#also those hands are exactly who you think it is

[incorrect-green-lantern-quotes]

Fic idea: After Emerald Twilight, Ganthet gives the last GL ring to a literal child

If you wanna get cracky with it, it’s because he’s an immortal alien and mistook a human kid for a particularly short adult. Or perhaps he’s gambling on the hope that there’s still some good in Hal and that he won’t harm a child.

Either way, the kid uses the ring to become the new Green Lantern. Eventually, Parallax!Hal comes for the last power ring and stops dead in his tracks when he finds its bearer and realizes they are smol. It would be so easy for him to take the ring, this untrained child is nothing compared to the experienced Corpsmen that he'd defeated on his way to Oa or the superheroes of Earth who stood in his way.

But that is exactly why Hal can't bring himself to raise his hand against this last Green Lantern. It's one thing to fight trained officers and former peers. It's another thing entirely to threaten an innocent kid.

Despite the voice in the back of his mind screaming that this is the only way to bring back Coast City, that he can rewrite reality and make it so that the child will have no memory of it, Hal decides that he cannot- will not- hurt them. He leaves the new Green Lantern alone and flees.

The young Green Lantern continues to be a superhero, but frequently gets in over their head without a proper mentor. There are several times that they only survive thanks to their ring seemingly acting on its own. On one of the rare occasions that Ganthet shows up though, he tells them that such a thing is beyond the power ring's capabilities.

The next time Kid Lantern is saved by hard light constructs not of their own making, they call out the name of their predecessor. Sure enough, Parallax appears, having been watching over them all this time. He apologizes and explains that he felt responsible for all the danger that the kid has been through. When he goes to leave though, the kid latches onto his cape and refuses to let go.

To everyone's surprise (including his own), Parallax surrenders. He allows the Justice League to take him into custody under the condition that they allow him to teach Kid Lantern how to use their ring better. They're reluctant to agree to this (Batman outright refuses at first) but Kid Lantern is able to convince them by pointing out that Parallax had multiple opportunities to take the power ring but had instead chosen to save them every time.

Parallax is put under "house arrest" in the Watchtower, and only allowed to train Kid Lantern when they come to him, with one of the Justice League guarding him at all times. Considering the magnitude of his crimes, many think this is being too lenient on the supervillain and wonder if this is some elaborate ruse. But they also know that Parallax does not need to cooperate with the League to get what he wants.

Under the fallen hero's tutelage, Kid Lantern quickly improves with the power ring. Even so, they're not invincible, and when Fatality comes hunting the last remnant of the Corps, she is able to capture them and whisk them away to space. The Justice League aren't sure how Parallax found out, but they completely fail to stop him from breaking out of the Watchtower when he realizes his protege has been taken.

To their surprise, Parallax returns with Kid Lantern safe and sound. Even more surprising, he has Fatality captive and (relatively) unharmed. He later admits that he'd been ready to annihilate her, but the kid had talked him down.

Parallax returns to his confinement on the Watchtower, with the guard detail increased to three members. Those who'd known Hal Jordan best often volunteer for the duty, and they see more of their former friend shining through as Kid Lantern continues to visit him. It's plain to see that the child brings out the best in Hal.

(It's ironic how well fatherhood suits him when he only met his kid because of his fall from grace.)

No one needs to ask this Parallax to help when the sun is extinguished. In fact, his kid tries to stop him, unwilling to lose the mentor they'd come to see as a father. But Hal Jordan goes and sacrifices himself anyway, using up the power he'd once stolen in grief and giving it all up for his child to have a future.

Was scrolling through AO3 and found this gem

Enemy to parent is a trope we have to popularise lmao

[celuere]

reader buying new lipstick and testing it out on arlecchino!!!

(except it’s by sucking her off <33)

also will you start writing for ptn? I LOVE ZOYA SO MUCH SOBS

anon it‘s 6:30 am but i can’t possibly go to bed without answering this. i‘m thirsting for sesbian lex. (i have to see about ptn tho sob)

cw: fem!reader, CONSENSUAL, deepthroating, sloppy headjob, dacryphilia, masturbating, a lil obsessive arle (she just loves seeing her wife struggle taking her dick)

„mhm… just like that… my, look at your pretty lips…“, a black hand gently stroked through your open hair before getting a good grip on the strands.

you looked so beautiful in her eyes.

not because of the pretty dress you were wearing to tonight. the deep red fabric clinging to your gorgeous curves and highlighting your cleavage almost a bit too much for her liking.

or because of the beautiful tears staining the corner of your eyes, the eyeshadow you applied earlier already smeared.

but you always looked like your most beautiful self when your mouth was full of her cock. she just couldn’t resist letting you have taste when she got a first look on your make up for the evening.

all because of that lipstick.

the bloody red had faded away long ago. the color now sticking to the skin around her base along with her shaft. not of very high quality if you‘re asking her.

„so pretty… all on your knees for me… what are those beautiful tears for, hm…?“, she scooped up the salty fluid with her index finger before bringing it up to her lip. tongue lapping over her skin as she hums at the taste of your current predicament.

your dress surely was ruined by now with how you were practically drooling over her dick with each thrust of her hips forcing some of the saliva-precum mix out of your mouth. you could feel your chin dripping with the mixture.

groaning slightly against her as her tip kissed back of your throat once more before inching further in, you couldn’t help but gag as her sheer size. but she kept you over her dick. kept herself neatly buried in your warm throat as something akin to obsession glistened in your husbands crimson eyes.

she will never get tired of this. never get tired of the way your nose crinkles slightly whenever it reached her bush. never get tired of your soft gags and the muffled sobs leaving your lips. never get tired of that pleading look in your eyes as she pushes herself inside your throat once more. you‘d have to kill her in order to remove her dick from you.

you had actually places to be. pantalone would be hosting an auction tonight and as his fellow colleague… who were the knave to decline his invitation? but now she had her wife all sobby and obedient on her knees for her, with your mixed slick covering yout gorgeous tits. she‘ll take that over an evening filled with idiotic smalltalk and greedy businessmen any day.

one of arlecchinos rare smirks tugged almost mockingly at her lips as she watched struggle to take her all in. and don’t think she didn’t notice how your own hand already sneaked between your legs. she knows exactly you’re fingering yourself right now. she just doesn’t know yet if she should punish your for it.

you squeezed your eyes closed as the grip on your hair suddenly tightened as you heard a low groan escaping your husband and soon the salty, bitte taste of her spread on your tongue as she pulled out from your throat. starting to cough as you swallowed the not so delicious mixture, a cursed hand soon squeezed your face and forced you to look back up into those bloody x‘s practically burning through you.

„open up. i want to make sure you swallowed everything.“, tapping your cheek with her nail you ran your tongue over your front teeth before reluctantly parting your lips. an almost pleased sound slipping out faster than you could have stopped it from how desperately your were clenching around your own fingers.

„i said open up and not moan into my face.“, she pushed her thumb into your mouth to force your jaw completely open before inspecting your mouth for any remains of her.

„good girl.“, obviously pleased with the results, your husband now let go of you and leaned over to your make-up desk.

you finally allowed yourself to fill your lungs back up with the oxygen you so desperately craved for, „d-done now…?“

„done?“, she bent back down to you when you spotted a light pink lipstick in her hand. she caught your chin between her finger and you could have sworn she almost looked excited as she painted your lips in said color, „this brand obviously wasn’t of high quality. i fear we have to try out the other ones until we find one that actually lasts. truly a pity, don’t you think so, m little dove…?“

you just wanted to open your mouth to talk back before she shushed you by tapping your plump lips with her dripping tip.

„open.“

[artyandink]

—————————————— DILF.ᐟDICK THOUGHTS, ANYONEᝰ.ᐣ

CLEAR BLUE SKIES AND THE GOLDEN SUN did nothing to lessen the difficulty of putting on sunscreen with a wriggling two year old daughter demanding your attention. You loved Jordan, of course you did, but since she was a mama’s girl it was hard to spend two minutes to yourself without her squealing for you, and with her chubby cheeks and sweet giggle, you felt like you’d go to hell if you refused.

Ah, kids, they can be devils and angels at the same time.

“She still being a lil’ siren?” Your neighbour and best friend, Cassie, smiled, sitting down next to you on the multiple beach towels you’d set out, in between you being Jordan, who was babbling random things while making a sandcastle. “How ‘bout I take care of her for a while? So you can get your freak on with a guy I found for you.”

Oh, again?

Cassie had been in the big business lately of being your matchmaker, but you didn’t think anyone could possibly be that welcoming to a woman with a two year old and who’s also in her twenties. Just didn’t seem to fit. So you rolled your eyes and groaned again, pulling the hem of your cami dress down before you leaned back on your hands.

“Cass, I don’t think we should do this dance again.” You sighed, adjusting your sunglasses and stroking Jordan’s hair as she babbled about ‘pretty princesses’. “Last time it—”

“— didn’t end well, I know, but trust me this time!”

“You said that last time.”

“Ugh, wait, hear me out.” She straightened up, dusting her hands down. “Look, he’s new to the neighbourhood, but he’s, like, the eligible bachelor. He’s so hot, so hot, so if you won’t get with him, I will. Go on, look.” She placed her hand on top of your head to turn it.

Your reflex was to protest, as your head was forcefully turned like it was some sort of fucking doorknob. “Cassie Rhodes, I don’t— holy… shit.”

Oh, mama.

Your eyes were slapped with the sight of the sexiest man you’d ever seen— and all thought flew from your brain except from what you wanted that man to do to you. Seems like your upstairs brain and downstairs finally came to an agreement here.

He was about 5’ 10”, from what you could see, with messed up black hair, eyes hidden behind hot sunglasses, a jawline that could cut steel and pink lips stretched into a grin. Not to mention how you could see every glorious muscle glow under the influence of the sun and sunblock all over every inch of skin you could see. The washboard abs made your teeth catch your bottom lip between them, the biceps made your mouth water and mind conjure up dirty things, the veins in that very defined forearm and football in his hand which he then threw to a guy who seemed to be either a friend or his brother.

You didn’t care, your brain was no longer functioning, oh, Lord help your soul.

“Cassie,” You breathed, a grin slowly spreading on your face, “you’re a genius.”

You didn’t know what it was about him that made you act like a horny teenager— yeah, no, you knew exactly what it was, it was his everything. As if it wasn’t enough, your eyes picked up a little girl running towards him on unsteady legs on sand, and when she reached him, he scooped her up with a laugh and a kiss to her forehead.

Men and children. Mayday, hot men and children.

