#actually really and truly be anyone else. be anything else. than what he was created to be

[certified-anakinfucker]

ia hunter(?) for blorbo bingo? >:)

(send me characters for blorbo bingo!)

oh god doing this for them.

Now a spark has passed between us now A momentary recognition Something lost and something gained And something shared that feels strange Something cold that will not go away

idk man smth smth youre both weapons using each others as a means to respective ends but realize along the way you dont wish harm on one another and these wars are indeed tearing everything apart and you wish you could just take him away from it all but you know its not possible ... unless someone wins, and winning is certain death,

[hxney-lemcn]

Jealousy is a Bitter Look — Overblots x gn! reader

summery: how the overblots react to being jealous (some are a bit more jealous than others, but they all have their moment).

tw: unhealthy attachments (Malleus, but he's working on it). ngl this shows a bit of their flaws so its not complete fluff and a bit of a character study.

a/n: so I can't make a fluffy/cute jealous fic cus I find jealousy an emotion to work on? Like its not terrible to be jealous, it happens to the best of us, I just don't wanna romanticize it? 'Cus if left unchecked it can lead to toxic relationships so that's why I wrote this in a more uplifting manner (?). Idk, I'm weird ik.

wc: 1.5k (~200 per character)

Master List

❥ Riddle Rosehearts

Riddle tried not to get jealous. He trusted you wholly. But sometimes his insecurities got the best of him. Cater was more affectionate, did you wish he were more affectionate like that? Trey was kind, did you wish he would give you more? Ace and Deuce were stupid, but it was undeniable how well you got along, did you wish he were more carefree? Those feelings would tug at his heart, but it was something he needed to work on himself, it wasn’t your problem. That’s what he kept repeating in his mind as he watched you have fun with your friends. Lips downturned hidden behind a teacup, ocean grey eyes sharply watching the scene before him. He thought he was hiding it better, but it was clear to you with how he pouted. Excusing yourself from Ace and Deuce, you made your way to the ruby haired housewarden. Riddle greeted you, eyes softening and frown lifting slightly. You tell him that he could’ve just told you if he was jealous. Unlike some, he won’t deny it fully, instead explaining his reasoning. Work on it with him, reassure him that you like him for him. If you wanted someone else, you wouldn’t be with him, and he takes that to heart.

❥ Leona Kingscholar

Jealousy is Leona’s middle name. After everything he’s been through, constantly being in second place, never getting what he truly wants…he feels like having you will slip through his fingers as well. Being with you, creating all those happy memories…it scares him. That one day you’ll find someone better and all he’ll have left of you are memories. So yes, he does get jealous, quite easily, and he masks it with his ego. He’s the best, don’t look at anyone else, he’s a prince, why would you settle for less? It’s quite clear that he’s jealous, his tail flicking, ears twitching, the sharp glare. When you confront him he won’t tell you the full truth, that’s a step too far at the moment. Be gentle with him, if someone flirts with you, tell them you have a boyfriend. Leona gets this smug smile and a warmth in his chest. As much as he won’t hesitate to claim you if someone won’t stop their advances, he loves it when you claim him. After all, it shows how much you care for him, how much you want him, and even the big bad lion needs a bit of reassurance.

❥ Azul Ashengrotto

He’s actually quite similar to Leona in this regard. Azul was bullied when he was younger, which led him to having an inferiority complex about almost everything. He is bad at hiding it as well, clearly needing to be reassured that he was doing well and he was a good partner. It was just hard for him to comprehend that someone as amazing as you was actually with someone like him. He loves you so intensely, he can’t help but let his insecurities get the best of him sometimes. He thinks you’d hate his mer form or that someone that could offer you more will swoop you away from him. He wouldn’t even blame you, he’d just be hurt he couldn’t do more for you. (He’s thinking all this even though he would and could offer you the world if you asked). When someone is trying to flirt with you outright he’s trying to mask his insecurity with his suaveness, asking if the person needs anything and if you're uncomfortable he leaves in a small threat about Floyd not being in a good mood (if you’re really uncomfortable he might use Jade as the threat instead). Azul checks in on you, but if you're smiling he might die a bit. Please just reassure him that you only have eyes for him.

❥ Jamil Viper

Unlike Leona and Azul, Jamil doesn’t get that jealous or has an inferiority complex. No. Instead, he knows you wouldn’t go behind his back, after all, you managed to become his partner and that’s a feat in itself. He does get smug when you tell someone off, or politely inform them that you have a boyfriend. Jamil reveals in their look of defeat (he is a bit of a sadist in that regard). The time his jealousy truly shines is when Kalim is in the equation. He refuses to allow Kalim to take anything else from him, never mind you. The way Kalim easily makes you smile, steals your time with frivolous parties, puts his hands on you…yeah it's a feat that Jamil didn’t snap. Jamil is very good at masking his feelings, but the facade unravels when you both are alone for once. Give him your attention, affection, love, reassure him through touch that you want him. If you poke and prod enough he’ll admit he’s jealous, how it just reminds him that Kalim always takes and takes, afraid that you’ll fall for the charm (that Jamil couldn’t understand) of Kalim and fall into his arms instead. But when you soothe him, tell him that you see Kalim more of a brother if anything…Jamil will calm down and realize how foolish he’s being.

❥ Vil Schoenheit

Vil, jealous? Yeah no. Not normally at least. Have you seen him? Vil is one of the fairest of them all. If someone tried flirting with you he’d laugh in their face if that wasn’t disgraceful. If anything, you were the lucky one in this relationship…he does cherish you though, and he loves you more than he’d like to admit. You may be a lucky potato…but he was one lucky man as well. He managed to snag your heart without the flashing lights and fame, you loved him for who he was and he was grateful. So when Vil watches Neige talk to you with no care in the world, hearts practically in the boy’s eyes…yeah it's the one scenario you’ll witness a jealous Vil. He’ll perch himself by your side, arm slung around you as he greets you with a kiss to the cheek. A pleasant surprise as Vil isn’t this affectionate in public usually. Neige doesn’t seem to take the hint, so Vil ups the ante, talking about your last date and how he’s lucky you chose him. It’s an obvious change (and everyone knows the vitriol Vil holds for Neige). You eat the attention up, but after you're alone in his room, give him a ton of kisses, teasing him about how sweet he was, he doesn’t like to admit his jealousy, but he loves your affection.

❥ Idia Shroud

I’m noticing a pattern. Most of these guys have an inferiority complex. Idia’s is the most obvious. He barely believes you actually like him, so him being jealous is more common than not. Depending on how long you’ve been together he’ll react differently. If it's in the beginning, he’s blaming and degrading himself for not being good enough, that you deserve better and he locks himself in his room. He needs a lot of reassurance in this stage, lots of quality time. The longer you are together the more confident he gets. Someone tries to flirt with you; he's dissing them with his chronically online lingo. Doing that little giggle when you elbow him trying not to grin. Although those self-deprecating thoughts still swirl in his brain, he’s learned to trust and believe you, after all you decided to stay with him for how long? Not to mention that your reassurances made him feel better and trust you. You’ve seen his worst multiple times and you’re still by his side. Besides, if anyone dares insults Idia in their attempt to woo you you go crazy, insulting them which makes Idia want to melt, die, and kiss you all at once.

❥ Malleus Draconia

Malleus is a bit confusing. On one hand he 100% trusts you, on the other he can be a bit childish. You spend too much time without him or go out to something he wasn’t invited to and you’ll find him pouting upon your arrival. He doesn’t mean to, he’s glad you have others to have fun with and he doesn’t want to restrict you in any way…but he is a bit needy when it comes to your affection. He is so touch-starved and isolated that he can’t help but cling to you, feeling a bitter pang when you have to go. If anyone dares to flirt with you it's when he isn’t by your side and you're declining them instantly. If someone is actually insane and tries to flirt with you when Malleus is present either 1. Malleus watches on trying to hide his smugness as you decline or 2. Sebek is shouting insults at them before you even get the chance. All in all, Malleus isn’t too jealous, and when he is he tries to work on his possessiveness. He wants a healthy relationship with you after all, and he’d do anything to make you happy, even if that means letting you go for a day to hang out with your other friends.

[fatuismooches]

No other reason for this other than me being self-indulgent and having some fun. Dottore and Fragile Reader of course.

Prime Dottore - About You:

"If you were expecting me to... gush about them and whatnot, then your expectations are nonsensical. I have nothing to share with you about them. I merely have three things to say. Do not get close to them, do not make them upset, and do not get in my way, regardless of what I have to do to make them better."

Omega - About You:

"...[Name]? Their time is far too valuable to be spent around the likes of you. Speaking of, have you seen them? ...You say they're with another segment now? A pity. It's a shame they're always swept away by the others. I could please them far more than anyone else in any matter. I suppose I will need to think of a way to retrieve them yet again."

Alpha (Akademiya) - About You:

"Do you know how many pens and pencils I've broken due to [Name]? Even centuries later they still find the need to debate me on certain topics, academic or not, challenge my research and thinking, and criticize my handwriting. Truly an annoyance. If only they were able to be with me a bit longer... What? They are annoying, but I still acknowledge that they have the traits of a true scholar. And their voice is still much more agreeable than the others I have to work with..."

Beta (Webttore) - About You:

"Hehe, what a loyal assistant they are. They can pick apart different parts and mechanics with ease. Much more competent than that man I disposed of a while ago, on that expedition... along with all the others. Unfortunately, I only have a limited amount of time with them. Really, is it so difficult to find someone with even a third of their ability? Actually, that is a foolish question. No one could ever hope to compare to them."

Delta - About You:

"They have an exceptional talent for pestering me at any given moment, somehow seeking me out wherever I am easily. If only they could put their mind into something more productive. Why do I not simply ignore them? Because they do not stop until they've gotten their desired results, just like me. I'd rather not prolong their prodding.

Zeta - About You:

"... As long as they are well, I need not know anything else. Their health is of utmost priority."

Zandy - About You:

"[Name]? Oh, they're the best, most nicest and fun grown-up ever! I'm never alone now that they're around! They're always willing to play with me and they always yell at the other segments when they're being mean. They're never scared at all... [Name] could probably beat Prime in a fight if they wanted. Hmm? But they can't even throw a punch? That doesn't matter! They're much stronger than you think - I've witnessed it many times."

Pierro - About You:

"When I first recruited Dottore from the desert and gave him his Harbinger position, one of the first things he did was set up a room to monitor [Name]'s condition. He did so for hundreds of years, creating numerous segments to help, and it ended up paying off. It is not my place to pry into his life, as long as he fulfills his duties as the Tsaritsa requests, but now that they're by his side again, he seems... never mind."

Capitano - About You:

"I once encountered them when they managed to sneak out of the lab. They were... intriguing and talkative. They weren't scared in the slightest and were more interested in how I managed to befriend all the creatures near me. They wanted... tips on how to convince the Doctor to let them have a pet. I don't think I was very helpful."

Columbina - About You:

"The Doctor is engrossed with his research, but the only thing he truly has a soft spot for is his dearest [Name]. He hides his feelings exceptionally well, but anyone who witnesses him around them can tell the difference. Don't tell him I said this though, you know how he'll act.~ But do tell [Name] this, they're sure to get flustered. ♪"

Arlecchino - About You:

"They have made attempts to get closer to me, but I'm afraid I have no interest in building a relationship with them. Still, I've always thought that their character would be similar to that of the Doctor, but from what I've seen of them, that does not seem to be the case. So, I do wonder if those two opposites truly get along."

Pulcinella - About You:

"I have seen many things in this long life of mine, so unlike many others, their relationship with Dottore does not surprise me too much. Still, they have much to learn if they feel the need to come and ask me for relationship advice. If you ask me, I believe that they don't truly know how much the Doctor values them, even if it is as clear as day."

Wanderer - About You:

"The Doctor's little pet? Every time I saw them, they were always scurrying behind one of the segments, as if they were attached by the hip. I don't know what transpired between the two of them for this relationship to happen, but out of all the people who associate with Dottore, they're bound to meet the nastiest end."

Sandrone - About You:

"The Doctor? [Name]? I have no care for either of them. I am much too busy with my own work to think about his worthless love life. However, I do suppose the idea is entertaining - Dottore being capable of love is as laughable as thinking an Automaton can learn to cherish another, and this [Name] person is equally as idiotic for believing so."

La Signora - About You:

"[Name], you say? I can't claim to know much about them. Everything I've heard is through the mouths of others, mostly from agents who talk more than what's good for them, but especially the Balladeer. What are they really like - a harmless and fragile sweetheart? A tool for the Doctor? His equally as heartless accomplice? Or all of the above? All I can say, however, is that it takes one to know one, right?"

Pantalone - About You:

"Ah, the little one. I am more than familiar with them, although Dottore would loathe to hear that. Did you know the Doctor is more prone to jealousy than you think? It is most amusing to see his ever-confident smirk fall once you get a bit too close to [Name]. I vividly remember the time when I said I would accompany [Name] to a ball instead, as he was too busy with his research. He never changed his mind as quickly as he did once I promised to dance with them."

Childe - About You:

“I’ve always thought Dottore was eccentric, and after meeting [Name], I can say they are equally as weird as him, solely for choosing him as their husband. Their personality is nothing like his either - they are bubbly, affectionate, and most of all… extremely weak. Traits that Dottore has no interest in. And yet the segments seem to fawn over them… I just don’t understand them. I just hope they know what they’re getting into.”

Furina - About You:

"Whenever I see them, [Name] always make sure to arrange a tea party with their own homemade Sumerian sweets! It is truly a delight. I admit, I am a bit jealous of their skill. It's as if they have the experience of a hundred years! But of course, that's impossible. Regardless, they are very kind, and they also seem to have a particular liking for romantic films... an odd thing for someone affiliated with the Fatui to like."

