed your little buddy) and just went to talk to your alpha. 

“Sam.” You said, your voice sounding softer than it has ever sounded before, even if your stance was strong and quite similar to a soldier’s ready for receiving orders, Sam could see that you were nervous, also, there was the fact that you weren’t in your wolf form like you did always after a pratol because this way it was easier to inform him about the things around the reserve. 

“What happened, (Y/N)?” Sam asked while looking directly to your eyes, not really trying to intimidate you but also not allowing you to lie about the situation that happened before.

“I imprinted on someone.” You said, direct, firm and not really thinking about the possible reactions of your alpha, knowing that it was quite probable that he would be excited for you and that he would congratulate you because of this. You weren’t wrong.

“That’s wonderful (Y/N)!” Sam said with a big smile on his face and then went closer to you to give you a hug and a pat on the back. “Who are they?” He then asked, and stayed silent waiting for an answer.

“Charlie Swan,” You said, and in that exact moment, while you saw how Sam’s eyes became wider and how his smile disappeared while you heard how the door opened and the rest of the pack (except Embry and Paul; thank god; that were patrolling at that moment) entered the room like wild animals and just started talking or yelling their opinions and concerns, in that second you could feel how hell broke loose.

[cblgblog]

I'm curious about your take on Wakanda being wronged hard in FaTWS, and by Bucky specifically? I haven't seen many people talk about it, but I'm just angry and confused as to why Bucky was to careless and rude towards Ayo and the Dora Milaje, acting as if their anger about Zemo was an overreaction. Hell, Walker got more respect from him in the end than the Dora did

I'm looking at the writers' perspective here, it was their decision and I'm wondering why. What was the thought behind it? Why did they make Bucky so insensitive? At first I thought it had to be some arc, but nothing came from it. I'm wondering what made them look at this series and think "Yes, let's make Bucky screw over the people that helped him".

It wasn't just him wronging Wakanda, it was his behavior towards Sam too, how he was so ignorant during the cop scene, dismissive of Sam's feelings, and obsessed with the shield to a point of lashing out at Sam for things that weren't his fault. Why was this a choice that was made? Bucky didn't have much personality in the other movies, they could've done anything but they chose this, and I think more people should talk about how wrong that is. Not for Bucky, but for the black people in the series who were wronged.

Okay so here’s the deal. One, I’m white, so know that going in, take my take on this for whatever it’s worth accordingly. Two, I haven’t watched the eps since they aired, with the exception of a couple scenes, so my memory—not so much of events but of specific nuances of how Bucky reacted to them—isn’t fresh.

I say that last part specifically because of Bucky and his interactions with Sam, because ultimately they bother me much less than the Wakanda stuff, and here’s why. Bucky is, to varying degrees depending on situation and episode, a dick to Sam about the shield for most of the series. Undoubtedly. But I get that, to a point. He at least explains his feelings in 1x05, why he reacted like that, and admits he fucked up. He had all his feelings for Steve wrapped up, incorrectly, in that shield, so when Sam just tossed it aside (from Bucky’s perspective), it caused him to freak out/lash out. Which was never fair to Sam, but at least culminated in Bucky recognizing that. Sam keeps saying to him that the two of them have not lived the same experience, the shield and its legacy do not mean the same thing to them, and Bucky finally realizes that. He acknowledges that neither he nor Steve grasped the full reality of the situation, and he apologizes. Does that erase what came before? No, but it’s not supposed to. It’s him acknowledging his own ignorance and trying to do better.

So, at least there’s an arc there, which is the other reason his stuff with Sam bugged me less. There was an evolution in his thinking, there was a change from wah wah, you gave up the shield, to oh wait, I kinda get it now. He realizes that his reactions were wrong, even if his feelings were understandable. Which, on a human level, I think they were. It’s a very human thing for Bucky to equate that shield directly to Steve, and take Sam’s rejection of it as a rejection of Steve. It’s understandable how he got there, given the bizarre nature of Steve’s time travel shenanigans, the nearly endless nightmare that Bucky’s life has been since he fell from the train. Losing yet another 5 years when he’s already lost 70+, all the unprocessed guilt and grief that isn’t helped by him having actually the worst therapist ever, oh my God this woman sucks at her job, she’s funny, but she’s awful. His feelings, I believe, were valid, given everything that went down. His reaction to them—the lashing out, whining, refusing to see Sam’s side of it—his reaction was not valid. But at least he gets to a point where he realizes that. At least there’s an arc.

Could they have found a different way to create conflict in the series? Sure, and I’m not gonna argue with anyone who wishes they had. For me personally, I was okay with it. Bucky’s ignorance and misplaced anger made sense to me. Bit of an aside, one of the few scenes I rewatched for this (because Youtube and knowing exactly where it was) was the cop scene, because you referenced. I’m assuming you mean the bit where Sam gets stopped, gets the ‘calm down sir’ treatment. I didn’t think Bucky was a dick in that scene? He seemed aware of what was happening, given his angry, “No he’s not bothering me, do you know who this is?” It’s actually one of a relatively few instances in the first 5 eps where Bucky does seem genuinely aware that he and Sam don’t live in the same world, even when they’re walking the same street, right next to each other. So, as far as illustrating that, and Bucky coming out of his own feelings long enough to pay attention to Sam’s, I thought it was one of the better scenes.

So, Sam and Bucky, I’m less bothered by. Bucky and Wakanda? That’s a hot garbage fire.

Zemo’s whole inclusion here, and nearly everything related to it, was incredibly botched. He’s randomly rich as fuck now, and a Baron, to match his comics counterpart. Which is not only an incredibly lazy retcon, it kills much of what made his character interesting in CW. In that movie, it was one guy, working alone, limited resources, dedicating himself to his cause. If nothing else, you had to admire his tenacity. Now suddenly he’s got a butler and a plane and piles of cash? Where was that in CW? More importantly…why? What purpose did it serve, besides making him more superficially similar to his comic self?