“Sweetie, I give you Phoenix’s latest eligible bachelor… DICK GRAYSON.” Cassie giggled, patting your shoulder, but you didn’t listen, your ears were filled with static, staring at the way his abs rippled when he threw the football, how he occasionally bit his lip with those pearly whites which flooded your mouth with drool, and the swim trunks weren’t helping either. Also how there was a little girl that looked like Jordan running up to him— Jordan was running up to him?

You gasped, scrambling to stand up as Jordan hugged Dick’s leg, earning a small look of surprise. “Oh, shit, shit!” But just as you were about to reach Jordan, scoop her up and tell her not to hug a stranger’s leg, but the little shit ran out of the way just in time and sent you barrelling straight into the man of your wet dreams.

“Woah, there.” Fuck, that is one hot voice. Two strong hands steadied you, and as you looked up, you saw blue eyes behind pushed down sunglasses. “You ok, sweetheart?”

Hot damn. Despite actually getting the breath knocked out of him, the moment he laid eyes on you, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. You were gorgeous, with the stunning swelled body that usually came as a sign of pregnancy (and he was digging it), sunglasses and a cami dress that kind of had him flicking his eyes down the neckline of it. You were a MILF, if he ever saw one, and it had him salivating and running his eyes over every individual dip, curve, and imagining what it’d be like to bury his head between those stunning thighs.

Whew, that’s one hot mama.

Those pregnancy curves really did it for him, and he had to press his tongue between his teeth to hold back a whistle, nodding faintly. Oh, what he wouldn’t do for your number, dear Lord.

“I’m ok.” You first breathed out, then cleared your throat cause you didn’t want to seem pathetic. “Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry about Jordan, she can be a loveable pain.”

“Loveable pain? I know the type.” He gestured to where a little girl who looked like his carbon copy was playing with a tall dude with a tuft of platinum hair at the front. “That’s my Skylar, but we call her Sky. Also a little troublemaker.” He held his hand out, but like in a palm-facing-up moment, not a firm handshake moment. “M’name’s Dick, darlin’. Dick Grayson.”

You probably told him your name, all you were focused on was plopping your hand in his— oh, God, he probably thought you were a crazy person. But instead of shaking it like ‘one of the boys’ would, he lifted your hand to his mouth and… and he kissed the knuckle.

You knew who you’d be touching yourself to tonight.

“S’ a pleasure to meet you. I just moved into the neighbourhood, it’ll be nice to have someone in the same boat to, y’know, talk to.” The way he glanced to you over his sunglasses told me that if he did decide to come to you, there’d be absolutely no talking done.

You nodded, and you vowed to never wash your hand again when he let it go. Jesus, he was jacked and gentle, what more could you ask for? “Of course, pop over whenever you like.”

“Best believe I will.” He grinned, and when you said a small, meek goodbye and walked off, he bit his lip upon seeing that ass and thighs in that dress of yours. Mhmm, he was so gonna grab that when he fucked all the stress of being a single mom out of you.

Jason punched his shoulder as he came up beside him, folding his arms. “Dickhead, you’ve got the ‘I wanna fuck her’ look in your eyes.”

“Shut up, Jay.” Dick scoffed, shaking his head. “You’re so crass.” Even as he scooped Sky up in his arms and nuzzled her hair as she let out a squeal of laughter, his eyes couldn’t help but flick back to you, your sun-kissed, glowy skin from being slathered in sunblock and the winking sun all day and every just right proportion that he loved in a lady.

Oh, he wanted to do a lot more than just fuck you.

[emptymanuscript]

XD!

So, laugh rule but also:

What’s kinda throwing me is that I think this is actually pretty close to the central thesis of the actual mystical/religious tradition/lineage I’m actually in.

Like, the belief is absolutely that the god we call God is real (as are many other gods and other things) but that the fundamental idea of Divinity vs Mortality is not real. That the fundamental purpose of most religious thought is so the Divine can keep us in our place, even though we’re perfectly capable of doing what they do and achieving apotheosis into being without a difference. The problem with God is that He thinks He’s it and the problem with people is that we think we aren’t.

And, yeah, the fundamental task of the novitiate (initiate? I’m always fuzzy on those. The person just starting out who knows enough to look but enough, yet, to do. Early level apprentice who is learning the ropes sort of person) is to Self Create.

Like that’s the most necessary part of the tradition. You’re supposed to study your little butt off (obviously why I am drawn to it XD, studying everything as a religious devotion? Sign me up! I am a B+ child and I want you to love me teacher XD). But the purpose of the study is to find the hidden resonances, what is actually true, that is not actually recorded in full anywhere because you are divine so only you can fully define you.

It’s self definition by using the other. I am that. I am not that. I am like that but not in this way, etc. Just using metaphysical principles rather than your social group.

Or, I suppose, in ADDITION to your social group.

My actual biggest criticism of my tradition lineage is how often we’re inconsiderate assholes. Not just that we’re not nice people but that we’re not nice people in and on principle. For whatever reason (some I know and some I don’t) the first thing we seem to say we’re not is good, kind, and caring. Like, the exact thing we would want in our own deities and berate the Demiurge (the god who thinks He is God because He was the deity that did all the original creating as far as He is concerned) for not being is what we’re not going to do, too.

Which I get as an act of anger and provocation and boundaries. But I really don’t understand as a mature decision for the path of one’s life. I hear it’s better to reign in hell than serve in heaven but nothing I see demands that that is the actual choice at hand.

There IS a lot of worship. And, yeah, I think part of the draw to my tradition/lineage is that it speaks to lonely weird people who are happier surrounded by books than crowds. But there’s nothing actually NECESSARY to the path about starting a cult, claiming that you’re evil, and then proving it by manipulation and lies. But somehow, those are all the famous people writing the influential texts.

Like, why not be the sort of person you wish that a deity would be. Be your own dream fulfillment. And instead of putting yourself up at the top of a pyramid of something icky, just be the sort of person that other people like hanging around.

Of course, that may just be me being a novice. Wizards aren’t exactly known for their EQ. We know the forbidden names of gods and a whole mess of trivia. My current joke is that if you want to find one of us, go looking for a party. Go to the weirdest one you find. Like, these are not the cool kids, you get me? Look at the people who are up against the wall, not partying. Find the most boring person out of them. That’s your most likely candidate to be a Wizard.

If they are, the questions to ask are ones that lead you to awareness of their humility and sure confidence in themselves.

The more confident they are that they know the secrets of the universe, as a whole, for everything and everybody, the farther back toward initiation they are. The more they need to fight for their own self definition and boundaries, the closer they are to being in the “middle” of their journey. It’s not really the middle it’s simply that you’re very self confident at the very start and very self confident at the end. But the majority of the journey is taking a hammer to the ego when we’re often the sort of people who don’t have a lot of ego defenses to spare.

Which means defensiveness and love/worship cravings are rampant. A great area to promote Narcissistic impulses.

That’s actually a big warning I’ve run into a few times now. That a lot of people simply break and become these megalomaniacal monsters who are just completely full of themselves and their arcane power. They become Demiurge like. They think they’re it. You’re just a prop to them and their power trip fantasy.

Mostly, I hear the solution to be this gray ascetic humility. That the world is illusory and transitory and that includes me and my feelings. So you become this immovable, unimpressable center point. Nothing bothers you. It’s why I talk about my own lineage as shit-eaters. Because that’s a literal example from them. That you should be able to have the same experience and same emotional impact whether you have the best meal of your life or eat literal feces. All that matters is your will and willpower and, yeah, power… so you can enact your will.

Can���t say I like the idea. I do not particularly want to eat feces. I like enjoying food. And this dichotomy strikes me as false. You either reject life or are conquered by it. Meh. I like dialectical thinking not dualistic thinking. And the entire point is to make something new. Something you. Not to simply repeat the old lies and oppression.

If you’re a god, great. Namaste. In all humility and seriousness. I see and acknowledge the divine in you. I welcome it. But as a living, breathing, experiencing person who participates in the world with other people, I would ask some questions:

What are the benefits of your worship to you?

What are the benefits of your worship to your worshippers?

How are you the same as your worshippers?

How are you different from your worshippers?

What are the drawbacks and costs to you that come from your being worshipped?

What are the drawbacks and costs to your worshippers from worshipping you?

If you put yourself in the place of one of your worshippers (pick a few at random) would you feel the benefits and costs weighed out in your favor?

If you put one of your worshippers in your place (pick a few at random) would you come to the conclusion from the outside, with a godlike view of the whole situation, that it weighted out to an activity that was ultimately favorable to them?

For the worshipper you have put in your place, would you be satisfied with how their worshipper’s lives would work out for them in the care of that other?

What would be the benefits to you of rejecting the idea of being worshipped all together?

What would be the costs to you of giving up that particular place at the center for just being one of that particular group you get along with?

DO you actually get along with your worshippers when they aren’t worshipping you? Or do you only like them for their worship? Are they the people you would surround yourself with if you weren’t in this group together?

What benefits might they get from being let go from worshipping you? From being let go from the group?

What would it cost them if they were to stop worshipping you? What would they necessarily lose if they left the group?

Looking at the balance of your answers to these questions and comparing it to likely possible alternatives (NOT the best, NOT the worst, NOT the strangest), is worshipping you the best thing for your worshippers?

Looking at the balance and considering the likely possible alternatives for yourself, is being worshipped in this way the best thing for you?

Looking at all the answers that you’ve written out, and being honest with yourself, with the full divine view of what is and what could be, is this situation what you actually want? Would that answer change if it was for someone else? WHY? WHY is this the best arrangement? Or WHY isn’t this good enough? WHY does it matter who the worshipped is versus an alternative versus the worshippers? WHY? WHY? WHY? There is a reason that children demand this endlessly. It is the most necessary question to understand their lives. That doesn’t really change when a child grows up and realizes their own divinity.

They say you gotta worship god because he created stuff, but I created myself, and my epic boobs, and I'm real, so aren't I better than god? Maybe I should be worshipped. Much to think about

[hotvintagepoll]

LAST POLL OF ROUND 4

Danny Kaye (The Court Jester, The Inspector General)—Danny Kaye, idol of my childhood, maker of the weirdest faces! This man SETS HIMSELF ON FIRE and then puts himself out in a bucket in a movie based on a Gogol short story. In the same movie (Inspector General), he flirts by playing a carrot as a musical instrument. In Wonder Man, he's brilliant but struggles with things like riding buses. I have been envious of his fake Italian/French/German/Spanish monologues in The Court Jester for the past three decades. As Walter Mitty, he is SUPREMELY SILLY yet also somehow manages to be a comic foil for none other than Boris Karloff. All this is to say nothing of The William Tell Song (TV, thus not linked, but great.) I adore him.