Nahida - About You:

"A raven and a sparrow - two beings that are surely bound to be apart from each other, but when it comes to the Doctor and [Name], it seems that even the impossible becomes possible. Though my feelings toward them will not change because of what they've done, I can't help but be interested. What lengths will the Outcast go to cure the one he holds dear, and would [Name] still be able to love him if he becomes more of a monster?"

[lyneira]

♡ daydreamin' ♡

-> Their mind wanders off to you, what are they thinking about?

lyneira's 1.2k milestone event

They're thinking about...

...coming home to you

Alhaitham, Kazuha, Kaveh, Baizhu, Tighnari

He thinks of how fortunate he is as he's able to come home after a long day to finally see you. You lift his spirits. He could be having a horrible day, but knowing how you'd always be there to comfort him is motivation enough. He'd walk through the door and you'd be there, welcoming him with open arms like you always do. Those hugs were the best. The warmth and tenderness given in them told him that he was safe and cared for, that he was home. Because to him, you're his home.

...a future with you

Childe, Ayato, Zhongli, Diluc, Thoma, Dainsleif

He's imagining how it would be like waking up by your side everyday, seeing you in numerous ways, going through the good times and bad times together, maybe having little ones of your own, growing old with you, and going through whatever life has to offer. He can't wait for it.

For guys like Zhongli and Dainsleif, the future is actually a bittersweet thing to think about. Sometimes, it scares him thinking how you might not be there with him for the remainder of his life. But he relishes in the fact that he was able to spend whatever time he has with you now, for it's much better than having not known you at all. And he'll protect and cherish both you and the lives you two create for as long as he can.

...how much they've fallen for you

Scaramouche, Kaeya, Xiao, Albedo, Cyno

He thinks of your smile, your laugh, your voice, your touch, and it has him smiling to himself subconsciously.

They've never felt this way for anyone before, and when he thinks of you, he feels funny. Not a bad type of 'funny'. He feels vulnerable. Warm. Tingly all over. Heck, he's feeling this way just thinking about you right now. They're all feelings he isn't used to, but he's hooked on it like a drug.

When he's around you, he might try to hide this effect you had on him, out of fear that he might just crumble in front of you. He was just truly down bad for you.

If only you knew how much you made this guy weak in the knees for ya 😤

...surprising you

Venti, Heizou, Itto, Gorou

They want to do something special for you, so they're thinking of ways to surprise you the next time they see you.

Should they buy you your favorite flowers? Cook your favorite dish? Tell you a clever joke? Sing you your favorite song? Maybe take you to a secret place with the most magnificent view? They're exciting themselves with these great ideas that they think, 'heck why not do them all?'

What else could he do to see that beautiful smile he loves so much? Because that's all he really wanted. To see you happy. Your smile brings him the most joy, and he'll do anything to make it happen and protect it.

© 2023 lyneira. PLEASE DO NOT COPY, PLAGIARIZE, OR REPOST MY WRITING ONTO OTHER PLATFORMS

[maxwell-grant]

The Penguin: Episode 1 Breakdown

Thank you Lauren LeFranc, Mike Marino, Colin Farrell and Matt Reeves, we owe you the world for this, good God. It's finally here everyone and I've decided I'm gonna give each episode it's own post/breakdown of thoughts, because hahaha holy shit you guys this is beyond what I even dreamed of, and we're gonna be covering this for a while I think. I've worked out enough madness about this out of my system by talking with friends and I can't seem to be able to work on anything else till I get this done, so let's do it.

Bottom line: This isn't even just a must-watch if you like the Penguin or if you like The Batman, this is something I'd recommend to just about anyone in a heartbeat, something I can point to when people ask "why do you like The Penguin so much" and, instead of the elaborate nerd ramble that usually turns them off, I can just tell them to watch this. A friend of mine (who already loves Batman and digs the Penguin quite a bit) even told me as much, that he's starting to get why I love the character so much, and truly, is there a better feeling than this? Well, there is, and it's watching the show. Let's dig into this first episode:

Right upfront I'm gonna say that this doesn't really seem to be the Sopranos rip-off that people have been calling it before release, although there are definitely Sopranos comparisons to make here. I've spent the past months finally watching The Sopranos in order to get the comparison and definitely want to talk about those comparisons after I finish it (and this show ends). This thing aims to stand on it's own legs as a crime show and it's smashing out of the gate with an extremely promising first episode.

So this just casually opens with the reveal that all along, there was a second rich Gotham the whole time that was completely unaffected by everything we saw in the movie, already throwing a great twist on the events of that movie, and further reinforcing how fucking full of shit The Riddler was. All we saw Batman and the others deal with in the movie was just affecting the poorer parts of the city. All Eddie did was drown rats, and make life worse for the people already in the bottom, while never even getting close to targeting the systemic rot that ruined his life. He retains ideological worshippers in subways obsessed with the corruption of the city without doing anything to actually improve it, and because of him, the streets of Gotham are waterlogged shitholes while the rich Falcone suburbs are doing just fine, peachy even.

I said a while back that, in spite of having about 6 scenes/10 minutes of Penguin runtime, The Batman managed to squeeze impeccably controlled Penguin Trademark Scenes, and this show opens with the last one they didn't get to then: Penguin killing someone for making fun of him. In the movie, he tries doing that with Falcone and is beaten to the punch, so here he gets to actually do it to disastrous consequences.

Fucking adore that the inciting incident of the show is based on the fallout of Oswald killing someone for making fun of him. He pours his heart about the dream he lives his life for, his new boss makes fun of him for being an embarassment to their profession and then he does the most typical Penguin thing by killing him for it and laughing afterwards. And then he realizes how badly he fucked up, and then we get a fucking perfect titledrop with his musical theme, the exact moment we finish The Batman and enter The Penguin.

God it is so fucking cool how the make-up/lighting, the scar across his face, makes it look like he's got a genuine beak from certain angles, how they're able to achieve that effect without giving him a more literal beak for a nose. Everytime they talk about the character, Reeves and Farrell always emphasize how integral the make-up was to them figuring out what to do with Oz, how little they knew what to make of his six scenes until Marino created their monster and suddenly everything fell into place. Mike Marino fully deserves co-credit for the creation of Oz.

Pretty amusing that Victor, as designed to be Penguin's Robin, has exactly the same origin as Jason Todd, a poor street kid trying to steal the hubcaps off the Penguinmobile (I'm sure this bodes very well for his odds at survival), as is the way in which Oz goes on about his recruitment. He press-gangs this kid at gunpoint to help him bury a body arguing with himself and eventually the kid why shouldn't he just kill him to be safe, while trying to impress the kid with his car and air freshener and later that bullshit about "What, you think I hire any schmuck off the street?". From the tile drop onwards, he's doing everything on the fly while also spinning long-term plans set in motion as soon as he's on screen, he's taking this kid in out of sympathy and because he enjoys a power dynamic over someone weaker than him and because he very much needs someone to help him get stuff done. I'm extremely interested in exploring Penguin having a mentorship dynamic and I'm beyond curious as to what happens with Victor from this point onwards, but that poor kid is in for a terrible fucking time.

Found it very funny how much he half-asses the murder threat to Victor. Like it's his first time actually doing it and he's trying to be serious, but not too scary because he's already seeing himself in the poor kid with a stutter and wants the kid to think he's also a cool guy like he wants everyone to think he's a cool guy. I also think having Victor as the POV helps to sell moments like these, because it's still terrifying to him. Even as we follow their stories, these power players of Gotham are still big scary monsters to people caught in the dregs and Victor helps to reinforce that.

I enjoy Oz being friends with sex workers and drag queens off the street as much as I enjoy Oz being depicted as the kind of guy who deludes himself into thinking the prostitute he's with actually likes him, Lauren and Farrell launched into a bit about in on the podcast and I'm curious to see what's going on with him and Eve here.

Lots of perfect funny little character moments across the whole thing. Oz insulted by the idea of taking extra pickles off a poor kid's dirty mouth, but with zero hesitation whatsoever for picking jewelry off his boss' corpse. Dude is governed by principles even as he actively has to break them to survive.

"Technically it's plum." "He is the - or was the - new kingpin", "He's got nurse-like qualities." The show is not overtly trying to get you to find Penguin likeable as much as it wants you to find him engaging - making you think he's likeable is Colin Farrell's job and he's masterful at it, definitely a lot more matured within the character compared to the movie.

If there's anything in particular I'm thankful for regarding Gotham (well okay Gotham led directly to Telltale Penguin which was the basis for this one, so really I do have a lot more to be thankful with Gotham), it's the decision to give him a legit waddle via the broken foot, but the way they incorporate it here with the club foot does so much for him, so much as a modern day reinvention of The Penguin. Adds so much to why he's never been a serious candidate for mob leadership, why he kinda had to spend all his time in the Lounge, why he actually needs someone to help him run affairs, why he has such a gaping ego wound and is so murderously angry at people making fun of him / calling him a goddamn penguin, adds so much validation and so much darkness and nuance to Oswald's overwhelming anger and bitterness over how the world treats him (and so much power should he opt to reclaim it, in turn). It's the kind of thing that frankly feels like it should have always been part of the character, like what all the previous versions were itching closer to or trying to get at. Of course this is a guy gets called a penguin and he hates it badly enough to murder people over it, of course.

This gets to really highlight how differently Oz acts depending on who he's with. Traditionally, one of my favorite things about The Penguin, and one of the things that puts him above the other villains, is that, due to his position, he has to interact with a lot more people than the other Bat-villains. He has to manage a lot more relationships and dynamics, he has to play peacekeeper and puppetmaster. he's the only one in the United Underworld who's regularly interacting with and recruiting other villains to do business with. He's the guy who you pin stuff on like the Gangland Guardians, Team Penguin, doing betting pools with the Rogues taking cover in his Lounge while Joker War is happening, having to rig games to keep good standing with Maxie Zeus and Frenchy Blake in Batman Audio Adventures, and so on. So I greatly enjoy this beat here of him talking about how makes himself smaller before the Falcones, and that moment of him adjusting his outfit and practicing expressions in the mirror before meeting with them. How he contorts himself is present in all of his relationships, and retroactively adds to the way he carries himself in The Batman.

It seems that Oz is functionally regarded as the Paulie Walnuts of the Falcones: useful muscle, loyal for the most part and amusing to keep around, but largely an unstable self-serving dumb asskisser kept where he belongs, a liability if not kept on a short leash. I think the show does a good job of highlighting all the reasons why Oz has never been seriously regarded as a viable option for a boss, even putting aside his disability. He is a fundamentally embarassing person for these serious respectable criminals to be around and of course, the joke is ultimately on them..

Of course, there is only two people in the show who actually know what he's capable of, Francis Cobb and Sofia Falcone, said to be the central relationships defining the show moving forward. Both of them also a defining commonality with Oswald, being people who are looked down on and dehumanized, and characters who are underestimated until it's time to bear their fangs.

Extremely invested in where they're going with Sofia Falcone, Cristine Milioti's been killing it, and will in fact not stop killing it. What a perfect villain for Penguin they've set up with her, someone who has his Kryptonite: she does not underestimate him. Although we know in advance that Oz is going to live and be in the next movie, the question here isn't even so much who's going to win the gang war, and rather how much damage these two freaks will do to the city until Batman gets back. In many ways, Sofia represents the shape of things to come just as much as he does.

She is this embodiment of both the pristine unfathomable wealth and privilege and power that he both detests and strives for, as well as this brutal new breed of madness and violence attacking the streets that he has to survive against and make deals with (and is himself very much a part of, however he denies it). She is Falcone's legacy in every way that matters, both a Kingpin of Gotham whose existence creates the oppressive conditions under which a Batman or a Riddler are created, as well as the Arkham Rogue, the larger-than-life sadist with a tragic origin and a signature torture-murder method and an embarassing name for the papers.

Even the fact that she is The Hangman, and Carmine was defined around his penchant for brutally strangling women - regardless of whether or not she did the crimes that got her in Arkham, she's become this larger-than-life themed expression of a violent obsession in a way that sets her up as every bit the Batman villain that The Penguin is. The two champions of the two Gothams, duking it out in this new world The Batman and The Riddler made, The Penguin vs The Hangman.

I am so glad Lauren LeFranc made the call for binning Alberto in the first five minutes so the rest of the show can focus on Sofia and make a real character out of her in a way nobody's ever really done before, every step of the way so far LeFranc has been perfectly on the ball about where to take these characters and their conflict. And speaking of those,

I feel very confident in saying that this is the first time anyone's ever really had something worth doing with Oswald's mother as a character in her own right and not just a source of anguish for Penguin (Gotham was almost onto something with Gertrude, but not nearly enough). When it comes to Penguin origin stories, my favorite's always been the Pre-Crisis one, where he's poor and bullied but happy with his mom and birds until she dies and the government seizes everything he has, which doesn't necessarily involve her much. But here? Francine Cobb is a real character in what little time we get to know her, and what a character she is. We quickly understand the role she's playing in Oz's life, not just as his mom and person he loves and strives to protect, but the person who's sculpting him into the man he's going to become.

She is vulnerable and she does need meds and she's not quite all there, and Penguin's need to care for her is visible in other actions of his. But then they turn it around by showing how strong and demanding she is, how she is fiercely ambitious and pushing him to be something he would otherwise not be, how much she loves him and sees greatness in him. She knows he's a people pleaser, she knows how to push his buttons, and she wants him to be more, so of course he's going to be more, because he lives to please his mom.