Why did we detour to him at all? None of his plans ultimately affect the larger narrative all that much. He starts out in prison and…ends up back in prison. Why? Why would the Dora just leave him there? Ayo says that they will bring Zemo back to face Wakandan justice…and then they just don’t. They leave him in the hands of the same people who lost him to two random dudes who were able to bust him out of prison on their own, one of those dudes being an entirely human guy, no enhanced powers, no Serum. In CW, okay, T’Challa did a deal with Everett Ross I guess, fine. But once the Americans proved they couldn’t hold him, it made no sense that the Dora would just go, okay, here you go again. They aren’t Batman. They have no reason to keep throwing the baddies in Arkham Asylum to wait ‘til next week when someone breaks out again.

The Zemo stuff had no arc to it. The only worthwhile thing was Bucky proving to Zemo that he can’t be controlled anymore, but that scene could have come about in a million better ways than it did. Ultimately, the weird little team-up with Zemo feels very cliché and contrived. It feels like a trip down a side road that dead ends to nowhere. It feels like filler, which is a particularly terrible crime when there’s only 6 episodes in the damn season.

Bucky’s dickishness towards Ayo and the other Dora really is baffling, especially when the writers went out of their way to give us that flashback, a direct, show don’t tell indication of all the Wakandans did for him. And it’s not his feelings for Steve that have him acting out this way, or at least it shouldn’t be. Steve has nothing to do with this aspect of things. Steve obviously had trust in and respect for T’Challa, and there’s no reason to think that wouldn’t extend to the Dora as well. Strong, badass women who put it all on the line for their country? Yeah, Steve should/would get that. He would have broken Zemo out of prison, if he thought it was the right call to make, but he also would’ve been like yeah, I did that, I understand that I fucked you over, I’m fully prepared to accept the consequences of that once my mission is complete, I’m sorry it went down like this. See the, “I’d like to surrender myself for disciplinary action,” he gives Phillips in First Avenger, after he goes to rescue the 107th. If it’s an authority he respects and acknowledges as having good intentions (Phillips as opposed to the Accords), Steve will ultimately give that respect back, even if he goes off to do his own thing first. He respected T’Challa and Wakanda. Bucky should have respected them even more, given his more direct connection, given the flashback scene in FatWS, given his acknowledgement that Wakanda and it’s people gave him a rare respite, a calm in the shit storm that’s been his life since 1945.

So yeah, it doesn’t make sense that he was so flippant and dismissive towards Ayo and the rest. It makes even less sense that they put up with it. It’s bad writing, that’s all I’ve got. The show is incredibly irritating, in that a lot of the plot-driven stuff is pretty fucking awful, but most of the character study stuff for Sam and Bucky is so good.

[1-whitemanswhore]

Who’s Your Daddy

Summary: You’re promoting your new sexy film with costar Tom Holland while your boyfriend, Jake Gyllenhaal, promotes his own film on the same talk show

Warnings: Some cursing, daddy kink mention, implied smut

A/N: First fic ever. Needed more Jake G content. Sorry it’s longer than intended. Hope someone out there enjoys it <3

You found yourself strategically placed on Graham Norton’s couch between your costar Tom Holland and your boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal. The show’s producers knew exactly what they were doing sitting the three of you together. In their minds it would be comedy gold. Tom and you had been on the road promoting your new film. It was a smaller and more adult project than Tom had done as of late, since he mostly spent the past few years consumed with the MCU. Meanwhile your career had been on the rise. You had made the transition from stage to the big screen. Well, the kinda big screen. Mostly indie films like this one. In this movie you played a college student in the 90’s majoring in Psychology and minoring in women’s studies. Your character came from a conservative family and had a backstory that made the way she viewed and experienced sex...complicated. After leaving her family behind to go to college she aspires to pursue a career in sex therapy to help others and also find herself...sexually. She meets up with Tom’s character and lots of sex, feelings, and emotional healing follow. 

The time on the road promoting the film had been fun, but you had really been missing Jake who was out promoting his own movie. You didn’t know how you would survive another 3 weeks without seeing him in person, but as luck would have it, someone had to cancel their spot on The Graham Norton Show the night you were going to be on. Jake who was also doing press was only a train ride away and was asked to fill the spot. So now there you were on sitting with Jake to your left, Tom to your right, and Ewan McGregor to the right of Tom. All of you with your alcoholic drink of choice sitting in front of you.

“Hello everyone, welcome,” Graham began. “And I feel like we should get this out of the way now. Jake is this a bit awkward for you?”

Jake scrunched his face, feigning confusion. “I don’t know what you mean. Are you talking about you singling me out first? Cuz, yeah, I'm a little uncomfortable,” he said letting out a small chuckle.

Graham smirked as he attempted to stir up some trouble. “I only ask because as we all know, you and Tom had quite the broman-excuse me- romance while filming Spider-Man. And a few months ago we found out you’ve been dating (Y/N) for the past year. And now (Y/N) and Tom are promoting a film where they’re engaging in a lot of...”

“Physical activity,” you interject while raising your left eyebrow with a smirk.

“Sure,” graham said. “Let’s stick with that.”

“You know this isn’t American television. You’re free to say ‘Fuck’” Ewan chimed in and the audience began to laugh. “The characters fuck.”

“Actually it wasn’t uncomfortable until this conversation began,” Jake laughed.

“I’m a little hurt you’re only asking about Jake’s feelings and not ours,” Tom added.

“(Y/N), nothing to add?” Graham inquired.

“I mean, I’ve gotten to make out with both of them, so I don’t really have any complaints. I consider myself to be pretty lucky in this situation.” Jake and Tom both chuckled along with the audience.