Donald O'Connor (Singin' in the Rain, Francis, Call Me Madam)— LOOK AT HIM. Those giant blue peepers. Those tappy tappy little feet that don't quit. The ears that stick out like little wings, ready to lift him up to goofy heaven. The way his face contorts into the strangest yet most endearing expressions. His ability to sing and dance alongside the hunk that is Gene Kelly and yet pull all attention away with his big-eyed buffoonery. The way his energy is unmatched in songs like "Make 'em laugh" - bouncing off the walls and tumbling through the air straight into my cold cold heart. Who else but a true scrungly lil guy would sit upon the witness stand and defend a talking mule with all the love and affection in the world - staring out into the court room with his bright wide eyes and eternally mouse-like expression, openly admitting that the mule is his best friend?!??! I see him and I want to pull him from the screen into my hand and just squiiiiiiiiiiiiish with all my might. I want to pinch his cheeks and have him bat those eyes at me. He just makes me go "eeehehehehehe" every time I see him and his silly little self. He is pure chaotic, ridiculous, scrungly perfection!

This is round 4 of the contest. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. If you’re confused on what a scrungle is, or any of the rules of the contest, click here.

[additional submitted propaganda + scrungly videos under the cut]

Danny Kaye:

He's so stupid. I love him.

Donald O'Connor:

My silliest little guy. My funnyman. My horsie. I have watched many a bad movie for this man. The scrungliest fact I know about him is that he was supposed to star as Danny Kaye's role in the iconic White Christmas (1954), as he had known Bing Crosby since he was a child, but couldn't because he caught a mule disease while working on those Francis the Talking Mule films Universal endlessly made him do. I wouldn't exactly recommend those movies, but Don's character getting psychologically tormented by a sardonic mule does make for quite a good movie night, if you know what you're getting into. Are You With It? is another one I don't exactly recommend, but it does open with Donald as a math genius actuary who is about to kill himself over a displaced decimal point before getting taken in by a traveling carny instead. His more well-known and beloved roles have plenty of scrungliness too, in my opinion. This man slapsticked so hard he wound up bedridden for his physical exertion! Rather than submitting Make 'Em Laugh, which the electorate has likely already seen (I hope), I'm submitting an underrated dance number of his, where he explains maths through tap dance. That movie is Not good, but god do I love him in that role.

I think it's arguably very scrungly to seemingly be a real life cartoon character made out of rubber, as proven by how slapsticky the list of scrunglies is so far. In which case, Donald O'Connor? He scrungles supremely. He even played Buster Keaton in a movie (that apparently can't be recommended, but still).

[dilftoru]

Do u have any dad!gojo thoughts to spare? 🥺 craving dad!content atm...

a/n: tbh, this has been in my drafts a while and is only half finished cause i can’t write smut for shit 😭 i don’t think it’s that good but i hope you like it 🤍

papa gojo who feels like a sick perv whenever he helps adjust your clothes.

you had always been a little air-headed, and you never grew out of it. some people were just flat out dumb. and unfortunately, his daughter was one of them. there wasn’t a single thought in your pretty little head, and as much as your daddy found it your most endearing quality, it was also the most frustrating.

you had not a care in the world with the way you presented yourself. it was always tight tops or short skirts with you, and your dumb brain never picked up on the lustful stares you’d receive from men when the two of you walked down the street.

the nerve of those creeps to look at his baby girl like that when he was standing right beside her . . . he could tell you to stop dressing like that outside the house, to only allow it at home where he’d be the one admiring you. but he knew how much you loved expressing yourself through your style and how you insisted that you needed to look cute at all times.

thankfully, he rarely ever let you go out without him. he could only imagine what would happen if his princess were caught alone — he could just kill them all if they looked at you the wrong way . . .

what made it difficult, however, was that you had absolutely no sense of self-preservation, especially around your father. the pout you give him is dangerous, innocently asking for help to tug up your tube top cause daddy had strong hands and your boobs were just too heavy, making it ride down all the time. he’d do it swiftly with minimal effort and you’d squeal, realizing how efficient it is to just have him do it for you from now on.

or like the times the two of you are out in public and you’d bend over in the smallest skirt to pick up something you dropped. daddy was always standing right behind you though, his pelvis hovering just inches away from your crotch so no disgusting creep peeps at his daughter’s skimpy, pink panties — he wouldn’t take a peak either, of course — that he only allowed you to buy cause he was incapable of saying no.

and then it happens once in the small and cramped dressing room at the mall. you call out to him for help, having a hard time clipping on a new bra, bending over as per usual like the clutz you are when the hanger slips from your hands.

the changing space is small as is, an enclosed area with a long body length mirror on one wall and a small, black, cushioned seat to sit when trying on shoes.

he could only gasp as you keel over, hands flying to your waist when your cunt presses directly on his bulge. you wiggle to reach the item that accidentally landed under the short bench, the feeling sending a jolt of pleasure to his crotch and he heaves out a stuttered choking sound, looking down at your form with wide eyes behind his dark shades.

“sorry, daddy!”, you whine obliviously from down below. but his muddled brain could barely process it, eyes rolling back at the sensation of your chubby cunt wrapping perfectly around his cock through the layers of fabric, as if it was meant to be there.

his hips buck into yours on its own accord, and you let out a small, surprised shriek, almost tumbling forward in the restricted space if not for the tight grip on your waist. hands that were once occupied with searching for the hanger were now scrambling to clutch onto the low seat in front of you.

your head shoots up to look at your dad in the mirror. as if he was waiting, both of your eyes meet and you take notice of his flushed face.

“d-daddy wha—”

he interrupts you before you can finish, grinding his cock — testing out the overwhelming feeling — into the seat of your panties, hard. a squeak leaves your lips, a shaky hand reaching back and you aren’t sure for what exactly.

there’s a certain gleam in his eyes. daddy’s looked at you like that numerous times in the past, but it would be gone as soon as it came.

now you think you have an idea of what it could mean . . .

[amphitriteswife]

Hii! Can you please write part 3 for “what would you do if i like someone else” for Hudson, taesoo ma, vasco and jerry?

‘What would you do if i liked someone else?’

Part 3

Hudson turned his attention to you. The question caught him a little off guard. A moment ago he was helping Eli with his store, putting some more storage boxes in the attic since the sales were going super well. And now he’s here, staring at you who just threw a very seriously question at him. It wasn’t even funny if that’s what you were trying to be. You really aren’t. ‘What exactly did I do to have this question thrown at me?’ Your shrug only made him groan. Seriously? He sighed, rubbing his eyes before placing his hands on your hips. His eyes were still as determined and stoic as ever. ‘Come on! Answer my question. I’m curious.��� Another sigh escaped Hudson’s lips. Your insistence to this hypothetical question made him smirk a bit although he soon regained his composure. ‘Is that a smile that i see?’ ‘No.’ ‘Come onnnnnnn’ Hudson sighed for the 3rd time this time and takes a breath. He didn’t need a moment to think about it, he already made up his mind to your question. ‘I would ask Master Taesoo for advice.’ ‘That’s the most Hudson answer ever.’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Booooo!!!!! Be original!’

The only thing you got from him was a glance before he went back to cutting up his snake. How does he even deal with you? You always ask stupid question. And all of them would never even happen to begin with. They’re pointless. Has he ever told you that?…probably. At least that’s what he thinks. Your attempt at the jokes didn’t even reach him at all, he seemed unimpressed even. His hand grabbed the knife in his hand and little tighter. He doesn’t care….yes. Yes he doesn’t. He wouldn’t care if you liked someone else. He wouldn’t. HAK. The blade cut the dead snake’s head off perfectly, it even got stuck in the wood piece he was cutting the snake on. You could hear some faint yet heavy breaths before he turned to you. His eyes looking into yours while he got on your level, crouching down slightly. ‘Do not ask me such trivial questions.’ His voice was monotone, but the slightly dangerous edge was still present. His gaze remained on you, and yours on his. He knows that look of yours. An even more annoying one than if you asks stupid questions. You’re challenging him. ‘Please.’ The words make him scoff at you. Was he not being clear enough? ‘Hypothetically speaking?’ Your pleading only made him sigh in exhaustion. He stood up straight again, taking one final look at you before turning away again. His back facing you while the sound of him chopping up the snake filled your ears. After a few chops there was a slight pause. ‘They would end up like this snake.’ The answers was simple. Yet also kind of disturbing. But that’s the kind of man Taesoo Ma is.

‘Y/Nnnnnnnnnnnnn!’ Despite the fact that Vasco looked very intimidating and scary, he was a kind soul at heart. Having a great sense of justice and often helping those in need or just out of kindness for others. He was a sweetheart with a menacing look. Isn’t that just convenient? Vasco was currently training with Burn knuckles. That was until he spotted you, his girlfriend. Jayce always found it hilarious how Vasco turned into a love sick puppy every time you showed up, his demeanor would change and he’d drop everything just to see you. Vasco sat with you further from the place Burn knuckled was training at, he knew that you preferred to talk to him one on one. He hasn’t forgotten. Although the whole point is to talk in private, the members of Burn knuckles was just a few meters behind the two of you. Eaves dropping. ‘What would you do if i liked someone else Vasco?’ The question made his smile drop slightly, he hadn’t thought about that before. Never. But now that you asked him and he has to think about it, he seems to have an a answer pretty fast. Faster than you expected. Vasco had never been good with girls. So it doesn’t surprise him that you might like someone else. It seems logical to him, yeah. Yeah, it does. ‘As long as they treat you well, and they love you. Then i think i would be happy for you Y/N’ the answer made you hug him. It was a genuine answer. And it sounds like such a Vasco thing to say too. ‘If i ever leave you for someone else you can let Jayce hit me.’ ‘Jayce doesn’t hit girls.’

Jerry was practicing his flute when you came into Big deal’s hideout. The sound of the flute died down when his eyed landed on you, the reason for his practice was half because of Jake’s encouragement and the other half for you. He had been trying to make a song with his flute for you. You’re his forst ever girlfriend and he wants to make it special for you!…that was until you asked him that question. It made him humming for a moment, his eyes closing and the flute tapping his chin. ‘If it’s Jake then I accept it.’ That made you raise an eyebrow. You knew he was very loyal to Jake, often even putting him above himself and going to the ends of the world for him. Where Jake was, Jerry followed. It was a mutual friendship between the two and in honesty very cute that the term of friendship is appreciated so much. But you didn’t like Jake that way. You saw him like everyone else in Big Deal, Like a bigger brother. ‘I don’t like Jake like that. He’s not my type. And he’s like my brother. But what if it was someone else! Answer!’ You told Jerry your eyes beaming with interested and curiosity, Jerry blinked at your interest and closed his eyes again, thinking. ‘I would beat them up. With Jake’s permission’ The moment he said that a few voices excitedly agreed with him, turning your attention away from Jerry there was Big Deal. Only missing Jake. But that didn’t take away that they would all participate in the beating of the hypothetical other person.