Related to this is this absolute bullseye of a summation of The Penguin, that Lauren LeFranc delivered in the podcast: "Perhaps his greatest fear is that love is transactional. And that yet, everything he does, every decision he makes, is as if that's true. As if "love is transactional" is a truth he abides by". Oswald's conception of power is being loved and revered like Rex Calabrese, and the love he wants most in all the world is the one from his mother. So in turn this, and all extensions of it, drive him to greater and darker lengths.

He doesn't have that ambition quite down yet, it's his mom that does. She who's pushing him to take over the city and not just be a guy scraping by for survival. He's smart and ambitious and extremely good at slipping out of trouble, but she's pushing him to be the guy who will be taking the city by the horns because that's what he has to be for their sake. Her legacy to her son is nurturing him having that dog in him that will make him the supervillain who picks fights with Vengeance. She is the force that's turning Oswald into The Goddamn Penguin and I can't wait to see how she's developed.

Of course he reprimands Victor in that scene for lacking ambition, who do you think he gets it from?

Really love what they've done with Sal Maroni in here so far. I like adaptations that take these throwaway Batman backstory gangsters and make something out of them, in this case, with Clancy Brown lending his power and voice and reputation as The Grand Boss of Villainy to play the last Respectable Gangster of Gotham, this intimidating principled old tiger who's inversely proportional to how much of a petty and scummy piece of shit Carmine Falcone was. Extremely a guy I'd want to see playing a hand in the creation of Two-Face. Just as crucial is the fact that he is the one who gets the most effortlessly outplayed by Oz here, because this is The Penguin Show: no room for traditional or respectable gangsters anymore, their purpose is to be crapped all over by our wacko birdman.

There's a lot about this that re-contextualizes his behavior in The Batman and the one I'm gonna point out is: even though he can't be sure his plan didn't completely go to shit, he is still keeping his wits and not being terribly scared about being beaten up and tortured and staring down the scariest Falcone with a gun shoved in his throat. But he craps his pants at the sight of the Batmobile. He gets pain, he gets indignity, but he doesn't get Vengeance, what kind of sick freak would come up with the stuff that guy does. A gun in his mouth and Falcone torture is just Tuesday, but a car that wants to eat his soul is some psycho shit he's just not ready to deal with.

It is the delicious tasty fucking irony that Oswald thinks Vengeance is this weird freak who doesn't play or bend to any rules and is here to fuck up everything, just like the madman who flooded the city, and thinks of himself in turn as a justifiable guy standing for the respectable old-fashioned empathetic way of doing things, instead of the exact same thing that Riddler and Batman are. Only Sofia gets what he really is, the same thing as her, and that's why she is the arch-enemy / the biggest thing he's gotta defeat in life for now.

God, how fucking PERFECT it is that he gets caught and tortured because he, after stabbing out a man's eye and causing him to get run over by a schoolbus, stops to wave at the kids in that schoolbus while covered in blood. Just the Rex Calabrese of it all, the self-image, this guy who's both a mean nasty son of a bitch and also a real bleeding heart softie and in ways that ruin his life and allow him to slip and wriggle his way out of shit he has no right to, as demonstrated by the finale.

Thinking about Sofia chastizing Oz saying he thinks she is a toy to play with, while rattling off the ways in which she owns him and everything he has, all the ridiculous little accessories her daddy let him play him, and he in turn is a ridiculous little accessory for the family she is twisting until it breaks. Perfect fucking villain for him. Can't wait to see how badly these two are gonna burn Gotham.

I knew deep in my heart that all I wanted out of a Penguin show, the thing that I simply needed to have in it, was Penguin pulling a heist set-up in advance, and it fucking delivered. He doesn't even complain at Victor for being late, because if anything, getting captured and tortured while the car crashed was even better for him. No, he complains at Victor for not being sufficiently gruesome with the body. See, unlike other cowardly anti-hero reinventions of Bat-villains, the show never wants you to forget that Oz is a weird freak and a disgusting piece of shit, even if he is a very likeable and even aspirational one. Only by the most random stroke of fate it wasn't Victor that he fed to the wolves at that moment, that he sees himself in the kid isn't exactly ensuring that he's gonna make out of this in one piece.

Mr. Vengeance gets Nirvana, and Mr. Boniface gets Dolly Parton, perfect credits.

In conclusion: Out of everything they could have done following the thunderous success of The Batman and it's ensuing influence over the DCU, out of all the offers Reeves must have gotten to helm their new universe after delivering a megahit reinvention of their breadwinner blockbuster character, Matt Reeves went "Nah, I listened to my crew, and what we really want to do is 8 hours of television about the waddling freak who's in my movie for 10 minutes", and he and his crew deserve the world for that. I dreamed as a kid of getting to make a big Penguin story or show, a wild impossible idea that would never actually happen, and now it's here and it's better than anything I'd ever imagined.

I'm fit to burst with joy and riding a high of no longer having to hunt for scraps and washing away decades of put-downs for the character and enjoying a Penguin renaissance like one I never imagined happening. I am extremely not an unbiased reviewer here, this show rules and I've waited for it since I was a kid and it's here, drink it the fuck in cause it's only the beginning.

[v-is-obsessive]

God Only Knows

Angus Tully x fem!Reader

summary: being in love with your best friend is hard, and another date fails at trying to distract you from your feelings for Angus. feeling alone and ashamed, you run to him for comfort. (hurt/comfort, best friends to lovers)

warnings: none really... (let me know if i missed any)

requested: yes | no

word count: ~1.3k

A/N: first angus fic!!!! this actually took so long to write but i'm decently proud of it. let me know what you thought and send me requests!!! <3

masterlist! / request!

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

You hadn’t meant to develop feelings for Angus. Truthfully, you wished it would go away as quickly as it was brought on. But with every moment you spent together you could feel yourself slipping further and further into the hole you’d dug yourself. He was a major pain in the ass, but he was also sweeter to you than anyone else had ever been. There was never a moment with Angus that you didn’t feel completely loved and cared for. He listened to all your problems, offered advice when you asked, cheered you on in all aspects of your life, and had always been there for you. You did all the same things for him gladly, and it created a beautiful friendship that cultivated your growing romantic love for him.

You and Angus met when you were twelve years old. You both attended the same private school for junior high and you had become fast friends. You were truly inseparable: walking to and from school, eating lunch, walking to class, hanging out after school, all the way down to your extracurriculars, you did everything together. When high school came around, you were devastated by the news that you would be attending different schools. You were shipped off to an all-girls boarding school and him to an all-boys school. However, with each school that he was sent to after being kicked out, you managed to keep in touch. Writing letters, spending all your dimes at the payphones, sneaking out: you refused to let distance break apart you and your very best friend.

When you realized your feelings for him last summer, you decided your best course of action was to bury them away. You had no reason to believe he felt the same way, so you figured if you never did anything about them, they would fade away and you wouldn’t risk losing him. However, burying your feelings only served to make them stronger. Suddenly, every time he touched you it felt like all your nerves lit on fire. Your heart raced in his presence and nothing else seemed to matter but him.

In an attempt to forget about your feelings for Angus, you begged your girlfriends at school to set you up on blind dates with other boys. You desperately wanted to just meet a half-decent boy that would fix the situation you had gotten yourself into. Unfortunately, though, all of the boys were either terrible people or just didn’t feel right. Even the nice ones you managed to find flaws in. In your mind, although you hated to admit it, nobody else was as good as Angus.

Another date in which the boy talked all about himself and barely let you get a word in led you to this moment. You stand at the window of your longtime best friend's dorm and knock just loud enough for him to hear. The chilly December wind sends a shiver through your body, and you hug your arms closer to your body.

Angus shoots his head up from the magazine he was half-reading. His eyes meet yours and he clumsily stands up from his tiny dorm room bed. He rushes over to the window and slides it open, beckoning you in from the cold. A record is spinning on the player, and you can hear the Beach Boys singing “God Only Knows,” one of your favorites.

"What the hell are you doing here? I thought you had that date with what's-his-name?" he asks, surprised but still visibly happy to see you. It's then that he notices your expression. Your features are laced with sheer disappointment and exhaustion. His face softens and he guides you over to his bed and sits down next to you.

"Didn't go so well." you say simply, eyes cast down to the floor. You shrug the heavy jacket off your body and sigh.

"I thought you liked this guy?"

"I thought so too. He was so nice to me when we met, but he was horrible when we went to dinner." you groan.

"I'm sorry. You wanna talk about it?" he asks. You shake your head. "Okay then." He takes your hand and interlaces your fingers comfortingly. You mindlessly rub your thumb over his knuckle as a means of grounding your swimming thoughts. Your spirit feels crushed from the failed attempt at making something work with the stupid boy you thought might distract you from whatever you feel for your best friend. Overwhelming feelings of failure and frustration cause emotion to rise in you. Your chest feels heavy, a lump forms in your throat, and tears begin to well in your eyes. Angus notices you becoming upset and turns his body to face you more directly.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” he comforts, pulling you into him and wrapping his long arms around you. A sob racks through your chest.

“I’m so sick of it, Angus.” you cry. Angus feels his heart crack. Unbeknownst to you, Angus hated it when you went on these dates. Every time you told him about a new guy you were going out with, his blood boiled. At first, he couldn’t quite figure out why it made him so upset. He chalked it up to protectiveness over his best friend, or even just being sad you won’t be around him as much. But as time went on, it became increasingly obvious that these theories were not the whole story. He was jealous of those boys.

He didn’t think anyone could ever know you as well as he did, or care for you the way he wanted to.

Angus had enough. He knew in this moment that he never wants to see you hurt like this again, even if it means breaking his own heart. He takes a deep breath before taking the leap of faith.

“Y/N, none of these guys you’re going out with are even close to good enough for you. You deserve the best the world has to offer." He pauses slightly to think of how to tell you his feelings. "You’re hilarious, you’re wicked smart, you’re way too clumsy for your own good, you’re goofy, your smile lights up every room, you’re beautiful, you’re caring and loving even when I don’t deserve it." He stops, smiling at his next words. "You’re perfect.” You pull your head away from his chest, staring into his eyes, tears still stained on your cheeks.

“I love you.” he says, almost whispering. Your eyebrows raise a little with bewilderment and hope.

“Like, you love love me?” you ask.

“Yeah. Love love.” he confirms.

Another tear spills from your eye, but this one is joyful. Your heart swells with happiness and you give a genuine and bright smile. Butterflies flutter in your stomach and relief washes over you.

“I love you too, Angus. God, I feel so silly right now. I only went out with those other guys to get you off my mind.” you laugh. He smiles back at you, a rare wide smile gracing his usually sour appearance. He wipes your tears away, his face only inches away from yours. He’s looking at you with more love than you’d ever seen.

“Can I kiss you?” he asks, shyly.

“Of course.” you respond, feeling nervous but dizzy with excitement. His hands cup your cheeks, and he gently moves forward, closing the gap between you. Your lips finally meet and it’s everything you ever dreamed of. His lips are slightly chapped, but they fit so perfectly with yours. Every nerve in your body is buzzing with exhilaration. You both grin like idiots through the kiss.

Eventually but reluctantly, you both pull away from the kiss. He smiles and pulls you back into him, laying you both down on his teeny bed. Your head is resting on his chest, and he has both arms wrapped around you. He places a gentle, loving kiss to the top of your head.

The record is still spinning across the room, and it’s nearing the end of the song.

God only knows what I’d be without you… the Beach Boys croon.

Suddenly, you’ve found that one of your favorite songs has taken on a new meaning.

God only knows what you’d be without him.

[usercelestial]

the whole queer eddie being included in a queer characters posts reminds me of like when people were wishing the bucktommy date scene got cut instead of the eddie and buck in Bobby’s room and eddie praying …when there is that whole random ass scene with no real adherence to the plot or the characters with polly the neighbour right there as an option for them to cut..but no they wanna cut the scene with the mlm queer couple (that many mlm queer men in this fandom love) all because they hate tommy, can’t handle a daddy issues joke, and the fact that it’s not eddie with buck

yeah ultimately a lot of their cries for activism and queer rep are performative. they do not truly care about queer characters or queer representation and i think most people could smell that from a mile away. these people have always been way more concerned with their own ship than with anything else. they like to pretend that if you don't ship The Thing or if you don't hate bucktommy then you must not want eddie to be queer or even like his character and that's. a thought lol. but i think it's really interesting why they've come to that conclusion.

like for me, i love eddie enough that i don't have to change his character to make him something that i like. i love eddie enough to allow him to be his own character outside of my own interpretation of his queerness and outside of his relationship with buck. but at the same time i also love eddie enough to see myself in him and create theories about his identity. these two things co-exist: seeing the character for what the canon shows me he is AND seeing the character for what i'd like him to be. i think most people are able to find the balance and be pretty normal about it. i think these people are genuinely so far deep into whatever they want the story to be that they have to rewrite canon to fit that perception of the character and feel threatened when that gets pointed out.

which again, like i truly do not give a shit if you do cherry pick canon, just don't come for people who are like hey you know that's just your headcanon right? like don't act like your own interpretation is better than anyone else's. it's not, it's still just an interpretation. i do read eddie as queer while still acknowledging that within the canon universe, he is identified as a straight man by canon. which makes my reading of him just a headcanon (aka canon in your head but not anywhere else), no less valid and important but still not the story they may be trying to tell.

i've talked about this a little bit before but i think a lot of the issue here is the idea of playing nice and remembering that this is all pretend which i don't think they've really had to deal with before. a lot of these people have never been confronted with another big kid on the block. their ship has kind of held precedent for a really long time, along with their headcanons and their ideas of what these characters are. so now that buck actually is bisexual and is dating a man, who isn't eddie, suddenly their entire worldview of canon breaks down.

now there's canon gay representation. now you don't have a moral argument to justify your ship bc that thing you've been begging for, "canon bi buck/more canon queer characters" does exist. so now what are you arguing for? just a preferred ship? no that can't be, it must be more than, we must be fighting for something bigger.

but now you're forced to confront that it's all just headcanons and vibes and theories that have ran unchallenged for years and years. so now you have a group of people who do not know how to grapple with the reality they are being shown vs the reality they've created in their heads clashing against people who are fans of the same reality the show lives in and don't really care about the non-canon anymore. which, if that's your prerogative, if you prefer non-canon stuff, then go for it, that's what fandom is for, but the issue here is that they view this as genuinely a threat. they don't want any other interpretation. it doesn't just feel like a threat to their ship, it feels like a threat to the canon world they've created about these characters. they see other people coming in excited for something that isn't their thing, and now feel like we're taking something away from them. they don't want to see canon anymore, even if it's something they used to claim they want. they don't want queer rep, they want to be proven right.