“Kind of making Tom seem like a side piece here.” Ewan said while giving Tom a sympathetic look.

“No I would say we’re more of a throuple.” You surprised yourself by saying it so deadpan. Tom sheepishly smiled. Jake choked on his drink but quickly recovered.

“True love.” Jake took another sip of his drink and looked directly at the camera before rolling his eyes.

“Must admit I’m feeling quiet excluded up here with them,” Ewan laughed.

“Tom you’ve had trouble in the past with breaking during scenes,” Graham stated. Jake laughed as he remembered trying to shoot a scene where he and Tom merely had to shake hands. Take, after take, after take, they could never get it down. “Did you have trouble with this movie as well?”

“To be fair, Jake and (Y/N) are both very funny people. I think that’s one thing that makes them such great scene partners, but...I think....well it’s also what makes them such terrible scene partners. It’s torture. I just can’t help myself sometimes.”

“Is there one particular scene that gave you trouble with (Y/N)?” 

The smile on your face grew as Tom tried to figure out how to navigate his way through this question without embarrassing himself, you, and Jake too much. You on the other hand, were loving this moment. Jake was cool with the somewhat awkward situation of his girlfriend filming sex scenes with a close friend of his. It was work and he was a sweet, supportive, and loving boyfriend. He was absolutely perfect, but he was also a little shit. Before the show you met up for a, not as silent as you intended, quickie in your dressing room. Then he proceeded to tease you about the staff knowing what y’all did. But you enjoyed teasing each other and boy was this a great chance for you to get him good. And shit, you hadn’t eaten all day, so the alcohol was going to your head.

“I can think of a scene,” you said boldly. “Tom and I were shooting one of the sex scenes...” you paused as everyone around you snickered. You turned to glance at Jake to see his reaction. He was smirking back at you. He was curious to see where you were going to take this. “And during this scene I had to,” you couldn’t help but laugh at your own story, “I had to call Tom’s character ‘Daddy.’” 

Jakes eyes widened as he leaned back on the couch and touched his beard. That’s not what he was expecting to hear. He let out a quick chuckle before making his face as serious as possible and sitting up straight. You were trying to get the words out but your own small laughs kept interrupting you. 

“And I was having a hard enough time getting through the scene because I felt kinda ridiculous. Like no judgement, that’s some people’s thing but I was having a hard time keeping a straight face while doing it and...” 

“‘Doing it.’” Ewan looked up at the audience giving them a funny look.

“She’s the one that usually prefers to be called daddy so it was a weird situation.” Jake interrupted with a deadpan delivery which only made you laugh at his joke harder. Your plan was beginning to backfire. You had been so ready to fluster him, but it was you and Tom who were now blushing and laughing uncomfortably.  

You regained your poise and continued with your story. “So I’m having a hard time but I’m pushing through it and Tom was on the verge of losing it, probably, oh I don’t know...about every take.”

“Ok but you would change up the way you said it every single time! And you’d say it funny on purpose. How am I supposed to keep up with that?” Tom gestured to the audience looking for support.

“It’s called acting, Thomas,” Jake said with an eye roll.

“So we do a couple takes and Tom just keeps laughing. And I feel like I should mention that when I have to call him ‘daddy’ our characters are, well, they’re in the middle of fucking.” Your voice raised in pitch as you rushed through saying the word “fucking.” You took a moment to turn to Jake once again. The smirk reappeared on his face. He was leaning forward, waiting for you to continue your anecdote. 

“So Tom’s on top of me and our bodies are pressed together so even when I can’t hear him laughing I can feel it. Eventually he decides that he should bury his face in my neck when I say the line so we can finally wrap up the scene. So we’re...going at it... I get to my line and before I can say ‘Daddy’ he pushes his face into my neck, and when I say finally said it he laughed,” the memory was make you crack up. Tom sat there slightly embarrassed as Jake continuously shook his head. “But this time his mouth was against my neck when he laughed and he just went ‘pfffffffft’ and basically blew a raspberry into my neck and spit on me and oh my god I fucking lost it. The whole crew lost it.” 

With that the audience, Graham, and the entire couch busted out laughing. Tom put his face in his hands while you and Jake turned to each other laughing. Jake leaned forward so he could see Tom. “I see right through you, man. ‘Oh I just can’t seem to make it through this sex scene. Guess we’ll have to do it again and again.’ Is that why you and I couldn’t film a scene shaking hands? You just wanted to hold my hand for the day?”

You put your left hand on Jakes chest just under his gold chain. Your right hand finds itself on Tom’s shoulder. “Boys. Boys, please. Remember we are a throuple now. There’s no room for jealousy anymore.” You were joking, but also thought maybe if you innocently joked about it enough it might plant a seed you could harvest one day. 

“Can I just promote my movie now?” Jake put his face in his hands to act annoyed and embarrassed, but was really just trying to hide his giggles.

Graham took back control over the interview asking Ewan about the upcoming Obi Wan show. You moved your hand to rest on Jake’s thigh as you thought about fucking him later in your hotel room and making him call you ‘Daddy.’

[iliketowritebnhastuff]

Yandere prompt no. 20 with Dabi or Keigo takami?

Ho boy you give me 2 options I love, imma do them both lol both are probably gonna be long too so hope you enjoy lol

Prompt #20: “Give everything to me, and I’ll make you the happiest person alive.”

Yandere prompts

Warnings!:

Obsessive behavior

Death (minor characters)

Stalking

🔪Dabi💙

      “I’ve told you more than once, doll, running away is pointless.”

        That voice, (F/n) knows it all too well. It’s haunted her nightmares for months, enveloped her in fear day after day before she made the daring escape when she saw the chance. The gruff, deep voice laced with danger she knows better than anyone, a danger she’s seen first hand when she’s tried to escape before.