[staylovesmiley]

Sometimes I hate the way my mind works. Makes it so hard to go through with my day like a normal person!

So, you are in a poly relationship with Skz. Tonight you are spending with Seungmin. And you feel somewhat bold! You ask him to try anal for the first time. You were toying with the idea in your mind for weeks so you had already bought various sizes and designs of butt plus. You bring them to him and ask him to prep you. You lay across his thighs, your black laced panties already soaked. He takes some time to spank your plump flesh when suddenly he rips the material (leaving the pieces on you because ain't no one have time to throw them away), he spits on his fingers and smears it to your pretty little hole. He uses his tongue occasionally to prep you better. A couple of minutes later he slowly inserts a finger, your weak voice moaning his name. After he is satisfied he tries another finger and there is when your fist tightens around his pants. Feeling you relaxing further, he opens the box of goodies you brought him earlier. Firstly he grabs the lube, pouring a good amount to your tight hole. His hand finds a diamond plug and gently lodges it in you. You whine, a noise between pleasure and pain. With the diamond in you he goes on to spank you again. When you are once again red and flustered, he pulls the little plug out, grabbing a slightly bigger one. Spiting on it he sinks it slowly to the perfect gap he already created. But, turns out this one is a vibrating one. After it's all the way in, he snatches the controller and starts to gently teasing you going from the lower mode to the hardest. You moan and try to stop yourself by biting down to the sheets. Somewhere down the line you feel him pulling it out and getting up. He places you to the bed, ass up and cheek in your pillow. You can hear him unclasp his belt and there is where the tip of his leaky dick is in you. Steady and while talking you sweetly through it, he starts pushing further and further in. Your pussy wet like you never felt before. With hazy eyes and sweat all over you, you see someone slowly walking to where you were layed almost unconscious. A familiar voice hits your ears and you feel a gentle kiss on your forehead.

"Lix.....?"

You just mumble

"I am here princess" He gets a hold of one of your hands "You look so pretty, baby. You can do it! Just breath and relax. And maybe tomorrow in our own night we could try this pretty tail you've bought too"

With Felix holding you and whispering sweet nothings in your ear, with your hair stuck around your face in various forms and your temperature almost feverish, with the pain driving you crazy transforming to pleasure like you've never experienced before, Seungmin now starts to fully thrust in and out your abused ass. The Aussie's hand now between your thighs drawing circles around your clothes up to the point you come undone with a loud scream and squirt, for what it feels, gallons.

"There you go, angel" The younger man whispers leaving a kiss upon your ass

Let me tell you this is the first thing I saw when I woke up and I literally had to do a double take- ngl anal isn’t exactly my thing to be on the receiving end of but I gotta commend your dedication for writing out a whole fic in my asks like seriously (also couldn’t help but think of the collision universe while reading thing since Star lives with Minnie and Lix- just food for thought to those who read the series lol)

[cartoonhorses]

Beauty & Bitterness

OOC! Jimmy Zare x female! Reader

warnings/triggers : Takes place on Earth, arguing between Jimmy and reader, slightly ooc Jimmy.

word count : 1k+

authors note : This is my first-ever fic, so i’d love to hear any suggestions or feedback for improvement.

Also, I did not read over this afterwards 💔 There will definitely be grammar mistakes

MDNI

Jimmy had always been rough around the edges. The kind of guy most people would pass by without a second glance. He was just, odd. His hair stayed messy, his jawline was scruffy, and his old and tattered clothes reflected a life that didn’t concern itself with appearances. It was safe to say that most people kept their distance from him. But not you. You saw something in him that nobody else did.

You were the complete opposite of Jimmy, everything that he wasn’t. You were put together, well-groomed, and polished. When you entered a room, heads turned without fail. You had this effortless beauty, you were noticeable and just all around dazzling.

So, when people found out the two of you were dating, they were totally flabbergasted! You, a radiant, captivating young woman, with an older disheveled man? It was the kind of pairing that caused whispers.

Jimmy knows you're way out of his league when you two begin dating. Initially, It didn't bother him. In fact, he felt like he won the lottery. However, when you guys started going out in public together more frequently, he noted how people stared, how they whispered. That's when it became harder to shrug off.

Jimmy had always prided himself on being tough. He’d grown up in a world that taught him to keep whatever emotions he had buried. But being with you, it felt impossible. You brought peace into his messy world, and he found himself craving your warmth like a man who’d been living in the cold his whole life.

But now, sitting at the bar, listening to those men practically tear him apart, Jimmy felt that familiar knot of anger in his chest tighten. “I mean, just look at him. Did he even try to make himself look presentable?” Jimmy’s grip around the cold glass of liquor tightened, his knuckles turning white. He knew they were talking about him, the disdain in their voices was familiar to him.

But Jimmy took a deep breath, he told himself to ignore it, to let it go. After all, he’d heard worse before. But then they spoke up again, "His girlfriend it gorgeous too. But it makes me wonder, why him? I mean, seriously… what is she even doing with a guy like that?” Jimmy felt his blood begin to boil, they were talking about him like you deserved better, like he wasn’t enough for you. And God did that piss him off.

You were well aware that Jimmy never handled insults well. His anger would simmer in his chest, slowly building until it boiled over like a pot left too long on the stove. But instead of lashing out at those who had pushed him to that edge, he tended to turn that anger and fury onto you.

Later in the night, as Jimmy drove you home, both of his hands sat on the steering wheel, the weight of the evening’s events (which you still had no clue about) hung heavily between you two. The car ride was silent for the most part, punctuated by your attempts to explain how great of a night you had. Jimmy only hummed in response, an unspoken frustration radiated from him.

Finally, as he pulled into the driveway of your home, he turned to look at you. “You didn’t notice how everyone was looking at us tonight, did you?” He asked, his voice was deep, cutting through the silence like a razor. It caught you off guard. The small smile that lingered on your lips slowly faltered, confusion written over your face.

You blinked, “what are you talking about?” Your tone came out soft, a stark contrast from his.

Jimmy let out a bitter laugh, running a hand through his messy hair. “Don’t play dumb, okay? You know exactly what I’m talking about. Those guys at the bar. They were laughing at me—at us. They think I’m some kind of fucking charity case. That you’re just slumming it with me for fun.”

Your heart sank as his words hit you. “Jimmy… I don’t know what you’re talking about… But, I don’t care what they think,” You said softly. “You know I like you, so why does it matter to you about what they think?” You reached out to place your hand on top of his, but he pulled away like a scared animal.

“Yeah, well, maybe you don’t care, but I do!” he snapped, his voice was rising. “Do you have any idea what’s like to stand next to someone like you? To be with someone like you? Someone who’s got it all together, who everyone wants to be around. And you wanna know what everyone’s thinking, ‘What’s she doing with him?’”

Your mouth parted slightly? Having the urge to speak but not finding the words. Tears pricked at the corners of your eyes, but you refused to let them fall. “I chose you, Jimmy,” You attempted to say firmly. “I don’t care what anyone else thinks because I see you! I see the man who comforts me when I cry, the man who—”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have.” He interrupted, his voice breaking. “Maybe you shouldn’t have chosen me.” His shoulders began to sag, anger slowly draining out of him and leaving behind exhaustion. “Maybe they’re right. Maybe I’m not good enough for you.”

Your chest tightened at the sight of your boyfriend being so vulnerable around you, it was definitely a sight you weren’t familiar with. You leaned over from your side of the car, cupping his scruffy face in your hands. “Jimmy, listen to me. You’re what I want. Since the moment I laid eyes on you, I wanted you. And I don’t care what those idiots at the bar think! They don’t know you like I do.”

For a moment, he just sat there, his dark eyes searching yours as if trying to find some truth in your words. Slowly, his hands came up to rest on yours, his grip was tentative but steady. “I’m scared…” He admitted quietly. “Scared that one day you’ll realize they’re right and… and you’ll leave.”

You weren’t used to Jimmy showing this much emotion, hell, he wasn’t even used to it! It made the years that pricked in the corners of your eyes finally spill down your cheeks as you pressed your forehead against his. “I’m not going anywhere, Jimmy,” you whispered. “I love you, and everything about you. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be you.”

And for the first time in a long time, Jimmy let himself believe you.

[chromatic-crooked-crocodile]

TLDR: Jackie and Travis have a lot of narrative similarities and it’s fun to look at that through the lense of Jackie’s quote from the Pilot, “if we’re each others firsts we will be linked forever, it’s more poetic that way.”

I think it’s worth wondering about Jackie’s line “if we’re each others first we’ll be linked forever, it’s more poetic that way” and how we can juxtapose Jackie and Travis since they lost it to each other.

It’s already interesting that to do what she thought was hurting Shauna, Jackie slept with somebody else’s boyfriend. Nat’s boyfriend. Interesting because it gives insight into why exactly Jackie was so hurt. Obviously finding out your best friend has been sleeping with your boyfriend would be Earth shattering for anyone but she turned around and did the same thing to Nat, so clearly the cheating wasn’t really the issue (and yes I think Jackie considered Shauna having sex with Jeff to be Shauna cheating on her, even if you aren’t a jackieshauna truther there is a possessiveness they have about each other that can’t be denied). The issue for Jackie in my opinion is that Shauna had those big life moments and secrets without her. Shauna kept a pregnancy from her. Was having a romantic affair and didn’t tell Jackie. If she wasn’t having the affair with Jeff, I’m sure these are the type of things Jackie and Shauna would have shared with each other. So Jackie in her infinite wisdom assumed that if this revelation hurt her so much, she could likely hurt Shauna by behaving the same way. She hooks up with Travis.

Travis was a virgin. He was anxious about having sex with Nat because she had more experience than him. He let that fear turn him into someone who than vilified Nat for simply having sex with other people prior to him finding out that Nat lied about hooking up with the guy who viciously bullied him back home. Nat simply withheld information that she knew would hurt him, she didn’t backstab him in such an obvious way like Shauna did to Jackie, but ultimately he felt lied to and betrayed.