[mlmxreader]

Grumpy Grandmaster | Bi-Han x gn!reader

『••✎••』

↳ ❝ “Fire and caffeine - a lot of nicotine” with Bi Han. ❞

: ̗̀➛ Bi-Han isn't known for being soft or for being open - but when it comes to you, he doesn't give you the same treatment as everybody else.

: ̗̀➛ smoking

•─────────────────★•♛•★────────────────•

Bi-Han would do anything to ensure that his clan prospered and survived, even during the toughest of winters and the most harsh of summers; he would do whatever it took to ensure that they survived, that they continued and carried on. But he had a lot of ambition, he wanted to be a true leader and to show what the Lin Kuei were truly capable of - that they could do better than simply waiting around for threats to come.

With Sektor at his side, he would ensure that he could create a better, stronger army than what he thought was once possible. When you came along, none of that changed; Bi-Han was still just as determined and ambitious and restless. He was still just as icy and cold as he had always been.

He respected you, you were a strong and competent fighter - skilled and intelligent, ruthless when you had to be. You proved yourself time and time again from the very first day that you joined the Lin Kuei almost three years ago.

But he never quite admired you, not really; as much as he did respect you, he still looked down on you for your shortcomings. Smoking being the biggest one. Bi-Han wasn’t an idiot, he knew that you snuck out as often as possible to have a quick cigarette when you thought he wasn’t looking.

He was aware that you would be performing one duty and then disappearing from it the moment you saw an opportunity. Or that you would sit down and smoke when you were meant to be doing something he had asked you to.

He wasn’t sure why he allowed you to get away with it, and Sektor couldn’t calculate why either, but he never sought to punish you for your little habit even though he knew he should have. Part of being Lin Kuei meant that you would need to be strongly disciplined - but you never were.

Bi-Han was certain that he wasn’t going soft, he knew he wasn’t; he was still abrasive and gruff. He never raised his voice at you, though, not like he did with the others; if he was far away and he wanted your attention, of course he would shout, but he rarely scorned you or shouted in your face.

In fact, you could never actually recall a time when he had done such a thing - convinced he never did. Granted, he was always a certain level of cold and abrasive towards you, but it was never like it had been with anyone else; he seemed to prefer your company above that of the other members of his clan, if you were honest.

Like today, when he caught you outside smoking and huffed as he sat beside you, his hands collapsed between his knees as he grumbled and shook his head. 

“It’s almost evening,” he observed. “You should be getting ready to head inside, not out here breaking my rules.”

You shrugged as you looked at him from the corner of your eye, daring to laugh a little. “You think I care?”

“Don’t.”

“C’mon, Bi-Han,” you nearly sang, raising your brows slightly. “Do you really think you can scare me?”

“I’m not trying to scare you,” he grumbled, shaking his head. “But you keep breaking every single rule.”

You hummed, shaking your head as you smiled. “And what are you gonna do about it, Grandmaster?”

He scowled at you, but when he noticed the bumps along your skin, he sighed, and shrugged off his jacket before placing it on your shoulders. “You’re getting cold, you need to go inside.”

“You need to hang on,” you challenged, tugging his jacket a little closer and almost snuggling into it. “Nice jacket, though, thank you.”

Bi-Han rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he huffed and looked away; he made no move to do anything, merely staying sat beside you as he waited for you to finish your cigarette.

Reminding himself that if it wasn’t for your skills and your abilities, he would have thrown you out a long time ago for bringing shame to the Lin Kuei.

But then, there was a funny feeling in his chest, and to only make matters far worse, his hands were shaking when you laughed; he knew what it was, and although he wished to crush it and to make it colder than ice, he knew he couldn’t.

He was still human, after all. Perhaps, he could justify it; it would be good for the clan if he were to take up with one of their own, it would boost their morale and it would cement his status as an honourable and decent leader.

It would look better when it came to diplomacy as well, as it would make him seem more approachable. He nodded slowly to himself for a moment, and then cleared his throat.

“How do you wish to spend the evening?”

“Fire and caffeine - a lot of nicotine and very little sleep,” you laughed, unaware that the sound made his head spin. 

He shook it off, clearing his throat. “As the Grandmaster, certain things are expected of me. I need to find a suitor. Someone who is suitable to lead at my side.”

“Alright,” you shrugged. You hated to think about it, but you knew that it would never be you. “So, what? You want me to help?”

“No,” Bi-Han stated, shaking his head. “I'm not being soft, I just think it would be better for the clan if I were to take a lover who is one of them. it would boost morale… it would look better for diplomacy if I were to take a lover from a different background than my own.”

“You are an absolute softie!” You howled with laughter, tilting your head back and giving him a good view of your throat. The soft skin was probably more than easy to bite and cover in marks to claim as his own.

“Don’t.”

“C’mon,” you grinned, nudging his shoulder. “Admit you like me.”

Bi-Han sighed heavily. “Perhaps.”

“Ah! He admits it!” You sprung up, grinning as you pointed at him for a moment. “Grumpy Bi-Han likes me and he admits it!”

As much as he hated it, Bi-Han could do very little but to roll his eyes again as he nodded slowly; a hint of a smile upon his lips. 

[sevenbloodynightsvn]

Hey! I have two questions I would like to ask... 1- Does Lilith have a yandere side? I saw on your Twitter that you said what kind of yandere each of the guys are. But what kind of yandere would Lilith be, given that you intend to create a route for her in the future?

2- Correct me if I'm wrong but I noticed certain things in each boy's yandere mode.

Like, Eros and Phthonus being more clingy and attached yanderes than truly possessive, making them less threatening.

Belzebub and Ares seem to have a certain amount of possessiveness but it seems more like a desire to keep her close than actually possession.

Hubris being something more intense, a compulsive desire to keep MC safe by being more attentive and much more clingy to them.

And...Morpheus and Mammom being the possessive and very attached type, I think the two will be the ones with the most possessive yandere traits in the game (Morpheus being the most possessive in my opinion).

In short, correct me if I'm wrong but I've made a short order of the most potentially dangerous ones like yandere, most dangerous to least dangerous being a yandere:

Morpheus (My lover baby ♡ *kiss his short forehead*)

Mammon

Hubris

Ares

Belzebub

Phthonus

Eros

Sorry for the long text! I love your game♡♡♡.

Lilith doesn't have a yandere side. Only the vamps do.

Each of the vamps are a different type of Yandere.

Eros is the possessive type. He gets easily jealous and will do anything to keep MC to himself. He won't kill, but he will use his wits, charm, and hypnotism to get others to either hate you or be too scared to come near you.

Morpheus is the shackling type. He wants to keep his doll safe and untainted by the world. He will treat MC as if they were a doll. He's still a little sadistic, demanding that they pay attention to only him because no one else is important.

Phthonus is the submissive type. He will never harm MC, he would never hurt the one he loves. However, if MC were to try and leave him, Phthonus would harm himself to guilt trip MC into staying with him.

Mammon is the delusional type. MC fascinates him and he wants to learn all about them. He enjoys performing experiments on them and loves seeing the expressions they make. He somehow convinced himself that they enjoy it too.

Beelzebub is the intoxicated type. He slowly becomes so obsessed with MC that they are the only person they see. He also becomes addicted to their blood, claiming it taste like pure honey. He will become enraged if anyone were to try and take his dollface away from him.

Ares is a mixture of the shackling and delusional type. I don't want to say much because it goes into spoilers, but I will say that Ares gets really REALLY possessive of you and doesn't like it when you're out of his sight for too long.

Hubris is a mixture of the shackling and possessive type. Again, I can't say much because of spoilers, but I will say that Hubris wants MC to stay by his side always. He wants them to rely on him for everything.

[inuhalfdemon]

Alastor and Niffty Fanfiction Headcannon

[I plan to write this into an actual fully-fleshed one-shot at some point…]

Alastor finding Niffty and bringing her back with him to Hell.

In Life:

Niffty was a “mail-order” house bride; brought bought from her family in Japan

She genuinely enjoyed cleaning, cooking and took great care in all of her wifely duties

Her husband was “a man of science”; his research (his findings, pointless at best) took priority over anything else and he demanded nothing but obedience and subservience from the women in his life

Niffty had a natural attraction for men so when her husband recognized that she was really and truly attracted to him and enjoyed sexually pleasing him; he immediately had her institutionalized into the local mental health hospital asylum for the insane (under the care of and study of a valuable colleague of his…) where she was lobotomized – not once, not twice, but three fucking separate times.

Even after the procedures were over;  and despite living the rest of her days in constant terror within the insane asylum itself, Niffty never garnered an ill thought toward her husband – always naturally supposing he had her best interests in mind.

Alastor is a selected participant in Hell’s regular reaping of souls event and for 10 years he has free access to and from earth

 Alastor came to the insane asylum – not for Niffty – but for a man that had feigned insanity in a poor attempt of preventing the radio demon coming and collecting his wretched soul following the completion of a deal that he had made.

The asylum was poorly regulated; patients were often left unattended and sexual and physical abuse among the population was rampant.

Niffty was a victim of such abuse by the man whose soul Alastor came to claim

When Alastor found the man within the asylum, catching him in the commitment of unspeakable and horrendous acts to the young woman…it turned into a rather bloody business, indeed.

Alastor finds NIffty’s records within the asylum and is appalled by what he finds

Mentally holding on by a thread and nothing but grateful to “the bad boy” that came to her that night as her own personal dark angel; Niffty readily gave him her soul.

Alastor took it from her; not to use but to protect from any further nefarious insult by anyone else who might seek to claim it

 Niffty doesn’t just give him her soul; she forfeits her life and follows him, going with him, to Hell.

In Death:

When Niffty first came to Hell she was incredibly erratic (yes, even more so than she is now)

She continuously darted all over the place and was entirely obsessed with bugs (yes, even more so than she is now)

She wouldn’t verbalize much; and when she did it was a continual string of variations to one word or complete nonsensical blabber

NIffty’s behavior drew open curiosity, agitation or concern from others residing in Hell but never Alastor

Alastor let her be and never once minded or objected to her constant and complete adoration of him

Alastor calmly allows her to frantically climb and clamber all over him – something he would never tolerate from any other being in Hell

Alastor takes pangs to set aside quieter moments with Niffty; times in which he encourages her to draw or write out her thoughts and whatever emotions she might be feeling

Her drawings are a series of indecipherable scribbles; usually black rings she draws going round-and-round in a chaotic fashion until the paper tears and Alastor gently has to persuade her from gouging the rings further into whatever surface they were utilizing

Her writings are what really start to develop and this is where her passion for creating fanfictions truly begins to blossom

Alastor doesn’t quite get it, but he’s happy to see that she’s found her own outlet and encourages her work

Niffty never knows this, but Alastor makes a point of finding her husband while he is still allowed to visit earth. He easily forms a deal with the rather foolish and short-sighted man; upon completion of the agreement he immediately rips the fucker’s soul apart – never bothering to find a use for it or add it to his collection of broadcasts.

Slowly; Niffty’s verbalizations and interactions with others develop and take form

Alastor enjoys watching her come into her own; seeing her develop relationships with others apart from him and finding a new and brighter confidence in herself

He is incredibly proud of her when he hears what she does to Adam; he also finds a great poetic justice in it: that she got to really and truly stick it to the first and original man; the original dick

Alastor keeps her soul…allowing it to mold and morph from something that was once less than tattered shreds – slowly becoming something beautiful and whole: until the day he can return it to her, knowing that she is ready to take it back.

[heretherebedork]

Ray knows that Mew will never love him. Ray knows but he is doing this anyway, he is selfish and he is desperate but he is also hopeless. He is here, standing in front of Sand, unable to say a single word about his relationship with Mew except the fear that it won't work. Ray knows Mew doesn't love him but he can't turn him down, he can't face that his own love is changing because he is his own self destruction and self fulfilling prophecy.

A stab to the heart would have hurt less. For both myself and Ray.

This is just... the most immensely painful conversation these two could have because Ray is the one who has always clung to friendship as an alternative to love, who believes that being friends and in love is just something that you do. That his own masochism with love is the same for everyone else.

But Sand isn't going to play his game. Sand is not going to cling to the friendzone and the concept of love. Sand is refusing to play Ray's game of self-torture to the best of his ability... which isn't the best, let's be honest.

But it's also about how Ray lives out his own self-destruction constantly. How he creates his own fate out of his own pain and his own fears and he tries to hang onto everyone and everything because his loss is always, always certain.

He doesn't trust his relationship with Mew but also can't let go of him to pursue Sand because he loves them both and he is sure everything is going to leave him in the end so why limit his options if none of them will ever pan out?

Sand is looking at Ray with such a heartbroken face and the worst part is that Ray knows he's just as heartbroken but neither of them can do anything about this.