        His footsteps echo in the hall of hospital she came to to get help, which he was quick to scorch all that came in his way after entering without a care. His boots snap glass from shattered windows beneath his heels and his steps are slow and purposeful, all she can hear over the pounding in her ears. It was like he knew where she’d go, or he followed her, giving her that sense of false freedom she thought she’d finally gotten when in reality he watched her every movement showing she's still apart of his twisted game. (F/n) knows she should’ve been more wary or careful. She was in such a rush to escape with the sliver of a chance she had in the palm of her hands that she didn’t consider the man that always seemed to be ahead of everyone else would know exactly what his doll was up to. He’s toyed with her before, and this was no different, only now... Now there are at least a dozen or so burnt corpses in the hall and other hospital rooms, the place is charred in certain areas while others remain lit up in blue. The hospital is eerily silent aside for the raven haired villain stalking the halls.

        (F/n) hides in a room he has yet to reach and inspect. She’s tucked herself into a ball behind the bed and tries to keep her head low while watching under it, her sights on the door across the room. She can see the flicker of azure light and she trembles as he comes closer and closer to her hiding place. She can hear him check every room he passes, the screams of those he’s killed having died forever ago, anyone still alive is hopefully hiding well.

        She freezes when he makes it to her room and the door creaks open; his boots are what (F/n) sees first as well as the shins of his pant legs and the ends of his overcoat. He casually walks in, probably with his hands stuffed in his pockets and looking aloof as always. Her heart thunders, she knows he’ll find her in these last few seconds, and as tears roll down her cheeks she stops following his boots as he checks the room before making his way to the bed. She knows he can see her when he stops and she can almost hear the smirk as he says,”There you are, I expected to be looking all over but you made it pretty easy. How boring.~”

        Slowly her (eye color) orbs lift and she goes pale; his grinning but that along with his eyes look... unhinged. His glowing blue orbs are more intense than usual, and underneath how ‘happy’ he appears to be that he found her she can see the underlying rage and possessiveness she’s come to recognize in the months she’s been able to study her kidnapper. He’s pissed, his scars smoking and the villain walking closer. Immediately she jolts up into a sit and backs away scooting against the corner of the wall and shaking her head, sobbing,”I-I’m sorry, please-!”

        She’s interrupted when her jaw is grabbed and she’s forced to look up at the now kneeling man. His hypnotizing azure eyes capture hers in a terrifying stare and he brings his face close as he breathes,”Then stop running away if you’re so sorry. How many times do I gotta tell you... Give everything to me, and I’ll make you the happiest person alive.”

        She whimpers and he chuckles coldly, kissing her softly but possessively before pulling back so their lips are only a few inches apart. “Now, are you gonna be a good girl and stay put from now on, or do you want to be the reason more people die?”

        She furiously nods, this being hard with the harsh grip he has on her jawline. The villain grins, but demands,”Say it.”

     “I-I’ll... Be good, Dabi...”

        That’s all he needs before he places a rough kiss on her then stands with her in tow. (F/n) is thrown over his shoulder after he wraps her hand and ankles in binds he finds as well as muffles her with a cloth. The two leave the scene just as authorities are rushing inside, leaving only carnage behind but no way to follow Dabi’s tracks as he heads home with his (F/n).

🔪Hawks💕

           Nothing could prepare (F/n) for finding out what her boss has been trying to hide from everyone. A man whose image is important to him, finding out he’s been stalking her was something she would have never believed had she not found the evidence with her own eyes.

           (F/n) has been with Hawks’ agency for a little over a year now as a secretary, and it’s been one of the best jobs she’s ever had. Not only is she paid well the benefits are a bonus and her boss is, well, the #2 hero himself! Someone laid back and nice, he seems fairly understanding when it comes to his employees.

           Over her time working there she also made, at least in her mind, friends with the big name hero himself. Work friends is how she’d put it, but more than once he’s text her outside of work, posted pictures of selfies with her, and even taken her home when she has had no ride. To her it’s all a bit different from what she’d expect of a hero being her boss, but it is Hawks after all, who wouldn’t take this chance with open arms?

           The last couple of months, though, things have been.... Weird. He seems to be flirty with her, somehow making it both sly but also very obvious what he’s insinuating. He seems to brush his hand against hers or gets rather close when she’s showing him something, and he’s asked if she wants to go to dinner more than once (every time she’s kindly declined.) While that’s all a bit odd enough she has felt like she’s been being watched, like she can’t keep her curtains open without the cold feeling of intense eyes staring at her as she tries to sleep. Amongst this she’s noticed her window open a crack when she gets home when she knows it was shut before she left, some things seem out of place or missing, and little gifts left on her bed or dresser that are definitely expensive and were definitely not there before. Each time she’s about to catch the person they seem to get away...

           But she has caught the glimpse of wings before, one time when she’d been walking home late from shopping and seen them fly away from her window. Her heart pounded, and she almost wondered... No, there was no way...

           That morning (F/n) came in and asking Hawks if he was busy and if they could talk the hero hummed,”Oh, anything wrong?” Her mind was whirling, how could it be Hawks? He’s a good guy, why would he stalk her and break into her home? 

        “I, um... Just wanted to take you up on an offer for dinner, if you’re free,” she replies after a few moments of contemplating this plan out. A voice is telling her this is a bad idea, but the other side of her thoughts is telling her that it’ll all be unfounded suspicions and that Hawks isn’t involved. She’s brought out of her thoughts when he replied,”Ohhh, finally ready to go out with me, huh?~” He winked, which made her look surprised; ‘Go out’? Granted, it’s been obvious he’s meant for the dinner plans to be dates.