So they hook up and she literally dies the next day. Very 1970s horror film of her. The both of them have the two worst nights of their lives, for Jackie the last worst nights of her life and for Travis it was only the beginning. Jackie was of course doomed by the plot and she set off a chain of events that leads to the Antler Queen and Travis dying 25 years later. I’ve seen before someone mention that the Wilderness didn’t give the survivors anything for Travis’ death. Maybe it’s because the Wilderness didn’t demand it, he effectively did just kill himself. No one drew a card, there was no hunt, and he died. The same happened with Jackie. There was no hunt, no cards, she had the situationship ending fight with Shauna and goes outside and freezes during the night. I’ve also seen people interpret her death as a suicide. Where they contrast is that Jackie at that point had no will to live, and Travis did. I can’t exactly remember what Lottie said he was hoping to say to the Wilderness when he brought it back by walking the line of life and death, or if she even said, but I can imagine he wanted atonement. Or maybe just wanted to prove a point. That feels a lot like what Jackie wanted when she lost her virginity to Travis.

I wonder if he thought of her during that experience? If he saw the connection between that first hunt he was supposed to be the victim of the night he lost his virginity to Jackie, and then her being cast out and dying the next night, and then the hunt Nat was supposed to be the victim of but the “Wilderness” taking Javi instead. Jackie was not part of the hunt for Travis, she was not part of the “Wilderness”. So she died. Travis lost a lot during the course of his time out there. He lost his dad, his brother, his mind, and then he comes back home and after 25 years he dies for the Wilderness but not at the hands of the Wilderness. The Wilderness basically took out Travis’ whole bloodline and he was doomed from the start. His mother wanted the boys to go with their father to Nationals, he otherwise would not have been there but Jackie was always there. We wouldn’t have a show without her. It’s all so tragic and human and interesting to think of Travis and Jackie as being just as bound together as any of the other survivors/victims were. Even if their friendship/relationship/whatever began and ended with them having sex. They were bound together, just like Jackie said when she thought she was talking about Jeff. It’s even more interesting to look at the inverse and compare and contrast Nat and Shauna. The way Jackie dying directly leads to Nat eventually pulling the Queen, and then Travis dying which indirectly leads to Shauna pulling the Queen. Nat is a clear leader and contender for Antler Queen and judging from the trailers we’ve seen for season 3, Shauna might be initiating a power struggle to overthrow Nat’s leadership so Shauna could be Antler Queen after all. Now with Nat’s death and Shauna’s drawing of the Queen maybe they will be bound in death too.

[undeadoracle]

c3 has certainly been the least satisfying campaign so far, but the interesting thing about that is that i don't think you can point to any single point of failure and say "there, that's where it went wrong." it's been more of a death by a thousand cuts. this is going to be criticism, but very broad strokes from a narrative perspective.

first off: to try and play out a campaign with such monumental stakes is already quite ambitious, and unfortunately the player characters for this campaign were exactly the wrong mix for dealing with divinity. bells hells never really had a reason to do the right thing; vox machina's story was very clear cut good-and-bad, along with the personal investment of seeing their homes and people they care about under threat. the mighty nein floundered at times, but had enough self motivated and strongly opinionated characters with outside ties to keep the game moving even when they weren't sure where they were going. molly's death also galvanized them to Give A Shit about consequences and what was going on around them in a way they hadn't before.

bells hells, on the other hand, has never had any personal stake in any of this; laudna, chetney, ashton and braius are functionally alone in the world, with nothing to fight for and no close relationships to see threatened. (sure, braius is ostensibly a paladin of asmodeus, but sam himself has admitted he's not good at staying committed to evil characters. i appreciate the intention behind bringing a religious character back into the campaign after fcg's ending, but braius has been flaky, at best, about his loyalties.) fcg was just beginning to forge those bonds when they died. fearne's family is safely squirreled away in morrigan's piece of the feywild, away from consequences, and she doesn't give a shit about her father. imogen only had her mother, who she always kept sort of holding out hope for and keeping at arms length at the same time. aside from her, orym is the only one with emotional stakes in of all this, and even that was more attached to ludinus himself than the larger plot of predathos being released.

ergo, none of these characters except imogen and orym have personal investment in the story they're spearheading. obviously this is accidental; with them going into campaigns blind, there's no way they could have predicted they weren't going to mesh with the plot. in a story like c1 (largely black and white apocalypse scenarios solved by stereotypical hero work) or c2 (some political maneuvering, but, again, straightforward "stop this tyrannical flesh city" consequences) these pcs might've worked fine, but having characters who are not only disconnected from the gods, but from other mortals, means they never really figured out who or what they're fighting for. each of them is too caught up endlessly ruminating over their own isolation; none of them played a character with enough purpose and/or stability in life to really bring the team together for any common goal. fcg, again, almost got there, and their loss re-fractured the team. chetney sometimes steps in, because travis is a player with great instincts, but it would be playing against his established personality to always have him take on this role. no one else has the emotional intelligence or social skills to encourage the others on paths of personal growth, and with the plot essentially being on a timer for so long, there hasn't been room for the sorts of side trips and time skips that both c1 and c2 had to allow offscreen character development to happen. they've been hurtling at their goal for most of the campaign with no opportunity to work on themselves, and it shows. the characters have largely remained stagnant.

then there's the lack of meaningful npcs. this is partially because they've been all over kingdom come, and partially because they've never really committed to being on anyone's side long enough to form bonds with npcs. they have no "home base," no faction loyalties except orym's loyalty to the ashari and fearne's loyalty to morrigan, and again, few personal ties that would easily translate into recurring npcs. given that the purpose of npcs is largely to keep the plot moving forward . . . you can see how the hells have suffered without them.

this next part is going to piss some people off, because it's (gentle) criticism of matt, but it needs to be said. i do not think he should have told this story. i'm not talking about technical ability as a dm, i mean more from a philosophical, anthropological, religiological perspective. exandria is a world the opposite of ours, in which the existence of gods is unilaterally accepted and observable, but their "right" to act as such is now under debate with the revelation that they originated elsewhere, came to exandria, engaged in cultivation of exandria's raw materials, & killed the titans who technically had the "right" to the land but wanted to wipe their creations off the face of the earth. then things devolve into polytheistic dualism, a pantheon of good gods and a pantheon of bad gods, and they spend a long time warring with each other and killing each others' creations before, eventually, mortals figure out how to kill them, and they join forces to stop that before agreeing to withdraw their presence behind the divine gate.

then he includes this confusing angle that "divine" magic isn't actually divine in origin, it's just another kind of magic that exists and the gods have taken credit for it. then he becomes vague as to what sort of "cultivating" the gods actually did--whether they're responsible for life as it's known on exandria, or whether or not they've just taken credit for what was already there. which is a level of ambiguity that's deeply unsatisfying in a setting where any sufficiently devoted priest can directly talk to their god. the conclusion, then, is that the gods withhold the truth from mortals--not because mortals can't comprehend it, it seems, but because it is beneficial to the gods to withhold it.

there is no real world religion (that i know of) that is in any way comparable to this sequence of events. dualism as a concept does not play well with polytheism as a religious structure, and titan-type figures, aka superentities that are "othered" from the gods, are generally considered as fearsome forces that cause problems but aren't specifically interested in wiping humans off the face of the earth. and the gods themselves, it is understood, are of this world; typically they're either inhabitants of it in some abstract way, or they live in a plane of reality adjacent to it and are directly responsible for making it what it is. but they also, it is understood, cannot be held to human standards; that's why they're gods.

the reason exandrian religion crumbles under interrogation is that real world mythology is metaphor, and exandrian mythology is not. in the real world, mythology is a reflection of humanity, struggling to make sense of big concepts; in exandria, it's objective fact, but there's not really any theological rhyme or reason to any of it. when we tell stories about gods and demons we are not speaking of literal things that our great grandparents experienced, we are telling the stories for their deeper meaning. when you try to do that with exandrian mythology, it becomes a story of how the natural world has to be conquered and die in order for mortals to survive and the underpinnings of the universe are one big illusion, but they can still grant you real, tangible power. when you try to take it as a metaphor, it kind of sucks.

i'm not suggesting matt did this on purpose; i think it largely happened by accident. in c1 they started out using pathfinder deities, and then he transitioned into a sort of half-original version of them, then solidified them into a specific pantheon with clear influences from preexisting deities, but with his own explanations for why they exist. i also think he deliberately avoided making them too much like real world deities in order to avoid stepping on any real world toes, which is understandable. it is the struggle of any high fantasy enthusiast to have tangible gods make sense without being world breaking. but the point is that all these little changes and additions and careful avoidance of real-world issues added up to paint a poor picture in their own right, and then he drew his entire audience's attention to it by choosing to do a campaign about whether or not the gods should be allowed to exist. and even so, this might've worked out okay, had the players come to the game with a different mix of characters. we can see the difference in how vm and m9 reacted to the situation; a different group could've taken this story down a much more compelling path than bh did.

in the same vein, i think another ongoing issue in how this has played out is matt being anxious about people projecting their feelings about real world religion onto the plot. i don't blame him; he's under immense pressure to perform with the size of their fanbase nowadays, and i remember how many people were shitting their proverbial pants over the traveler's offhand comment about how there's no purpose to the universe back in c2. i get why he doesn't want to deal with that again. and i think the players are also afraid to be seen as either condoning religious oppression or condemning personal belief, so they've been hesitant to take a strong stance on anything, for fear that no matter what they choose fans will bring their own feelings about religion into their reactions to the game. the only exception, really, has been taliesin, and we see how much anger and criticism he gets from fans every single week who assume he's using ashton as a mouthpiece for his own ideals, even though he played an explicitly pro-god character last campaign.

and matt, presumably realizing this was becoming a problem, has backtracked instead of doubling down on the stance of "this has nothing to do with reality, stop projecting," both to his players and the audience. instead, he's grown increasingly vague about what, if any, the actual consequences of all this will be. there was no question of the consequences in c1 or c2 being catastrophic. but now we're working with a plot for which, it seems, there are no real consequences either way. apparently, everything will stay the same no matter what the bh choose, because apparently, saying "there will be catastrophic consequences for releasing a godeater" is the same in some people's minds as "mortals need religion in order to be good." it's the issue of our real-world religious metaphors running into the exandrian religious literalism again.

the problem then becomes that, in order to not take a stance of either "religion bad" or "religion necessary," he has had to create a plot for which all outcomes are the same, so bh just have to make the moral, philosophical decision on behalf of the entire world of whether or not the gods "deserve" to live. which is crazy! no wonder the players have constantly been plagued by indecision, second guessing, and lack of direction. by removing any distinct outcome either way, they've avoided making a statement that anyone might be upset by--and also created an ending with no substance or emotional impact.

honestly i feel like i could dissect this more, but i think the point has been made well enough: this campaign has died a death by a thousand cuts.