(Ray is so selfish and so hurt because he's so sure that if he's not he'll lose everything and he has so, so little that he wonders why he keeps trying but that kind of fear will just constantly hurt people because the more he loves the more scared he is of losing and the more scared he gets the more selfish he gets.)

Ray cannot let go. If he lets go, he knows he is losing the one person who actually cares about him.

Because Mew doesn't care. Mew is wearing Ray like a skin and donning his persona to try to get over being himself and being hurt by the shattering of his fantasies.

Ray, on a subconscious level, knows that Sand is the person he really loves and the person who truly loves him. But he is so, so scared of loss that he cannot let go of anyone of any chance at love. No matter how impossible and how much it's going to hurt.

Because Ray is constantly punishing himself. He is constantly hurting himself. He tries, desperately, to find pleasure but in the end he is always hurting himself in new and novel ways. Because that is all he deserves.

(Look, is it more complicated than that? Yes. It's so complex and full of pain and desperation and selfishness and hurt but it's also about Ray who destroys everything he touches and knows he's a jinx and a burden and so lives out that life because it's safer to be what everyone thinks he is than to try and change that.)

And then this stinger with Yo and Plug? This pain of their argument reflecting the argument that Sand and Ray weren't having but also were and all of Ray's deepest fears reflected, in a very different way, in Yo's lived experiences with love and his self-destruction shown by Yo's rejection of Plug and Plug's break up. Because Ray knows he isn't worthy of love and so he does the opposite of Yo, he clings to them all the tighter and drags them into his life by force.

Because he's terrified of letting go because letting go means loss and loss will destroy him. He's so easy to destroy.

Sand says he won't be Ray's second choice and he means it and he is right but the worst part is that he's truly Ray's first choice, Ray's just too scared of loss and risk and pain to actually act on his heart.

[lover-of-mine]

I truly feel like the fandom post 7x04 could be psychologically studied. Like I’ve never seen anything like it. Like it could’ve been a normal “obvious plot device couple no ones really invested in before the will they won’t they couple get together” time like in The Rookie when Tim and Lucy were dating different people before they got together. But because they’re both mlm ships everything typical went out the window. It’s like all the typical fandom stuff is flipped. Typically it’s fans of the fanon ship that are begging for crumbs and making up headcanons desperate to create depth and content that the show won’t give them. Somehow we’ve found ourselves in a spot where the canon ship is being treated like a fanon ship BY THE SHOW and the fans of said canon ship are livid because they feel entitled to more. And because the fanon ship is getting treated like the canon ship by the show fans of said ship are getting targeted more than I think I’ve ever seen (most canon ship fans just ignore the fanon shippers or roll their eyes at them but not much else from my experience)

It's like another anon told me the other day, people expect us to give Tommy a bonus just because he's a man when the show isn't giving us anything. It is very clear that this is just a device to make Buck bisexual, to get us to the endgame that is buddie, yk? They have been setting up buddie for over 6 seasons now, and now that Buck is queer there is no reason for them not to go there but since it since Tommy is a man, they expect the relationship between to go differently when the show isn't giving them anything. It is just a narrative device to get Buck from from point A to point B. And people kind of lost their minds about it. I think even the show itself didn't realize that people would like Tommy, because no one ever liked anyone they paired Buck or Eddie with and now they ended up with this situation. They clearly do not want to develop Tommy in any way and since he is just there, everyone that ships that wants the relationship to be more just because they build their relationship to be more in their heads. 5he show didn't really give them anything beyond the fact that he's a man. But in the end of the day they do have the defense of saying my ship is canon because as of right now, Eddie is not queer and Buck is dating Tommy. So I don't understand why they are this aggressive about the situation (I mean, I do, they got played by Lou and are fuming because they invested on something expecting it to be developed just for it to just be there). Because like the fanin couple has always been a thing, every show, every piece of media has that one fanon couple that people are obsessed with. And, yes there's a lot of talk about buddie right now because buddie is actually possible, and like it or not it's the ship that has 6 seasons of buildup. They don't seem to understand that the ship they created in their heads with the help of paid headcanons isn't what exists on the show. I would seriously ready a psychological experiment in fandom based on the past 6 months, because it is some fascinating shit. Just because he's a man, suddenly nothing else mattered. Is crazy.

[nightislandnoveltymug]

actually, proper answer now that i'm awake and have had some time to percolate lol. best thing armand did!

i should say this is kind of a tie for me because the person armand becomes with daniel is always going to be up there -- he didn't let him die, he gave daniel what he wanted, but more importantly he told him, and showed him, that he loved him, and just in general in their time together he allowed daniel to see so much of his real genuine vulnerability and cared for him and worried about him so much and that fucks me up!!

but!! the thing i actually wanted to mention is his homes! (this is maybe cheating a little bit because it isn't something he did, it's something he does, but whatever.) one of the things i love most about armand is that he's always creating these stable places and central points for everybody to congregate on. while a lot of the others are sort of nomadic and don't stay in touch and you don't really know where they are, he is always (as he says) "a canker in the very eye of the world". he's easy to find, he stays in one place and he uses his resources and his power to create these stable, lasting home bases and then opens his doors to others. he creates stability and then shares it in a way that really nobody else does.

and i think it's very interesting because this sort of stability is a character trait that (i think!) maybe most people would first and foremost think to associate with elders like maharet, or marius, when in actual fact, the truth is that neither of them has ever done that -- for their own disparate reasons they've always been highly reclusive, and have protected their own stability by staying out of touch with the rest of the vampire world, not opening their doors, and for the most part not helping anyone or intervening in anything in any way.

there's something fascinating and honestly poignant about like... armand, maybe subconsciously, running a household according to an ideal which (imo!) is based on marius, except that marius has never actually done that. not for vampires. and so in actual fact, this is something that armand has innovated; this actually comes from him, and is coloured by his experience with the covens (which marius has never shown anything but disdain for), and perhaps even beyond that, by his experience with the sense of community in monastic life (which really ditto).

i personally suspect that rather than praiseworthy, he probably sees this as ultimately pretty self-serving on his own part, because he has this longing for community that drives him to create these places, so he probably just sees it as something he does so that he won't have to be alone. and also, from the way he talks in late canon you get the sense that he rather sees himself as trying to atone, and as trying to emulate those who are better than him. when in fact he's doing something that nobody else is doing, and in many ways (imo) behaving more like a leader of a community than any of the characters that everyone else thinks ought to lead, like marius or lestat. not because they couldn't, but because neither of them has ever had the resources, capabilities, patience, and willingness to create something like that and then open it up.

and for a character who's been so lost, and has spent so much of his life feeling lost, feeling abandoned (and i think, right up until present day, still feels that way really), and has spent so much of his life looking for something to anchor his life to, without ever having the luxury of truly finding it, and having to just sort of go on anyway, keep living anyway -- for that character to be a stable anchor point for everybody else is something that really really gets me about him, maybe especially because i think he isn't fully aware of it himself.

[animelovelover123]

DMC: Family Pet AU – First Breeding Privileges

Link to Master List

Set-Up

After giving you (up to) 2 years to mentally prepare, the time came for you to start fulfilling one of your primary responsibilities. Children needed to be had. Now usually the demon family would fight, sometimes to the death, for first dibs on breeding a Pet. But this was the Sparda family, who loved and respected your feelings. So instead, they gathered in a meeting and unanimously agreed that you may choose whose child you wish to bear first, and within a month you are to announce your decision. Though, if you couldn’t come to a decision yourself, several members were ready to fight for the privilege.

Lady, Eva, Kyrie, and Nico

Being human women, all four were eliminated from the running automatically due to not actually being able to impregnate you.

Eva is at peace with this. She has already experienced pregnancy with her own body, and though she would be lying if she said she wasn’t a bit curious of what it would feel like on the other side of the situation, she also wished for her children to enjoy the pleasure of creating new life.

If you request her to parent your first child, she suppresses her shocked expression and instead gives a genuine smile full of love and sympathy. “My dear,” Eva motions you to sit in her lap. When you do, she holds your pouting face to her chest and pets you. “it’s very sweet of you to think of me. I am honored to have you even consider an old lady like me, but you know that I cannot do this for you, don’t you?”

Kyrie was a naturally nurturing person and would rather be the one getting pregnant. If anything, she was excited to care for you and live vicariously through you during your pregnancy.

If you try asking her to parent your child, she will freeze for a moment in confusion then break out in a light giggle. “Oh my.” She will smile jovially at you as she scratches behind one of your ears. “Such a sweet little thing.”

Nico wasn’t really interested in having kids, at least not at this point in her life. She was still hung up on her own family issues and trying to settle down with the one she suddenly had now with the Spardas. Though she is a little disappointed because “you and I would have made the cutest little munchkins”.

If you try to choose Nico she will blatantly laugh, though she will rein her humor in if you become upset. “Don’t take it personally sweet pea, but I ain’t got the equipment to do that, if you know what I mean.” She gives a playful wink.

Lady was the only one of the four actually upset that she couldn’t be the parent. She was kind of hoping that, through some magical or demonic means, she could maybe pull it off. And she technically could, but not without her becoming a demon like her father did, which was obviously out of the question. She wanted to be a mom but the idea of getting pregnant herself was scary and it would involve asking someone else to help her which would be excruciatingly embarrassing, even if she wouldn’t mind if it happened with a select couple of the other members. And maybe she wanted the satisfaction of having you and shoving it in the face of the twins.

If you come to her and ask her to be the first to breed with you, her disappointment grows tenfold. “God, I wish I could. I want to. You have no idea how badly I want to. But I just… can’t.” At that moment, for but a minute, she truly considers becoming a demon.

Dante

Technically, Dante is the most optimal choice. He is the oldest and strongest of the possible partners that do not already have an heir. This is something he holds over everyone else as a playful jab. In all honesty, he doesn’t feel anywhere near worthy to have a kid. Still, he has always kind of wanted one and he couldn’t ask for anyone better to be the other parent than you. Even as he looks through porn magazines to try and get his mind off the possibility, his face goes red with daydreams of you happily waddling over to him for a kiss with a full belly and later coming home to the excited calls of “Papa!” as his cute little guy or gal waddles over to him. His self-doubts keep him from expressing these more enduring feelings though, instead hiding behind teasing and jokes.

If you are unable to decide and it is left up to a fight, he will naturally stick to his usually cocky and cheeky attitude. But as the fight goes on, he becomes more determined and, if provoked enough, may give in to his demon blood to upgrade the battle into a life-or-death struggle. Someone, most likely Sparda or Trish, may need to step in if Dante and Vergil get each other too heated.

If you choose him though, his facade nearly shatters that instant. His casual smile and posture suddenly flip to that of an excited puppy. If there are other people around he tries to rein it in, both out of wanting to uphold his image and not wanting to risk making others feel worse for having not been chosen. But when you are alone, he is more affectionate than usual. And by the time you hit your second trimester all his restraints are gone as he excitedly prepares his place for his kid and showers you in attention.

“Thank you.” Dante says, making you look down at your lap where he is resting his cheek on your thigh and rubbing a hand over your swelled stomach. “Thank you for choosing me. I’ll be the best damn father I can be.”

Vergil

Vergil already has a son. He and his father are the only ones out of the potential partners who have already secured an heir, and this results in some pressure to not participate in the competition. To step back and let others have the chance to be parents first. But that’s the thing, Vergil never truly got the chance to be a parent. Sure, once he is properly reunited with Nero, Vergil has been trying to form a bond with his son, but he can never make up for all the lost time. Vergil wants another chance to be a father, one in which he can be there for every special moment and lead his child through life’s difficult hurdles.

And so, if the privilege to have you carry his child is left up to a battle, Vergil is ready to fight tooth and nail. It doesn’t matter if he is up against his brother, his father, or even his own son, Vergil has no intention of giving in until he is on death’s door. In reality, others will step in to stop the fight before it gets to that point, but Vergil is ready.

If you instead seek him out to be your first breeding partner, he feels as if the world is giving him a sign. A sign telling him that he can repent for his failure with Nero, even though Vergil had been enslaved and did not choose to abandon Nero. Vergil takes the utmost care in every step of the process. From conception to each trimester and to the birth itself, Vergil has researched every possible thing. This actually gets in the way sometimes, but it is the thought that counts. He wants to do things right, not just by the child but by you as well, who was suffering more than he would like to bring this child into the world. He also tries to integrate Nero into the process by encouraging Nero to spend time with you and him. To speak to his future sibling, to play games of tag when the child is restless, and to be the third, after you and Vergil himself, to hold the baby once they are born. Seeing Nero half lay on your bed so he can get a good look at the bundle in your arms, watching you both smile down at the wriggling baby, cooing things at it like “you’re so cute” and “I’m gonna teach you all sorts of crazy stuff”. Then seeing you both look up at him and excitedly beckon him closer… that was the first time you or Nero saw Vergil cry.

“I can do this.” He finally truly believed. “I can grow a family.”

Nero

Fuck YEEEEESSS! Nero is so ready to have a kid. He’s always wanted to be a dad, to be everything he never had growing up. And ya, he had Kyrie and wanted to have kids with her too, but why can’t he have both? He knew that was a bit selfish, but he loved you both so very much, and maybe the thought of getting you both pregnant ignited a weird but intoxicating masculine pride in him.

So hell ya. If it’s a fight the others want, it’s a fight they’ll get. He’ll pull out all the stops weapon-wise. Thankfully though he hasn’t awakened to his full devil trigger yet so he won’t go into ‘kill or be killed’ mode like his dad or his uncle.

If you pointedly choose him though, he is honestly overly proud. He will parade this information and your full tummy around, usually not intending to offend or rub it into other people’s faces, except sometimes with Dante and Vergil (and maybe Trish if he is mad at her). He wants everyone to appreciate your strength and beauty, and to acknowledge him as a mature adult who can take care of himself and others. People are quick to point out that his giddiness in showing you, and anything to do with his child, off to anyone that would listen was not helping his mission to be seen as mature.