           “Uh, yeah, I just was hoping to talk about something with you, not really a date,” she tried to clear it up, waving her hands in front of her. That should still be fine right? For a moment she saw something flash in his eyes as his grin dropped, but it was gone as soon as it came as the bird hero returned the lazy smile and simply replied,”Of course, meet me after work and we’ll go.”

           (F/n) never expected this to be the worst decision she could have made; While she met the #2 after work as requested and they flew to a location, something seemed off about his demeanor. He seemed to hide something under the grins he’s displaying, and his eyes intently watched her. Dinner went smoothly, but she struggled to find the right ways to ask her questions so she simply brought up the ‘stalking situation’ she’d been having to gauge his reaction. He feigned shock and anger, but she wasn’t blind; the way his eyes flashed again with something dark and rather scary sent chills down the young woman’s spine. 

        “That’s unfortunate, maybe I’ll look into it for you, see if there’s anything I can find out,” he tried to act sincere in concern, but (F/n) can only feel off. He seemed more concerned in learning more about her diverting away from the stalking, too. Getting an idea she’d go to mention something about herself and he seemed to answer for her, saying something she knew he’d have no way of knowing normally since it was personal or only one or two people knew. Excusing herself to the bathroom the secretary stared in the mirror trying to calm her nerves. ‘It has to be him... I think I should go.’ 

           Coming back out (F/n) told him it was late and she needed to head home Hawks seemed sad for a moment, and sitting while they wait on the waiter to come back with Hawks’ credit card Hawks seemed to watch her, staring. It was uncomfortable, and (F/n) tried to avoid his golden orbs as much as possible as she finished her drink. It tasted strange, and she blinked confused, looking into the last little drops inside while Hawks started to say,”You know, I thought you seemed pretty smart the moment I met you in your interview... But I never thought you’d actually catch on.” She freezed and looked at him with wide eyes, catching how his eyes narrow and he smiles, placing his chin on his palm. “I thought you might’ve seen me that one night too, guess I slipped up, huh?” He sounded laid back like always, but something about his words sent a chill through her. She tried to get up and run out, but her head felt dizzy and she collapsed back into the seat. 

        “Now, now, chick, don’t want to hurt yourself, do ya? Here, let’s get you home,” his voice ringed in her ears but everything started to suddenly go hazy and she’s lifted into his arms. The waiter came back, and Hawks smiled at him saying charmingly,”Thanks, she’s alright, just feeling a little under the weather.” He took the card, slipping it into his pocket before the two left, (F/n) going unconscious during flight. 

           When (F/n) wakes up she's somewhere unfamiliar on a soft, plush bed covered by silk sheets. The room is dark but she sees light under a doorway when her vision returns to normal. Her heart pounds in fear and she as quickly as possible gets up and leaves the room, her head still hazy. It’s dark outside, and despite the lights being on she appears to be alone in the house before hearing someone showering. Remembering what happened sometime earlier she panics knowing exactly who it is. Trying to move around the penthouse without making noise is difficult when her legs feel like jello, but she finds the entrance... Only to discover it’s locked. She’s ready to unlock it, but gasps when something red flashes past her. One of Hawks’ feathers, and it shoots at her again, cutting her along the arm as she whimpers and rushes away from the door in fear. There has to be someway out, right? Or someway to lose the feather! 

        Finding another door she throws it open only to freeze; it’s an office, which seems normal for a place like this, but the pictures around the room are definitely anything but normal. They’re all of her, in different places, situations, some of her unclothed and some while she’s out with friends or at work. She’s frozen, ice cold as her breath picks up. On the desk are different objects she’s found have gone missing like special pictures of she and her family or a perfume she has put on before. She doesn’t even hear Hawks sneak up on her before two strong arms wrap around her as well as his large, crimson wings enveloping them both. (F/n) starts to cry, not sure what to say as he whispers to her,”You kept rejecting me for so long, I couldn’t stand it... What other choice did I have?”

           She pulls out of his grip, or tries to, but his wings keep her entrapped and close as she asks shakily,”You... Why....” 

        “Because I love you,” he starts, smiling like this is all normal, like his confession isn’t seen as insane,”because what else was I supposed to do? Here, you’ll be safe, you can have anything you want, you won’t have to lift a finger! All you have to do is...” He cups her face in his hands and brings his own close, staring into her (eye color) eyes and saying,”Give everything to me, and I’ll make you the happiest person alive.” He looks unhinged, and she’s shaking. Hawks finishes,”Now, how about we get you back to bed, pigeon?~”

           Her suspicions were right, but now that’s meaningless as she becomes the bird trapped in his cage.

(WHELP those were both a lot longer than expected, but I was having fun so I hope you enjoy!)

[forestofschwarzwald]

More swallowed asks, I’m so glad I keep docs with the questions lol.

ANONYMOUS: Wow Victoria x Reiji sure have a lot of kids and they are all gorgeous! Any headcanons of their kids? What are their favorites and hobbies and how well do they get along with each other

And do they have a favorite uncle? I am really partial to Demetria I think.

I couldn’t help myself after I started figuring out how much Reiji wanted to top his father all ways possible. After the first 3, I ended up wanting more children… heh I guess he charmed me.

As for favorites... they are all special to me in some way, let’s say to each of my babies I have a special but different link that cannot be compared.

About their uncles, Reiji killed the triplets a long time ago, before Gin was born. So they never met them, in case that it seems strange that they’re not mentioned!

Here’s what they have to say about your question:

Hah I feel like you humans sometimes are interested in very trivial stuff… aren’t you?

Most of my free time is spent training and studying, even if it’s tough to keep up with a strict schedule, my parents don’t micromanage every minute of my day so… it feels nice. For a long time I was a prisoner, so most of my hobbies are simply habits of escapism where I put my mind away.

I like crafting bijouterie.My mother has been nurturing it for a while now, she goes out of her way to pick up the items I want.