[abnormal-vacuum]

A closer look at Simon "Ghost" Riley's interpersonal guilt

chapter 1

ghost/soap 1,365 words - ao3 Tags: guilt? mentions of abuse, complicated feelings.. hello this is my first fanfic in like 5 or 6 years. its hopefully gonna be part of a series.

Simon “Ghost” Riley considers himself a man sewn together by his mistakes. Every decision, right and wrong, has led him to become who and what he is today. Since his birth, he’s made nearly every mistake he possibly could. If he was one to believe in separate timelines and alternate realities, he’d think he was the worst version of himself out there. Despite this, he's still able to recognize that he's made some good decisions. He’s defused bombs, sniped terrorists and saved countless lives by doing his job. But those feel weightless in comparison to the sheer amount of loss he views himself as responsible for. Tommy, his nephews, countless soldiers and civilians whose names he doesn't know but faces he’ll remember forever.

Point being, Simon doesn't deem himself a good person, despite the frequent assurance from people around him that he’s an honest (enough) man. He thinks he was a good kid dealt a shitty hand, but that kid has long since rotted away. Although, if you asked that kid if he felt like a good person, he probably wouldn't know how to respond. He would take far too long of a pause between the question being asked and his inevitable, “oh, yeah. ‘Course I’m a good person.” Because realistically, at least at the time, he’d never done anything to make him a bad person. Maybe sometimes he was selfish, but that's just how kids are. Maybe it was the fact that he was born into an unkind environment. A den of snakes, the last place a child should have to be. Households like that breed uncomfortable feelings. Maybe Simon was born with a seed of evil deep in his heart that has yet to have the opportunity to corrupt him fully. Maybe he just needs to go to therapy.

He’s also thought that maybe he’s just too close to his current self to view things objectively. Maybe when he’s older and retired he’ll pity this present iteration in the way Simon pities his teenage self. Realistically, that's where he’s headed. Sure, he’ll have regrets… but that's just a part of life. Especially a life like his. He knows what the team thinks of him. Price thinks he’s a good man. He makes sure to assure him of this whenever he notices Simon having an ‘off’ day. He knows Gaz and Soap like him, but they aren't exactly privy to his life before becoming Ghost, at least not enough to clue them into what he really deems as ‘Bad’. Price does know this, yet he still insists that Simon is one of his best. Not pure, not without blame or blood, but still good. Somehow, despite how much he tells his captain, Simon still manages to persuade himself into believing that he's wrong. John Price, whose judgement he trusts nearly wholeheartedly in every other situation… he doesn't believe. If he really thought about it, he might be able to recognize how absurd that really sounds. But he doesn't. So it remains unresolved.

This is how he thinks whenever he has a moment alone that lasts just a hair too long. When he's shaving, taking a shower, or buzzing his head. When he can't fall asleep, which is more often than not. When he’s on leave, eating a microwave meal all alone. At the gym if he forgets his headphones, or if his sniping position reminds him a little too much of home. Wherever home is.

He hates silence, despite how often he surrounds himself with it. Which, he thinks, is one of the many reasons that Johnny has managed to lure him in. He talks. A lot. Not too much, but a lot. He keeps the comms warm and manages to bring out Simon's chatty side. He’s somehow able to talk at the perfect times, as if he can sense when Simon’s brain starts to steer him down a dark, well trodden path. He tells a shitty joke, or nudges Ghost's knee to make some snide comment about a private he saw trip on his way to the heli, and suddenly everything is okay again. He makes things easy, and Ghost feels a little pathetic over the whole situation. Especially because he knows it’s fucking effortless for the Scot. Easy as breathing-- he's probably not even aware how much of a crutch his presence has become. Times previously taken up by brooding and reliving painful memories have now been filled by Soap prattling on about some larger than life feat of his. Or even worse, Simon will lie awake in bed and think about him. That stupid mohawk and the scar on his chin. He keeps forgetting to ask where that came from. None of this is to say that Johnny makes Ghost feel like a good person, because he doesn't. But he does fill up the space that previously allowed him to think too hard about his own morality. And, at least right now, that might be more useful.

Johnny is bright in more ways than one. He’s smart, one of the smartest people Simon has ever met. But he's also bright. Bright as in painful to look at. Like the sun, at least to Simon. Not based on looks (although he is quite handsome), but on… demeanor, maybe. The way he carries himself. Simon hasn't been able to put a finger on what he's trying to describe. His confidence, his… charm. John MacTavish is something else entirely. Separate from what, Ghost isn't sure. They’ve only known each other for about four months, which is one of the many reasons Ghost finds this… fondness for the sergeant so frustrating. Because he was hooked from day one. It took no time for Soap to worm himself in the spot between Ghost’s lungs and his ribcage. It's one thing for him to be attracted to the man. He's been attracted to plenty of soldiers in the past, but he typically does nothing about it. And most of them haven't been on the same damn task force as him. He's a professional, for Christ's sake, and those feelings are almost always fleeting. But they’ve never felt like this. Luckily he's good at keeping quiet, especially in situations like this.

He doesnt idolize Johnny. He knows he's not perfect. You don’t get this high up into the SAS by keeping your hands clean. But he’s sure that whatever Soap has done is nothing in comparison to his mountain of mistakes. Gaz has hinted that he may return his feelings. Ghost always chooses to take this as either Gaz being a right prick, or those feelings simply being lust. It can't be anything more than that, he won’t allow for it. He's not even sure that Soap likes men. He's never caught him with a woman before, but that doesn’t mean it hasn't happened. But that's not really important in the grand scheme of things. Ghost would never get involved with him. At least that's what he tells himself every time something particularly… tempting occurs.

Like that time they were trapped in a closet together. It was all knees against groins and pained grunts. It was only 45 minutes but it felt like hours. Soap was chewing gum, making loud smacking noises. It got to the point where Simon nearly knocked him upside the head. As soon as Ghost snapped at him to quit it, Soap stuck it beneath one of the shelves behind them. They made eye contact the whole time. Not a word of protest. It seems innocuous, but given the man's reputation of being… insubordinate, his eagerness to follow orders was surprising. If everything was right in the world he would have kissed him right there. They talked about nothing for the remainder of the time, whispering close in each other's ear as to not be caught. They both smelled rank, yet neither of them mentioned it. Safe to say that was all Simon thought about in bed for several weeks afterwards.

Anyways, Simon doesn't want Johnny to become another mistake in his past, whatever that means. So he’ll remain where he is, firmly planted on the already blurry line between colleague, superior and friend.

[stellar-haikyuu]

guardian deity ☆ nishinoya yuu x reader

synopsis: reader is incredibly unlucky with ball-related sports, but volleyball might be an exception, thanks to a certain guardian deity. details: silly/crack | accidental friends | opposites attract | first meeting | 1,277 words | gn! reader | requested by anon as part of my karasuno writing event | my entry for @phantasmaebg warnings: none!

You’re not exactly a sporty person. Why? Sports doesn’t seem to like you very much.

Regular exercise, running, swimming, cheerleading, and aerobics—those things were fine. But when balls were involved? You did not stand a chance.

It all started with dodgeball. The whole point was to avoid the balls, and for someone who sucked at ball sports, the fear should have made it easier. Unfortunately, you’re incredibly clumsy. You trip on a stray ball, falling to the floor. Within seconds, you’re pelted with more dodgeballs and called out of the game.

Basketball was terrifying, having to run into people and have them chase you. It was embarassing enough to be passed the ball, only to run in the opposite direction. That was the one time you were glad to be horrible at shooting. After that, you never tried to go for the ball. Your teacher was kind enough to never call you out on it—he quickly learns it’s not worth another clinic trip.

As if the close contact and chasing in basketball wasn’t enough, you’re thrown into soccer. With two left feet, this is the worst-case scenario. Now you’re definitely more aware of what direction you should be running in, but you cannot believe how easy it is for the opposite team to steal the ball. And the one time you’re running towards the right goal, you kick the ball way out into the field.

You beg for a break once high school rolls around, but it seems your prayers weren’t answered.

Handball…soccer but using hands, you think. With your lack of coordination, you often volunteer to be the goalie; at least you could block something with any part of your body. Alas, you’ve taken a couple of handballs to the face. 

And get this, you weren’t even in school for this one: somehow, you managed to damage bowling alley property on an afternoon hangout with friends. That also involved slipping on the bowling lane, countless balls in the gutter, and almost dropping a ball on your foot.

At this point, almost everyone knew about your laughable luck with ball sports—or lack thereof. You just sigh, hoping to see the day you are no longer obligated to do these activities.

“Would you mind giving this to Takeda-sensei at the gym? He’s coaching the volleyball team at the moment.”

You take the paper envelope from your teacher and nod. “I’ll get it to him.”

“Thank you, dear. See you tomorrow!”

As you leave the faculty room, you’re immediately filled with unease. 

You’d rather not enter the gym while a team is actively practicing, but you don’t really have a choice.

At least you’re not playing the sport, you think.

You step out into the open area, quickly locating the school gym. The squeaking of sneakers are audible from a distance, followed by some rather harsh hits. It’s enough to send a chill up your spine.

Slowly, you walk, trying to prolong the distance between you and the gym door. Eventually, it’s within arms reach, and you take a deep breath before opening it.

And goodness.

Aren’t you just lucky?

“Look out!” 

At first, you don’t register the warning, but the sight of a volleyball hurtling toward you is enough to snap her back into reality.

You raise your arms to protect yourself, hoping that for once in your life, your reaction time can save you.

But the ball never hits you.

Smack!

The sound of ball meeting flesh echoes through the gym, and it takes you a second to realize you’ve just been saved. 

A whistle blows, and the game stops. In the corner of your eye, you see the volleyball rolling away on the floor.

When you put your arms down, you see someone in front of you—a boy with his knees bent and arms outstretched. He must have taken the hit.

“Are you okay?”

“M-Me?” You stammer. “I should be the one asking if you’re okay!”

“Pfft, of course I am!” He gives you a reassuring grin. “Receiving volleyballs is my thing.”

You blink, unsure what to say to that.

“Hinata, you dumbass!” A yell takes you by surprise. “Look where you’re spiking, you nearly hit someone!”

“Huh? I still have to close my eyes, remember?” 

“Oi, oi, calm down you two!”

You’re momentarily taken aback by this display of team dynamics. You hope it’s not serious, considering that you’ve sometimes been on the end of a hotheaded teammate.

Thankfully, nothing escalates. In fact, Hinata—if you assumed correctly—bounds over to where you’re standing. “Noya-san! That was so cool! You moved so fast like zoom!”