He will be nervous to leave you alone while pregnant, but he will manage to still do his jobs if you are in the care of other family members, especially Kyrie. But if he actually manages to get both you and Kyrie pregnant at the same time, all restraints are off. A family meeting is being held? Unless both of you can safely attend then he’ll pass, someone can give him the 411 later. There’s a mission to do for Devil May Cry? He has a family to deal with that. He has more important places to be. The world is ending? Well, he has to be with his lovers to make sure they and his future children make it through the apocalypse. Okay… maybe he’ll let others watch over you both while he helps. But this better be quick!

V

He knew this was coming, but when the time did come, he still wasn’t sure. He did not really want children. He wasn’t averse to children or having them, but he felt nowhere near ready to father one. Even though he was physically an adult and mature in many ways, he felt far too naïve. He has only existed in his own body for a handful of years and has spent even less time as his own being with individuality. He was comparatively a child to the world, how was he supposed to lead a baby through it? Even if he did indulge in scribing the most beautiful of art in his mind while imagining you with a child he helped create from time to time.

Even so, he was pressured to participate. As the only human eligible to be a breeding partner, other humans in the family (namely Lady and Nico) elected him as some sort of representative and encouraged him to put up a good fight at least. His familiars, primarily Griffon, argued with him every day to assert more dominance in the family, and being the first to impregnate the family Pet would definitely raise his standing. Others egged him on through mocking comments. Some were unintentional, like Sparda and Nero honestly worrying that the battle over you may be too rough for him, while others were very much meant to aggravate him, such as Dante’s playful remarks of V being “too fragile” and Vergil’s assertion that V is “simply too weak”.

If the brawl is to be scheduled, V approaches it with a tired frustration and hidden discomfort. “I suppose I must,” he says over and over with a shrug to get others to stop bothering him about it and to try and work up the nerve in himself. Despite fully expecting to fail, V still trains for the fight and hopes, at the very least, not to leave the fight as an utter disappointment to everyone present. He, in fact, ends up impressing his family.

Everyone is utterly shocked if you ask him to father your first child, including V himself. Whether other people are around when you utter the words or it is just him present, the room falls silent for a long while, wide eyes turning to watch you as if you would throw your hands up and laugh off the joke any moment. It’s Griffon who breaks the silence as he emerges unsolicited to cheer. This becomes a recurring problem, Griffon gloating to everyone that his master was chosen which means his master is better than them. V gets in the habit of calling Griffon back within seconds of sensing the avian’s pride. Shadow is also prideful but at least she simply struts alongside you proudly like you are a queen out for a walk with her faithful pet. V, though taken aback by this sudden responsibility placed before him, does take it with all due respect and seriousness. Though continuing to ask, “are you sure?” even after the baby is born, he will do everything in his power to be the man he needs to be for you and the precious gift you have given him.

Credo

As a loyal follower of Sparda, and later Vergil, and a well-researched man on demonology and society, Credo knew from the moment the idea of adopting a Pet came up in a family meeting that the stream of children would follow soon enough. What he was still trying to wrap his brain around was that he had the privilege of being in the running to have you. He still very much felt like a simple soldier under the great Sparda and his eldest son rather than being part of the Sparda family, even though most of the family had treated him kindly and welcomed him wholeheartedly. Credo also hadn’t really considered being a father before. Having spent most of his life helping to raise his little sister and adoptive brother while also leading the holy knights, he never really stopped to consider what to do with his life outside of these things. If he did take time to consider the possibility, he found that he kind of liked the idea, but the single month between having the meeting and you giving your answer was not enough time for him to come to a clear decision.

In the end, if he was called to the battlefield, he would fight. However, if he was ordered to stand down he would comply. With his lack of commitment at the moment, he treats the fight almost like training. A clash of blades to test each other’s prowess without grievously wounding anyone as they were all on the same side.

If you approach him to be your partner, he stares at you long and hard, his expression seeming to be an angry glare but was actually furrowed in thought. If any of the higher-ranked members of the family are around Credo will look to them before responding to you. What did they think of this? Was this acceptable? Was he acceptable? Whether there are third parties present or not, Credo will say with a straight face, “Thank you for telling me this. Please give me time to think things over.” He gives you a bow and leaves the room before his racing heart and heating face ruins his stoicism.

Credo feels the need to converse with the heads of the family, Sparda and Eva, about this matter. Credo considered inviting Vergil to this meeting but there was a nagging fear in his heart that Vergil would vehemently deny you and him. This was picked up on by Sparda and Eva who recognized it as Credo seeking affirmation and blessing, which they give him. After a bit more consideration he agrees.

“Though I am still unsure of my qualifications, I will stake my honour as the head of the holy knights on providing for you and our child.”

Trish

As a demon, Trish was the only female that could get you pregnant and so was the only woman in the running. This resulted in her feeling just a bit pressured, by other girls in the family and herself, to step up and succeed as a gender representative. Not that she doesn’t want to be a parent with you, far from it. She has always held a maternal instinct that, though somewhat soothed via her teasing mothering of other family members, she knows she won’t truly be vindicated from until she has a kid of her own. Now whether that kid was with you or Lady didn’t matter, both of you were her favorites. But this was a prime opportunity.

If it came down to a fight she would step up to the plate. With the sword Sparda in hand and the cheers of Lady and Nico she would give it her all. But she also was levelheaded enough to not take things too far. No matter how much she wanted a kid, she had no intention or desire to kill her family for it. She would subdue the others, not eliminate them. She knew her limits and the limits of her family and would keep an eye out for how much damage they and herself had taken. If things got bad or those observing became too upset at the violence, her maternal instinct would drive her to abort the fight and try to stop it.

If she is the one you choose, she coos affectionately. “Why of course sweetheart.” She pulls you into a loose hug so she can look at your cute blushing face as she strokes your hair. “Let me handle everything darling, I’ll take such good care of you.” She won’t gloat about it to others, though maybe throw around a teasing remark occasionally. This was mainly between you and her, so she never gave out unnecessary information or listened to others’ unsolicited suggestions, except perhaps from Eva and Sparda out of loyalty and understanding that they knew best in this scenario. Even though she knew you belonged to the family, for the time being, you were primarily hers and she was yours.

Sparda

As the head of the family, Sparda had full right to simply choose whom you bred with first and when. The only thing that would get in his way is any family member who dared fight his authority, which Sparda could only think of Vergil and/or Nero trying such a thing. But that wasn’t the kind of man Sparda was. His eyes have been opened to the kinder ways of humanity and he no longer wishes to continue the cruel treatment of Pets that his kind primarily did. He was also reasonable enough to understand that he already had two strong, healthy, adult (in terms of human biology) children. Though his demon body was formed with the natural intention to live several thousand years and create many offspring in that time, he was mature and self-aware enough to understand that he has had his time as a father and that now it was time to give others a turn. And yet, he couldn’t help his craving to bear children with you. He cherished the experience of having children with Eva and wished to have it again, and again, and again. What an uplifting and proud life he has lived since becoming a father, but with his sons carving new paths in life he desired to bring about more joy into the world. But this he kept contained, only speaking to his wife about it if she could pull it out of him.

Sparda did not intend to participate in the battle for breeding privileges if it came to that. But he may be convinced to join if encouraged by others, whether that be by Eva telling him to follow his desires or his children and grandchild itching to fight him. The fight was admittedly tougher than he had expected, which gave him a rush of demonic violent adrenalin and a surge of fatherly pride at how strong his kin was. This paternal pride is what held him back from letting out his full power though, not wanting to hurt his children’s pride by a swift defeat and still believing that his kin deserved the chance to be parents like he already had.

If you request him to be your first partner, he is able to hold back his pride and excitement to give you a kind but questioning look. “Are you sure Pet? I am flattered but perhaps we should give others the chance first.” He quickly gives in to your pleading eyes and pouts at his gentle rejection though. He lifts you into his arms, just as he did with Eva on their wedding night. “I will be sure not to fall short of your expectations. Now, shall we begin right away?”

Sparda is a family man, and so he does his best to involve as much of the family in the new child’s life. From relying on his patient and considerate wife to help lead you through the highs and lows of pregnancy and childbirth to easing the twins into accepting their new sibling. He also uses the experience as a teaching opportunity for his kin on what to expect from fathering/mothering a child and what they should do. He’ll even encourage others to play at being a parent for practice, assuming you are comfortable with that. It becomes a regular occurrence for all family members to hover around you; figuring out how to hold, cuddle, lift, and support you and your changing body; and to expect the unexpected, sudden, but strong desires you will have, along with knowing how to keep you and the baby safe while they satisfy you in every way.

[mllemaenad]

Not that you are by any means the worst offender in this regard, but it rubs me ghe wrong way how much leniency the NCR gets when it comes to considering the effects of their actions, and perhaps more importantly, their intentions.

Groups like Caesar's Legion, The Brotherhood of Steel, House's factions, The Unity, The Enclave, and The Institute are treated as villains if anyone is even indireehurt because of them.

If two human surface-dwellers kill each other in Diamond City, people blame the Institute.

If the White Legs emulate Twisted Hair cultural traditions without fully understanding them, Ulysses blames the Legion.

And yet... the NCR is treated by fans as well-intentioned and good-natured despite the harm they cause. The situation in Nipton was the fault of the NCR. Its corrupt Mayor was from the NCR. The Powder Gangers were only in the Mojave because the NCR moved them there.

Vulpes set up his lottery (not that I'm saying it was a perfect solution) to address a problem that had gotten out of hand, a problem downstream of the NCR... and yet most fan discussions blame the Legion for what happened in Nipton.

ThevNCR seems to get a pass because people see their goals as noble... but their goals are to recreate the exact conditions that caused the Great War!

We see the exact same phenomena in pre-war terminals as we do in contemporary NCR. A government more obsessed with maintaining its own power than solving problems, a corrupt justice system that favours the wealthy, an obsession with democracy that makes decisions slow and bureaucratic, and a rapacious desire for resources that leads to expansion and conflict eith other factions.

Why is Caesar condemned for his ego, and his shortsigtedness, but Kimball is not?

Why is Roger Maxon blamed for creating an organisation that has hurt people, but not Aradesh?

Why is Justin Ayo blamed for his secrecy and lack of trust, but not Colonel Moore?

It's a double-standard. Others are blamed for trying something new, the NCR gets carte blanch to repeat old mistakes!

Hi, anonymous person.

So ... I've read this, and I've read it again, and again after that and ... I'm a little puzzled about what's bothering you. The NCR is broadly attempting to feed, clothe and house hundreds of thousands of people ... and fans tend to give them a little more leeway when they fuck up than they do, say, the Enclave, which is a fascist organisation bent on global genocide and this is ... bad?

Honestly not really seeing the problem there.

I've barely written anything about the NCR, and certainly not in depth character profiles of the people you bring up, so I'm not completely sure why this is directed at me. If you're saying that there are fans who refuse to acknowledge that the NCR has flaws ... well, I haven't met those people, but if you look for an opinion on the internet you'll probably find it, so I'm not going to try to claim they don't exist. I've seen people claim women don't play Fallout, which is kind of a problem, from where I'm sitting. :)

But. Well, okay.

It's a double-standard. Others are blamed for trying something new, the NCR gets carte blanch to repeat old mistakes!

Nobody's trying anything new. That's kind of the point here. War never changes. Just to do the main antagonists ...

Richard Grey/The Master is just doing eugenics with a sci-fi twist. He's going to forcibly convert everyone who can be into a super mutant, and prevent any remaining humans from breeding. One of the ways to beat him is to tell him that his "master race" is sterile. It's a horrifying plan.

The Enclave are American fascists. They believe that only their people are truly human and that everyone else should literally die.

Edward Sallow/Caesar is ... I mean he's just cosplaying as Caius Julius Caesar because he thinks it looks cool. That's an actual human being who lived, and who quite famously got stabbed to death. More historical precedent than you could shake a gladius at. Sallow got over excited when he read Caesar's Commentaries and decided he wanted to be Caesar. Presenting "doing ancient Rome" as new is ... certainly something, and particularly hilarious as a plan for a civilisation given the decades long clusterfuck that was the fall of the Roman Republic, plus fun subsequent imperial followups like "the year of the four emperors".

The Institute has just reintroduced slavery, only this time let's 3D print the people instead of abducting them so literally no one will care what we do to them! They also lean into the idea that they are the only real people, although they are not quite as committed to this as the Enclave.

What's new and exciting here that I should be willing to give a try? They're all old ideas, and ideas that seem to involve a lot of genocide, enslavement and general misery for anybody who isn't part of a specific in group.

Vulpes set up his lottery (not that I'm saying it was a perfect solution) to address a problem that had gotten out of hand, a problem downstream of the NCR… and yet most fan discussions blame the Legion for what happened in Nipton.

I ... what? Yeah, I'm going to disappoint you here. The massacre at Nipton was the Legion's fault because they were the ones who walked in there and, you know, massacred people. Mayor Steyn was absolutely engaging in a round of "play stupid games, win stupid prizes" and if anybody tries to argue that he was competent I will dispute that wholeheartedly. But there was only a massacre because the Legion actively set one up.

There's political corruption in Nipton, but the problem of the Legion is that they think a lottery that decides who gets beheaded, who gets crucified and who gets sold into slavery is some sort of solution to that problem, rather than an atrocity. That's why they're still the bad karma choice, even if the NCR is kind of fucking things up.