The earring I wear is the first I made, I’ve always loved feathers.

As for my uncles… I… don’t know. Dmitri’s father, Shu, is a music teacher but I was never interested in learning, so we don’t talk.

Uncle Subaru is nice, he wasn’t too good at swordsmanship so Dmitri and I had to teach him. Despite being a weakling he has spirit, and he likes me to make bijouterie pieces for his little girl, so I’d say I get along with him the most.

When it comes to my siblings… Dianthe and Damien were always hard to get used to, up until they grew older I couldn’t really… “fit in”. When I returned to my parents I was an adult and there were two little kids I should call siblings? 

I preferred to keep my distance and rebuild the relationship with my parents. The older they became the better they understood my space but they still feel like “classmates” or “roommates” more than siblings. I don’t particularly dislike them, Dianthe used to set my cape on fire whenever I accidentally made Damien cry… but gladly she grew out of that habit. Sadly she still nags me about my language… It’s irritating… 

Dorian. Demetria and Dante always chased me around when they were young, and they still do when they need help… I guess they’re scared of Dianthe’s reaction so they use me as their shield. I think they’re nice, but Dorian and Demetria get in trouble on purpose often.

Dante and Damien are… a bit weird though, they’re so calm? I’m not saying I myself am annoying, but… it feels like they’re not even vampires. I think I prefer spending time with the rest of my siblings… those two make me feel like an oddball faster.

Hobbies… I believe this heavily depends on my mood.

When the weather and the atmosphere is peculiar, I enjoy writing poetry.

Our uncle, Shu, taught me how to play the violin and sometimes I play alongside Damien when our parents organize a ball at the mansion, I must say I find it pleasurable.

But… fufu ~ of course, there are things I learned to indulge in.

We were all home-schooled, however, we have a duty to attend high school as a way to keep a human cover. Humans are very interesting, what they call sins are things they are quick to indulge in with no hesitation… a little pull and I have a dog for weeks…

They quickly get greedy and want my attention for themselves… ~ And there is no better feeling than the tears of a heartbroken pet that couldn’t help but want more of me.

Ah… of course, this is a secret. My parents hold me in high regard when it comes to school behavior, trying to tell them that I’m bullying other students will get you killed ♥

About a favorite uncle, I certainly prefer uncle Shu. He is well cultured and knows quite a lot about music, he has never been mean to me or my siblings… despite clearly disliking my father. I am unaware of the tensions between them however I know it’s a centuries-old story. Because of this I never talk about it with my father, and to be sincere… I feel more comfortable talking to uncle Shu than I do with my own father…

No matter how much he says he loves his children, I can’t help but think he only sees us as… the product of him and my mother. It irritates me… even if perhaps that’s what parenthood is… I feel Shu-sama’s appreciation for us is far more sincere, and unconditional. Father also thinks he can control how we look and how we behave at all times… we are not his little toys for him to try and mold us to his taste! We are individuals.

Ah… I may have gotten carried away… I have a bad habit. I picked it up from both my parents… I just keep talking and talking about things that irritate me. Fufu… well it doesn't matter anymore.

For my siblings, I would appreciate it if they were all like Damien, well behaved, well mannered, able to follow the rules and quiet. However this is not the case.

Gin may have been excused by our parents, even spoiled in my honest opinion, but I believe he needs to be properly educated in how to address formal situations! Despite me heavily disliking the imposition of a mold to adapt to, I understand its importance. Gin could have some consideration and at least not make the whole family look weak! He rolls his eyes, does not stand straight and eats like a caveman!

I don’t care how much he says he was a soldier, a prisoner, and whatnot! He is not anymore, he’s a prince and he should behave as such!

Damien is the one I get along with the most. He’s adorable and always looked for me for help, he was always interested in learning etiquette, and everything my father and mother taught us. He was always a respectable part of our family and he is the cook at the mansion! Our father is still far more skilled, but Damien makes very nice… “homemade” looking food. It has a loving warmth to it… I love my little brother.

Dorian… he thinks he is so much better than everyone else… he keeps competing with me at everything and, of course… he fails miserably. He is a mediocre number 2 that does not realize that being royal is about meeting goals, not just being born it. I would burn his eyebrows off if our parents weren’t so keen on reminding us not to fight. Despite this fact, he is quite the skilled dancer and always stands at parties, I am below average at this, and that is the only thing he’s allowed to win at.

His vanity will catch up to him one day, however. My mother has always expressed her concern about Dorian’s extravagant behavior, she believes he will be one day shot down from the skies and he’ll fall deep, and if anyone is to be believed… that is my mother. She knows how vampires are… or perhaps, Dorian has a bit of my father in him.

Demetria is quite the impressive lady, she meets all expectations… but she doesn’t talk to me much. As her older sister I have always offered my help, but she is… cold. Most of the time I can’t tell what’s going through her mind.

And our baby boy Dante… he was always a sick child. He was so weak when he was born that our mother decided to curse herself to not bear any more children. I know the word “curse” sounds strong… but worry not, she merely magically sterilized herself, it is a “curse” because it is irreversible.

Anyhow, Dante is the weakest among us and we all feel generally protective of him. However, I suspect there may be more to him than just… weakness. You see, Dante is usually calm and… quite tolerant, but when enraged… even I have trembled at the sensation of his aura. I think Dante may have explosive powers that he is unaware of… so I keep a good eye on him, we do not want his overwhelming power to hurt his weaker body. Despite that… he really is a brat, he likes to mock my manners as if I was some grandma roaming the mansion, and that is quite irritating! I know he is having fun whilst teasing me, but can’t he shut up for one millisecond as I talk to my mother?! 

Hm… Ah… I have spoken for so long that my throat feels dry… You should be paying for this, you know? I have given you such a thorough explanation… blood is the least you should be offering right now.