Another team member with a buzzcut follows suit, clapping your savior on the back. “That’s our guardian deity.” Then, he acknowledges you with a rather unsubtle waggle of his eyebrows. “This guy has killer reflexes.”

“I see…” You respond, a little speechless.

The orange-haired boy somehow materializes at your side, jumping up and down. “Right? Right? Senpai is the best!”

You glance at this Noya-san. He seems to blush at the praise. 

Though he tries to act cool about it, you can tell it means a lot to him.

“Hey, uh thanks,” you state, finally finding the words. “For saving me.”

“No problem! It’s what I do!”

His glee is so infectious, you can’t help but feel energized. 

“Hello there, I’m Sawamura Daichi.” You realize that another boy is approaching all of you. “I’m the team captain. I sincerely apologize for this, we’ll be more careful next time.”

“Ah, it’s alright, I promise,” you shake your head. “I’m used to this stuff.”

“Used to it?”

“I’m really unlucky with ball sports.” You clarify. “If you’ve heard the rumors, then that would be me.” 

“Ah, I see.” Some sort of recognition appears on his face, though he doesn’t comment any further. “Anyway, is there something you need from us?”

You suddenly remember the envelope you’re holding in your hands.

“Ah. I was looking for Takeda-sensei. I had to give him this?”

“Oh, he’s over there.” He looks towards the other end of the gym, where two adults watch your group with curiosity. “Sensei, they have something for you!”

“Go on ahead,” Sawamura smiles. “I’ll give the team a break to avoid any accidents.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it,” you bow to him before approaching the literature teacher.

As you hand over the letter and engage in some small talk with him, you can feel Noya staring at you from the distance. You try not to think much of it until your interaction with Takeda-sensei ends.

After making your way to the gym entrance, you give their team captain a thumbs up to resume practice.

He calls everyone’s attention, but Noya remains by the door, almost as if he wants to tell you something.

To your surprise, you decide to beat him to it.

“Is there anything I can do to repay you?”

His eyes widen. “Repay me? What? No, that’s…uh-”

Buzzcut passes by and dramatically whispers, “Garigari-kun popsicles. Soda flavor.”

“Ryuu!” Noya hisses, drawing a laugh out of you.

“Is that your favorite? I wouldn’t mind treating you to one.”

Noya seems to hesitate at your offer. “Only if you insist, but you really don’t-”

“I insist,” you cut him off. “You’re my one stroke of luck after years of being involved in ball sports. I feel like I should be honoring you.”

He opens his mouth to respond, but no words come out.

“Anyway, I’ll be at Sakanoshita until the evening to study. Meet me there, yeah?”

“I…okay.”

“Alright,” you turn to exit the gym. “See you after school, guardian deity.”

Before leaving, you pretend not to notice how his face flushes once more.

masterlist

[moon-ttokki-x]

yang jeongin - skz fluff headcanons

pairing: yang jeongin x reader

summary: innie headcanons

genre: fluff, idol! au, comfort, general fluff headcanons, maknae shenanigans

a/n: i haven't written stuff in a while tbh but anyways. thank you for 200 everyone !!

skz masterlist

so

you're dating jeongin

congratulations

he's a little shit

when you first start being together he'll be kind of quiet and shy

which is cute

he'll be doing things like opening the door for you or cooking for you

just that partner lovey dovey stuff you know

but wait til both of you get closer

the relationship will just descend into chaos

and if you were friends with him before you started dating

that chaos will be even worse

jeongin is the type of guy to purposely annoy you and take it a step further because you're so close with him

he'll steal your charger for his phone even if yours is half dead

and then he'll keep it until you have to use it

which results in the rest of the skz members getting used to texting you through jeongin's phone

because you have to literally beg him to give your charger back

all that nice guy stuff just evaporates as soon as he feels comfortable around you

like if you have to go through a door

innie will go first and then slam the door shut so you have to stop and open it again

which has resulted in several injuries

once you went to his dance practice and walked back to his dorm together

and he went through a door and slammed it

because he's a little shit

and you weren't feeling your sharpest that day so you walked right into it

as the door was closing too

chan, who wasn't far behind, had to literally carry you into the dorm because you were so dazed

all in all, jeongin learned to not do that anymore

also because he got scolded by leader hyung and chan is scary when he's mad

sometimes he feels like doing it to you but he doesn't because he doesn't want to hurt you

anyway

we all know that skinship isn't exactly innie's thing

unless he's super comfortable with the person giving it to him

i feel like he would be the type to just do little tiny acts of affection

maybe like resting his head on your lap while you work or on your shoulder when you're busy

or holding your pinky instead of your whole hand

i think he would be the type to accept physical affection from you because it's his partner, you know

but i don't think he'd be into giving it much

jeongin isn't the type to like full blown cuddling and spooning and all that stuff

he likes soft, purposeful affection in small doses

and when he's had a bad day or he's not in a good mood or something happened, he will be asking for affection

obviously not verbally because our maknae is too cool for that

but he might lightly tug at your hand til you sit down with him or nuzzle his head into your side if you're lying down

please he's literally a fox

protect him at all costs :(

i also feel like innie is the type to be quite impulsive sometimes

like it'll be a random tuesday afternoon when you walk into the bathroom and he's standing over the sink, cutting all his hair off

"JEONGIN WHAT ARE YOU DOING"

"i wanna look like hyunjin hyung :("

either that or he's dying it

or drawing all over himself

or eating things he shouldn't

you've seen him try to bite the corner off a brick wall and jisung swears up and down that innie has eaten deodorant

there's a reason why you keep yours in a drawer now

just in case

anyway

we know innie is also our fashion king

definitely the type to like little items like matching rings or phone cases

he tries to persuade you into matching weird shoes but that's too far for you right now

so he settles for other matching things like hoodies

and necklaces!!!

lots of matching necklaces!!

jeongin will never admit it but he likes having a piece of you close to his heart

whether that's in the form of a pendant or otherwise

aww

you guys also have those matching magnetic socks

you know those ones

with the little faces and the magnetic hands that connect when you sit next to the person who's wearing the other pair

yeah those

google it if you don't know

innie loves those and more than once has managed to persuade you into wearing them at award shows and other work events

hidden under your dress of course

and his hidden under his suit

like chan and hyunjin, he also beefs with the stylists about not taking off the matching jewelry you guys have

the stylists literally have to hold him down to take it off him because it just doesn't match

but he always puts it back on afterwards anyway

because he's maknae on top and nobody tells him what to do >:(

they've given up at this point

but they understand that he loves you and wants to keep you close

at skz concerts where they can throw water, innie will always look directly into the crowd for you

then he'll give you a cute smile before drenching you in a sacrilegious amount of water

you've learnt to bring towels and an umbrella to concerts now

jeongin also manages to rope seungmin and minho into it too

so wherever you go, be warned because one of them is always waiting to just dump water over your head

you could always tell chan about it but you let them have their fun

for now anyways

after concerts, you and jeongin always go back to the dorm or the hotel if skz is on tour at that time

and you'll wash all the night air and now-cold water out of each other's hair

if you're nice innie will let you dry his hair

but you're not allowed to style it

that's law

sometimes you get annoyed with how much water innie throws at you during concerts

you stopped being annoyed when felix secretly told you that jeongin drenches you at concerts on purpose so both of you can spend more time afterwards cleaning up together and drying off in each other's company

which is cute

all in all, innie is a mischievous little shit but he loves you

so so much

even if he doesn't go about showing his love conventionally

he makes sure that you never doubt he loves you

so

you're dating jeongin

congratulations

he's a little shit

when you first start being together he'll be kind of quiet and shy

which is cute

he'll be doing things like opening the door for you or cooking for you

just that partner lovey dovey stuff you know

but wait til both of you get closer

the relationship will just descend into chaos

and if you were friends with him before you started dating

that chaos will be even worse

jeongin is the type of guy to purposely annoy you and take it a step further because you're so close with him

he'll steal your charger for his phone even if yours is half dead

and then he'll keep it until you have to use it

which results in the rest of the skz members getting used to texting you through jeongin's phone

because you have to literally beg him to give your charger back

all that nice guy stuff just evaporates as soon as he feels comfortable around you

like if you have to go through a door

innie will go first and then slam the door shut so you have to stop and open it again

which has resulted in several injuries

once you went to his dance practice and walked back to his dorm together

and he went through a door and slammed it

because he's a little shit

and you weren't feeling your sharpest that day so you walked right into it

as the door was closing too

chan, who wasn't far behind, had to literally carry you into the dorm because you were so dazed

all in all, jeongin learned to not do that anymore

also because he got scolded by leader hyung and chan is scary when he's mad

sometimes he feels like doing it to you but he doesn't because he doesn't want to hurt you

anyway

we all know that skinship isn't exactly innie's thing

unless he's super comfortable with the person giving it to him

i feel like he would be the type to just do little tiny acts of affection

maybe like resting his head on your lap while you work or on your shoulder when you're busy

or holding your pinky instead of your whole hand

i think he would be the type to accept physical affection from you because it's his partner, you know

but i don't think he'd be into giving it much

jeongin isn't the type to like full blown cuddling and spooning and all that stuff

he likes soft, purposeful affection in small doses

and when he's had a bad day or he's not in a good mood or something happened, he will be asking for affection

obviously not verbally because our maknae is too cool for that

but he might lightly tug at your hand til you sit down with him or nuzzle his head into your side if you're lying down

please he's literally a fox

protect him at all costs :(

i also feel like innie is the type to be quite impulsive sometimes

like it'll be a random tuesday afternoon when you walk into the bathroom and he's standing over the sink, cutting all his hair off

"JEONGIN WHAT ARE YOU DOING"

"i wanna look like hyunjin hyung :("

either that or he's dying it

or drawing all over himself

or eating things he shouldn't

you've seen him try to bite the corner off a brick wall and jisung swears up and down that innie has eaten deodorant

there's a reason why you keep yours in a drawer now

just in case

anyway

we know innie is also our fashion king

definitely the type to like little items like matching rings or phone cases

he tries to persuade you into matching weird shoes but that's too far for you right now

so he settles for other matching things like hoodies

and necklaces!!!

lots of matching necklaces!!