Also ... ha. I promise you imitating ancient Rome is not going to solve your political corruption problems. I mean ... I know Vulpes Inculta makes his little speech, but Rome never did solve the problem of profiteering governors and corrupt politicians. This is not a problem that is going to miraculously disappear under Legion rule. And the idea of Rome somehow getting rid of prostitution is just ... Honestly, Caesar's Legion would be hilarious if you didn't have to have these conversations standing next to people dying on crosses.

If two human surface-dwellers kill each other in Diamond City, people blame the Institute.

... Diamond City is run by the Institute, under the synth-replacement of Mayor McDonough. The leadership actively plays up the paranoia in the city by refusing to investigate disappearances. The particular scene you are describing is paired with one that occurs in Goodneighbor, where the neighborhood watch is able to accurately identify a synth infiltrator – because they are not Institute run.

It's also a feature of gameplay that an inhabitant of one of your settlements may be a synth infiltrator and become hostile to the other settlers. So I'm pretty sure people are blaming the Institute for things they're doing.

If the White Legs emulate Twisted Hair cultural traditions without fully understanding them, Ulysses blames the Legion.

... The Legion massacred Ulysses' people. They enslaved some and crucified the rest along the roadside, like Spartacus's army of old. That's why he's the only one left who understands what the braids mean. His reaction is somewhat unfair to the White Legs, yes, who had no way of knowing what they were doing was wrong ... but I can't see why blaming the Legion would be a problem. They did, in fact, exterminate his people.

ThevNCR seems to get a pass because people see their goals as noble… but their goals are to recreate the exact conditions that caused the Great War!

There's a line I like, that Deacon says in Fallout 4.

I never really much cared for the Minutemen. The idea sounds great. But you give small men big power and sometimes you'll pay for it. –Fallout 4, Deacon Miscellaneous Dialogue

In the context of Fallout 4, the Minutemen are the scrappy underdogs you root for. They're helping to rebuild the shattered settlements of the Commonwealth and they're a potential source of resistance against the Institute. But if you talk to Preston, you get hints of the politics and infighting that brought them down the first time. There's no reason that couldn't happen again. They could become a controlling and exploitative organisation.

Do I think that means you shouldn't work with them? No, of course not. You deal with the situation in front of you. You try to support the people who aim to make life better for everyone.

If we roll back around to the Commonwealth in Fallout 8 or something (assuming I haven't died of old age by then) and the Minutemen have become a military dictatorship ruling the people with an iron fist ... well, we go deal with the fucking Minutemen then.

Deacon's right about the threat, but if you don't take the chance on trusting people, you never build anything.

It's a thing in Fallout. War never changes. There are some truly evil, terrible ideas that turn up again and again and need to be slapped down. But there is no perfect Utopia on the other side of it. There are just communities banding together to try and make it work. What stops them from going bad? Nothing. It can always happen. You make the best choices you can in every story, given what you have to work with.

Or you do an evil playthrough. Your choice. Not my business.

The NCR is supposed to hurt. Watching them fail is supposed to hurt. It's no good if it doesn't hurt. No one cries when you blow up the Enclave. That's a job well done. You can't say good things about them.

The point of the NCR is that you can. They have some runs on the board! Democracy! Agriculture! Education! You want them to make it work. And yeah, it lets you ask much more interesting questions like: how many fuck ups do we let slide?

We don't need the Enclave, or the Legion, to fuck up to know they're bad news. Their goals are bad. We want them gone. But with the NCR ... how much bad are we okay with, to keep the good?

You haven't given me any examples to work with, so I can't reasonably speak to what fans say. But I don't think the games give them any sort of uncritical pass. Fallout New Vegas is ... absolutely about the problems of colonialism and aggressive expansionism. It's very clear that the NCR has not made good choices recently. The game gives you a lot of room to figure out what you want to do about that, and no answer is perfect.

It's only with regard to the Legion specifically that it's an obviously moral choice – and they level the playing field for you there. Both the Legion and the NCR have imperial pretensions, and those are not good. But since that specific thing is the same, well, we're supporting the people who aren't implementing mass slavery and treating women as "breeding stock", right?

If there are people who won't admit flaws in the NCR, well, yeah, I'd call them wrong. But I don't really think it's a double standard to favour a group that doesn't have "wouldn't it be great if we murdered everybody" as a core philosophy over one that does.

[mirajaneswritingshenanigans]

You’re My Person

Fandom(s): Vincenzo Series

Pairing(s): Vincenzo Cassano x Female!MafiaReader

Summary: A surprise visit. A night of drinking. What could could happen?

Disclaimer: I do not own any character mentioned in this work. Every character and scene belongs to the writers, producers, and directors of Vincenzo. I am simply borrowing dialogue and characters to create this work of fiction.

A/N: Y/N-Your Name. This was a request, I hope y’all enjoy it. ✨-Stands for a time skip. I made Vincenzo a much softer character than he actually is because we love a soft Vincenzo. @acupnoodle​ I really hope I did your request justice and that you enjoy this piece of work.

Warning(s): Out of character moments?, Alcohol consumption, a bit of teasing, open ending?

Word Count: 4,833

Vincenzo had been away from Italy for a few months now. When he left you told him not to worry you’d keep everything in order for him. With Luca’s help of course. In this world Vincenzo and Luca were the only two people you could truly trust and rely on. When you heard that Luca would be going to Korea, you knew what you wanted to do.

“Please, Luca.” You stopped Luca in the hallway, blocking his path. “Take me with you. I want to go too.” “Y/N, I’m not going for pleasure. I need to deliver what Vincenzo has asked for.” “I hear what you’re saying, you can leave me at the airport and I’ll find him on my own. I won’t get in your way. Just don’t tell Vincenzo about my arrival.” You pouted at Luca. He sighed heavily and ran his right hand through his hair. “Fine. You know the rules. Do not distract me, stay out of trouble, do not bring unnecessary attention to yourself, and always make sure you aren’t being followed. Understood.” Luca said giving up on saying no to you. “Understood!” You responded excitedly. “Go pack, we leave in fifteen minutes.” Luca told you.

About an hour later the two of you were on a flight to Korea. While the flight attendant made the announcements they mentioned that it would be an eleven hour long flight. The plane you were on wasn’t as crowded as you had thought it would be. You looked around at the passengers surveying them and your surroundings. You didn’t see anyone you recognized or anyone that would recognize you, so you began to relax a little.

“You do know that I can’t just leave you alone at the airport, right?” Luca asked quietly. “Why not?” You gave him a puzzled look. “Vincenzo would kill me if he found out I did that to you. Instead I’ll take you to where he is. You can surprise him first, then I’ll deliver the items.” Luca replied to you. You laughed a little at his statement but nodded your head in agreement. When it seemed like the conversation was over you decided to get comfortable and sleep. Because what else were you going to do for eleven hours.

Time had seemed to fly by, no pun intended. It seemed like you had fallen asleep not even five minutes ago. You yawned and stretched the best you could in such a small space. “Here already?” You asked as you stood up next to Luca. “You slept almost the entire flight. Did you know that you talk in your sleep?” Luca asked with a smirk as he grabbed his brief case and your carry on bag. “I do not.” You playfully smacked his arm. He only shook his head and lightly laughed at your antics. Your face grew warm trying to think of what you would be saying in your sleep, and hoping that you didn’t say anything embarrassing. You silently followed Luca off the plane and into the airport terminal.

At one point Luca had to stop before the two of you got separated in the crowd. You had gotten distracted by your thoughts and wasn’t paying attention to where you were going. When the two of you made it to luggage claims you saw your suitcase right away. After grabbing it and turning to see Luca grab his, you followed his lead.

“Luca, why didn’t we take our private jet?” You asked him curiously. “Simple, I didn’t want our enemies to notice that we both left Italy. It’s best that we never bring that chaos to Korea with us.” Luca explained as he held the exit door open for you. “This way.” Luca directed the two of you to a black SUV sitting in the pick up lane. “Way to stick out.” You teased him. Luca rolled his eyes as he opened the trunk door. “It was the only rental vehicle they had available when I set everything up.” He told you as he put all the bags into the vehicle. You glanced inside and noticed someone sitting at the driver’s seat. You turned to Luca with a skeptical look. “Don’t worry. I trust this man.” Luca said when he noticed the look on your face. He closed the trunk door and walked around to the passenger side. “I trust your judgment.” You told him as you walked to the door behind his seat. Once the two of you were buckled in the driver began to drive away. Luca told the man where to go. The car ride to the plaza was silent. You stared out the window taking in all the sights and buildings passing by. After awhile the SUV came to a stop in front of a building.

“This is the suite you’ll be looking for.” Luca turned to hand you a piece of paper. You took it from him and stared at it a moment before opening your door to get out. Luca followed your lead and got out as well. He knew you were able to get the bags yourself but he silently offered his help when he noticed how nervous you looked. “Just so you know, I’m only here to deliver this briefcase to him, nothing more.” Luca told you in a reassuring tone. You nodded your head as you took your luggage from him. “All I ask is, try not to get hurt during your visit.” Luca told you as he stretched his arm up to bring the back door down to close it. “I’ll be with Vincenzo, you never know what could happen, but I’ll try my best.” You said before walking off. “I’ll see you later.” Luca yelled out his window as the SUV drove away.

It took you a few minutes to find the office. But you found it and became overwhelmed with excitement. Before opening the door you calmed yourself down so that you could quietly sneak in. You silently set your luggage down beside the door when you stepped inside. Luckily enough for you Vincenzo was the only one present at the moment and he was distracted by watering the plants that lined the shelf by a window. “Long time, no see.” Your voice broke the silence making Vincenzo jump a little. He would only do that when he was too lost in his own thoughts. “How many times do I have to tell you not to sneak up on me.” Vincenzo playfully scolded you. “And how many times do I have to tell you to not get so lost in thought.” You retorted. Vincenzo rolled his eyes. “Also good to see you too.” You smiled at him and leaned against the table you were standing next to. “It’s good to see you.” He tried to hide the smile that graced his features. Truth be told he was happy to see you, because of all the people to miss he missed you the most. However he would never admit that out loud to anyone.

“Now that we took care of that…” You turned your attention to the man and woman that had just walked into the room. The woman’s words trailing off when she noticed your presence. Eyeing you suspiciously. “Mr. Nam, Cha-young, this is Y/N. She’s a close friend of mine from Italy.” Vincenzo stepped away from the plants to stand next to you as he spoke. You smiled and waved at them. “It’s nice to meet you.” Mr. Nam stated politely. “Hm, since it seems Vincenzo trusts you, I’ll trust his judgment.” Cha-young told you. “That’s fair enough.” Was the only response you could think of. You felt that it would take time for her to warm up to you. “I’ll grab everyone a cup of tea.” Mr. Nam announced as he walked off somewhere in the office. You decided to take a seat at the table. Vincenzo and Cha-young following your lead. Before Vincenzo sat down he caught a glimpse of your bags beside the door.

“Do you have a place to stay?” Vincenzo asked. Your face grew warm when you realized you hadn’t thought that far ahead. “I’ll figure it out.” You told him. “Here we are.” Mr. Nam said as he set a cup down in front of everyone, before taking a seat with his own cup. “No need to figure it out. You’ll stay with me.” Vincenzo stated as a matter of fact. You hid the smile that graced your features behind the mug you sipped from. “Are we expecting any more guests today?” Mr. Nam asked curiously. “Well, Y/N is a surprise guest. However Luca said he’d be stopping by sometime soon.” Vincenzo gave you a look as he spoke. You could tell that he figured out how you got here.

“So, Y/N do know what Vincenzo has been up to here lately?” Cha-young asked, putting all the attention on you. You nodded. “I have a bit of knowledge of what is going on. Has something to do with a chairman and a company named Babel.” Cha-young nodded her head at you. Vincenzo looked from you to Cha-young. He could tell that although she had seemed to be pleased with your reply, she also seemed wary of you. He silently hoped that would change soon because he felt that may cause problems for all parties involved.

Before anyone could say anything else Luca walked into the office. Vincenzo stood up from the table to greet him, and to direct him back out of the office. Wanting to speak to him for a moment alone. His actions left the three of you in awkward silence.

“Is she causing trouble already?” Luca asked as Vincenzo closed the door behind himself. “No, her presence is just a surprise to us, especially me.” Vincenzo crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against the wall. “She found out about my trip to Korea. She begged to come with. It was either I leave her alone there and allow her to create chaos out of boredom, or bring her with.” Luca said with a smirk. Vincenzo nodded, knowing full well the havoc you create when you’re bored. “Here, everything you asked for.” Luca said as he handed the briefcase off to Vincenzo. “I’ll be sticking around a few days, just in case I’m needed.” “Good idea. I appreciate it. Don’t worry about Y/N, she’ll be staying with me.” Vincenzo stated. Luca nodded his head before walking away to wherever he had decided to stay.

“See, this is Jang Han-seo, he’s not the real chairman.” Vincenzo saw Mr. Nam showing you pictures and explaining the entire situation when he walked back into the office. “I’m still pissed at Jun-woo.” Cha-young stated angrily. “That sort of betrayal would make me angry too.” You looked up from the pictures to Cha-young as you spoke. You noticed how she relaxed a little and nodded at you. You took her gesture as a good sign. “I see you’re getting brought up to date on what’s going on.” Vincenzo set the briefcase down on his desk before taking a seat at the table. “I figured that you wouldn’t mind. Seeing as she’s a close friend of yours and could possibly help us.” Mr. Nam said. “You’re not mad about it, are you?” You asked him with a small pout. “Not all. I prefer this opposed to you sneaking around and getting into unnecessary trouble for it. Just to gather the information that you wanted.” Vincenzo said. “You know me so well.” You responded. “Will you be willing to help us, if we ask for your help?” Cha-young asked you. “Of course. While I’m visiting, I’ll help in any way possible.” You replied with a smile. Mr. Nam continued on for a few more hours. Cha-young and Vincenzo chiming in every so often.