Oh good evening, that is an interesting question. I always enjoyed gardening, the castle has many different types of flowers, even flowers you won’t believe existed are in underground hidden gardens, so I can confidently say that is my hobby.

I keep a diary where I draw each flower and study its properties. Being sincere, my father gives me the details since I personally am not fond of chemistry.

I also enjoy making bouquets for decor when there are parties at the mansion or as gifts, Aurora enjoys them a lot.

I don’t think I have a favorite uncle, both of them are nice to me.

As for my siblings, hm… —he sighs— I wish they weren’t so closed about their feelings. Dante and I agree that half of their problems are because they don’t admit how they feel.

Gin is very distant… We don't know what really happened to him before he attacked the castle years ago, and when I tried asking I got punched in the face haha… —he scratches the side of his face, smiling awkwardly — He apologized so many times afterwards, I’ve lost count of it. I learned not to ask about that. My older sister Dianthe is always treating me like I am her baby, and always pretends everything is okay, but I think something about Dorian and Demetria wanting to be the next head of the family is bothering her. She doesn’t talk about it and keeps acting like she is the eldest and in charge… but I think she’s having a hard time, she should realize how much of a perfect fit for a queen she is.

She’s a really gentle person… She may have some really weird hobbies… but I think deep down Dianthe is a kind soul, like our parents.

Dorian and Demetria both keep competing with Dianthe because they see her excel at so many things, that they feel like they’re less than her. They simply are insecure and they crave attention. I have to keep an eye on the kitchen or they’ll try to cook and blow it up… Our father is very sensible about the kitchen so I have to guard it.

I think Dorian and Demetria will have the hardest time coping with immortality… I sincerely worry but they don’t listen to me! They think that because I’m soft spoken I’m simply weak… —he sighs again.

Dante is usually quiet and I would say he is the most healthy mentally. However, he has some anger issues… whenever he is extremely angry his aura will rise… I never saw Gin and Dianthe scared before… so I’m aware they felt like not even them could handle Dante’s power. I worry about him since he is very frail, I’ve seen our father check on Dante’s physical condition regularly.

If he gets injured he takes longer to regenerate, he doesn’t drink live blood… he drinks donated blood from a plastic bag. I can understand how disturbing it is that we have to sink our fangs and hurt someone to feed… but… I worry he is deteriorating his state… He’s not interested in relationships so the chances of him having someone personally feed him are low as long as he does this.

He’s nice… he always keeps Dorian and Demetria in line by calling their attention or advising them. Despite being the youngest, he acts like he’s older than those two troublemakers.

We often find ourselves shaking our heads at the behavior of our siblings, I think he understands me the most, although I don’t think I understand him fully.

I hope to have answered all of your questions.

Usually I would request for you to be on all fours and kiss my boots before you try to get any personal detail from me… but out of whim, I will be lenient. Just know that the rest of my pets won’t like you and… if they bite you, I won’t take any responsibility —he fixes himself on the sofa, legs spread in a relaxed manner — Anyway… what were you asking me about? Ah yes yes… Well I enjoy creating poisons. My father expanded on this with other types of chemicals… but I just like the good old slow burn of death… of course, I was prohibited from killing animals and people on purpose… so I simply focused on antidotes as well.

I don’t use them often however, they’re harder to make than you’d think.

As for my siblings… they’re unavoidable and a nuisance. Dante is extremely creepy with his aura bursts and Dianthe keeps nagging, I could do without them, but if I had to choose the least of nuisances I would say Dante is good enough. The older three have a tendency to exert authority over the rest of us and I am frankly not a fan.

When it comes to a favorite uncle I of course have none, the only reason they are around in the first place is thanks to my mother’s incomprehensible kindness and my father’s loyalty to her will. Whenever they visit I rather spend my precious yet limited time somewhere else.

Well, what are you waiting for? Either bow down to me or leave, I have plenty of hungry pets to discipline already so don’t waste my time.

Your favorite, huh ~ I am not surprised. After all, who wouldn’t fall for my charms ;)

Anyway, let’s paint a clearer image of myself for you, shall we? In my free time I like to design BDSM instruments and sextoys… fufu~ Humans rarely ever openly embrace their sinful nature, but beasts like us shamelessly embrace our darkest thoughts in a “heartbeat”.

As for my siblings… I wish Dianthe didn’t exist. She thinks she’s special and every time I get to impress our parents she shows up, almost like she has a timer set for it.

Her facade sickens me… one small poke at her and she will blow up and drop her “perfect princess” mask. Yet our parents think she is deserving of the crown?! She does not have true manners if all of her manners are fake!

Anyway… Gin is quite the brute… and Dorian gets on everyone's nerves quite fast. He is the reason we are all afraid of our mother in the first place, he has managed to somehow make her furious once. That day we knew she could kill us if we defied the crown.

Dante is… —her lips curl into a soft smile— while he is a bit younger than me he has always behaved like my older brother. He helped me whenever I struggled, and he always tells me I’m good enough.

About my uncles, there is not much to say about them is it? I am not interested in the non-royal side of the family.

Hobbies...I love videogames, and I have a favorite character that I love and cherish. I also enjoy streaming and speedrunning some games, sometimes my mother joins in for some quality content.

With the exception of my mother, I think my entire family is crazy… I don’t hate them though, I think they’re cool. But… they’re weird.

Uncle Shu is always donating to my streams, he’s really supportive. Despite his and father’s terrible relationship, he seems to be willing to stay a family figure for all of us.

[ayarnofpearls]

Nolanverse Crane X Reader

Since I couldn't make a whole fic out of this scenario I'll put it down here. I just love me some Nolanverse Crane. This got weirdly fun. 