jeongin will never admit it but he likes having a piece of you close to his heart

whether that's in the form of a pendant or otherwise

aww

you guys also have those matching magnetic socks

you know those ones

with the little faces and the magnetic hands that connect when you sit next to the person who's wearing the other pair

yeah those

google it if you don't know

innie loves those and more than once has managed to persuade you into wearing them at award shows and other work events

hidden under your dress of course

and his hidden under his suit

like chan and hyunjin, he also beefs with the stylists about not taking off the matching jewelry you guys have

the stylists literally have to hold him down to take it off him because it just doesn't match

but he always puts it back on afterwards anyway

because he's maknae on top and nobody tells him what to do >:(

they've given up at this point

but they understand that he loves you and wants to keep you close

at skz concerts where they can throw water, innie will always look directly into the crowd for you

then he'll give you a cute smile before drenching you in a sacrilegious amount of water

you've learnt to bring towels and an umbrella to concerts now

jeongin also manages to rope seungmin and minho into it too

so wherever you go, be warned because one of them is always waiting to just dump water over your head

you could always tell chan about it but you let them have their fun

for now anyways

after concerts, you and jeongin always go back to the dorm or the hotel if skz is on tour at that time

and you'll wash all the night air and now-cold water out of each other's hair

if you're nice innie will let you dry his hair

but you're not allowed to style it

that's law

sometimes you get annoyed with how much water innie throws at you during concerts

you stopped being annoyed when felix secretly told you that jeongin drenches you at concerts on purpose so both of you can spend more time afterwards cleaning up together and drying off in each other's company

which is cute

all in all, innie is a mischievous little shit but he loves you

so so much

even if he doesn't go about showing his love conventionally

he makes sure that you never doubt he loves you

a/n: divider by @cafekitsune

[cwritesforfun]

Emperor Geta x Fem!Reader: Escape part three

Part One Link <~ read first Part Two Link <~ read this too

Y/N = Your First Name & L/N = Your Last Name

They will not follow the Roman style of speech - it will be written in modern language.

*I do not own the Gladiator 2 characters or plot* I do change some of the plot!!!

Masterlist

Y/N's POV

Geta rested for a while, and eventually, you realized he was here to stay. He had told you countless times that he wanted to stay, but it hit you that he really did want to.

You thought that him staying would be easy, but why should it be?

Geta disagreed with your leadership style to the point where he kept arguing with you in and out of court. You finally had it with his constant disapproval, and you made your guards escort him out of the room. The rest of the day at court was tense for you. Everyone seemed to be walking on ice around you.

You meet Geta in one of the sitting rooms in the palace and have tea delivered. You take a cautious sip and ask, "So, Geta, would you like to tell me about what was wrong today in court?" Geta glances at you and answers, "I just don't like the way you let everyone have a say in court proceedings. I also didn't believe some of those crimes should have been pardoned. They deserved to be executed." Your eyes widen, and you reply, "I see. Geta, I let everyone have a say in what happens at court because that is what happens in this country. I let everyone preach their case and why they think I should listen to them. It keeps people happy to know that their views have been heard. It also ensures that I know the full story going into the proceedings. I know Rome was different, but you are not in Rome now." He looks distraught, and you continue, "And as for the crimes being pardoned, I think you would benefit learning from my advisors about the rulings in my country. I'll talk to them tonight, and you can attend lessons during the next couple of weeks so you can better understand my decisions. I don't like how you reacted in court and think you can also learn how to better express your disagreements. I'll make sure that is included in your lessons." He asks, "Anything else?" You answer, "I think it might be best if you sleep in another room while you attend the lessons so you can try to remain unbiased. Knowing how I would think may influence your lessons.” He reaches out for my hand and replies, "I thought we weren't going to be parting ways again." You reply, "We're not exactly parting ways. I'll still be at the palace and join you for dinner. Besides, I believe some time apart will benefit us. We began this relationship quickly and with an intensity that no others can grasp." He nods and replies, "Fine, as you wish, your majesty."

Geta's POV

How can one sit through boring lessons all day and not be annoyed?

I keep telling myself that I'm doing this for Y/N, but really, her choices of people to lead my lessons are a drag. For the first week of my lessons, I sat in lessons with her old governess from when she was a child. This lady was cold and stubborn. She kept snapping at me, and she treated me like a child. The second week, I was with her foreign advisor, who was a persnickety old man who kept quizzing me on viewpoints of this country. I kept thinking of how I would react as Emperor of Rome, which was the wrong thing to do. Speaking of Rome, apparently, it thrives under Lucius' reign. Both of these lessons required extra reading too. They had Y/N's notes inside and she often included little jokes that made me smile. I love her. However, the third week of lessons was my favorite. I learned from her military advisor who was both kind and fierce. His team respected him and followed him. He was kind to me and it seemed he actually liked me.

If I thought that was bad, well, I have been attending lessons early in the morning until dinnertime, where I must sit with Y/N and other members of her court as they all chat about their lives. I don't always get to sit next to Y/N, and she rarely acknowledges me. I just want to hold her and kiss her, but her guards keep strict protection around her. Almost no one can even talk to her. Am I a threat? Why is she ignoring me? I need to talk to her. Does she love me?

I'm sitting in my room with a book after my last lesson when a guard informs me that Y/N wishes to speak to me before dinner. Finally.

I get dressed and follow the guard to the sitting room nearest the dining hall. I enter with a smile on my face and see my lovely Y/N sitting at the desk. She stands, walks toward me, and guides me to the couches. I notice her pour two glasses of alcohol from the bottle on the nearby table and I ask, "Love, what is wrong?" She hands me a glass and answers, "I pushed you away wrongly. There was a threat to my life, and I wanted to protect you. So I sent you away. I do believe those lessons were something that you should have done, but I shouldn't have ignored your presence the rest of the time. I'm sorry." I quickly grab her open hand and ask, "What about this threat? Is it neutralized?" She nods and answers, "We apprehended the team this morning after my tea was poisoned. They were trying to harm me because they heard I sheltered you here. They escaped Rome to live here, away from you and Calla's rule. They are being held in prison for the attempted assassination. And as for the tea, well, I noticed it looked weird and I had my doctor test it for anything out of the ordinary. They used a generic poison and we found it quickly." I reply, "Don't send me away again. I'm here for you, no matter what. I love you, my Y/N... does the threat because of me scare you? Will you send me away?" She shakes her head and answers, "No, love. I'm not sending you away. I tightened security, and we'll make sure my people know you are no longer a threat to their lives. This is not Rome, and I would not stand for mistreatment of my people." I ask, "How will you tell them this?" She answers, "It's an idea that I wanted to run past you. I think an engagement is in order." I jokingly answer, "I would like to be engaged to the governess." She tilts her head and asks, "What?" I answer, "I was kidding. I was trying to make you jealous." She replies, "Oh, I'm not threatened by her." I bite my lip, smirk, and reply, "Non-jealousy looks hot on you." She laughs and says, "I meant for us to be engaged, silly." My eyes widen and I say, "I accept your proposal, Queen. I would love to be your husband." She smiles and says, "I am happy to be your wife soon, too... We'll draft a speech for us to give to my people, so they may know the Geta that I love." . . . Taglist: @doodle-with-rhy @ziggeddie

[drvirgus]

Glow

Danielle X Reader

Description: Despite your initial distrust of Dani's relentless optimism, you discover that having someone as bright as Dani in your life is exactly what you need.

Warnings: insults; trauma; harsh words; foul language; kys/kms jokes; naughty jokes; drinking; smoking;

Chapter 08: Danielle Marsh

Masterlist

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Danielle Marsh, or rather Mo Jihye, had always been one of the most active and kind-hearted children you could meet. Always smiling, rarely angry (though that didn't mean she wasn't capable of it), and incredibly empathetic toward those around her.

With a family that cherished her deeply, Danielle grew up surrounded by happiness and love. Her father always kept a watchful eye on her, giving her as much affection as he could. Her mother, who taught her how to cook and spent quality time with her. And then there was her sister—Danielle was practically a copy of her, which was probably why they got along so well.

Danielle quickly developed a love for cheerleading. It started in kindergarten with a few hand movements she mimicked from the cheerleaders on TV. By elementary school, she adored cartwheels and was often encouraged and praised by her PE teacher.

Her decision was solidified when she learned that her mother had also been a cheerleader during her school days. Inspired, Danielle auditioned and became a cheerleader herself.

Danielle was popular. While it wasn't the reason she started cheerleading, she couldn't deny that she enjoyed the attention she received.

But none of that mattered to her. Not really.

Whether it was men her age, younger, or older, she turned them down. Whether it was women her age, younger, or older, she turned them down too. No one could get Mo Jihye to agree to a date.

Cheerleading was the only thing that mattered to Danielle.

At least until she met Yn.

The two had been in the same classes and shared classes more than once, but Danielle had never noticed Yn.

Not until the day she dropped her pen and bent down to pick it up. All eyes were on Danielle, hoping her cheerleading bottom might ride up and reveal more. That was until Yn stood behind Danielle, patiently waiting for her to retrieve her pen.

Danielle, oblivious to the situation, looked down at Yn with a curious expression. "Uh... I'm Danielle," she said cheerfully, flashing a warm smile at the shorter girl. A bit startled by the glare she received in return, Danielle swallowed nervously.

"Can't you wear something decent? Not everyone wants to see that," Yn snapped, sighing as she shrugged off her jacket and wrapped it around Danielle's waist.

Danielle's eyes widened as Yn tied the jacket securely. Without another word, Yn left the room, leaving Danielle confused and curious. But somehow... it was refreshing.

It didn't take Danielle long to find out the name of the mysterious girl. What was strange, though, was how Danielle suddenly started noticing Yn everywhere.

In the classroom, in the hallway, in the locker room, at the café around the corner, on the way home, in the park.

Yn was everywhere.

And because Yn seemed to be everywhere, and for some reason, Danielle couldn't take her eyes off her, she started learning things about the girl.

She always wore a hoodie with jeans. She had a habit of looking to the right when she was thinking but couldn't find the answer. And when she did find it, she'd look to the left before speaking. She stayed at school longer than necessary, feeding a stray cat she never took home. She only had two friends—Kazuha and Yunjin. She wasn't particularly empathetic or sociable. And her smile...

Danielle had seen countless expressions, heard countless tones of voice, and witnessed countless smiles. But none like Yn's. Her smile wasn't extraordinary, yet the way Yn squinted her eyes, the way her dimples deepened, and the way her cheeks lifted—it was mesmerizing.

For Danielle, who had never seen Yn smile before, it was the most beautiful smile she'd ever seen.

For the first time, something that usually only happened during cheerleading, Danielle felt her heart race.

Danielle Marsh... was in love.

But how exactly was she supposed to deal with that?

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Taglist: @sixflame438 @saysirhc @illithharmony @somedaydream @yuyuy90 @wonyoungssi @peranoo @gornoi @he------len @multiliker @wtfisthisnoclueman