✨✨✨✨

“We should stop here for now.” Vincenzo suddenly announced. “We’ve covered the basics for today. We’ll gradually get you fully caught up as the days go by.” Vincenzo stood up from his chair and began to help Mr. Nam organize and put all the documents away. “So, what should we do now?” You asked Vincenzo. “Why don’t we go out for dinner.” Cha-young suggested. “Sounds perfect!” You said in excitement. Mr. Nam silently shook his head in agreement. Vincenzo was silent for a moment “fine, but first we take your luggage to my place.” He looked at you when he mentioned the luggage. You nodded at him. “We’ll wait for you in the car.” Mr. Nam said as he put on his coat and headed out of the office. Cha-young smiled before leaving with him, having put her coat on the moment she mentioned dinner.

Vincenzo made a gesture for you to follow him. He had grabbed your bags on the way out of the office. You silently followed behind him. Curious on where his place was. Of course it was within the plaza so you didn’t have to go too far. As the two of you walked together, he talked about the other tenants. He also filled you in on the gold and getting help from a man named Cho Yeong-un. You tried your best to remember all the names he was mentioning and what everyone did. When you finally made it to his place he opened the door and allowed you to step inside first.

“What’s that noise?” You turned to Vincenzo. You could hear a light tapping and it piqued your curiosity. “I’ll show you.” Vincenzo said as he motioned for you to follow him. You were surprised that he was still rolling around your luggage. You followed him into what you assumed was his bedroom. He set your bags beside his dresser before walking over to the window. Moving the curtain aside you were surprised to see a pigeon tapping on the glass. You curiously watched him grab a small bag of bird feed before he opened the window. “This is Inzaghi. We have an agreement of sorts, it’s why he comes around.” Vincenzo said as he spread some bird feed feed on the ledge. You nodded and decided to wave at Inzaghi. “That’s adorable that you care for a pigeon.” You told him in a teasing tone. “Come on, they’re waiting on us.” Vincenzo said as he rolled his eyes and closed the window. You lightly laughed at him as you followed him out of the room and then out of the apartment. It took a few minutes for the two of you to walk to the car. Mr. Nam was driving, Cha-young sat in the passenger seat. Vincenzo didn’t seem to mind at all. When the two of you got to the car he opened your door to let you in first. Once Vincenzo was in the car Mr. Nam drove away from the building.

✨✨✨✨

The restaurant the four of you had decided to go to seemed like a semi fancy place with a relaxing atmosphere. Even though you were feeling a bit jet lagged you still tried your best to enjoy yourself.  You joined in on the conversation here and there. Aside from that you mostly stayed silent and observed. You were eyeing Vincenzo for several moments. Looking at the way his hair wasn’t slicked back, the way his posture seemed relaxed, and of course that smile of his. It had been a long time since you had seen him like this and it made your heart skip a beat. Your face grew warm when he noticed you staring and he raised a brow in your direction.

“So, how long do you plan to stay?” Cha-young asked. “Hm, I didn’t really think about that to be honest.” You replied. “Are you in the same line of work as Mr. Cassano?” Mr. Nam asked curiously. “That sounds like a loaded question. The only answer I can give is, I can neither confirm or deny that information.” You said. Vincenzo smirked at your statement. “That’s fair.” Cha-young said.

“Fancy seeing you here.” You turned in the direction of the voice to see Jun-woo with Choi Myung-hee beside him. You glanced over to Vincenzo when you noticed that Jun-woo’s words were directed at him. You could see Vincenzo tense up instantly. “I figured this establishment wouldn’t be up to your standards.” Vincenzo said. He looked up to Jun-woo with a glare. “You’re new. What’s your name?” Jun-woo turned his attention to you. “None of your business.” You replied annoyance clear in your voice. “Oh, fiesty. I like that. Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll figure out who you are. See you around.” Jun-woo said to you. He winked at you as he walked away. Choi Myung-hee eyed you curiously as she followed behind him.

“Good thing we already finished eating, because seeing him would have made me lose my appetite.” Mr. Nam said. Cha-young grunted in agreement with him. Vincenzo looked like he was about to get up and cause a scene. Before he could stand you grabbed his arm and looked up at him. “Don’t, you reacting is exactly what he wants.” You told him. Vincenzo looked between you and Jun-woo. He sighed heavily before relaxing back into his chair. He glanced at the exit one last time to see that they had left. Cha-young and Mr. Nam shared a surprise look with each other. This was the first time they had witnessed someone tell Vincenzo to stop and he actually listened.

✨✨✨✨

A week had gone by since you first arrived. There had been many moments that shocked everyone around Vincenzo. You were used to being one of few that Vincenzo would actually listen to. It seemed like the tenants weren’t used to it though. They had always witnessed Vincenzo do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. You were currently talking to Mi-ri about her hacking skills. Vincenzo was sitting at a table with Mr. Ahn, Cha-young, and Mr. Nam.

“I think it’s cute how you listen to Y/N.” Mr. Ahn suddenly said. Vincenzo turned his gaze to him and raised his brow. “No, he’s right. I’ve noticed she’s the only one that you truly listen to.” Cha-young said in a teasing tone. Mr. Nam tried his best to hide his smile. “Are you done?” Vincenzo asked. “You’ve got to admit that listening to her has helped you stay out of trouble.” Mr. Nam chimed in. Vincenzo leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

“Why so gloomy?” You asked when you sat down at the table with them. Mi-ri had to leave due to an appointment. “Ah, come on. We’re just teasing. No need to be so gloomy about it.” Cha-young said with a mock pout. You smiled at Cha-young. You knew exactly why he was being teased. You decided to lean forward and poke Vincenzo’s cheek. “Turn that frown upside down.” You told him. You gently pressed your finger by the corner of his lip. Making it look like he was half smiling. Vincenzo softly pushed your hand away. “You know I can get away with murder right.” His tone was casual. You only laughed at his statement. “Of course we know.” Mr. Nam said.

Vincenzo rolled his eyes as he stood up. “I’ll be in the office.” “Now, you aren’t going to do something that Y/N would tell you not to, are you?” Mr. Ahn said with a smirk on his face. Vincenzo didn’t respond instead he kept walking. Leaving you with the others laughing a little.

You had stayed with them for awhile longer before you went back to the office. You smiled to yourself as you made your way there. You noticed that the sun had set. In fact it looked like it had set at least two hours ago. You hoped Vincenzo was still in the office. He would have texted me if he decided to go home. Wouldn’t he? You thought to yourself. When you finally made it there and opened the door you were pleased to see him sitting at his desk.

“Oh, good.” He turned his attention to your voice. “Are you here to tease me as well?” Vincenzo asked. You only shook your head no at him. Walking around his desk to stand next to him. You rested one hand on the back of his chair and the other on his desk. Leaning forward slightly to see what he was looking at. “Huh, seems boring.” You turned to face Vincenzo. You jerked back as your face grew warm. You hadn’t realized that the two of you were close enough to bump your nose into his.  He didn’t jump the way you did. Instead he showed you a soft smile. You weren’t sure what to think of that reaction.

“So, do you think you’ll ever return to Italy?” You asked, changing the subject. “Eventually. When I’ve completed everything here.” Vincenzo said. He noticed how you were looking anywhere except at him. He stood up from his desk. “Why don’t we head home.” Vincenzo said as he stepped away from his desk. You knew he meant his apartment but you couldn’t stop yourself from saying “home is in Italy. With Luca” with a pout gracing your features. “Home can be here too. With me.” Vincenzo said, directing you to walk beside him. You barely heard the last part of what he said because he had said it so softly.

You walked quietly beside him as the two of you walked to his apartment. You did miss Italy, but it seemed like Vincenzo was beginning to settle in Korea. You glanced at him a few times. You did notice that he had become a bit softer. That wasn’t a bad thing, but considering what he does, if he becomes too soft it could cause problems. “I can feel you staring.” Vincenzo’s voice brought you back to reality. Not realizing that you were still staring at him, you hadn’t intended to do that. “Sorry.” You said. Vincenzo turned his attention to you only to notice that you were looking straight ahead.

“Oh, look. We’re here.” You said. Vincenzo smiled and shook his head at the way you were acting. He pulled the key out and opened the door. Allowing you to step inside first. “So, I was thinking we eat take out tonight. Have a few drinks. Just relax.” Vincenzo said. “That sounds perfect. It has been a long week.” You told him as you plopped down on the couch. “All right, I’ll order for us. And also grab the drinks.” Vincenzo said as he turned towards his kitchen area.

✨✨✨✨

A few hours had passed since the two of you came home. At this point you were a little drunk and currently snuggling up against Vincenzo on the couch. “No, don’t leave.” You whined when Vincenzo tried to get up. “Y/N, I’ll be right back.” Vincenzo tried to reassure you. He hadn’t drank as much as you did. “Fine. Don’t take too long.” You said with a pout. Vincenzo was finally able to stand after you unwrapped your arms from around him. He smiled down at you before walking off.

After about five minutes he had come back with two bottles of water. You shook your head at him when he attempted to hand one bottle to you. Instead you pulled him onto the couch with you. He laughed a little when he finally got comfortable with you snuggled up against him again. He had forgotten how clingy you become when you’re drunk. However he didn’t mind. You didn’t drink too often anyhow, unless it was with him or Luca. Poor Luca had experienced your clingy behavior once. Except when you clung to him you had said that he’s not Vincenzo but he’ll do. Luca of course didn’t take that personally because he understood your feelings for Vincenzo, even if you hadn’t admitted them to him yet.

After about twenty minutes had gone by he decided to glance at you. Noticing that you were beginning to doze off. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.” Vincenzo gently said to you. “I don’t wanna. I wanna stay with you. Right here.” You replied to him. “You’ll be in pain if the two of us pass out here.” Vincenzo tried to reason with you. You slowly raised yourself to a sitting a position to look at him. He lightly laughed at the way you were pouting at him. He found it to be quite adorable. You tried to stand up but stumbled and fell back on the couch again. “Hang on.” Vincenzo said as he leaned down to lift you. He made sure to hold you close to his body as he carried you to his bed. With the intention to let you sleep comfortably on the bed while he took the couch.

When he made it into the room and gently lay you down, you grabbed his wrist before he could walk away. “Stay with me, please.” You looked up to him as you spoke. Vincenzo only nodded and made his way to the other side of the bed. When he laid down beside you, you decided to curl into his side. He smiled to himself as you finally settled against him. After a few minutes he felt your breathing level out, showing the sign that you had fallen asleep.

Vincenzo was beginning to doze off himself until he heard you speak. He glanced down at you with a puzzled look. “You’ve no idea how much I’ve missed you.” You mumbled. He noticed that your were completely asleep. He had no idea that you sometimes talk in your sleep. In fact you didn’t even know. “How am I supposed to tell you that I love you more than a friend?” He raised a brow when he heard you say that. “Because I truly do love you.” You snuggled up closer to him when you said that. In turn Vincenzo held you tighter. He gently kissed the top of your head. “I love you too.” He whispered back, even though he knew you wouldn’t hear him. He decide that he would tell you what was said in your sleep in the morning.

✨✨✨✨

You groaned as you began to open your eyes. When you turned over you came nose to nose with Vincenzo. At the moment he was still fast asleep. You smiled to yourself as you moved a little to be able to look at him. He looked so peaceful as he slept. You wished that he had always felt that way. “I can feel you staring.” Vincenzo said in a groggy voice. “Sorry.” You whispered to him. Instead of replying to you he decided to pull you onto him as he rolled over on to his back. “Vincenzo, what are you doing?” You laughed as you settled on him. “Felt like having you close to me.” He glanced at your face as he spoke. “Did you know you talk in your sleep?” The way he looked at you in that moment made your face grow warm. “I do?” You questioned. He responded by nodding his head yes.

“Tell me, what do you feel towards me.” Vincenzo said. His voice was gentle. Your eyes grew wide realizing what you might have said. You sat up beside him quickly and hid your face in your hands. “I confessed didn’t I?” You uncovered your face and looked over to Vincenzo. He rolled over on his side. Leaning his head on his arm to look at you. “Based on that look, I’d say I did.” You said softly. “So, tell me while you’re awake.” He said. “Fine. I love you. More than just a friend. More than a close friend. Happy?” You said in a rushed tone. For a moment you thought that was a mistake because he silently stared at you. You watched him with suspicion as he moved to sit up, facing you.  

Instead of saying anything, he gently pulled you onto his lap. Leaning in for a kiss. That wasn’t what you had expected, but you happily accepted it. The kiss was gentle but still firm enough to show that he had reciprocated your feelings. After a few moments you pulled away from him sighing happily. You looked into his eyes searching for any lie. All you saw was just how much love he held towards you.

“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” He asked softly. “Vincenzo, with what we do for a living there was never a good time.” You admitted with a sad smile. “But here, even with the chaos you’ve gotten yourself into, I can tell you’ve become comfortable. You leaned forward, resting you chin against his shoulder. “That much may be true. However, it wasn’t like that until you arrived.” You sat up again to look Vincenzo in the eyes again. “You’re my person. You’ve always been my person. I just never knew how to tell you this.” Vincenzo admitted. He sat up more with a look of concern as he wiped tears from your cheeks. “Sorry, they’re happy tears.” You said and laughed a little. Vincenzo only nodded before pulling you in for a hug.

“Does this mean I get to wake up beside you every morning?” You asked him. “Of course it does.” He replied softly. “Guess we should tell Luca to send over more clothes for me.” Vincenzo laughed softly at your statement.

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