 For Jons plans work he needs complete access to the basement, for the most part no one goes down there except for the file wrangler (that's you).

 You manage the patient files for the entire asylum, you spend your days down there, near the 'cage' the nickname of the archives room. It's situated behind a locked door, full of filing cabinets to the ceiling. Most people call or email you the requests for files, you work alone because the current patient files are all digital. If you turned right from the elevator that's your office, to the left is where eventually the water pipe is dug up. Jon knows he needs to secure your cooperation. One way or another. 

When you hear the esteemed Doctor Crane knock on your squeaky door you aren't suspicious. It's rare that people come down to your drafty office but not unheard of. You take his list of files he wants and lead him back to the cage. 

 With Jon it's all about the mind games. He needs to establish his superiority in every relationship he has, after all he *is* the smartest man in every room. Plenty of people have tried to bully him and they all need to know their places. 

You ask him to hold the ladder as you book it on up for the files on the tip top of the cabinets that he requested. Bad move. He holds you hostage up there, shaking the ladder until you cooperate. He knew the names on the files would send you high up. 

You have to deal with his visits after that. He speaks to you like you are both a fool and yet worth his time distracting. He spends a few hours in the morning sitting across from your desk and ancient computer, talking about nothing but also he has a undercurrent of threatening. What he's waiting for is you to prove he should just remove you from this whole situation, but the fall out might be a even bigger pain in his ass. Still he studies you.  

His attempts to undermined your self esteem is almost cute, sure you are in a shitty situation but you play it cool. You evaluate things, as it stands no one would believe you, you know is a matter of staying level headed.

He can respect that. You aren't designed for these unsavory dealings. Eventually the prisoners start digging and you find yourself having to run past them, purposely pushing out any chatter they have. If things go south you know it's going to include you. The guards with guns and the chatter leave you unsettled and still, Jon shows up acting like nothing is weird.

 The strange intimidation tactics that Jon uses on you eventually just pisses you off, before he can even show up, you head to his office. You notice his office is lacking any personalization. Your office in contrast is covered in sentimental items. It unsettles you. Adding to your anger as you tell him that he doesn't need to play these games. You know you're screwed so just stop dicking you around. You think he's gonna loose his mind, but he takes it well. Raised eyebrows and a curt dismissal. He has even more respect for you after that. 

There's a incident, you hear yelling and you run out, one of the workers got a chemical burn and you quickly apply first aide. You get thank yous from some of the other inmates (co conspirators really) and from the masked guards. 

The first time you think he flirts is when he brings you a rabbit toy. "Left over from our plans, you seem the type to enjoy it." You end up putting the toy with your small collection. Toys that represent your graduation, a party for a niece and other such moments, you should throw it away but you allow it. You try not to think that his weird eye shift meant anything. 

The next day one of the guards gives you blue flowers as thank you. Jon arrives later and is extremely uncomfortable. You keep things neutral, you notice when his eyes look back at the flowers. 

"Be careful what weeds you keep around." 

He's not angry, angry leads to carelessness. The league sent those guards to watch him and oversee the progress of accessing the water line, if they want to waste time giving you, a no body their flowers it was none of his concern. But of course it was, he spots you hanging the blooms to dry out, the point at which they could be ground up to create hallucinations. You keep them around on purpose to test his reactions. They disappear one day and you can't help but pin it on him. The one thought that keeps coming back is that he is jealous. Or trying to push your boundaries, but nothing else was touched or moved.

 He disappears for a while, court dates, increased patient load, he had gotten to be an expected part of your life but you can't dwell. You immediately figure one of the guards is watching for you to step out of line.

 In cases of emergency you are to hide in the cage, lock it from the inside and wait for the all clear. You get shoved into the cage and Jon takes your key. When you get freed, a police officer, you can't possibly know it's a undercover league member. You go home and only after it all do you get a full picture, the narrows turns into a war zone and you watch it on tv. In the early dawn you find him on your balcony, beat up to hell. Why he came to you was confusing until he started muttering, small parts of things you've said before to him during your meetings. You leave him on your couch.

 You think over the way things have been reversed.. You went from vulnerable to in control and you find yourself waiting. When he finally gets his wits back you pretend things are totally fine making chit chat with him.  Once again you find yourself having to assess the situation, to evaluate the danger you are in.

 "Why'd you come here?"  "Our little talks are a comfort, in a very uncomfortable world." 

Any sense of vulnerability is an illusion, at least that's what he wants you to think. His eyes have always been a traitor to his thoughts. He takes off, and you over think the legality of housing a wanted criminal. Of how in your home he had become a familiar shadow. 

He's on the news every now and then and out of the blue he shows up, more like he was at the asylum. Confident, but now he doesn't pretend at being a polite member of society and seems to lack a filter now. 

"Why aren't you more afraid of me, I could kill you, you know."  "Yes, but you love the company too much to do that." 

By the time Bane shows up you think you've gone slightly mad. You listen to him complain about Batman and you try to pinpoint the moment that this started making sense.

 It's a dance of thoughts, you wouldn't say of brilliant minds or of wits, but of mutually obtuse ramblings. He’ll go silent and just watch you, and you refuse to be intimidated and pretend he isn’t staring. Maybe he’s waiting for you to toss him out. Call the police or something. Which you don’t. For his part he might have new odd habits but for all his delighted speeches about fear and control he hasn’t actually earned your fear. He’s odd and benign. You suppose that’s some kind of affection from him. 

 Before total immoral anarchy takes the streets of Gotham you go with him, the chaos that follows amuses him endlessly. You should fight it, argue about the morals and ethics of it all but you find yourself thinking you need his protection. He’s happy to give it. Are you trapped? Did you walk into this by not turning him in? 

You decide you like his company, this strange mutual companionship. The world might end but you can at least snark the master of fear.